STATEMENT: The Spirit of the ’88 Olympics Lives On

December 9, 2024

STATEMENT

The Spirit of the ’88 Olympics Lives On

What was ‘impossible’ has suddenly become possible.

Today is a good day for Calgarians.

The Calgary Municipal Land Corporation (CMLC) conceded this morning that there is indeed a way to avoid destroying the 1988 Olympic Plaza bricks. They have indicated they will now offer citizens the opportunity to retrieve their beloved brick.

Although Calgarians were originally told this was not possible, it was clear to me all along that there had to be a solution or a compromise. As it turns out, there was.

While I would still like to see the names preserved for the historical record somehow, I thank the CMLC for listening to Calgarians, and for recognizing the sentimental value that the bricks hold to all who shared in the energy of the 1988 Winter Olympic Games.

I fully credit today’s change of heart to the pressure applied by proud Calgarians who made their desire to preserve this important piece of our city’s history very clear. I am honoured to have helped give them a voice via my Parliamentary petition, and thank all those who took the time to sign it.

I encourage all citizens who purchased a brick to register as soon as possible to retrieve it. All of the details pertaining to this are available online: https://www.calgary.ca/planning/projects/olympic-plaza-transformation.html?redirect=/olympicplaza

Whenever and wherever possible, we should seek out ways to hold onto our identity and our history – and never let them slip through our fingers.