Representatives from the Tour of Alberta visited the policies and priorities committee on Feb. 16, pitching Olds as a potential starting point for Stage 4 of the elite cycling race this September.
In September 2014, the Town of Innisfail, was the starting point for Stage 2 of the race. Back then the host rights only cost $20,000, which was funded from the town's operating budget.
However, this year, hosting the event comes with a $100,000 price tag to secure the rights.
Olds mayor Judy Dahl said that price is high for the town alone.
"If Olds was to do it today, by ourselves, for $100,000, I would say no, we cannot afford that. We're already looking at budget cuts ourselves to keep our tax rate down. If we have partners, it may be viable," Dahl said.
Tour of Alberta president and CEO Duane Vienneau said his group has also presented to Mountain View County, which was "very supportive" of a possible partnership with the town.
"What we're really looking for is commitment on ‘do you want us to proceed and have a start in Olds,'" Vienneau said.
It's a big commitment, one that also requires committee meetings and volunteers. Dahl said she wanted to speak with mayors of other municipalities who've hosted the race.
"We need to find those people to be able to put this forth as a committee to have this great celebration. There are a lot of players we need to talk to first before we can make any type of decision," she said. "We'll do our homework."
Stage 4 would begin on Sept. 3 and runs to Drayton Valley, already confirmed as the finish point for that leg of the race, said Vienneau.
This year, about 120 world-class cyclists are expected to compete in the event, now in its fourth year.
"It's the best cyclists in the world ... and half of the cyclists that are in our race every year are in the Tour de France. So it's the best of the best," he said.
"In the first couple of years, people would say to us, 'How do I participate in it?' Well, it'd be like saying, 'How do I go play for the Oilers or play for the Flames?' It's sort of that calibre."
Host communities do more than just watch. Vienneau said each location also gets a festival that includes stages, beer gardens, rides and other attractions.
He then told the committee how host sites benefit.
Vienneau said according to their studies, the economic impact on the province over the first three years has been between 20 and 25 million dollars. The Tour of Alberta is also broadcast internationally, with 47 million people tuning in for the race last year, he continued.
As well, the Tour of Alberta books 300 to 500 rooms per night in each community it visits, he said.
After the meeting, chief administrative officer Norm McInnis was intrigued by Vienneau's proposal, though skeptical of the economic benefits being touted.
"Those economic dollars, the calculations behind those, I've never been a big fan of. If they actually came true, these events would be rolling in money," McInnis said.
"But this one's interesting. Certainly has a big ticket as far as the sponsorship dollars go. So we'll continue to work with the group."
Judy Dahl, mayor of Olds
"If Olds was to do it today, by ourselves, for $100,000, I would say no, we cannot afford that. We're already looking at budget cuts ourselves to keep our tax rate down. If we have partners, it may be viable
