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Taxpayer dollars have been used to hire 11 full-time staff members to work on Calgary’s Olympic bid exploration but most of their identities are a mystery.

The exploration committee refuses to disclose who the paid employees are and what they do despite numerous requests from Postmedia.

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“Our staff has not consented to have their private information shared publicly,” said Sean Beardow, communications manager with the Calgary Bid Exploration Committee. “Given that we respect our staff’s right to privacy, we don’t believe releasing their names is appropriate.”

Beardow is one of the 11 recent hires drawing a salary from a portion of the $5 million Calgary city council voted in June to withdraw from its rainy day fund and spend exploring the feasibility of a 2026 Winter Olympics bid.

According to a city website, the group’s general manager is Brian Hahn, who “will oversee the process to arrive at a recommendation.”