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“If you were to go beyond Calgary, I think most Canadians would support a bid because there is that pride, and there is a chance to be at the top or near the top of the world.”

While the poll suggests a healthy level of support, there’s been some public unease from citizens and city council members about hosting the Olympics.

Last month, the head of the Calgary Bid Exploration Committee, former police chief Rick Hanson, told a Postmedia editorial board he was surprised by the level of cynicism about the Olympic movement shown by Calgarians since his team started its investigation.

“The biggest barrier to what we’re doing is the overall lack of trust that people have about Olympics in general,” Hanson said at the time.

“People have become really cynical — about the Olympics especially.

“The biggest single issue is about the cynicism around the work, and will they trust the work that’s being done? And that’s why we’re so intent, and have been so intent, on really focusing on the buckets of work and just to be objective.”

But even as the committee continues its evaluation of a potential bid, Mainstreet’s numbers suggest there’s enough interest among Calgarians that bidding on the Games wouldn’t be a difficult sell.

According to the poll, 64 per cent of those supporting a bid cite civic pride as the driving motivation for their opinion, hoping to showcase Calgary and Canada on the world stage. Another 18 per cent said they would support a bid for the entertainment value of the Games, with 11 per cent believing the economic impact of being a host city would be lucrative for the city.