| This case study deals with the failed bid by Calgary Olympic Development Association to host the 1972 Winter Olympics in Banff National Park. The bid committee argued that the international exposure garnered by a locality would result in economic growth and amateur athletic development. Opponents to the use of a national park as an Olympic site challenged the importance of the Games to Banff's identity as a world class destination, and the recreational role of national parks. Through textual analysis of newspaper and archival documents, and interviews, the case of the failed 1972 Winter Olympic bid reveals discourses of the role of national parks in the 1960s. As a result of the 1972 Winter Olympics bid, multiple constructions of Banff National Park emerged, as a site of importance for sport, tourism, and environmental protection. |
