Calgary 1988 Olympics organizer Bob Niven dies
Posted Jun 5, 2023 7:57 am.
Last Updated Jun 5, 2023 2:26 pm.
A man who played a key role in the success of Calgary’s 1988 Olympics has died.
Bob Niven passed away May 26 at the age of 81.
According to his obituary, Niven was a member of the Calgary Booster Club and was heavily involved in pulling off the city’s Olympics, “[devoting] endless volunteer hours” over 12 years.
During that time, he served as president of the bid committee, then vice-chairman of OCO ’88, planning and staging the games,
Niven also served as mayor of the Calgary Athlete’s Village during the games.
Bob Niven, the man behind the winning ‘88 Games bid is joined by George Brookman, Rob McKay, Quincey Smith and Margie Niven. Together they are showing support for #Calgary2026! #yyc pic.twitter.com/belWl5rffC
— Calgary 2026 (@YYCGames2026) October 31, 2018
The experienced engineer was also the chairman of the Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA, now Winsport) and through that position was “instrumental in the creation of a foundation for sport for future athletes,” using the facilities and programs developed during the Olympics.
Canada Olympic Park also named its high-performance training facility the Bob Niven Training Centre.
He was inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
Niven died of Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD) a rare progressive, degenerative neurological disease that primarily affects speech, motor function, and balance according to his obituary.
“He was a trooper throughout his illness,” his family said.
