BC First Nations 2030 Winter Olympic Bid

[JM_]

I absolutely love this idea. I found the pucker faced reaction from some on Vancouver city council pretty funny, this is a hard one for the 'no to everything' crowd.

 

 

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/olympics-2030-vancouver-bid-1.6281069

Vancouver, Whistler and First Nations to explore feasibility of 2030 Olympics bid

 

Current front-runner to host Winter Games is northern Japanese city of Sapporo

The Canadian Press · Posted: Dec 10, 2021 11:35 AM ET | Last Updated: December 10

 

Vancouver and Whistler city officials along with four First Nations representatives have announced the formation of a partnership that will explore the feasibility of making a bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics.

 

At an announcement Friday, the Lil̓wat7úl (Líl̓wat), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations announced they have jointly entered into a memorandum of understanding with the City of Vancouver and the Resort Municipality of Whistler to begin the process. 

 

Vancouver and Whistler previously hosted the Winter Games in 2010.

 

"We have been at this place before in the 2010 Olympics where we showcased our presence and our cultures respectively," said Lilwat Chief Dean Nelson. "The difference between 2010 [and 2030] is that we were an invitee and today we are a big part of the exploratory group to explore a bid for the 2030 Olympics."

Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart noted that it is the four First Nations who are leading the potential bid, not the two municipalities.

 

"Four inviting two, not two inviting four," he said.

 

"Today is a historic day but there is a long way to go. We are only at the exploratory phase. But no matter what is decided by the Indigenous peoples represented here today, Vancouver will continue to walk this different and unfamiliar path as we continue to put reconciliation into action."

 

Any potential bid would still need approval from Vancouver's city council, Stewart said.

The group will now work with the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee to assess the feasibility of making a bid. Factors that will be considered during the process include costs and benefits for the communities involved.

 

"This announcement fully aligns with our process and our commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's call to action and is an important first step toward exploring the feasibility of bringing the Olympic and Paralympic Games back to the region," said Tricia Smith, president of the Canadian Olympic Committee.

A decision on whether to submit a formal bid to the International Olympic Committee is expected in the fall of 2022.

"Today we think of the canoe leaving the shore," Stewart said.

 

The 2010 Games cost about $4 billion, including an expansion of the Sea-to-Sky highway from Vancouver to Whistler. The organizing committee has said the Games broke even financially.

 

Calgary considered hosting the 2026 Winter Games at an estimated cost of $5.1 billion. The decision went to a public vote in 2018, with 56 per cent of those who voted saying 'no' to putting in a bid.

 

While costs for the 2030 Games will be discussed during the feasibility study, Stewart said he's talked to both the federal and provincial ministers of sport and heard positive reaction to the bid.

 

He also noted that much of the infrastructure from the 2010 is still in use today. Which facilities could once again be used to stage Olympic events will be considered during the feasibility study.

 

Chief Jen Thomas of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation said the 2010 events had a positive impact on her nation. 

 

"We were considered small back then, and now our relationships have really built and become stronger. We are a really big part of the city," said Thomas on CBC's On The Coast.  

"It really brought out the pride in our members. I've never seen so much pride in our community as then."

 

• Olympic advocates want Vancouver to bid on the 2030 Winter Games — but will climate change stop them?

In a statement, Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow said the opportunity for an Indigenous-led games would be a unique one.

"By exploring the possibility of bringing the Games back to our territories, we have an opportunity to create a new Olympic legacy that is grounded in our unique Indigenous perspectives — an approach that should be considered for all future Games."

The northern Japanese city of Sapporo is a current front-runner to land the 2030 Games. The International Olympic Committee has not indicated when it will pick a host city.

Team Canada won 26 medals in 2010 to rank third among countries.

Aside from 2030, the IOC has selected other Olympic hosts through 2032.

The 2022 Beijing Games will begin Feb. 4. After that it'll be Paris in 2024, Milan-Cortina, Italy in 2026, Los Angeles in 2028 and Brisbane, Australia in 2032.

[AriGold]

Do our tax dollars pay for it ? That's all I want to know.

[JM_]

3 minutes ago, AriGold said:

Do our tax dollars pay for it ? That's all I want to know.

I think the correct question is "will we get paid back"?. 2010 did eventually pay for itself, and this time out there's no need for massive infrastructure spending so it should be easily viable.

 

If the bid package includes things like developing the land next to the Burrard Bridge as another olympic village that turns into new rental space that would be ideal imo.

[Alflives]

I really like this.  Hopefully it works out.  I’ll likely need a periscope to watch though.  One about six feet long, and gets through dirt.  

[Caboose]

Creates housing with the construction of an athlete's village, brings about more investment into public transit, plus its a lot of fun. Can't really see why not.

[JM_]

4 minutes ago, Alflives said:

I really like this.  Hopefully it works out.  I’ll likely need a periscope to watch though.  One about six feet long, and gets through dirt.  

yup it does hit the mark.

 

The anti-development folks will be struggling tho, balancing their hate for development vs their wokeness.

[King Heffy]

17 minutes ago, JM_ said:

I think the correct question is "will we get paid back"?. 2010 did eventually pay for itself, and this time out there's no need for massive infrastructure spending so it should be easily viable.

 

If the bid package includes things like developing the land next to the Burrard Bridge as another olympic village that turns into new rental space that would be ideal imo.

Pretty fantastic value for the investment if  this is the direction it goes.

[24K PureCool]

Considering we already have all the infrastructure in place, This shouldn't be a costly events should we get the games.

TBH with the way IOC is doing these bids now a days, we probably gonna get 2034 if we don't get 2030 as long as we submit the bid.

[Tre Mac]

Olympics should just be rotated amongst the cities that have hosted and have all the infrastructure in place already, otherwise you get disasters like Sochi.  

[PetterssonOrPeterson]

2010 was quite a spectacle. The city was so vibrant and exciting with people from all over the world.

I think 2010 was also the olympics that put Canada on the map in terms of the medal count and of course we can't forget Crosby's golden goal. 

 

Makes me miss those days.

[Russ]

1 hour ago, JM_ said:

I think the correct question is "will we get paid back"?. 2010 did eventually pay for itself, and this time out there's no need for massive infrastructure spending so it should be easily viable.

 

If the bid package includes things like developing the land next to the Burrard Bridge as another olympic village that turns into new rental space that would be ideal imo.

We have just dumped billions into the fires/floods/covid.  Atleast in 2010 there was some sort of idea for the coffers of money, the last 2 years has absolutely destroyed our economy, I just can't see  us affording it.

 

Would be fun but unless theres very little interest and the IOC is going to give a sweetheart deal which they never do, I would have no interest in this any time soon. To much money still being used for everything else needed more than another set of games.

[Alflives]

1 hour ago, JM_ said:

yup it does hit the mark.

 

The anti-development folks will be struggling tho, balancing their hate for development vs their wokeness.

Maybe the athletes’ housing could become rooms for the street people?  

[JM_]

1 hour ago, Russ said:

We have just dumped billions into the fires/floods/covid.  Atleast in 2010 there was some sort of idea for the coffers of money, the last 2 years has absolutely destroyed our economy, I just can't see  us affording it.

 

Would be fun but unless theres very little interest and the IOC is going to give a sweetheart deal which they never do, I would have no interest in this any time soon. To much money still being used for everything else needed more than another set of games.

the funding sources for these things are typically new debt-driven tho and not impacting the typical budget line items, and this one seems like a very safe bet to ensure whats being invested in pays off - like more rental housing or transit. The feds are also desperate to drop money in to infrastructure.

 

Its really the recycling of the 2010 investments that makes it a no- brainer for me.

[JM_]

35 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Maybe the athletes’ housing could become rooms for the street people?  

hopefully some of it does. It could be the kind of thing that really helps out DTES locations.

[Ghostsof1915]

Only if it runs a second Skytrain from the Airport down Main Street. And they run Skytrain under the Burrard Inlet to the North Shore. To a rail station connecting to Whistler. 

And eventually to the Interior. 

[warrchief]

2 minutes ago, Ghostsof1915 said:

Only if it runs a second Skytrain from the Airport down Main Street. And they run Skytrain under the Burrard Inlet to the North Shore. To a rail station connecting to Whistler. 

And eventually to the Interior. 

I can only imagine how expensive a rail line from Whistler to Vancouver would be but I would be down for that. I would like to see some more investment in high-speed rail.

[bishopshodan]

3 hours ago, JM_ said:

I think the correct question is "will we get paid back"?. 2010 did eventually pay for itself, and this time out there's no need for massive infrastructure spending so it should be easily viable.

 

If the bid package includes things like developing the land next to the Burrard Bridge as another olympic village that turns into new rental space that would be ideal imo.

I really liked the drawings i saw for that.

 

Wish they would get it done one way or another. I know some of the Kits community have their knickers in a twist about it but the city needs more rental inventory and low income housing. 

[King Heffy]

7 minutes ago, warrchief said:

I can only imagine how expensive a rail line from Whistler to Vancouver would be but I would be down for that. I would like to see some more investment in high-speed rail.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/ubc-students-push-chilliwack-whistler-rail-line-forward-with-new-study-1.5251269

 

Pegged at $16 billion with Chilliwack as the other terminus at the high end, although I suspect it would end up significantly over budget.

[Gnarcore]

2 hours ago, 24K PureCool said:

Considering we already have all the infrastructure in place, This shouldn't be a costly events should we get the games.

TBH with the way IOC is doing these bids now a days, we probably gonna get 2034 if we don't get 2030 as long as we submit the bid.

We don't have 'all' of it. New housing will need to be built for athletes in both locales. This isn't a bad thing but the one thing that needs doing. Also the highway to Whistler could use some more work from the once you hit Whistler to the Village stretch. Should have been 2 lanes when 2010 hit but our mayor at the time was a moron. 

[-AJ-]

Frankly I think it makes a lot of sense to simply rotate Olympic cities every 20 years or so. So many Olympic villages become ghost towns afterwards and it would be so much more feasible for cities that already have the infrastructure in place.