Evan Owens / Staff reporter
As the 12-year anniversary of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games nears, an Indigenous headed group has taken further action in a bid for the 2030 Winter Olympics to be held in Vancouver.
On February 1, the Canadian Olympic Committee posted a press release to their website, stating that four Nations, Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh, had signed an agreement with the City of Vancouver, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, and the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees.
The agreement declared that all parties were to “officially collaborate on exploring the feasibility of hosting the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in British Columbia.”
While still in early days, if the bid proves successful, it would be the first Indigenous-led games according to Ben Miljure of CTV news in his recent article, “Indigenous-led group taking next step in possible Olympic bid to bring 2030 Games to B.C.”
For students at Gleneagle secondary school, many who vaguely remember the mascots and ceremonies of 2010, having the Olympics in Vancouver again is an appealing prospect, and an important one.
“I am really excited for the possibility to experience the Olympics firsthand,” said grade 11 Patrick Ma, who was too young to remember much of the 2010 Olympics.
On top of that, to him, having the bid Indigenous led means that reconciliation would be at the center of the games, and in sight for the world to see. As Ma put it, “It would be a step towards reconciling Canada’s dark past and a chance to educate people about our history.”
The 2030 Olympics would come at a cost. According to James McBride and Mellissa Manno of the think tank CFR (Council of Foreign Relations) in the article “The Economics of Hosting the Olympic Games,” the 2010 Olympics cost $8.9 billion USD, including infrastructure. Total expenses quoted by the Vancouver Olympic Committee according to CBC News’s article “Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics debt-free, VANOC final report says,” excluding infrastructure came to 1.9 billion.
Although expensive, infrastructure built for the 2010 games means that there is a good chance costs would be less for 2030, and new infrastructure built would be beneficial in the long term, far past the end of the games. For example, the Canada Line SkyTrain to the airport built for the 2010 Olympics is still in use today.
Ma thinks the cost of the Olympics is a tradeoff that makes sense.
“You spend the money, but the Olympics are a huge thing, so you get the publicity for it,” he said before adding “It is a great chance to show off your culture while stimulating the local economy.”
Before worrying about the potential costs, there is still a long way to go in the bidding process. According to the Canadian Olympic Committee press release, a full assessment will have to be completed by all parties involved following the initial feasibility assessment.
All of that must occur before the formal bidding process begins.
If the group does choose to go forward, Vancouver would be up against bids from Sapporo, Japan, and Salt Lake City, USA, as well as a joint bid between Spain, Andorra, and France according to the CBC news article, “First Nations-led Olympic bid moves forward — but will the IOC accept it?”
Sources:
COC, CPC officially join exploration to bring Olympic and Paralympic Games back to Canada in 2030
First Nations-led Olympic bid moves forward — but will the IOC accept it?
Indigenous-led group taking next step in possible Olympic bid to bring 2030 Games to B.C.
The Economics of Hosting the Olympic Games
Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics debt-free, VANOC final report says
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Olympic_Cauldron,Vancouver_2010(4379921499).jpg