Don Calder, chief executive officer of the Vancouver/Whistler 2010 Bid Corp. says the response for the bid “has been amazingly positive in terms of fund-raising and support. We’re not even an official candidate city yet and won’t be until we get short-listed, just like Toronto. But we’ve already raised $11 million of the $20 million we need to put the bid together”.
About a dozen local and regional corporations (Tourism B.C., Telus, Helijet, B.C. Gas and B.C. Hydro) have contributed either cash or services. And the provincial government has added $2.5 million.
Meanwhile, according to an independent provincial poll taken last year, 87 per cent of the population supports the bid.
Calder says he hasn’t heard of any opposition to the bid. “There have been no protests from environmental groups or (poverty activists ), nothing like that”.
Because of an agreement demanded by the Canadian Olympic Association, when Vancouver/Whistler was approved to bid on the Games, they were told they coundn’t campaign publically until after Toronto finds out if it is the 2008 host city.
Calder said “we entered into an agreement with the COA and TO-Bid that in the initial stages we’d stay regional and local. We would do nothing that would get in Toronto’s way”.
Calder added “we want Toronto to do very well, from the technical point of view, to show that Canada is taken seriously (by the IOC). We hope Toronto goes right to the end in the vote. If Toronto wins, it would be unusual but not impossible for the Winter Games to be held in the same country”.
The Toronto Star’s columnist Rosie DiManno evaluates the Vancouver/Whistler bid. On the plus side, Whistler has been the top ski destination in North America for the past six years and many venues are already in place. And the region is aggressively pursuing other elite international events for the interim period to gain credibility as a sports host. Also Whistler has bid on the Games twice before so the IOC is familiar with what the region has to offer.
But she says what is needed is a better transportation system between Vancouver and Whistler. A technical feasability study is to be completed by the end of next year.
The group’s bid book estimates direct revenue from the Games to be $1.5 billion, a substantial increase in tax revenues and 25,000 jobs.
