Although the 2010 Winter Olympic bid is being buoyed by the support of the provincial government, private corporations and tourism associations, the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) has not officially given its support to the bid. And Tourism Whistler has yet to declare its official support although Whistler-Blackcomb owner Intrawest has given its verbal support.
But the RMOW has officially adopted a set of guiding principles for Whistler’s involvement in the bid last month.
According to RMOW documents, the bid team must involve Whistler in the planning and budgeting process, and respect the official Community Plan, including limits to development and the environmental and transportation strategies.
Whistler council met with the Vancouver-Whistler 2010 Bid Corp. last week, the third time since last December, as part of ongoing discussions about the municipality’s involvement. “We’ve been meeting regularly to consult with each other”, said Bid Corp. spokesman Sam Corea. According to Corea, nothing in particular was discussed but transportation likely was a hot topic.
The RMOW has been conducting surveys to measure local interest in the bid, but has not indicated when it will officially say yeah or nay to the bid.
“Council did support the domestic bid and is very interested in gauging public opinion”, said RMOW information officer Diana Waltmann. Waltmann would not comment on whether or not a referendum would be held to decide the bid’s fate. “There was some talk about that during the last (municipal) election”. The next municipal election will be held November 2002, eight months before the IOC is scheduled to award the 2010 Games.
Waltmann would not say what a negative referendum vote would mean for the bid’s future.
