Vancouver council voted 8-2 Wednesday to keep the city’s participation alive in a potential bid for the 2030 Winter Games, despite strong warnings from city staff about unanswered questions largely related to the cost of hosting an estimated $4-billion event.
Council has instructed staff to collaborate in advancing negotiations on a multi-party agreement with the four First Nations leading the bid, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the provincial and federal governments.
“This is not a decision as to whether or not you support the Olympics going forward,” said Coun. Rebecca Bligh in explaining her support for the city to remain involved. “We can't abandon the process at this point, and we can't expect the process to go forward without us.”
That process began in December 2021 when the city signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish First Nation, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, the Lil’wat Nation and Whistler to examine whether a bid was feasible.
The COC later joined the group to explore a bid and its president, Tricia Smith, was at city hall Wednesday with leaders of the four host nations to urge council to allow work to continue on an agreement that she expects to be reached before the end of the year.
If a bid goes ahead, is expected to be sent to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) early in the new year with a decision by the IOC in May 2023.
“It's important that the staff continue this work,” said Smith, noting Whistler approved a motion Tuesday to have its staff continue to negotiate on advancing the bid. “It's important to have that direction. It also indicates to the province the level of support of the city, which is essential.”
So far, the provincial and federal governments have not indicated support for a bid, with B.C. Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Melanie Mark writing a letter recently to Smith in which she raised concerns about costs and agreements associated with a bid.
A Vancouver staff report released last week recommended council hold off on a decision on a potential bid, citing many unknowns related to costs, benefits, governance and whether the city would be indemnified for cost overruns.
Deputy city manager Karen Levitt voiced many of those concerns Wednesday to council, including the heavy workload staff has already undertaken related to Vancouver being one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Vancouver will host the 2023 Laver Cup international tennis tournament, the 2025 Invictus Games and potentially a future Formula E race car event. Staff are also planning for the Oct. 15 municipal election and preparing what city manager Paul Mochrie described as a “challenging” budget for 2023.
Levitt noted the negotiations to finalize a decision on a bid will also involve the Adams Lake Indian Band, Little Shuswap Lake Band, Neskonlith Indian Band and Tk’emlúps te Secwepemc. Other cities such as Richmond, Kamloops and the Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality are also interested in the Games.
“So we think with that many parties, and with the complexity and importance and the size of what's being negotiated through the multi-party agreement, we cannot seek a negotiating mandate from council right now,” she said.
“We simply don't have enough information to start to inform what it is we would be offering and asking through that negotiation.”
The move by council Wednesday came after leaders from the Musqueam Indian Band, Squamish First Nation, the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and Lil’wat Nation lined up at the council chamber's lectern to criticize staff for releasing the report last week that strongly questioned the city’s ability to participate in a bid.
'Punch in the gut'
Chief Wayne Sparrow of the Musqueam Indian Band likened the release of the report to “a punch in the gut” and questioned why concerns raised by city staff weren’t communicated directly to the nations and COC.
“I’m a little bit upset with some of the comments or some of the remarks that were made,” said Sparrow, who spoke to council after Levitt delivered a presentation on the city’s challenges with moving ahead with a bid.
Sparrow, who wore a ceremonial headdress as he stood at the lectern, used the metaphor of the city joining the four nations in a canoe journey and said there was more paddling to do to reach their destination.
He urged council to stay in the canoe and not to jump out.
'Tipped in our canoe'
Elected Chief Jen Thomas of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation continued the metaphor, saying “I feel like right now we tipped in our canoe.When we tip our canoe, we support each other and help each other climb back in. And that's what we're here to do.”
At the end of the meeting, Wilson Williams of the Squamish Nation thanked council for directing staff to continue work on a potential bid, saying “the waters and currents have calmed” from the morning’s concerns raised by leaders.
“I really appreciate that we are now stronger for what we've overcome,” said Williams, a councillor representing his nation. “If we're fighting tides, then the tide is going out and we're going out with that. So we're moving forward.”
Coun. Pete Fry spoke to staff’s concerns outlined in the report.
“I know that it may seem like we're doing a 180 from the advice staff gave us, but I think that we've landed in a thoughtful place,” he said.
Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung said: “I get the fact that we've come off of three really hard years of COVID, and people are tired, and there's a lot going on. But I also know, boy, do we need something to lift us up too, and we need a positive. So I hope that we can get there.”
Vote tied to election fails
Councillors Colleen Hardwick and Jean Swanson voted against having staff continuing to participate in a potential bid, with Hardwick attempting unsuccessfully to tie a vote on the Games to the Oct. 15 election.
Swanson’s reasons were based on the cost to host an Olympics and how that money — the city spent more than $500 million for the 2010 Games — could be used to build homes for homeless people and a healing centre for Indigenous women.
“I would love to award an Olympic medal to somebody who would do those things,” Swanson said.
No date was given Wednesday as to when staff would return with an updated report on the bid. If a report comes back after the Oct. 15 election, it would likely mean a new council would decide on next steps; the current council is still technically in government until an inauguration in November.
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