2010 Olympic Bid and Community Initiatives — Continued

Goal: British Columbia is host to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Games

Planning Context

The Games are being pursued with positive support from the public. The most recent poll taken by BidCorp (the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation, of which the Province of British Columbia is a member partner) showed over 80 per cent national public support. An International Olympic Committee poll showed 62 per cent public support in the Vancouver/Whistler areas. The BidCorp continues efforts to build upon that support.

The challenges faced by the Bid include divided aboriginal support for the Olympic Games, a belief among some in Vancouver that the Games will actually have a negative economic impact, and security demands due to the potential threat of terrorism.

Vancouver was named to the short list of candidate cities for the 2010 Games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in August 2002. Vancouver’s competition is Pyeongchang, South Korea, and Salzburg, Austria. The winning bid will be announced in July 2003.

A study by the Ministry of Competition, Science and Enterprise indicates that the Games will have a substantial positive economic impact on British Columbia and the rest of Canada. This was confirmed by an independent consultant in November 2002. A winning bid for Vancouver/Whistler, combined with an expanded convention centre in Vancouver, could generate up to $10 billion in direct economic activity. The study also estimates over 200,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created across the province resulting in additional tax revenues up to $2.5 billion. Other major benefits include permanent community and sports legacies.

In response to the identification of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside as “Canada’s poorest postal code” and the health crisis among its residents, representatives of the federal and provincial governments and the City of Vancouver signed the Vancouver Agreement, a groundbreaking urban development agreement that addresses social, health, and economic challenges in the city.

The Vancouver Agreement partners recognize the link between its mandate and the potential opportunities that a Vancouver-hosted 2010 Winter Olympic Games could create to address some of the long-standing challenges facing low-income communities in Vancouver. There is a need to address potential impact and create opportunities and legacies for low-income communities.

Objectives	Key Strategies
1. The Vancouver Bid for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games receives coordinated provincial support.	• Provide funding and advice to the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation. • Secure pledges for private and public financial support for the Olympic Games. • Respond to the technical questions raised by the International Olympic Committee with regard to the bid book. • If bid effort is successful, establish a new organization to replace 2010 Bid Secretariat and an Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games. • Prepare Olympics-related plans for the development of sports, health, business investment, and youth participation.
2. An enhanced sports system inBritish Columbia.	• Develop provincial sports infrastructure projects.
3. Partnerships for an integrated approach in achieving community revitalization and supportive social infrastructures.	• Partner in the Vancouver Agreement to revitalize the Downtown Eastside. • Identify opportunities resulting from the 2010 Games for new initiatives for Vancouver’s inner city.