[FFX-ME]

Hey everybody. I am surprised to see no thread about the fact that Halifax is one of the 3 cities chosen to bid for the 2014 commonwealth games. This is huge, if they win a new stadium will be build (50 000) and many more sports complexes. After the games halifax would host a CFL franchise in the new stadium. i think its great we will have a league with 10 teams 5 west 5 east (includin atlantic for once) And Halifax will have international attention which will help the city to boom in the tourist business and business in general. The games and the promise of a CFL team will surely make Halifax Canada's newest metropolis

[Haliguy]

I've been watching it very closely and I hope Halifax gets these games. It would be fantastic not just for Halifax but all of Atlantic Canada. I think we have a very good chance, but it is going to be a hard fight. Its going to be a nail biter, but I think the Halifax bid will prevail in the end.

[Greco Roman]

Hey everybody. I am surprised to see no thread about the fact that Halifax is one of the 3 cities chosen to bid for the 2014 commonwealth games. This is huge, if they win a new stadium will be build (50 000) and many more sports complexes. After the games halifax would host a CFL franchise in the new stadium. i think its great we will have a league with 10 teams 5 west 5 east (includin atlantic for once) And Halifax will have international attention which will help the city to boom in the tourist business and business in general. The games and the promise of a CFL team will surely make Halifax Canada's newest metropolis


Who are the other two cities that Halifax is up against?

[Haliguy]

Who are the other two cities that Halifax is up against?


Glasgow, Scotland
Abuja, Nigeria

Here's a link to Halifax's bid website. http://www.2014halifax.com

[someone123]

I'm still not sure what to think about this, because very little information about the bid has been released publicly. If they build useful things and keep the games on budget it could be good for the city. On the other hand, the potential exists for the city and province to be sadded with more debt they can't handle.

Abuja seems less and less realistic as time goes on, but it's hard to say how the selection process will work. Glasgow is also pretty debatable since the CWGs were just held in Manchester, which is only a couple hours away. The summer olympics will also be held in London in 2012.

[sdm]

I'm still not sure what to think about this, because very little information about the bid has been released publicly. If they build useful things and keep the games on budget it could be good for the city. On the other hand, the potential exists for the city and province to be sadded with more debt they can't handle.

Abuja seems less and less realistic as time goes on, but it's hard to say how the selection process will work. Glasgow is also pretty debatable since the CWGs were just held in Manchester, which is only a couple hours away. The summer olympics will also be held in London in 2012.

Nicely put somone123

As much as i'd like to see Halifax grow, i believe too there is a great potential for the province to go into debt that would far exceed anything it could handle.
Already rumours are putting the costs at well over 1 billion. Funny thing is i read something in either the games committee site or proposal that stated the infastructure improvements planned for 2020 would be moved forward to 2010. Unfortunatley the boby responsible for the cost of the improvements was undetermined and wasn't factored into the 700 plus million already stated....

I believe the reason for the lack of information being provided is to keep the citizens from becoming outraged, and therefore looking for heads to roll.

Something else that i have heard, but couldn't validate was regarding shannon park and Native rights to the land... Now that if true could turn messy. Maybe someone here can validate this?

[Haliguy]

Nicely put somone123

As much as i'd like to see Halifax grow, i believe too there is a great potential for the province to go into debt that would far exceed anything it could handle.
Already rumours are putting the costs at well over 1 billion. Funny thing is i read something in either the games committee site or proposal that stated the infastructure improvements planned for 2020 would be moved forward to 2010. Unfortunatley the boby responsible for the cost of the improvements was undetermined and wasn't factored into the 700 plus million already stated....

I believe the reason for the lack of information being provided is to keep the citizens from becoming outraged, and therefore looking for heads to roll.

Something else that i have heard, but couldn't validate was regarding shannon park and Native rights to the land... Now that if true could turn messy. Maybe someone here can validate this?

I don't think the Native lands wiould be an issue because the Millbrook First Nations are a major supporter of the games. They see it as a great business opportunity.

Why do you think there will be so much debt? Victoria which is smaller than Halifax was able to pull it off with a profit. I think you're listening to much to the nay sayers with there distorted facts and figures.

[someone123]

The Victoria games were quite a bit smaller than the 2014 games will be. The bar for the Commonwealth Games has been raised considerably since 1994.

It really all comes down to (1) how much they spend and (2) what they spend it on. If it is in the billion dollar range and most of the money goes to infrastructure improvements and facilities actually useful for the city then it's worth it. If it will cost a lot more and money will be wasted on one-time events, security, etc. then it probably isn't.

[skyscraper_1]

If the corporate sector helps with funding though advertising then it would certainly possible to help lessen chance of serious debt.

[sdm]

victoria was able to pay it off as they have a higher amount of tax payers, and the fact that their games were not nearly as big as the proposed ones here. Besides, Victoria i believe had most of the infastructure in place in comparison to Halifax.

Also the Corporate world won't lesson that much of the debt.

[Halifax Hillbilly]

If the corporate sector helps with funding though advertising then it would certainly possible to help lessen chance of serious debt.

Most games of this scale the corporate sector puts up a lot of money; however the overall bid is so high that in the end corporate money is insignificant.

For a billion dollar games 50 million in corporate money is still only 5% of the entire bid.

[Halifax Hillbilly]

It really all comes down to (1) how much they spend and (2) what they spend it on. If it is in the billion dollar range and most of the money goes to infrastructure improvements and facilities actually useful for the city then it's worth it. If it will cost a lot more and money will be wasted on one-time events, security, etc. then it probably isn't.

This is really the only way to look at it. Since we don't know what the billion dollars will be spent on its kind of tough to support the games or criticize them.

Personally I feel this Commonwealth Games bid doesn't really play to Halifax's strengths. We've done a great job of pulling off small to medium sized events: CIS Basketball, World Juniors, Women's Worlds, Tall Ships, Brier, Figure Skating, Stones, etc. etc. What's wrong with doing a great job hosting some really high quality events like these ones?

[Haliguy]

victoria was able to pay it off as they have a higher amount of tax payers, and the fact that their games were not nearly as big as the proposed ones here. Besides, Victoria i believe had most of the infastructure in place in comparison to Halifax.

Also the Corporate world won't lesson that much of the debt.

How does Victoria have a higher amount of tax payers when its smaller than Halifax.

[Haliguy]

The Victoria games were quite a bit smaller than the 2014 games will be. The bar for the Commonwealth Games has been raised considerably since 1994.

It really all comes down to (1) how much they spend and (2) what they spend it on. If it is in the billion dollar range and most of the money goes to infrastructure improvements and facilities actually useful for the city then it's worth it. If it will cost a lot more and money will be wasted on one-time events, security, etc. then it probably isn't.


Halifax's bid is for a scaled down games which may what the CWG'S needs because it has gotten a little to big which from waht I heard is a concern in throughout the Commonwealth.

[sdm]

How does Victoria have a higher amount of tax payers when its smaller than Halifax.

Meaning Victoria being a part of BC, which has a higher number of tax payers.

[Lyle]

^ and it's not that much smaller:

Metro Population July 2006 Stats Can

Halifax 382,203
Victoria 334,332

+ Victoria is a wealthier city.

[skyscraper_1]

How is Victoria much wealthier then Halifax? Like in which way?

[Lyle]

^ As in, people have higher incomes, higher property values and pay more in taxes. More money = wealthier.

[skyscraper_1]

^ As in, people have higher incomes, higher property values and pay more in taxes. More money = wealthier.Halifax's average income is like $300 less then Victoria's( 56,179 vs $55885) and Halifax has more people + Halifax has the some of the highest municipal taxes in Canada.

[mmmatt]

N.S. capital hopes for advice from Hub City in bid for 2014 Commonwealth Games

Times & Transcript
Tue 06 Feb 2007
By: By James Foster Times & Transcript Staff


Halifax will look to Moncton for advice as it vies to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

"You in many ways have been an inspiration to us in Halifax," says Scott Logan, CEO of the organization bidding for the games.

When Moncton hosts the IAAF World Junior Track and Field Championships in 2010, Logan says, it will be the largest sporting event ever held in Atlantic Canada, and so the 2014 games committee will be able to draw on Moncton's experience.

Logan was in Moncton yesterday for an address to the Moncton Rotary Club where he pitched Halifax's games bid as a boon to the entire region.

The Commonwealth Games would bring thousands of athletes and fans to the region, raise Atlantic Canada's profile around the world as the games are viewed on television by 1.5 billion people, spur $2 billion in economic activity, create hundreds of jobs and leave a legacy of modern sports facilities that will help create elite athletes and prompt more people to embrace more active lifestyles.

"The games will benefit all of Atlantic Canada," Logan said.

"The opportunity is one that we all, as a region, need to look at very closely."

The games are also surrounded by events not directly linked to sports, such as in the realms of culture and business.

Halifax is bidding against Abuja, Nigeria and Glasgow, Scotland, both formidable competitors in Logan's opinion. On Nov. 9, the 71 Commonwealth nations and territories will vote for the winning city.

Much must happen before then.

A detailed bid book is being prepared which must be in the hands of games officials in London in May 9.

A bid-evaluation team will visit Halifax in July to see first-hand what they have to offer.

The budget for simply going after the games is more than $14 million.

Should they win, Halifax will gain a new stadium, aquatic centre, fieldhouse and training facilities, as well as improved roads, better public transportation including a new high-speed ferry service, upgrades to existing sports facilities, 200 affordable housing units, 100 assisted-living units and 900 other housing units.

[mmmatt]

Halifax pulls out of race
Commonwealth Games price too high: mayor

RICHARD DOOLEY
The Daily News

Like a runner stumbling before even getting out of the starting blocks, Halifax is out of the running for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Mayor Peter Kelly and health promotion minister Barry Barnet said the cost of bringing the games to Halifax was just too rich for the city and province to manage.

Kelly said with just a $400 million commitment from the federal government and a projected cost of the games at $1.7 billion, the city and the province couldn’t jump that financial hurdle.

“The numbers weren’t there,” Kelly said.

Kelly and Barnet said neither the city nor the province could make up the projected $500 million to $700 million without additional federal money.

The federal government wasn’t willing to go above their $400 million ceiling.

Halifax was down to the wire in terms of the bidding process. With less than two months before the Halifax 2014 was to present it’s official bid package to the international Commonwealth Games Federation in London, England, the decision to pull out of the games has the people closest to the bid baffled by the decision.

“It’s a dark day for Halifax; a dark day for Nova Scotia and dark day for Canada,” Fred MacGillivray, the chairman of the bid’s steering committee said.

Halifax was competing against Glasgow, Scotland and Abuja, Nigeria for the right to host the games.

MacGillivray called the decision to withdraw from the bidding a “severe blow to the province.”

“It will be difficult for us to ever get into this opportunity in the future,” he said.

MacGillivray questioned the rationale of the province and HRM for pulling out of the running.

He said the bid committee presented a $1.6 billion games budget to its funding partners, the city, the province and the federal government. The funding partners asked for major revisions in the budget which altered over the last few days to $1.3 billion. The bid committee was told about a week ago there would be about $1 billion in combined federal, provincial and HRM money available for the Halifax games if Canada won hosting rights.

MacGillivray said he’s confident the bid committee could have closed the $300 million gap if the bid committee was given more time. “We could have moved lower and met the needs of this community,” MacGillivray said.

He said the city and the province based their decision on flawed information based on an independent consultant’s report evaluating the Halifax 2014 bid. The bid committee wasn’t given a chance to respond to the report.

The decision to pull out of the games was made in a closed-door emergency council meeting Thursday morning that left some councillor standing firmly behind the mayor and others fuming about a “lack of vision” in City Hall.

“It’s premature evacuation,” Sheila Fougere, councillor for the Quinpool and Connaught area of HRM and supporter of the games. Fougere said the decision to pull out of the games was made before council had a chance to fully evaluate the bid.

”We haven’t been given a chance to have a discussion and look at all the information. And that isn’t appropriate.”

[Canadian_Bacon]

It's a shame... Halifax probably had a good chance of winning.

[mmmatt]

Id say...oh well, maybe if they can afford to improve infrastructure slowly over the next 10-15 years they could host the 2022 games...