Commonwealth Games 2.0?

[cormiermax]

Perhaps this is Halifaxs ticket to a stadium?

Exclusive: Canada planning to bid for 2022 Commonwealth Games

February 5 - Canada is planning to launch a bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and has already been approached by a number of cities interested in being the candidate, it has been revealed by Brian MacPherson, the chief executive of Commonwealth Games Canada.

More here: http://www.insidethegames.biz/common...onwealth-games

[halifaxboyns]

Could be interesting - assuming we have a stadium by then lol.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by cormiermax

Perhaps this is Halifaxs ticket to a stadium?

Exclusive: Canada planning to bid for 2022 Commonwealth Games

February 5 - Canada is planning to launch a bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games and has already been approached by a number of cities interested in being the candidate, it has been revealed by Brian MacPherson, the chief executive of Commonwealth Games Canada.

More here: http://www.insidethegames.biz/common...onwealth-games

I can't see Halifax being selected and I doubt that the municipality will even apply. The following paragraph was in the story:
"Canada's last bid for the Commonwealth Games ended in embarrassment when Halifax was forced to withdraw from the race to host the 2014 event after the Provincial and Regional Governments wthdrew their support following a review which criticised the budget and overall plan."

The people involved in selecting the host city for Canada will know the result from the last time Halifax was selected. It would have been much better for the Halifax group to have drastically reduced its budget than to have been forced to drop out by the provincial and municipal governments. This decision will be a black eye on Halifax for many years when bidding on international events unless most of the sports venues are already in place.

The Commonwealth selection committee will be looking for a city in BC, Alberta or Ontario where they will feel that the money is available for such an expensive event. I think Halifax should focus on smaller events such as the FIFA Women's Cup and other similar events, at least until it can build some of the sports venues required.

[RyeJay]

After the embarrassment Halifax caused, the city would have to be extremely forthcoming and enthusiastic in an early commitment of funds for this event in order for the country to bother considering us again.

Would you give a city a second chance after bailing the first time?

[resetcbu1]

Originally Posted by RyeJay

After the embarrassment Halifax caused, the city would have to be extremely forthcoming and enthusiastic in an early commitment of funds for this event in order for the country to bother considering us again.

Would you give a city a second chance after bailing the first time?

Not a chance , Halifax doesn't even deserve a consideration in my opinaion,fter the last laughable move by our city and province.

I total agree with Fenwick , that the budget should have been reduced as oppose to giving ourselves a black eye for years when looking to atrast international event.

[halifaxboyns]

I would give HRM another chance, but not right now.
It's too soon after the last bid. Time needs to pass and our economy improve, grow, get the stadium built and confidence in the region improve.

I'm thinking probably not the 2026 games, but perhaps the 2030 games? By then, confidence in terms of economic growth related to the ship building contract should have changed the feeling about going after the CWG. Add to that, the fact a stadium should be built by then - which would be a major piece of the pie, which we didn't have at the time of the original bid.

Personally, I'd love to see HRM get the CWG at some point...but time needs to pass so that the whole 'embarrassment' issue fades, with time.

Personally, I'd love to see HRM also get a summer olympic games - after we've done a successful CWG. But I don't see that happening for many years, if in my life time.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

It would have been much better for the Halifax group to have drastically reduced its budget than to have been forced to drop out by the provincial and municipal governments.

Yes. All they had to do was go forward with a bid at the original ~$700M scope. Halifax may or may not have been selected but it would not have looked nearly as bad, and there would not have been the same guaranteed waste of bid dollars.

It is hard to emphasize just how pathetic all this stuff is, and nothing has improved. We are already seeing Commonwealth Games 2.0 with the FIFA Women's Cup bid.

On top of this we've got the concert debacle, St. Pat's-Alexandra, the Dartmouth condo crap, the transit strike, zero movement on most important political issues, and some of the highest if not the highest commercial tax rates in Canada.

Halifax is a nice city but lately it has been succeeding in spite of the municipal government. It is absolutely one of the worst-run major municipalities in the country.

[RyeJay]

Originally Posted by halifaxboyns

I would give HRM another chance, but not right now.
It's too soon after the last bid. Time needs to pass and our economy improve, grow, get the stadium built and confidence in the region improve.

I'm thinking probably not the 2026 games, but perhaps the 2030 games? By then, confidence in terms of economic growth related to the ship building contract should have changed the feeling about going after the CWG. Add to that, the fact a stadium should be built by then - which would be a major piece of the pie, which we didn't have at the time of the original bid.

Personally, I'd love to see HRM get the CWG at some point...but time needs to pass so that the whole 'embarrassment' issue fades, with time.

Personally, I'd love to see HRM also get a summer olympic games - after we've done a successful CWG. But I don't see that happening for many years, if in my life time.

It would be nice for the city to have a stadium prepared before a bid, but I don't see this as realistic for Halifax. The city is more likely to bid then build; at least, I see this as most likely so long as Halifax is smaller than a million people.

[-Harlington-]

I think the article calling our last attempt an embarrassment speaks for itself .

[worldlyhaligonian]

Wasn't the original bid somewhat torpedoed by certain folks who thought it was just too much money to spend? I don't think it had to do with real considerations.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Wasn't the original bid somewhat torpedoed by certain folks who thought it was just too much money to spend? I don't think it had to do with real considerations.

It would be interesting to look at the series of HRM regional council votes.

Part of the problem with council is you might have 13/23 vote in favour, then something bad happens, 2 people flip-flop, and that becomes a losing 11/23 vote. It doesn't necessarily take a large number of councillors to muck this stuff up.

Procedurally there seem to be problems with council voting too many times on these issues (even the community councils are bad for this -- why do they vote for hearings?) and often producing nonsensical results.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian

Wasn't the original bid somewhat torpedoed by certain folks who thought it was just too much money to spend? I don't think it had to do with real considerations.

The province pulled the plug after getting pissed off with Fast Freddy MacGillivray running amok and heading towards a $2 billion debacle. HRM had no choice but to go along.

[someone123]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

The province pulled the plug after getting pissed off with Fast Freddy MacGillivray running amok and heading towards a $2 billion debacle. HRM had no choice but to go along.

Interesting. I thought the city pulled the plug first.

I'm still wondering why anybody would be permitted to "run amok" with the bid as you say. Isn't one of the first steps the establishment of a budget? The first number tossed around that I remember was $768M.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by someone123

Interesting. I thought the city pulled the plug first.

I'm still wondering why anybody would be permitted to "run amok" with the bid as you say. Isn't one of the first steps the establishment of a budget? The first number tossed around that I remember was $768M.

I remember that it was ex-Premier Rodney MacDonald that decided to pull the plug and then the HRM had to go along with that decision.

Based on what I remember, $768 million was prior to inflation. With inflation the numbers were estimated at over $1 billion dollars, however, the federal government stated that it would cap its contribution at $400 million dollars. There was talk at the time (from the HRM) of cutting costs but Rodney MacDonald pulled the plug before they had the chance.

[Empire]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I remember that it was ex-Premier Rodney MacDonald that decided to pull the plug and then the HRM had to go along with that decision.

Based on what I remember, $768 million was prior to inflation. With inflation the numbers were estimated at over $1 billion dollars, however, the federal government stated that it would cap its contribution at $400 million dollars. There was talk at the time (from the HRM) of cutting costs but Rodney MacDonald pulled the plug before they had the chance.

Rodney MacDonald pulled the plug first and then Kelly followed suit behind closed doors. The mistake everyone made was not submitting a bid based on the original budget. This would have meant substandard facilities but opting out based on an over inflated estimate means we will sport a black eye for many, many years.

[worldlyhaligonian]

Alas, I feel as though, Nova Centre aside... most large projects will be substandard. I mean, I want to see a nice stadium built, but the numbers for what we are getting sound horrible thus far.

[pblaauw]

I'm sure no one cares, but the games start in 18 hours or so. Cue the nostalgia - and bitterness.

[Colin May]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

The province pulled the plug after getting pissed off with Fast Freddy MacGillivray running amok and heading towards a $2 billion debacle. HRM had no choice but to go along.

But Fred got to keep his taxpayer funded Airmiles.
Should have been a Senator, and him and Duffy could have swapped yarns about expenses.

[ILoveHalifax]

IMO, the city missed a great opportunity.
I can understand the initial proposals being in the 2 billion range. It was a great wish list.
Rodney and Peter should have been on a plane to Ottawa to convince the feds that the facilities were needed. We were lacking more than most Canadian cities of our size.
After several meetings with the feds, hopefully the budget would have increased and meetings should have taken place to determine how much of the wish list was feasible.
Instead, our chief mouse pulled the plug and folded under pressure from all the naysayers.
We'd have had our stadium and more than likely a CFL team this season.

[Keith P.]

No reason for the feds to give us any more that what they already generously committed.

Halifax has never supported the federal government during election time so the feds would rather be generous with those areas that are on their side. We keep electing useless NDP MPs who do nothing but criticize the govt. Until we learn this lesson and stop doing that we will continue to be on the outside looking in, begging for crumbs.

And really, with the likes of Fast Fred MacGillivray and Scott Logan at the helm, nobody with a modicum of sense was going to trust those two characters with a billion-plus tax dollars.