Canada Winter Games Committee Makes Corporate Push
Monday, February 13, 2012 @ 11:25 AM
Prince George, B.C. – The host committee for the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George has a huge task ahead of it with three years to go before the start of the event.
First and foremost, there are no games without the money to put them on. Director of Revenue Generation Todd Doherty says his target is raising 15-million-dollars. He says there is money available for the games from provincial and municipal government funding, “but my target is 15-million-dollars that I have to raise so that we can assure that these games are pulled off and a success.” Fourty percent of the games are privately funded. Doherty says “we’ve developed a sponsorship package that’s no different than what you would see at games at any level. We have a platinum sponsor which is a million-plus, then we have the official games sponsors so you can have official games suppliers, official game sponsors, and we have Friends of Games packages too, and that’s anywhere from one to 50-thousand-dollars. Those sponsorship packages are just now being developed and we’ll be going out to the market with those within the next couples of months.” Doherty says “it’s the opportunity for the north to say that we did this, and these are our games.” Anyone interested in taking part at the corporate level can call 250-640-3911 or 250-596-2015, or you can email to tdoherty@canadagames2015.ca.
Games committee CEO Stu Ballantyne also says the games organizers are looking to speak with local organizations and groups that may be planning events in 2015 so that all of the activity can be packed up. He says 2015 marks the 100th birthday of the City of Prince George, the 25th anniversary of UNBC and the 25th edition of the Canada Games. He says “we have a lot of things to celebrate in 2015 so there would be a benefit for a whole bunch of things to happen” in conjunction with the games. “From a cultural perspective we need to make sure that we tie in with what’s here, culturally, artistically, and build that out from the games.” The CEO says “there’s tradition within the Canada Games movement that it is cultural and sports mixing together so in order for this to be a game changer for Prince George and the region and all across northern British Columbia we have to feature the things that are great about this area, and it’s not just about athletic performance, it’s about what our youth are doing in arts, in culture.” Ballantyne says there will be an Athletes Village where the athletes are housed, where they eat, etc. The Games Village is about the activities, the history of the region. He says they are two separate and distinct entities.
Approximately 21-hundred athletes are expected for the 18-day event. Up to 6-thousand volunteers will be needed to do everything that will be required to make the games a success.
Comments
Some one has their hand out in and around Prince George fer fifteen million bucks for a circus? The people of PG are generous to a fault, but I have my doubts this time around. Prove me wrong. With the HST, city services bills twice yearly, property taxes (always on the rise) the always higher gasoline costs (as per the rest of the province), BC Hydro and natural gas bills set to rise, I myself have come to the conclusion that “arts, culture perspective,history, tradition, athletic performance” sure are expensive. As noted the high end package costs $50 thousand. Good luck with that. I can see why Prince George doesn’t adopt Athens as a sister city and maybe learn from them. Maybe it is a refreshing switch that these “Games” are gonna “lay the sleeve” on businesses for a change. Methinks businesses in this town and much of the province are like us the local tax paying unwashed. Poor.(after taxes) Last line. Here’s hoping the Games committee can hit on our resource companies. They have the dough. Not you and I.
“One more thing”, as Columbo would say,as for an “Athletes Village” where athletes would be housed and eat, maybe that would be a good investment because after the Games (if) that Village could be used occasional to house poor victims of apartment fires and such. Such a village could be built next to Haldi Road school. We already know they are a bunch of NIMBYS and no need to bad mouth them again. Just a stroke of a pen at city hall and off we go.
So I’m assuming this is inclusive of the city’s portion which is already in the tax bills. So I’m pretty sure they’re going to charge admission for these events, and correct me if I’m wrong, but at $20.00 a ticket (seems reasonable considering Cougar tickets are $16.00), you’d need to sell 750,000 tickets to all events, which means every person in PG would have to buy 9 tickets each. So we’re looking for ticket revenue in the neighborhood of $180.00 per person, or hoping thousand upon thousands from other ares come and buy tickets. The economics of this venture seem fuzzy to me – but too late now. The games must go on.
AND to add insult to injury, how about totalling the HST on those tickets? Grrrrrrrr!
Canada Winter Games.
A taxpayer funded business profit building exercise.
I for one am looking 100% forward to these Games and all the benefits they will bring.
These are Canada Games, not PG Games and they will draw sponsorship from large national corporations just as all previous Games have. They will also draw folks from outside of PG to attend events (believe it or not!).
To think PG Taxpayers are footing the entire bill through sponsorship, tickets, or otherwise is foolish!
I’d never expect the majority of folks on this site to support anything that wasn’t filling the pothole out front of their own house but lets use some facts here folks.
Maybe, just maybe sponsors won’t want to be associated with Canada’s most dangerous city.
reality, how can you say that when our taxes are already increasing because of these dumb games? It will be a huge waste of money just like the 2010 Olympics was. The only people that made money at the Olympics were the people that were within one block of any event. Everyone else suffered big time. It will be no different here.
If you all hate PG so much just move away.
Here’s a perfect opportunity to show how great PG can be to the rest of Canada and all folks here can do is continue to perpetuate the status quo and gripe about how bad they think it is.
Sad, really sad!
Personally, I love PG and I couldn’t be prouder to show folks why I love it so much. On top of that I will continue to work towards making my community a better place instead of just sitting back and pointing fingers.
Good for you realitycheck. Me too! Move away? Me? Never. I ain’t slammin’ PG. Just the ninnies that run it. Change PG? I tried it twice. Didn’t have the power, influence or money to do that. Still…..We have food banks and circuses. Keep up the good work.
Man,…what a buzz kill.
Yep, the Games are coming whether some people want them to or not. Might as well get on board and make the best of it.
Doherty states that 40% of the games are privately funded. Or to put it another way 60% is paid for by tax dollars, from other levels of Government.
Taxpayers of Prince George are being taxed from 2011 to 2015 by the City to pay for the Citys portion which will be approx $15 Million or more. So the Province and Feds will pick up a big portion.
I have no idea what happens if Doherty cannot get Corporate sponsors for his $15 Million. Do we get stuck for more???
Ticket sales will generate some money, however the 2100 atheletes plus their managers, coaches, etc, plus the volunteers probably all get free tickets.
Dont kid yourself if you think that a lot of people will come from out of town to see these games. Firstly the Managers, coaches, and attendent family will take up all the Hotel space, so where will the incoming patrons stay??? Secondly the games are held in Prince George in the middle of February. It will cost you a small forturne to fly in and stay at a hotel, pay for meals, plus fly out. Same applies if you drive, in addition to the winter conditions. We are 500 miles (805 kilometres) from any major City.
I suspect people will stay home and watch the games on TV.
Driving around in your City from Pothole to Pothole, do you ever have your Priority screwed up!
Some one say the games are in February? Ruling out any upstart change in global warming I’m sure those potholes can be packed firmly with snow.
Hey, I just looked at my calendar. Then I recalled the water on the roads when driving in that wonderful sunny weather this afternoon.
What was that about packing the potholes with snow in Feb 2015?
I remember when they were filming Dreamcatcher here about 10 years ago. They came here because it looked like Maine and snow was virtually guaranteed. They were with 24 hours or so of deciding to pull the plug and moving filming to Mackenzie. Then the snow came. Before that they used fluffy white pulp from the mills to put around the cabin they had built on Cranbrook Hill.
Can’t you folks remember all the excitement generated with all the athletes training in PG for the Olympics. Heck, our investment in having the mayor and entourage go to Turin almost landed us a Kenyan cross country skier committing to train in PG.
Winter games hype rates right up there with IPG and the 10’s of billions of dollar project just around the next bend.
Along with the visions of splendour go crime capital, air pollution, pot hole capital,winner of road voted worst in BC.
“Doherty states that 40% of the games are privately funded. Or to put it another way 60% is paid for by tax dollars, from other levels of Government.”
Privately funded, eh? So where do you think “private” companies get their dollars from? The public who buy their services and products? … oh yeah, right, we always seem to forget that.
WE fund this thing, one way or another. Again, WE have to make sure that the WE is distributed as widely as possible – province, the west, Canada, foreign companies. How about COSCO – Chinese Overseas Shipping Company?
Doherty says: âitâs the opportunity for the north to say that we did this, and these are our games.â
The local taxes give us that opportunity. In my view these dollars should be primarily from the rest of the country to support the “Canada” theme of the Games.
Some of the recent Cities that hosted the Winter Games.
1991 Charlottetown PEI
1995 Grande Prairie AB
1999 Cornerbrook NFLD & LaB
2003 Bathhurst NB
2007 Whitehorse Yukon
2011 Halifax NS.
Anyone remember anything specific about these games. Like do you get an urge to go to these Citys and look around at all the progress and glory they got from the games.
People will remember Prince George the same as we remember the above listed towns.
The games are a closed club, for atheletes, managers, coaches, families and some corporations and the Governments of the day. Big jobs for a lot of people, and lots of hype. Sort of a **feel good** time for all involved.
For the rest of us, its just another day in paradise.
Halifax has been touted as the **best games ever** This will be a hard act to follow.
These games will take a huge effort from a lot of people, and there will be no room for any serious errors.
They have to come up with 5000 volunteers, I suspect we can get 5000 volunteers, because of the glory associated to the event, however we cant seem to get 5000 signatures on an Alternative Approval Process, to stop the City from borrowing money. I guess its a question of priorities.
Halifax, some sponsors
Tim Hortons
http://www.halifaxnewsnet.ca/News/2010-09-29/article-1806631/Tim-Hortons-named-officlal-Canada-Games-sponsor/1
KBRS (not a local radio/tv station)
http://www.kbrs.ca/node/222
Sport Chek was one of the main sponsors
Deloitte has a 10 year sponsorship agreement – but looks like service donation in kind. Wonder if that counts in the total figure needed?
http://www.canadagames.ca/content/News/Home.asp?ItemID=125411
sponsors needed 3 months prior to start of Halifax games
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/11/19/ns-canada-games-sponsors.html?ref=rss
I do not envy this job ……
Westjet …. Todd might have a bit of an in there
Palopu
Resident
Dragonmaster
Harbinger
OutWest
All of you must have sat at the back of the class in high school, correct?
I have been to Whitehorse and seen the legacy of the games there in the form of a beautiful sports complex that is world class in every sense. The centre was abuzz with activity and from what I was told, over 2000 people a day make use of the facility. The people I spoke to there absolutely love the facility and they are glad to have made the decision to build it and host the CWG.
Prince George is a great city and we have the opportunity to surpass the Halifax games. We have great people in this city and we have proven time and time again that our volunteers are world class. No games are a closed club for a select few. If you want to be involved, just ask. A closed mouth does not get fed.
Me? Nah! I just spent the last 50 years of my life over paying taxes and watching my politicians of every stripe spend our country into oblivion. Waste every ones hard earned tax dollars on IMO stupid things. If I was Prime Minister, I would turn this country on it’s ear. Alas, I can’t. So I use one of the few freedoms I have left and that is “shoot my mouth off”. To coin a phrase. My humour and cynicism keeps me warm at night. How ’bout you?
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