Canada Winter Games Putting on a Party
Prince George, B.C.- P.G. get ready to party!
On Friday February 15th, the 2015 Canada Winter Games Society will be throwing a bash for the residents of Prince George. "We will be closing down Quebec Street from 5-7 that day between 5th and 6th Avenues" says Alyson Gourley-Cramer, Manager of Communications for for the Games.
That stretch of Quebec Street and the parking lot across from Canada Games House, will be the site for the celebrations which will mark the fact the Games will be just two years away.
The event planned is all about saying thanks to the people of Prince George says Gourley-Cramer "The Games themselves will be all about celebrating the athletes and the visitors, so this is our opportunity to celebrate this community and the people who live here."
There will be plenty of activity with live entertainment, 2015 CWG-eligible athletes on site, prize giveaways, cultural booths, children’s activities, a snowboard rail jam from RUCKUS, free snowboard waxing presented by RUINS, free xc waxing from STRIDE and GLIDE, free food, a huge outdoor screen playing videos, and, of course, fireworks.
"This will give eveyone in Prince George a taste of what’s to come" says Gourley-Cramer. The Games will be the largest sporting and cultural event in Prince George’s history. It will bring more than 15 thousand athletes, visitors and media to the community.
In the days leading up to the Feb.15th party, there will be other celebrations, including the unveiling of a special plaque to honour the people of Prince George.
Comments
Better go! We are all paying for it!
Fantastic! We need some fun – might as well celebrate the biggest event ever to happen in PG.
I hope they have a mini-snowgolf facility … and some left over Valentine chocolates.
Everyone just BOYCOTT the event. In other words DON”T SHOW UP. Would sure be funny to see these organizers standing in the street with no customers there paying attention to them. Great way to show your disgust for this so called games as well. What a blatant waste of taxpayers money. Shame on them all running this project.
15 Thousand atheletes, visitors, and media to the City????
The games website states that there will be 2350 Atheletes 950 Coaches and Officials. Thats 3300 people. So we will need an additional 11,700 to come from somewhere.
Not sure that Prince George has the facilities to host 15000 visitors.
“15 thousand athletes,visitors, and media to the city”? Maybe if some one, (not me) can lay the sleeve on evry single one of them for ONE loonie there will be enough dough to keep our little train running for a year. I doubt any one can be so cheap as to say no over that piddling amount.
This event is happening and while the amount of money spent to host the games is kind of gross, we should get out and support the games. We should support the games for a few reasons. First one is the athletes! Second, hopefully we can make money and city businesses will prosper from the games! Third, we can use these games to show the country that Prince George actually rocks! Let’s do this right.
“The games website states that there will be 2350 Atheletes 950 Coaches and Officials. Thats 3300 people. So we will need an additional 11,700 to come from somewhere.”
Having travelled all over the province for winter games and summer games for my kids (and thats only the BC Games not the Canada games) I can tell you that moms, dads, grandmas, grampas, friends and family FAR outnumber the athletes at these things… My one daughter is only in training / tryouts for these games I can list of at least 30 people that will travel here if she makes it. This IS going to be a big event whether the naysayers believe it or not.
Response to:
“Everyone just BOYCOTT the event. In other words DON”T SHOW UP.”
———————————————
Hey, the good news is that folks with this attitude will stay at home and continue to grouch online …. while the rest of the town is out and having a good time … Win / Win
lmao anotherside – thats exactly it, they wouldnt show up anyway so is it really a boycott?
I’m opposed to the games – think they are a great waste of money – and I’d love to boycott – i.e. – not volunteer to ski patrol during the event – but here’s my analogy.
You’re in a lifeboat, some idiot punches a hole in the boat, the boat is filling with water. We can either all bail water, or we can point fingers at the idiot while the boat sinks.
The people who dragged us into these games are in my analogy – the idiots. But, we all live in Prince George, and if these games are a phenomenal failure because we don’t help out – we all will pay in higher taxes to service the debt – even though were were dragged into this unwillingly.
So, either grab a cup and start bailing or get ready to move out of PG or stay and pay higher taxes. It sucks, but it is what it is.
Agreed ski50.
No way out, so may as well buy in.
It is most unfortunate and I hope the organizers realize that our current council is to blame for a large part of the “games hostility” out there – cause it sure is – in that we are just so broke (as we keep being told) that we cannot fund/support/keep organizations, assets, amenities that are near and dear and play a big role in making PG a nice place to live, work and raise our kids and grandkids, retire – every year, for many many years as opposed to this one hit wonder; yet we can afford conferences for suits, dykes, “big PG” business vs. the great unwashed and now we are eating millions and millions on a big party that a very minute percentage of our city, let alone country, will compete and benefit from while the rest of us clean up and pay the bills.
There will not be an influx of people moving or businesses investing in PG as a result of the CWG OR a big boost in tourism as a result….anyone that thinks otherwise needs to give their head a shake.
Ah well, I will volunteer heartily and where needed, and wear an ambassador’s smile and guffaw for the greater good as that is how I roll…..
We already have been contributing toward the Games with a levy added to our taxes, so why not come out and at least enjoy a fun outdoor celebration on February 15th.
Those of you want to boycott and who are determined not to participate, please do stay home and rant and sulk. You certainly will not be missed at the party.
Cheers!
If I’m paying for a party then I’m sure as heck going to go.
We are being taxed each year for five years for these games. Thats where the City is getting its share of revenue. $15 Million from the taxpayers of Prince George.
Who benefits. Well Ive said it before and I’ll say it again, although I suspect no one really gets the point.
***There was an in depth analysis of the Olympics that were held in Salt Lake City Utah. This was done by the University of Mass. Boston. They determined the following
1. Hotels, Bars, and Restaurants make $87 Million on the games.
2. The retail business lost $157 Million.
They suggested that Cities be very careful when they host these games because they will be facing net loss over all.
Sooooo. Who benefits from these games. Certainly not the taxpayers. Certainly not retailers. So we are bringing in business for the vested interests.
The average cost to the taxpayers of Prince George over the five year period up to 2015 is $250.00. Now, in addition to the $250.00 you will have to pay to see any of the sports. So pay for the financing, and then pay to watch, and if there is a loss pay again. Plus lose money because retail sales are down.
So in simplistic terms we have been rooked.
The ski goggle lenses on the Canada House eastern wall are the wrong colour. Should be more of a rose colour.;)
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