Panel data provided by Madison's Canadian Lumber Reporter.

Olympics...That's a Wrap

By 250 News

Following  our series on the 2010 Olympics, you may  want to sit back and reflect on just what is in it for the central interior, the north and northwest of the province?  

It doesn’t take long to realize that we will be called upon to foot the major share of the bill and that in itself will take much needed revenue from this region. Communities to the south such as Kelowna, Kamloops and Chilliwack have already staked out their proposed territory for the games. 

The World Junior Hockey Series is sufficient evidence to realize that Prince George, in spite of our hockey heritage, is not going to benefit from any team either practicing or playing here. 

Our politicians seem blind to the fact we are out of the loop on 2010 . We are sending off a contingent to Torino under the guise that the group will return with a Santa bag full of goodies. Past history of such excursions show we have been dismal failures at attracting either industry or commerce of the sports nature. 

Why in the world don't we concentrate on trying to pick off some of the many tournaments such as the Scott Women’s Curling that we handled so well? 

Instead we are in a foreign country with people who do not speak the language trying to entice people to come to our region, for what? I fear those that are attending do not know that answer. 

Air service has started between Kamloops and Seattle and there are efforts underway to explore other opportunities. Chilliwack and Kelowna are also seeing the opportunities of our neighbors in the northern US and are expending their efforts trying to broaden that market. 

Where are we?  We are in Torino and soon China, where we have been before with less than impressive results, but with a taxpayer bill for our efforts. 

We know what we have, why in the world we aren’t selling it?  

For example has anyone taken the time to say get in touch with the producers of Survivor, asking them if they would come to this region in the winter? The very first time for the show, fly them here, show them the potential, pay for their hotel and their flight and maybe, just maybe they will bite, because if they do, the film commission and the Olympics can take a hike for the publicity we would receive. 

We can guarantee a winter and a situation that here to for has not existed on the program in which millions of the people watching actually have to live under winter conditions. 

Fly a few of the snowmobile clubs up from Washington and California and show them that we have a tremendous wilderness, open space. Take a page out of young Dustin Lloyd’s book and show them some winter cabins, build some more with the money we are about to blow in Torino and start selling what we have, a remote winter climate. 

As for the China which is the next big trip, why not for a change, send some very important people some tickets as they do in other parts of North America have them come to this area where we can strut our stuff to show them what we really have?

Instead we are bent on heading on yet another fishing trip to where the fish aren’t biting, while all along around, us are fish just itching to grab a hook. 

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.

Previous Story - Next Story



Return to Home