I say let Kelowna or Kamloops have the games. $10 mil can be better spent on snow removal games and pothole repair olympics! The so called monies generated by these athletes would benefit a few hotels and a few cafes whose profits would be spirited away to some head office in yankeeland.

I hope we do not get it! These things always turn out to be a money loss and after the provincial spending spree on the Olympics we will be in trouble enough. STOP FREAKING SPENDING MONEY on things that would be NICE to have. Concentrate on not RAISING OUR TAXES AGAIN and fixing all of the problems in this STINKY place.

"...supporters say the games could attract 12 thousand people to the City, and generate as much as $90 million dollars for the economy."

And the downside is?... Oh never mind, just saying the word 'Olympics' brings out all the alarmists.

Go Prince George! The Canada Games would be an incredible opportunity and would hugely benefit our community!

12 thousand people are going to spend 90 million? Come on!! Roflmaoooooooooooooo
Ya they are all going to spend 8,000 dollars each in Prince George. Ok this is the stupidest thing I have read on here in a very long time.

Thanks for exposing your intelligence level on that last post as well.

Mr PG. The downsize is, is that it is the supporters who are saying that $90 Million would be generated for the economy.

Maybe some of these supporters would like to explain how they arrived at this number. Is it based of any facts, or is it pure conjecture. I suspect the latter.

Most of these clowns couldnt predict the end of a 24 hour period.

With any luck at all Kamloops or Kelowna will get the games and we can save a bundle, which hopefully can go to some serious infrastructure spending, and debt reduction.

Canada WInter Games are nothing new. There is history to go back on with respect to cost and what it brings to the Community.

Here is the Halifax site: 2011 games.

http://www.canadagames.ca/Content/NewsHome.asp?mnu=5&ItemID=46037

"The Government of Canada and the Government of Nova Scotia are supporting the 2011 Canada Games using a financial cost-sharing arrangement in accordance with Sport Canada’s Hosting Program. Both the federal and provincial governments will contribute $8.12 million for operating costs and $3 million towards capital costs, up to $11.12 million each. The Halifax Regional Municipality will contribute $6.85 million towards capital costs and up to $2 million in operating support."

Feds = $8.12mil + $3mil = $11.12mil
Prov = $8.12mil + $3mil = $11.12mil
Halifax = $2.00mil + $6.852mil = $8.85mil

Total
Operating = $18.24mil
Capital = $12.852 mil
Operating + capital = $31.92 million



Here is the "fact" sheet on the 2005 Regina SUMMER games.

http://www.canadagames.ca/Content/News/Fact%20Sheet.asp

"total economic activity in the Province of Saskatchewan was estimated at nearly $91.9 million, of which $77.1 million occurred in the City of Regina, combined capital, visitor and operations expenditure were substantial, totalling over $54.2 million, overall, 898 jobs were supported by hosting the Canada Summer Games, with the majority of these based in Regina (750) and a further 148 in the rest of the province."

Now that you have some background based on a past game, albeit summer, and one about to happen, fire away with a bit more information available to you.

I would be happy if some of you would add to the above info by contacting the cities which hosted past games to see how they did and if they would do it over again and why.

1967 – First Canada Winter Games – Quebec City, Quebec
1971 – Canada Winter Games – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
1975 – Canada Winter Games – Lethbridge, Alberta
1979 – Canada Winter Games – Brandon, Manitoba
1983 – Canada Winter Games – Saguenay-Lac St. Jean, Quebec
1987 – Canada Winter Games – Cape Breton County, Nova Scotia
1991 – Canada Winter Games – Charlottetown, P.E.I.
1995 – Canada Winter Games – Grande Prairie, Alberta
1999 – Canada Winter Games – Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador
2003 – Canada Winter Games – Bathurst-Campbellton, New Brunswick
2007 – Canada Winter Games – Whitehorse, Yukon

Finally we have this site for which the calulation is provided of the cost for someone attending the games, which would be similar to an athlete participating. You can figure out yourself how much will be local expenditure and how much is money spent elsewhere (such as non-local transportation)

http://education.alberta.ca/media/930704/prj-10_ama30-pj-2009-feb_winter-project.pdf

Enjoy your forray into the world of high school mathematics!! :-)

Hey Palopu ... have you got a clown outfit that fits you yet? .... LOL

Brilliant post Gus.

Kamloops had the Summer Games in 1993 and this might work against them for the bidding.

At the end of the day most of the money spent on these games comes from the various levels of Government. Ie; Federal , Provincial, Municipal, and Regional. The Capital Costs are a big part of the expenditure, however Prince George already has a lot of facilities built, ie; CN Centre, Northern Sports Centre, Civic Centre, so the expenditures here might be somewhat less than in other areas. We could get the ice oval built, and maybe some kind of a Ski Village, and some cross country facilities, maybe facilities for the athelets to stay in would be built, but dont know what the hell we would use if for after they left.

Naturally some jobs will be created and some business's will make money, but at the end of the day, most of the money will be tax dollars pure and simple.

Prince George already holds the record for the biggest spender of taxpayers money in British Columbia, so what the hell, rather than lose this distinction, lets spend a whole lot more, and go into debt for another 20 years.

"Maybe facilities for the athelets to stay in would be built, but dont know what the hell we would use if for after they left"

We could always copy what Whitehorse did and transition them into student and seniors housing after the games are up:

http://www.gov.yk.ca/news/2007/files/07-178.pdf

Good idea NMG.