No Big Olympic Dollars Heading North

Friday, January 13, 2006 04:34 PM

Finance Minister Carole Taylor says the budget for the 2010 Olympics is set at $600 million dollars including a $139 million dollar contingency. “We are faced with pressures on that budget” said Taylor who was in Prince George to addressing the Natural Resources Forum.

“At present no more money has been set aside” she said. When asked how much will be spent in the area outside of the venue (given that the lower mainland has received $600 million dollars for the games) again she said ”No money has been set aside.”

As for the Mountain Pine Beetle Disaster, Taylor says the media have yet to grasp the severity of the problem in Canada perhaps because of the manner in which it has been unfolding. In this case, it wasn’t a catastrophe that hit all at once, but rather progressed over several years. “The media”, says Taylor, “does not understand the problem and while the Provincial Government has set aside $100 million with a further 30 million from the Northern Trust, more money will be required to fight the problem.”

The Finance Minister added, “We need not only the province as a whole but the entire nation to realize the problem”.

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Posted on Friday, January 13, 2006 04:34 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Gofaster on January 13 2006 7:44 PM

Somehow no money for the north doesn't surprise me in the least. It is probably, in my opinion, going in the lower mainland like everything else appears to be.
There must be something to that "If you live above Hope there is no hope for you"

Posted by: owl on January 13 2006 10:52 PM

I suggest we simply call the MPB epidemic an Olympic sized problem and get access to those Olympic dollars ....

;-)

Posted by: acrider54 on January 14 2006 8:00 AM

That's no surprise. Who in the north really expected to profit from the games anyway. We'll be paying for years afterwards so the Lower mainland can have their party.

Posted by: fedup on January 14 2006 2:25 PM

Even if we don't get anything up front for these games its only an hour away by Westjet and we don't have to live in Vancouver so we win.I think games that bring the world together is a good thing and we all benifit in someway.At least B.C is getting some federal money out of this and thats good.

Posted by: owl on January 15 2006 12:01 AM

It is interesting to see that there is money to spend on upgrading a highway used primarily by the elite to go recreate themselves in a mountain getaway. They are in such a rush in their European cars and SUVs that they occasionally misjudge while on the cell phones and seriously injure or kill themselves.

In the meantime, there are logging and chip trucks trying to maneuver down steep urban hills and around tight corners in PG trying to do their job while plain olde PG folks have to keep their eyes peeled just on the way home or to their friends.

I know, Whistler also gets tourist dollars into the province. So, it is the tourist industry in the south versus the forest industry in the north. We just continue to be second class, although those who live on the Sea to Sky also feel they are being almost ignored in their objections to the way the project is being built and designed for through traffic to Whistler with little consideration for residential subdivisions access to the highway widening.

http://www.seatoskycountry.net/gallery/99construction/99con08.jpg