I for one want to see these GAMES canceled. I do believe a majority of property tax payers don't want it either. City hall has already spoke of raising taxes to pay for this.

This is totally ridiculous! Holding the home owners hostage to pay a 6% increase every year for four years is criminal to say the least. No wonder people are leaving here in droves. Prince George has lost around 5 thousand people in the last decade. The air quality, high crime, high home taxes, highest gas prices and highest paid mayor does not promote anyone to move here. Between the provincial government and this city council we are doomed.

I fully support the Canada Games and for those who don't you are certainly entitled to your opinion but they are coming, and they will not be cancelled, so either get behind them or get out of the way.
At this point it doesn't really matter if you want them or not. We can either showcase our city to the country and show all of the good things we have (and there are many contrary to what many posters on this site think) or you can sit back and grumble and continue to be part of the biggest problem in PG which is apathy.
People LOVE to complain but do nothing about it....ironic isn't it?

"development of community pride" Why then by all means who do I make the cheque out to??? Oh but the city will have to come pick it up cause my car cant make it down my yet to be plowed this year street and may I add was only plowed twice all of last year. Only people who will see any gain is the business owners not the average tax payers who have to pay for this. As for marketing this area well I think IMO has said it all.

twinbell - I think you will find that the only majority against them are the couple of dozen chronic complainers on O250. There is a TON of support for the games out in the community.

Yes and who will be paying for all this, home owners that's who! not any of the renters hey!

Its like home owners are held hostage!!

What kind of landlord doesn't account for taxes by including them in the rental price?

As usual we get the hype about marketing the City etc; The usual time worn BS.

As Ive mentioned before these games were held in Whitehorse Yukon in 2007 and Grande Prairie AB in 1995. They will be in Halifax next year.

If anyone thinks that Whitehorse or Grande Prairie showcased their Citys or got any long term mileage out of these games I would like to know what it was. Most people in Prince George never knew the game were being held in these places.

There will be a huge expenditure of money on various construction projects, and a huge increase in our taxes to pay for them, and then everyone will leave town and thats thats. Its over. All thats left is the huge debt to pay off over 20 years.

These games have been held in 11 Canadian Citys since 1967 and the summer games have been held in 11 Citys since 1969, and I defy anyone to name 5 Citys for the winter and summer olympics without looking it up. In other words no one remembers, and they dont remember because it is not a big deal.

We will get some upgrades to the local ski hills, Tabor Mountain, Otway/Caledonia Nordic Skiing, Purden Ski, the Outdoor Ice Oval etc; The majority of the money will be spent on the Kin Centre. Will this mean that the $5 Million we spent on the Kin Connector will be wasted??? Time will tell. Nothing that happens in this burg surprises me.

I suggest also that there is nowhere near the support for this project in the City that some people would have you beleive.

In additon anyone who thinks that a large number of people will come to Prince George in the middle of February with the possibility of the weather being very cold, and staying here for two weeks to watch these games had better get a head check. They will stay home and watch on TV if they watch at all.

The people who actually come will be the atheletes, coaches, managers, hangers on, etc; This will total somewhere in the area of 4/5000 people, and while they are in town filling up the hotels, motels, other people who would normally come to town will stay at home. So the actual spin off of these games will not be that great.

Ticket sales and merchandise sales are expected to bring in just two per cent of the total cost of these games, or just under $1 Million. You can get a pretty good estimate of the number of people that will attend by the amount of money generated over two weeks by ticket sales.

All in all good for Contractors, Good for the TV people, and Advertising, Good for the Atheletes, Managers, Coaches, Good for the few people who have the money, and the time to attend some of these functions, but VERY BAD for tax payers. The City will spend something like $15 Million which will be borrowed and will hang around our neck like a noose for 20 years.

These games will be spread out all over greater Prince George, and probably the best you could do would be to attend one or two functions in one day. If you work for a living you will be restricted to the week-ends, or evenings, so I suggest a lot of local people will stay home and watch on TV.

In any event, this is not the **Great Event** it is being sold as.

If you have to keep selling it, it ain't sold.

As the owelympics has shown us, the proponents for theses debacles keep trying to sell with every pitch they can. I am still waiting for my owelypics benefits cheque. All I got was a tax increase.

I expect the same result from these games.

If you have to borrow to produce the event, you cannot afford the event. Show how this will be paid for without tax increases or borrowing, and I will change my stance on this.

Until then, STOP PISSING AWAY MY (OUR) MONEY on BS feel good corporate fodder!

I couldnt express it any better Loki. Thanks.

I think everyone on here should be required to list out all of thier hobbies, recreation and entertainment venues. Once it is proven that you do nothing that is taxpayer funded THEN you can beotch about things that do not fit your personal interest list...

Okay, interceptor, I will bite.
Hobbies: reading (I NEVER use the liabrary, instead I buy books, or download them to my ereader(again, bought), or trade with friends. I do some crafts with my kid, and sometimes with friends. For recreation, we see alot of movies, go to some concerts. (With what we pay to see a show at CN Center, I do not consider these shows to be tax funded, although I do acknowledge that tax payers built that venue.) We visit with friends, and watch t.v., or play with the kid on the Wii, or in our yard. We all use our computers a lot. Our kid is not involved in any sports. Said kid is too old now to play at local parks. An unfortunate skin conditions prohibits the kid from using the local pools.
We pay a bucketload of taxes, and I never whine about it. Many people benefit from many of the tax supported venues in PG, & don't mind paying for all that, even though we don't use most of them. However, at this time, PG is in a lot of debt. I do not support the games here, because I can't, at this time, see enough of a benefit to the majority of folks here to make even more debt worth it. I haven't heard any of our friends and releatives say they supported the games.
In my opinion, only a small but vocal minority support the increase in taxes that accompanies the games. Not just here, but all over this city.
May I have your permission to beotch now?

ditto

I think all those who really...really want these games should pay for it. I will put my hand up as one of the ones who DONT WANT THEM. So ...who is going to put their hands up to help pay for the cost? Come on.....offer up the cash and have fun on yourselves!

IMO. Dont hold your breath. Most people who support these types of things are in favour of the taxpayers paying for it.