Going for Gold - Team Torino - Opinion 250 - News for Northern and Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada

Going for Gold - Team Torino

Friday, February 10, 2006 11:18 AM

The seven people heading to Torino to spread the word about Prince George and, hopefully, land some business are, from left to right, sitting:
Gerry Offet, Katherine Voigt, and Tuppy Hoehn. Standing, left to right, Tom Berekoff, Colin Kinsley, Tom Madden and Rob Van Adrichem.

"We're going for Gold, and here is why" That was the theme of the presentation of the team Torino which leaves next weekend for the Winter Olympics in Italy.
Once again,Mayor Colin Kinsley explained "We knew from the very beginning that nothing would be handed to us on a silver platter."

The team has a budget of $38 thousand dollars, which Prince George City Council approved last fall.

With 10 thousand members of the media descending on the Olympics, Rob Van Adrichem says he is heading armed with video, and stills of Prince George so media have a complete picture of our city. There is also a Train in Prince George web site (www.traininpg.com) The Mayor says having one team come to Prince George to train can pump a million dollars into the local economy.

Prince George is participating in a B.C. wood event at B.C. Canada House, working with the Italian Chamber of Commerce, attending a business breakfast at B.C. Canada House, and hosting a reception later that day.

The mayor says it is time to recognize this is a bold step, Kinsley says "I realize these are tax payers dollars, and I cannot guarantee we will land any teams to come and train in Prince George, but I can guarantee this, if we do nothing and spend nothing, we will get..nothing!"

The Mayor also says there won't likely be any time to take in any of the events, as in his words "This is afterall, a business trip."

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Posted on Friday, February 10, 2006 11:18 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: localman on February 10 2006 12:55 PM

ooooh... matching jackets. how cute.

Posted by: Norm on February 10 2006 2:17 PM

enjoy the trip. i find it sad that you probably believe what you are saying.

Posted by: Palopu on February 10 2006 6:26 PM

I hope when the Mayor and his buddies are participating in a BC Wood event in Canada House that they do not show pictures of our new bleachers at our new ball fields that are built out of cement. I hope they dont mention that there is little if any wood in the Multiplex, or that the CN building on first Avenue they bought is built out of Cement and Alum 2x4s> The list goes on. We probably use less lumber than most Cities of this size.

If we do nothing and spend nothing, we get nothing. If we do something, and spend money and get nothing, we still get nothing. This is a long shot at best, however we will just have to wait and see.

Posted by: owl on February 12 2006 9:27 AM

one has to be fast ....

we missed out on some already so that makes it fewer to go after by my calculation, and it may give them the additional advantage of being able to say they have been picked already and they can take more on and offer the same service that others have already considered to be perfect for them ...

as it says in the linked site: "Powell River and Kamloops already have teams set to train in their cities" ... I believe the East Kootenays have as well ...

wonder how they did it without sending anyone to Torino????

http://www.civu.net/saf.html

Posted by: owl on February 12 2006 9:37 AM

from 2003 .... "Sun Peaks is the only ski resort in the province that has said they will dedicate a ski run for Olympic training."

http://www.kevinkruegermla.bc.ca/EN/2746/27247

That was 2 1/2 years ago .... so they had the facility, offered it and they got a bite ... strange how that works, eh?

What have we offered. I do not see anything about snowboarding or mogul skiing here. either Tabor or Purden can offer the site. Both facilities need proper snow making equipment. Especially Tabor has been having trouble from the time I got here in the 1970's because the temperatures are right, but there is inconsistent snowfall. They could have gotten some money from the province and the city to halep them along in a joint proposal and we would at least heve gotten some better facilities for ourselves out of it. That would be a less costly and better investment than the refrigerated outdoor speedskating oval in my opinion.

Anyone offering the CN Centre? I know it is on the site, but what is the offer?