Will there be any money left after 2010? We are taxed to death and beyond already. If council is concerned about coming up with $215K for the loss of NCP, where is the capital funding gonna come from? We are debt slaves indeed....

I want infrastructure now! Not in seven years time, maybe, if, perhaps, we even get the games.

*sigh, I wish them well just don't hold the taxpayers hostage on this one...find a corporate sponsor - ya hear?

Why do they want to get into this stuff when they can't even pave the roads properly in this city!

These are the claims made about the new events:

1. Capital facility improvements (a minimum of $6 million with $4 million from Provincial and Federal Government) would upgrade aging facilities, ease future capital burdens and increase odds of hosting other events.

2. Not to mention this is a great leveraging opportunity, we may spend $2 million and get $20 million

These are the recent past events we hosted as listed above:
1. 1991 BC Summer Games
2. the 1996 Northern BC Winter Games
3. 2001 BC Special Olympic Summer Games
4. 2002 BC Senior Games
5. the Scott Tournament of Hearts
6. the RBC Cup
7. National Cross Country Skiing

We typically see the projected costs and benefits when we propose to bid on the event. I have yet to see an accounting of the financial costs and benefits, as well as the social costs and benefits and the promotional benefit after the event.

I would think that when a group goes to Council and wishes to apply for another provincial, national or even international event to be hosted in PG, they would be required to provide some hard facts about past events rather than Councillors resorting to anecdotal information.

Would that be too much to ask for? Not if more people at the City would take the business of operating the City and reporting back to the people who have a monetary interest in the operation of this community more seriously than they seem to do.

"Why do they want to get into this stuff when they can't even pave the roads properly in this city!"

I am sure they can! The condition of the roads, streets and sidewalks is simply of a low priority on their list!

As long as citizens accept these deplorable conditions (which consist of endless minefields of potholes, cracks and lumpy patches) like docile sheep it is business as usual.

A rally or some demonstrations are needed to get them to pay attention. Or a wholesale change of mayor, council and managers.

Owl...a very detailed economic analysis of the RBC Cup was done post event. It was up on the City web-site for some time and I assume it's still there somewhere.
Measuring social benefit is a very tricky thing but I'd be very interested in some kind of quantifier.

A bit of quick research into Canada Games shows some pretty interesting facts and figures. City of Whitehore invested $8.2 million for 2007 Games into a total budget of $120 million, Halifax in 2011 is estimated the Municipality will invest approx. $6.1 million into a $38 millon budget.

Either is a pretty good return on investment, although the majority of the rest comes from Prov. and Fed. government so it's the taxpayer that foots most of the bill at the end of the day. That being said, these Games will occur somewhere in BC in 2015 and I'd rather PG get the return on investment than Kamloops or Kelowna because the taxpayer pays regardless.

"Why do they want to get into this stuff when they can't even pave the roads properly in this city!"

I suppose they could pave the roads properly, but what would be the point, frost heaves will just make it bad again next year, and it will cost them every year, if they leave it, they can go to CHINA!!!

I wish our council and city good luck with their efforts to successfully land the opportunity to host any one of these games. Its a great way for people to visit our city, meet the people who live here, and leave with a good impression.

Any effort put forth to encourage this gets my support.

Owl: "2. Not to mention this is a great leveraging opportunity, we may spend $2 million and get $20 million"

Great news! The 20 million will be paid out to those homeowners whose property taxes went up to finance the new borrowing! That should lower everyone's taxes by a nice chunk!

(I don't think that will happen...).

Building our recreational infrastructure with 15% interest is a great deal. Build a 15 million dollar speed skating oval for 2.25 million dollar investment, that should be a no brainer.

We should go for a bobsled track, that would be great, barrelling down a icy track on a pair 1/4 inch wide steel tracks doing what??? a 100 miles an hour. That should stain a few underwears.

Basically turn Prince George into a winter training ground for world wide athletes competing in winter sports.

Lots of neah sayers. worried about a couple of potholes. Oh had to dodge a pothole, better stop the world and let them know about it. Boo hoo hoo hoo, go cry to your moomy.

We know that if the upper government is chipping in 85% of the project costs, We may turn around spend 4/5 million dollars on it. We are still going to be way ahead, and all the hotels, restaurants and all the other businesses do quite well because of the influx. So monetarily we have to better because of these events.

So how can we determine how much, unless each participant is interviewed and receipts are analyzed, the net gain for hosting the event can not be accurately determined. If it can not be accurately determined, than its only a speculated determination, thus why waste the money to get a speculated determination. because all it is closing the barn door after the horses of run away. All we know is people coming to our city for events is a good thing.

Go for it, even if it cost us a couple hundred thousand to put together the proposal, lets get it going.

Hey He speaks.. I got a spellcheck on my computer. Maybe your Commodore 64 doesn't have one. I know. Read a book. Then you might not need a spellchecker.

Hmmm this dirty town wants to host this?

Lets worry about cleaning up downtown and getting a handle on the crime rate first!

To the great, "He speaks", with his head in the sand

"Oh bad to dodge a pothole,better stop the world and let them know about it. Boo hoo hoo hoo, go cry a river"

Do you even own a car??? I own a cab, and I put on more than 100,000 klm's a year on these rotten roads!! If you had to pay the bill's on my cab, for front end work, broken springs and the like, you wouldn't be going Boo hoo hoo hoo!! Theroads in this city are terrible, and you want to invite people to our community!! I will be very embarrassed, if we entertain any outsiders, for any reason in Prince George, unless we clean it up!! It is disgusting!!!

Lets clean it up, starting with City Council this fall!! After that, our roads should be #1. That is what people see and experience when they first come to our city!!

and by the way, I am no stranger to town, I was born here in 1952!! I have watched it go to hell in a hand basket in recent years!! Shame to all involved in this mess!!

I may be wrong about our city managers but it seems that anytime a town or city hosts these kinds of things they are in dept for years afterwards and it always goes millions of dollars over budget. They raise taxes and if there is any surplus of money made it never is returned to the people. With all the scares going on today such as the food shortage, gas prices and all of us being choked with taxes it surprises me that people are still willing to spend millions of dollars on fun stuff. Our hospital can not keep up with the pace and there are not enough doctors to go around, thousands have no family doctor. Children are going to school hungry right here in PG.

When are people going to accept the fact that all the mistakes that all sections of governments have made in the last decade is now starting to rear its ugly face. People are losing jobs, homes and their dignity. Oh Yea!! Lets keep spending money like it is going out of style. Why not spend some money on stock piling food for our community??? Wake up! We are in for very hard times. Wait and see what this winter brings in the grocery stores. Will there be enough to go around? Our city hall is hiring tourist specialists....ROFLMAO!!! Good timing!! The price of gas is going to make all kinds of people travel. *shaking head* They are paying this person a $100,000 salary!!!! My God!

I feel for our old people, the sick and the future for our children. We are like a desease for this planet.

I may be wrong about our city managers but it seems that anytime a town or city hosts these kinds of things they are in dept for years afterwards and it always goes millions of dollars over budget. They raise taxes and if there is any surplus of money made it never is returned to the people. With all the scares going on today such as the food shortage, gas prices and all of us being choked with taxes it surprises me that people are still willing to spend millions of dollars on fun stuff. Our hospital can not keep up with the pace and there are not enough doctors to go around, thousands have no family doctor. Children are going to school hungry right here in PG.

When are people going to accept the fact that all the mistakes that all sections of governments have made in the last decade is now starting to rear its ugly face. People are losing jobs, homes and their dignity. Oh Yea!! Lets keep spending money like it is going out of style. Why not spend some money on stock piling food for our community??? Wake up! We are in for very hard times. Wait and see what this winter brings in the grocery stores. Will there be enough to go around? Our city hall is hiring tourist specialists....ROFLMAO!!! Good timing!! The price of gas is going to make all kinds of people travel. *shaking head* They are paying this person a $100,000 salary!!!! My God!

I feel for our old people, the sick and the future for our children. We are like a desease for this planet.