Op-Ed Article CG2014
Co-Authors Premier John Hamm and Mayor Peter Kelly
"The Commonwealth Games - moving forward together"
By John Hamm and Peter Kelly
For Nova Scotia and for Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), the 2014 Commonwealth Games represent an opportunity to showcase our people, our history, and our accomplishments to the world. Indeed, if these Games are awarded to Canada B with HRM as host city B the event will leave a legacy that would pay dividends to the municipality, the province, the region, and the nation for generations to come.
We have already cleared one hurdle in the long race to 2014. In December, Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) chose Halifax as the Canadian bid city for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, over strong competitive bids from Hamilton, Ottawa, and the Regional Municipality of York . This brings a successful end to the first phase (the Domestic bid) in bringing the 2014 Commonwealth Games to Canada.
Today, we are working in partnership with CGC to develop Canada=s bid for presentation to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF). The CGF will announce the host city for the 2014 Games at an Annual General Assembly in Sri Lanka on November 9, 2007. Canada is competing against Glasgow, Scotland and Abuja, Nigeria.
How will we meet the challenge?
To begin with, we will continue to show the sort of remarkable co-operation that characterized our successful domestic bid. Our domestic bid attracted unprecedented support from across Atlantic Canada. It received unanimous approval from Halifax Regional Council, the provincial Cabinet and the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. It was endorsed by Atlantic Canada=s four premiers, by the Atlantic mayors, by First Nations leaders from across the region, by leaders in the African Canadian community, by the business sector, by sporting groups, and by athletes.
Our Commonwealth Games bid also enjoys the support of an overwhelming majority of people in the HRM area, according to extensive polling conducted last fall. That support indicates a deep confidence in our community=s collective ability to stage large events that are successful from a financial, organizational and legacy perspective.
In the wake of one of the most successful World Junior Hockey Championship in history (2003), this confidence should come as no surprise. Not only did that HRM event set new attendance records, it also paid a record financial dividend to its organizers and generated substantial economic activity. HRM has had similar success in hosting other international events, including the World Women=s Hockey Championship, Tall Ships 2000 and 2004, and The World Figure Skating Championships.
Staging the 2014 Commonwealth Games - a multi-sport event - would represent a bigger financial and organizational challenge. That=s one reason the province and HRM performed due diligence before lending support to this bid. Since joining forces with our other partners to create the Halifax Bid Committee, the provincial and municipal governments have brought financial discipline and expertise to bear throughout the process.
In addition, the provincial Cabinet and Regional Council were regularly briefed on both the details and impact of the Halifax 2014 Domestic bid. In short, our oversight has been keen and our scrutiny tough. Nothing is more important to our two governments than sound fiscal management B and the ongoing exercise of the financial discipline that has resulted in annual surpluses at the provincial level, and an orderly reduction of debt at HRM.
The domestic phase of the 2014 Commonwealth Games bid is now over. Halifax developed a winning bid from scratch, not based on the 2010 bid. The budget for the domestic phase was based on extensive analysis: both pre-Game operational and facility budgets and post-Game financial statements were taken into consideration. The domestic bid budget for the Halifax 2014 Games reflected the latest Commonwealth Games Federation requirements and inflation over the 2005-2014 period, resulting in estimates that form a solid basis on which to build the International bid budget and that allow the Province and HRM to assess the ability to financially support the incremental costs of the Games.
We are currently in discussions with the Federal Government. The Federal Policy for Hosting International Sport Events dictates that the federal government could contribute to a maximum of 35% of the total event costs and not exceed 50% of the total public sector contributions to the event.
As stated, the domestic bid phase is now over. The Bid Committee has turned their full attention to working with Commonwealth Games Canada to understand the international bid requirements. The strength of our partnerships, old and new, will provide the best foundation to bring the Commonwealth Games to Canada and to Halifax in 2014.
The Province and HRM see the Games as an opportunity to move ahead with many projects already planned for future years: including the High-Speed Harbour Ferry Project, new transportation routes, and new community and recreation facilities.
In addition, the legacies these Games could leave behind would serve this region=s people well: ie., new community facilities and world-class training centres in Atlantic Canada, and the promotion of healthy, active lifestyles.
The 2014 Games will also provide tremendous business opportunities for the private sector. The corporate community will have a significant role in the Games through sponsorships. In addition, business and development opportunities will result. The need to be able to maintain the sport and community facilities after the 2014 Commonwealth Games has been fully considered.
These are just some of the reasons HRM and the Province are now partnering with Commonwealth Games Canada in support of this bid for the 2014 Games. Should we win the right to host the 2014 Games, we would have seven years to carefully plan, manage and build the needed facilities.
Working together, we would ensure that all partners in this undertaking have the financial ability and expertise to stage the Games. At the same time, we would strive to provide a lasting legacy that reflects well on the municipality, the province, the region, the nation and the Commonwealth movement.
In the end, the 2014 Games would help secure our future, building on our co-operative spirit and shared expertise. They would succeed; they would provide a lasting, valuable legacy; and they would bring people from around the world to a historic region that continues to play a crucial role in the development of not only this country, but also the entire Commonwealth.
(Premier John Hamm and Mayor Peter Kelly are co-chairs of Canada=s 2014 Commonwealth Games bid.)
