[Rumour] Burke freeing up King's time for Olympic bid

[Locke]

Originally Posted by foshizzle11

This is true, our winter Olympic training facilities are here for a lot of sports and they wouldn't be if we didn't have the facilities that were created during the 88 Olympics.

Take Sochi for example, will their athletes now all flock there and use Sochi as a training hub like Calgary is for winter sports? There is a big difference between the two. Same with Vancouver, the conditions are not ideal for using the facilities created. In fact the architects in Vancouver were very smart in transforming the Oval in Richmond for example to a multisport complex, it is a beautiful facility, that will in inevitably sink into the ground but that is another story. Now Whistler can host more events like World Cups for luge, bobsled, skeleton for example. Something they couldn't do before. Creating a legacy program from the Olympics is key to making a profit from hosting the Olympics.

This is pretty much my point. The City hosts an event and maybe will or wont make money, but the leftover infrastructure turned Calgary into the main Winter Olympics training centre in Canada as well as providing a lot of opportunities for ordinary citizens.

[terminator]

To who ever said Krakow would have race issues:

I'm not white, and I'm very far from being so (skin color) and so is my buddy who I travelled with, yet I found zero racisim over 2-weeks in Krakow and surrounding rural areas. Rather it was the exact opposite curiousity and hospitality.

[polak]

Originally Posted by terminator

To who ever said Krakow would have race issues:

I'm not white, and I'm very far from being so (skin color) and so is my buddy who I travelled with, yet I found zero racisim over 2-weeks in Krakow and surrounding rural areas. Rather it was the exact opposite curiousity and hospitality.

That's reassuring to hear. I'm just going off what I see and hear when I'm there. The younger generations are a lot more tolerant in and around big cities so I'm not surprised.

That said, I was there during a Gay Pride parade and the main square literally had large groups of riot control on on every entrance into the the square and choppers circling overhead.

It's still a huge issue.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by foshizzle11

Same with Vancouver, the conditions are not ideal for using the facilities created. In fact the architects in Vancouver were very smart in transforming the Oval in Richmond for example to a multisport complex, it is a beautiful facility, that will in inevitably sink into the ground but that is another story. Now Whistler can host more events like World Cups for luge, bobsled, skeleton for example. Something they couldn't do before. Creating a legacy program from the Olympics is key to making a profit from hosting the Olympics.

And one of the conditions that makes Vancouver not ideal is, in fact, Calgary itself. The facilities in Vancouver were fantastic, but Calgary is already entrenched as the heart of Canada's winter sports development program. An accident of timing, really.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by Husky

Heck no. While it would be fun to be part of, financially the olympics are a huge sore for hosting teams. They typically lose money hand over fist.

I would imagine the cost to re-host would be quite less as many venues would be able to be re-furbished as opposed to completely built from scratch. I would be all for it so long as it wasn't going to cost the province an arm and a leg and they actually made use of existing facilities as much as possible.

I can't help but feel there are some "other" reasons king would be going for this bid as well. The Stamps would likely get a new building without much hassle for opening ceremonies and it would also push ahead new arena construction.....talk about scratching each others back.

[jimslob]

There is another thing to consider with a Calgary bid, or any other Canadian city for that matter.

Where will the skilled labor come from to build the infrastructure needed and at what cost?

I was in Concrete construction in BC until recently and there was not only severe labour shortages in Western Canada ,all companies were having difficulty sourcing needed materials with which to build, costing expensive delays and cost overruns.

I needed around 10,000 Aluminum Beam and Frames to supply my customers on Vancouver Island in August last year and wouldn't you know it but Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver were all looking for the same equipment.

Even though I am no longer in the business I am still connected and it's looking like it's going to get worse over the next few years before it get's better.

Having said that 2022 is a ways away and much could change before infrastructure construction would need to start, I could see the situation improving.

I shudder to think what it would look like if the situation was worse.

[terminator]

Originally Posted by jimslob

There is another thing to consider with a Calgary bid, or any other Canadian city for that matter.

Where will the skilled labor come from to build the infrastructure needed and at what cost?

I was in Concrete construction in BC until recently and there was not only severe labour shortages in Western Canada ,all companies were having difficulty sourcing needed materials with which to build, costing expensive delays and cost overruns.

I needed around 10,000 Aluminum Beam and Frames to supply my customers on Vancouver Island in August last year and wouldn't you know it but Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver were all looking for the same equipment.

Even though I am no longer in the business I am still connected and it's looking like it's going to get worse over the next few years before it get's better.

Having said that 2022 is a ways away and much could change before infrastructure construction would need to start, I could see the situation improving.

I shudder to think what it would look like if the situation was worse.

We'd bring in Americans like the Americans do Mexicans.

[MrCallahan]

Originally Posted by terminator

We'd bring in Americans like the Americans do Mexicans.

Amerixicans?

[pylon]

Originally Posted by polak

That's reassuring to hear. I'm just going off what I see and hear when I'm there. The younger generations are a lot more tolerant in and around big cities so I'm not surprised.

That said, I was there during a Gay Pride parade and the main square literally had large groups of riot control on on every entrance into the the square and choppers circling overhead.

It's still a huge issue.

My Grandmother who was from Poland, Krakow to be exact, was an extremely racist witch. Horribly racist. She basically disowned my father for years for marrying a Jew. She used to say the most horrible things to my mother. And she used to drop unprovoked N-bombs all the time. I can't really say I was upset when she died. She was one of the most miserable people I have ever met.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Table 5

The fact that reportedly 30 Billion of the 50 Billion dollar budget went "missing" during construction also played a huge reason why those games shouldn't be considered the new normal.

Vancouvers 7 Billion is much more realistic, and according to this article, had a positive benefit on the area.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle15036916/

Don't kid yourselves too much about Vancouver. There are plenty here in B.C. who still view it as a colossal waste of money, something that's been compounded by the provincial government crying poor and blaming the Olympics every time something comes up that requires public spending.