First Nations-led Olympic bid moves forward — but will the IOC accept it?

With the opening of the Beijing 2022 Olympics days away, a First Nations-led bid to bring the Olympics back to British Columbia in 2030 took another step forward Tuesday with the announcement that the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) and Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) are both endorsing the bid, which is also supported by the mayors of Vancouver and Whistler.

Officials from the Lil̓wat7úl (Líl̓wat), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations say the parties have agreed to consult on the feasibility of pushing the bid forward.

Elected Coun. Wilson Williams of the Squamish Nation said getting COC and CPC support is a step forward in inclusivity and "not being invisible in our own lands."

"[The bid] is going to be a first of its kind, but also ... in regards to the land we lived on for such a long time ... our stories of who we are, where we come from as Indigenous peoples for the four Nations, and respectfully, all [First] Nations throughout Canada," said Williams, speaking on CBC's The Early Edition.

Should it come together, it seems likely the International Olympic Committee would be intrigued, especially with it emanating from a democratic, developed country sure to provide a less controversial and happier setting than China is today. And there's the bonus of a North American time zone coveted by high paying U.S. broadcast rights holders and sponsors.

Former Olympic athlete and University of Toronto professor emeritus Bruce Kidd sees the bid as having great potential for affirming Indigenous rights and improving the environmental sensibilities of the Olympics.

But because the IOC normally requires assurances from a recognized nation state to provide all the protocols demanded of an Olympic host, Kidd wonders how the 2030 bid will be endorsed and supported by the Canadian government.

"For Canada to do that, my guess is they would have to have some kind of agreement with the First Nations of British Columbia, which I don't think they do now," he said.

"I think it's very unlikely today that the IOC would accept a bid that circumvented the legal status of nation states and open up the whole question of Indigenous rights around the world. The IOC has taken some risks with recognizing people beyond nation states, but, oh boy, that would be such a big jump," said Kidd.

Kidd suggested some kind of "diplomatic recognition" could clear the way for IOC acceptance.

According to Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow, next steps involve considering the positives and negatives of a bid and coming up with a price tag.

Proponents have been keen to point out that costs for 2030 should be less of a concern because of the value in bringing the Winter Olympics back to Vancouver and Whistler only two decades after forking out more than $7 billion for the 2010 Games. 

"We know now that there was a heavy cost to 2010, but the exciting thing about it now is the highway from Vancouver to Whistler has been done, all of the facilities have been done, so it's now just upgrading," said Sparrow.

According to a Leger poll commissioned by Postmedia and released last month, British Columbians are divided over a 2030 Olympic bid, with 34 per cent of the population in support of the idea, 35 per cent against and 31 per cent neutral. 

The poll found that First Nations leadership in the bid worked to reinforce the viewpoint of British Columbians: amplifying levels of support among those who originally indicated support for the bid but increasing opposition among those who originally indicated they weren't in favour of it. 

Other sites considering bidding for the 2030 Olympics are Sapporo, Japan, Salt Lake City, Utah and a combined bid from Spain, France and the small principality of Andorra situated between them. Bid cities are expected to be finalized later this year.