No Canada-B.C. pavilion for Vancouver Games

The federal government has decided it won't share a pavilion with the province of British Columbia during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver next February, Minister of State for Sport Gary Lunn announced on Sunday.

Instead, the federal government will build its own $10-million Canada pavilion in an empty parking lot in downtown Vancouver near the intersection of West Georgia and Cambie streets — a prime location in the heart of the Olympic zone.

"It is a $10-million investment in marketing Canada to the world. An international audience will come to know what we already know — that Canada is an ideal destination for business, investment and tourism," said Lunn.

B.C. was hoping to share the cost of building a joint federal-provincial pavilion, just like the two governments did for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin and for the Beijing Summer Games in 2008.

But Lunn said this time the Canadian government is planning a pavilion that will highlight tourism and investment opportunities across Canada, so the prior emphasis on B.C. does not fit its plans.

"British Columbia — their pavilion is going to be promoting British Columbia, as it should, but we have a responsibility to promote the entire country, all of Canada, not just British Columbia," said Lunn.

B.C. Minister of State for the Olympics Mary McNeil says she understands Ottawa's decision and the province will go ahead with its own pavilion nearby at the Vancouver Art Gallery on West Georgia Street, near the intersection with Howe Street.

Now that the decision has been made, both governments now have less than five months to get their pavilions built before the Games open on Feb. 12.