Brandon asks province to shoulder costs of failed bid

The City of Brandon wants the province to reimburse it for the $274,000 it spent on a failed bid to host the 2017 Canada Summer Games. Winnipeg won the right to host the games in April. 

Brandon city council voted unanimously Tuesday to ask the province to pick up the cost of its bid.

Coun. Stephen Montague says the irony is, Winnipeg didn't even bid on the games.

"Winnipeg didn't step up with a bid, Dauphin didn't come up, Portage didn't come up," he said. "Brandon did, so instead now we're paying the bills and the spoils go to Winnipeg."

Montague said it isn't fair that Brandon invested the money in the effort, but received no benefit.

"Winnipeg was given the games on a silver platter, which leaves us ... with a massive bill and Winnipeg getting the benefits of the games and the province either way still winning."

A government spokesperson told CBC, however, the cost is not the province's responsibility and it has no plans to reimburse the city.