N.L. launches bid for Canada Games with expected price tag of at least $45M
Bid alone will cost province at least $10M, with spinoff pegged at over $100M
It's a costly venture, but Premier Dwight Ball insists the province and the St. John's metro region is ready to host the 2025 Canada Summer Games, and says the economic spinoff will be worth it.
The event typically comes with a price tag around $50 million but boasts a $100-million boost in economic spinoffs for the St. John's region.
Ball said the price tag for taxpayers in Newfoundland and Labrador will be at least $10 million, with the lion's share of funding coming from the federal government.
"St. John's is ready. The region is ready," Ball told reporters at an event on Tuesday. "There's a lot of support here from the province and the federal government as well."
It's not clear yet how much the City of St. John's would have to pony up, or if surrounding towns would also be on the hook.
Several facilities would have to be updated to be fit for competition, likely including the Aquarena on the Memorial University campus.
St. John's Mayor Danny Breen said the city has made upgrades in recent years to other sports complexes, such as the King George V soccer stadium near the Quidi Vidi neighbourhood.
Breen and Ball were front and centre at an event on Tuesday where they announced their intention to bid on the 2025 Games. The process will take about 11 months, with the first phase being about the technical side of things.
Running uncontested
As part of Phase 1, they will have to identify venues for each of the 20 sports. They'll also have to choose non-sporting venues, for things like social events, as well as an athlete's village.
Ball said it's a big investment, and one that will likely see government funding for upgrades to venues around the metro region.
When asked how the province will pay for it, Ball said it will put money aside over several years, but did not offer specifics.
Aside from the economic spinoff from the 20,000 visitors who will come to the city, Ball said it will position the province for major sporting events in the future.
"The lasting legacy of the games will be millions and millions of dollars after that," he said.
The most recent Canada Games was held in Red Deer, Alta. It attracted 26,000 people to the region, and according to the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance, came with $110 million of economic activity in Alberta.
Members of the bid evaluation committee will come to St. John's in June and assess the first phase of the bid process. They'll come back next January to look at the final submission.
St. John's is running uncontested, but according to the head of the bid evaluation committee, it's not a slam dunk.
"Even if it's a single-bid process we want to make sure everything answers to the standards the Games has put together," said Lynn Blouin, a member of the Canada Games board of directors.
"I don't think it's a big worry, but still, you have to walk through the process properly."
Newfoundland and Labrador has hosted the Canada Games twice — in 1977 in St. John's and 1999 in Corner Brook.
The province was supposed to host again in 2021, but Blouin said a joint decision was made between the provincial government and the Canada Games board to swap the 2021 event for Ontario's spot in 2025.
The move was made with the poor economic position of the province in mind.
Big deal for athletes
Carl English knows about the importance of the Canada Games. He played for the provincial basketball team in the 1997 Canada Games, and says it provided crucial exposure to scouts and helped launch his career.
"From an athlete standpoint, people tend to forget our province," he said. "I played for Team Canada for over a decade and a half and I was always rallying, trying to get them to come out here."
He said it gives athletes something to work toward for the next five years.
Olivia Janes understands the lure of the games. She's a young basketball player with hopes of making the 2021 Canada Games.
"To be able to go away in 2021, I'd probably work the hardest I've ever worked to be able to go up and show what Newfoundland can really do.
Abby Sherriffs, 15, is also gunning for the next Canada Games.
"It's probably the highest level a lot of athletes get to for this age," she said. "It would mean a lot. You're representing where you're from."
With files from Jeremy Eaton