If Metro Vancouver is to play host to another Olympic and Paralympic Games, local residents should have their say. That\’s why New Westminster mayoral candidate Ken Armstrong and the New West Progressives are calling upon city council to put the question of support for the Games directly on the ballot this fall. Armstrong is planning to appear before Council in the coming weeks to make the formal request.
“If Vancouver plays host to the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we know it will have profound impacts on our region,” says Armstrong. “That’s why it is imperative that New Westminster lead the way and ensure the voices of our residents are heard before any final decisions are made about our region hosting the Games.
“We know the 2010 Games diverted infrastructure investments into Vancouver and the host cities and there were few permanent benefits, if any, for smaller cities like New Westminster. That’s why it’s so important that we hear from as many residents throughout our region as possible as to whether they support this bid and the resulting impacts it will have leading up to and after the Games.”
In 2010, the Federal and Provincial governments invested billions of dollars to upgrade key infrastructure in support of the Games. This resulted in new skating rinks, transit lines, stadium upgrades and major investments in key infrastructure in Vancouver, Richmond and Whistler.
A referendum was held in Vancouver in the lead up to the 2010 Games. Of 134,791 ballots cast, 64 per cent were in favour, 36 per cent against. The results of the vote were non-binding. No referendum was held in any other city in the Metro Vancouver region.
“As a former top cyclist, I’m a big supporter of the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” says Glenbrook North resident Jiayi Li-McCarthy. “However, a referendum on whether we endorse the bid is the least our council can do to provide our citizens with a voice.”
The civic election will be held in British Columbia on October 15th. It would be of minimal cost to include a question about the 2030 Olympic bid on the ballot.
The NWP was formed in the fall of 2017 in an effort to provide independent candidates the opportunity to work in collaboration to help bring balance and develop a strong vision for the future of our city and school system. NWP is a diverse group of citizens who live, work and invest in our city and are committed to supporting a non-partisan approach to municipal politics. Committed to a core mission and set of values, NWP is a grassroots registered elector organization that is committed to ensuring the voice of average citizens and neighbourhoods is listened to at city hall and the school board.