HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Ontario > Hamilton > Culture, Dining, Sports & Recreation


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #101  
Old Posted Apr 11, 2020, 8:03 PM
Djeffery Djeffery is online now
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: London
Posts: 4,449
Hell, tell the Games people that Hamilton will take 2026 if they can have 2030 too. Some of the costs would be split between the 2 games and lessons learned from '26 would help with '30. The only way these type of events even approach making financial sense anymore is for cities to get 2 uses out of their investment.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #102  
Old Posted Apr 11, 2020, 8:18 PM
isaidso isaidso is offline
The New Republic
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: United Provinces of America
Posts: 10,791
Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelTown View Post
Hamilton could host the 2026 Commonwealth Games — but does the city want them?
Hamilton's mayor says the games are not a priority right now

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamil...them-1.5524513
One could also frame it as 'does Canada want them?' The Commonwealth Games don't register with Canadians at all. They haven't been on tv in over 20 years. I suspect half of Canadians have never even heard of the Commonwealth Games. Maybe they don't know what the Commonwealth is either.

The only benefit to Canada or a Canadian city is that it leads to infrastructure improvements and city beautification projects. Hamilton built a new football stadium so what's the point? I suppose Hamilton could get an Olympic sized swimming pool and NHL ready arena out of it but do you need the Commonwealth Games to do that?
__________________
World's First Documented Baseball Game: Beachville, Ontario, June 4th, 1838.
World's First Documented Gridiron Game: University College, Toronto, November 9th, 1861.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats since 1869 & Toronto Argonauts since 1873: North America's 2 oldest pro football teams
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #103  
Old Posted Apr 12, 2020, 12:47 PM
StEC's Avatar
StEC StEC is offline
Burger Connoisseur
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 581
Quote:
Originally Posted by Djeffery View Post
Hell, tell the Games people that Hamilton will take 2026 if they can have 2030 too. Some of the costs would be split between the 2 games and lessons learned from '26 would help with '30. The only way these type of events even approach making financial sense anymore is for cities to get 2 uses out of their investment.
This right here! And given the current world economics due to this pandemic it would make even more financial sense to do it this way. This would be a solid win and catalyst for the city!
__________________
Living in and loving Hamilton since Jan. 2014!
Follow me on Instagram & Threads where I feature the beauty of Hamilton, Niagara & Toronto!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #104  
Old Posted Apr 22, 2020, 3:45 AM
SteelTown's Avatar
SteelTown SteelTown is offline
It's Hammer Time
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 19,872
Volunteer group seeks viable plan to put 2026 Commonwealth Games in Hamilton

https://www.thespec.com/sports/hamil...-hamilton.html

The volunteer group driving Hamilton’s bid has decided to move ahead in a combined search for a way to accelerate its bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games by four years without, for now, formal city, provincial or federal approval and input.

Because the three levels of government are immersed in battling COVID-19, Hamilton 100 is working feverishly with the Games’ national and international governing bodies to come up with a viable plan to re-sculpt Hamilton’s 2030 bid into a streamlined 2026 version which would be less expensive for the city.

That version would probably involve heavier private-sector involvement, reducing the number of sports and possibly moving some events to existing facilities outside Hamilton.

“We’d like to have something concrete — and workable, given the time constraints — to show to levels of government when they’re ready to assess their support,” Lou Frapporti of Hamilton 100 told The Spectator.

Commonwealth Sport Canada (CSC) and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) said three weeks ago that, the 2026 Commonwealth Games will be Hamilton’s without opposition if Hamilton 100, its local stakeholders, and the three levels of government can successfully come together on a pivot to hosting four years early. If that cannot be done, Hamilton would still be Canada’s entry in what would will potentially be a very competitive, worldwide, bidding process for the 2030 Games, marking the 100th anniversary of the Games which began in Hamilton as the British Empire Games.

Hamilton 100 says “everything is under consideration” as it looks for a proposal but it’s likely that any plan will involve much heavier private-sector financing than in the 2030 bid, to take the burden of an already-overloaded city budget. A 2026 blueprint would almost certainly call for a one-time reduction in the number of sports, and it’s also possible that the Games could become more regional than they would be in 2030, with some events moving to already-existing structures in the Lake Ontario corridor.

Frapporti realizes that in the midst of coping with the COVID-19 crisis, seeking at a capital project for 2026 could appear irrelevant and even tone-deaf.

“We understand that this might be seen by some people as a distraction, however we’re also looking squarely in the face of an economic recession, if not a depression,” Frapporti said. “And questions of significant financial investment and employment in this city in the next few years will soon be the focus for everyone.

“That’s why, and the only reason why, we’re looking at this.”

Brian MacPherson, CEO of Commonwealth Sport Canada adds, “As sure as winter eventually is followed by summer, calamaties are followed by rebuilding and recovery. Nation-building projects become a priority and this is a nation-building project. Nothing can bring people together more than sport.”

Among the key points in further investigating hosting the 2026 Games:
  • One of the critical options being seriously explored locally is heavier private-sector financing and contributions to lower the burden for an over-burdened city.
  • Hamilton 100 is “obviously sentimentally attached to 2030, but the pandemic and its economic impacts has forced us to consider this path to 2026,” Frapporti said, “We’re motivated almost entirely by a concern over financial investment and employment in this region in the (post-pandemic) near-term, and we see this as potentially helping a lot. Jobs and investment, that’s it.”
  • Frapporti said that “everything is on the table,” including the option of a greater regionalization of the Games to reduce expenses. “Of course, that would be less beneficial to Hamilton,” he said.
  • MacPherson says that the CSC, CGF and Hamilton 100 “are not asking for money” at this time. “Support-in-principle is the key word here,” he told The Spectator. He emphasized that there is no hard deadline but the optimal situation would be to hear back from governments before June. That support-in-principle had already been received for the 2030 Games bid.
  • In the “aggressive search” for a viable 2026 plan, all funding options will be reviewed including, Frapporti said, whether “projects such as the LRT/BRT could be aligned with Commonwealth Games funding. We’re looking at ways 2026 can assist the city in advancing its strategic priorities in the face the new additional budget pressures.”
  • According to a framework to be posted on the Hamilton 100 website Wednesday, prior Games have generated economic boosts in excess of $1 billion to the host communities and the creation of 13-23,000 fulltime jobs leading up to and through the Games.
  • Hamilton 100 will continue consulting with “anchor institutions” and stakeholders including the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, Mohawk College, McMaster University and a variety of community groups.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #105  
Old Posted Apr 25, 2020, 4:01 AM
king10 king10 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 2,761
Gunna be tough to get the private sector to come up with more cash given their earnings are taking a beating and will take time to recover. NeverMind the 3 levels of government who are going to be running deficits or borrowing at historical levels just to keep the economy going during this pandemic and subsequent recovery. I dont see where the money is going to come from.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #106  
Old Posted Apr 25, 2020, 4:05 AM
Dr Awesomesauce's Avatar
Dr Awesomesauce Dr Awesomesauce is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: BEYOND THE OUTER RIM
Posts: 5,889
Quote:
Originally Posted by king10 View Post
Gunna be tough to get the private sector to come up with more cash given their earnings are taking a beating and will take time to recover. NeverMind the 3 levels of government who are going to be running deficits or borrowing at historical levels just to keep the economy going during this pandemic and subsequent recovery. I dont see where the money is going to come from.
Yeah, I'm not as married to this idea as I used to be. I think we'll have to let this opportunity pass. If things are looking brighter in 2022 or 2023, then perhaps a run at 2030 might be appropriate.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #107  
Old Posted May 19, 2020, 3:48 PM
SteelTown's Avatar
SteelTown SteelTown is offline
It's Hammer Time
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 19,872
New directions for Hamilton Commonwealth Games? Focus on 2026, and positioning as recovery project

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...y-project.html

While maintaining the option to be Canada’s representative for 2030, two major developments are clearly indicating that the volunteer group seeking the Commonwealth Games for Hamilton has shifted all its focus toward obtaining the 2026 Games.

The first was the creation of “Hamilton 2026 Bid Corporation” as the legal not-for-profit entity to apply for the earlier Games. It comprises essentially the same stakeholders from Hamilton 100, which remains in existence in case the new corporation cannot meet all the necessary 2026 requirements — most importantly agreements from all three levels of government.

The second is that early Wednesday morning the Commonwealth Games Federation — overseers of the quadrennial Games — will release an independent report done by international professional services giant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) showing that hosting the Games has boosted the gross domestic product of five recent host cities by anywhere from $1.4 billion to over $2 billion (Canadian equivalent, adjusted to 2018 prices). There were also many harder-to-quantify indirect positive economic impacts.

The Commonwealth Games Value Framework — created from already-existing data and reports from Manchester (2002), Melbourne (2006), Glasgow (2014) and Australia’s Gold Coast (2018) — was well over a year in the making but the timing of its release is clearly intended to create a softer landing for what will be a very tough local sell for a 2026 bid.

“I think it is fair to say there is an urgency, but that the CGF also is fully cognizant of the world we live in,” David Grevemberg, CEO of the international federation, said during a media teleconference from London, England on Monday. “We need to be sensitive to the challenge that communities are dealing with right now.”

Both the report, and the resculpting of the original Hamilton 2030 bid into a leaner 2026 proposal expected to be revealed soon, reposition the Games’ top priority as a post-pandemic recovery project, along with its status as a major sporting and culture event.

Grevemberg said that the five most-recent host cities had wide differences in local short- and long-term priorities, but categorized “emerging” markets like New Delhi (the 2010 host, omitted from the report because of a shortage of good data), “regenerative” markets (such as Glasgow) and “sustained” markets (Gold Coast).

“You can’t take one model and directly compare it, but you can take elements” he said “If you’re looking at the Hamilton market on the regenerative side, there are investments that can be made.

“We felt it was important right now to share that openly and widely, not only with Hamilton but with the wider world of sport. Events like the Commonwealth Games, when run with that kind of investment in mind, can have a good track record.

“It does show that the Games have manifested themselves as being a stimulus package, in whatever context.”

Hamilton 100 spokesperson Lou Frapporti stressed that “the question before our community is whether we will be that Ambitious City that many talk of, or the city that never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity. It’s a decision we will all have to come to in the coming weeks.”

The Spectator has reported that the 2026 Games are Hamilton’s without opposition if all the agreements can be confirmed in time. Grevemberg stopped short of that Monday, but did say the international body is invested deeply in working with the Hamilton group to shape its proposal.

Grevemberg said if the local committee moves forward, a formal plan could be built by the end of the year.

The local group hopes to have a basic structure ready for city council to assess within a few weeks. It is expected to come in at about two-thirds of the estimated overall cost ($1.5 billion) of the 2030 Games, rely more upon private investment and less on local government, use some existing facilities in other municipalities, and reduce the number of sports.

“It will be a smaller 2026 CWG, requiring less investment,” Frapporti confirmed Monday.

In its report PwC emphasizes that because of widely varying local circumstances, financial reporting techniques, and long-term priorities, it is difficult to precisely compare four different cities.

But, in general, it reports a range of $1.4 -to-2 billion in increased local GDP, the generation of between 13,600 and 23,000 “full-time equivalent” years of employment, before, during and after the Games, and the attraction of significant funding from state/provincial and federal governments.

Costs can also vary widely, although the CGF has streamlined procedures to reduce the burden of creating and running the Games: the Gold Coast Games had a price tag of over $1.8 billion but estimates for 2022 in Birmingham are about $1.5 billion.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #108  
Old Posted May 21, 2020, 11:25 AM
thistleclub thistleclub is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,728
The only conscionable formulation of a billion-dollar Games bid is one that hinges on social equity and the transformation of Hamilton's affordable housing stock.

This has such been an integral element of the successful legacy of past Games that it is perplexing that the Hamilton 100 consortium regards it as a value-engineered afterthought, more so for a 100th anniversary vision.

As Frapporti says, "the question before our community is whether we will be that Ambitious City that many talk of."
__________________
"Where architectural imagination is absent, the case is hopeless." - Louis Sullivan
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #109  
Old Posted May 22, 2020, 5:43 AM
SteelTown's Avatar
SteelTown SteelTown is offline
It's Hammer Time
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 19,872
Hamilton changes Commonwealth Games course, shifting to a 2026 bid

https://chatnewstoday.ca/2020/05/21/...to-a-2026-bid/

Hamilton has pivoted from the pursuit of the 2030 Commonwealth Games to a potential bid for 2026.

A dearth of global candidates makes the southern Ontario city a virtual slam dunk to host the earlier games. The COVID-19 pandemic also influenced Hamilton’s switch.

The city hosted the first edition of the Commonwealth Games — then called the British Empire Games — in 1930.

Bringing the games back a century later lent poetic symmetry to a 2030 bid, led by business people under the banner of Hamilton 100.

But a request by the international Commonwealth Games Federation to consider 2026 instead indicated Hamilton — unsuccessful in landing the 1994, 2010 and 2014 games — wouldn’t be challenged.

Hamilton 100 morphed into the Hamilton 2026 Commonwealth Games Bid Corporation.

The earlier games are seen an economic stimulus lever out of financial hardship created by the pandemic.

“This is a private bid,” bid corporation spokesperson and lawyer Louis Frapporti told The Canadian Press.

“We’re looking at a landscape of incredible economic suffering and looking ahead as business people to what we know will be the case.

“This presents, in a bizarrely serendipitous way, an immediate path to economic revival and resurgence.”

The quadrennial Commonwealth Games features 6,500 elite athletes and coaches from 71 countries competing in summer sport.

Gold Coast, Australia, was the most recent host in 2018. Birmingham, England is next in 2022.

Victoria was the last Canadian host city in 1994.

Hamilton 100 had support in principle from the federal, provincial and municipal governments.

The feds have indicated willingness for 2026, but the bid can’t go before city council until the province signs on again, Frapporti said.

“Are we the city that never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity, which is what we’re labelled as? Or are we the ambitious city that people like to talk about?” he asked.

“This is the fundamental question right now.”

The 2026 proposal is scaled down with an estimated cost of $1 billion to stage the games, compared to the projected price tag of $1.5 billion for 2030.

The city’s estimated contribution for 2030 was forecasted between $250 million and $375 million.

“We’ve worked to reduce what we expect to be the city’s investment materially,” Frapporti said.

“We are regionalizing some of the infrastructure. We will be partnering with the City of Toronto, the Niagara peninsula, (town of) Milton in providing some of the venues to take some of the risk and stress off the City of Hamilton in delivering the games.”

The U.K.-based Commonwealth Games Federation released a report Wednesday stating the last five games since 2002 generated between C$1.36 billion and $2 billion in gross domestic product for the host city or region.

Fewer cities have shown interest in getting recent games, however. Only two entered the race for 2018.

Durban, South Africa was the sole bidder for 2022. The city was stripped of the games because it couldn’t fulfil financial commitments. Birmingham stepped into the breach.

CGF chief executive officer David Grevember hopes the report released this week demonstrates economic reward for the risk.

“The CGF recognizes, particularly in the difficult global climate we are in, that the costs of staging a major sporting event such as the Commonwealth Games is a huge commitment to those cities that have competing priorities for funding,” he said in a statement.

“Aligned to our new Games delivery model to drive down operating costs by delivering the Games more efficiently, we feel there is now a clear blueprint outlining how our event can be used as a real catalyst for regeneration following the difficult situation we are collectively facing.”

The construction of a pool at McMaster University, three multi-sport centres, a track and field venue and 500 to 700 affordable housing units were central features of Hamilton’s 2030 bid proposal.

“Generally speaking from an infrastructure perspective, we’re heading in the same directions,” Frapporti. “Affordable housing will be an even more pressing issue.”
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #110  
Old Posted May 22, 2020, 12:08 PM
thistleclub thistleclub is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,728
Commonwealth bid sprint: We went from "This is a private bid" to still looking to three levels of government for support in 130 words.
__________________
"Where architectural imagination is absent, the case is hopeless." - Louis Sullivan
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #111  
Old Posted May 23, 2020, 2:08 AM
Dr Awesomesauce's Avatar
Dr Awesomesauce Dr Awesomesauce is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: BEYOND THE OUTER RIM
Posts: 5,889
N-O. No.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #112  
Old Posted May 24, 2020, 4:10 PM
SteelTown's Avatar
SteelTown SteelTown is offline
It's Hammer Time
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 19,872
Mohawk and McMaster all-in for 2026 Commonwealth Games

Steve Milton
https://www.thespec.com/sports/hamil...lth-games.html

McMaster University and Mohawk College have officially thrown their post-secondary muscle into the Commonwealth Games bid which has moved its target from 2030 to 2026.

And McMaster’s formal letter of support promises real money from its own sources: contributing to a state-of-the-art aquatic centre at the university, which would serve campus and community needs in equal parts.

These are the kinds of things city council will need to hear from Hamilton 2026 Commonwealth Games Bid Corporation will soon present its pared-down and more-regionalized Games proposal. It is expected to include little or no actual cash ask from the city, and increased financing from the private and “third sector” parties such as educational institutions.

“The Commonwealth Games is our best and most realistic opportunity to build a new aquatic centre, ” Sean Van Koughnett, McMaster’s associate vice-president and dean of students told The Spectator, confirming that the university’s support includes a financial-contribution promise. Its 2030 bid-support letter did not specifically mention money and the 2026 one doesn’t indicate how much.

“The aquatic centre is just part of something larger,” Van Koughnett added. “As a pillar institution, what’s good for the community is good for us and vice-versa. It’s not just about two weeks of competition. Employment opportunities will be there for our students. The community uplift legacy will make Hamilton a more attractive place for young people to stay, work, have their families and build their lives. If we have alumni who are actively based here it’s easier to keep them engaged in the university.”

The 2026 bid has a primary focus on post-pandemic recovery but it will also include steps toward redirecting segments of the local economy, which could encourage graduates of local post-secondary institutes to stay in town.

The 2026 support letter from Mohawk president and CEO Ron McKerlie says, in part, “From the planning and preparation, to the Games themselves, Mohawk students and graduates would benefit from the many opportunities an event of this size and significance would create. Likewise, the community would benefit from being able to leverage the talent and abilities of our students and graduates.”

Mohawk, McMaster and Redeemer University backed the 2030 bid. The new bid corporation has not yet reached out to Redeemer but will. It’s possible the three schools’ residences could be used, if required, for in-Games housing.

The bid package will also include a support letter from McMaster Innovation Park, the private for-profit entity solely owned by the university and designed to create economic reality out of academic research.

“Our job is to have an impact on the world resulting from the research and innovations that come out of the park and the university,” said park CEO, Ty Shattuck. “The impact theme of the Games bid is so closely aligned with that, there have to be opportunities for collaboration.”

MIP’s master plan includes 1.8 million square feet of new development space, built with mostly private investment, over the next five-to-seven years.

An education-business collaboration worth considering here is the recently-created Commonwealth Jobs and Skills Academy in Manchester, England, the 2022 Games host. It is designed to help local young people and unemployed adults, and even businesses, land Games-related work through specialized retraining and skills development.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #113  
Old Posted Jul 3, 2020, 11:34 PM
SteelTown's Avatar
SteelTown SteelTown is offline
It's Hammer Time
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 19,872
Unidentified donor ready to donate millions for Hamilton to land 2026 Commonwealth Games

Steve Milton
https://www.thespec.com/sports/hamil...lth-games.html


Someone out there believes, really believes, in the 2026 Commonwealth Games for Hamilton and is putting serious money where their mouth is ... or at least soon will be.

The Spectator has learned that an as-yet-unidentified donor will provide a multimillion dollar endowment to seed a private-sector funding war chest to help bring the Games here.

We don’t know who the donor is but we do know it’s a massive coup — both in hard economics and as a symbolic magnet for similar private sector donations — for the volunteer group mounting the 2026 bid.

And it should resonate loudly with the public as the ‘reality’ stage of seeking the Games begins Monday morning at a city council committee meeting where the bid committee will open the official process of acquiring approval in principle for a 2026 bid.

To respect the wishes of the donating company, which prefers to make its own formal announcement soon, the committee will not reveal the identity of the benefactor nor the size of the donation. But a spokesperson for Hamilton 2026 Commonwealth Games Bid Corporation confirmed that it is well into seven figures.

The donation will go into a private sector trust fund, which Hamilton ’26 will unveil within two weeks.

PJ Mercanti, of Hamilton ’26 which pivoted from the original bid for the centenary 2030 Games, says the committee is ecstatic about the first donation, “which demonstrates the private sector’s significant commitment to this game-changing community initiative.

“The hope is that this new fund will also serve as a springboard to secure further investments. We can leverage this early momentum from other private sector and institutional partners who are committed to this Games effort.”

The goal is for the fund to eventually hit $100 million in private sector contributions. It would be used to support not just sports but all aspects of the Games movement — including affordable housing and ‘wellness’ initiatives — but could be spent only if Hamilton actually gets the Games.

“In our work around pandemic relief as the focus of 2026, we understood the importance of significant private sector involvement,” Lou Frapporti of Hamilton ’26, told The Spectator. “We’re very excited to celebrate our private-sector champions who see the Games as a catalyst for both economic growth and social impact.”

Even when the target was 2030, the bid committee had stressed there had to be major private sector investment, but that emphasis has since heightened significantly. The 2026 bid will be smaller than it was for 2030, more regionalized and shifts the main attention from sport to Hamilton’s post-pandemic recovery.

The new legacy trust fund and “fourth sector” contributions are early beacons of that shift. McMaster University confirmed that it would sink money into the on-campus Games aquatic centre and Canada Basketball seeks to put a national training centre here.

And over the past few months the bid committee has received hundreds of hours of free help from the international governing body, the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), and from Commonwealth Sport Canada (CSC), which also backs Hamilton as the sole Canadian representative in the all-comers bid process for 2030, should 2026 not prove viable here.

Hamilton ’26 will present letters of exclusive support from both organizations on Monday. The CGF has sidestepped its own protocols in guaranteeing Hamilton the ’26 Games if it can make all the necessary financial arrangements and in promising continued organizational help to Hamilton in completing its bid until the end of September. By then, it would it need approvals in principle from city, provincial and federal governments.

“The CGF has invested significant time and dedicated resources to support Hamilton in the development of its proposals,” the letter from CGF president Dame Louise Martin says in part. “Due to the escalating importance of securing a host city, the CGF commits to continuing to provide this same support on the process for hosting the 2026 Games specifically to the CSC and Hamilton.”

The approval in principle would not require a specific financial commitment from the city, Frapporti emphasized. But negotiations on financial details would then begin among the local bid group, and city, provincial and federal governments.

Although council endorsed the original 2030 bid in principle, this will be the first time it is formally asked about 2026. The volunteer group has been proceeding on its own and has even self-financed an independent local economic impact study.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #114  
Old Posted Jul 7, 2020, 1:39 AM
SteelTown's Avatar
SteelTown SteelTown is offline
It's Hammer Time
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 19,872
Hamilton city council to hear pitch for 2026 Commonwealth Games

By Teviah Moro
https://www.thespec.com/news/council...lth-games.html

The private consortium spearheading a bid for Hamilton to host the Commonwealth Games will have the chance to tell city politicians in August why its focus has shifted to 2026 from 2030.

The pitch comes amid concern over the financial implications of hosting the event four years earlier than originally proposed with the city facing a pandemic-related deficit of as much as $120 million.

“I’m not on for the Commonwealth Games in 2026,” Coun. Brad Clark said during Monday’s general issues committee meeting, noting the city’s COVID-19 financial woes.

Others argued the games themselves will serve to revitalize the economy through the capital projects it brings, including new sports facilities and housing supported — in theory — by senior levels of government and private investors.

“There’s so many positives that we can’t shake our heads at,” Coun. Terry Whitehead said.

The consortium — originally called Hamilton 100 — had initially pitched the 2030 games as a $1.5-billion production with city staff estimating it would cost the municipality between $200 million and $300 million.

On Monday, a majority of councillors supported inviting the group of local business leaders — now called Hamilton 2026 — to make its pitch.

Commonwealth Sport Canada and the Commonwealth Games Federation have written letters of support for the 2026 bid. They need the city’s support in principle by September.

But a skeptical Clark asked why other communities aren’t vying for the 2026 games. “What do other cities know that we don’t know?”

Council has given its blessing in principle for the group’s bid for the 2030 games, marking the 100th anniversary of the event first held in Hamilton.

That had a “poetry to it that made sense for our city,” Coun. Nrinder Nann said.

But that has changed with the COVID-19 pandemic, said Nann, who noted concerns with the accelerated 2026 time line. “There hasn’t been public input. There hasn’t been public engagement in this process.”

Amid support, there is also community pushback. An online petition launched over the weekend urging council not to spend public money on the games had garnered 325 supporters by Monday afternoon.

In an interview, consortium member Lou Frapporti defended the proposal and said a number of factors led to the focus on 2026. Its “very innovative and strong bid” supported by all three levels of government for 2030 coupled with a dearth of candidates for 2026 prompted Commonwealth officials to ask for the pivot.

In fact, the consortium viewed 2026 — a scaled-back version of the games — as an opportunity to help Hamilton’s pandemic-stricken economy, said Frapporti, a lawyer with Gowling. “It won’t get in the way of pandemic relief. It will help massively in pandemic relief. And that’s why we’re here.”

Frapporti said through the “more modest” event, as suggested by the Commonwealth organizations, the “ambition is to get near zero” city costs.

The private organizers would still need in-kind city services, municipal land to situate facilities and money from the Hamilton Future Fund, which was created in 2002 with $137 million in proceeds from the sale of the local hydro utility.

Mayor Fred Eisenberger urged council to hear Hamilton 2026’s pitch on Aug. 12. “To dismiss it offhand right now, I think that’s unfortunate.”

Coun. John-Paul Danko asked that staff tweak the city’s procedural bylaw to also allow others to make oral pitches via the internet during the pandemic as a matter of “procedural fairness.”
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #115  
Old Posted Oct 6, 2020, 4:18 AM
SteelTown's Avatar
SteelTown SteelTown is offline
It's Hammer Time
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 19,872
Province won’t back Hamilton bid for 2026 Commonwealth Games: Skelly

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...lth-games.html

Local MPP Donna Skelly says her government can’t support a Hamilton pitch to host the Commonwealth Games in 2026, but the private group behind the proposal is holding out hope that’s not the case.

Hamilton 2026’s effort to hold the Games clashes with the province’s aspiration to land the World Cup that same summer, Skelly said in an interview Monday.

Instead, the bid team should set its sights on hosting the Games in 2027 or beyond, said the MPP for Flamborough-Glanbrook.

The financial implications, including security costs, associated with two major international sports events in one summer would be too much of a burden given the blow coronavirus stands to deliver Ontario, she said.

“It’s just a very difficult ask from the government coming out of COVID,” said Skelly, noting she was also speaking for her Queen’s Park colleague, Minister Lisa MacLeod, who holds the heritage, sport, tourism and culture industries portfolio.

That was news to the organizing group Hamilton 2026, said chair Louis Frapporti, who is to appear before city council Wednesday to provide an update on his group’s proposal to host the Games.

“We are surprised to hear this, quite frankly, as Ms. Skelly had not previously communicated this to our organizing committee despite participating in meetings with us and senior representatives of the minister’s office just over a week ago at which she offered to assist in securing a letter of support for Hamilton 2026,” Frapporti said in an email.

The team hasn’t “been so advised” by MacLeod’s office, either. “Indeed, we had been given to understand from sources at Queen’s Park, that quite the opposite was the case.”

Without support from the province, Hamilton 2026’s $1-billion-plus pitch is dead in the water.

The organizing committee has counted on upper levels of government, including Ottawa, to pay for the bulk of the 11-day event.

Hamilton 2026 has told council the Games won’t tap the municipal tax levy, but rely on “in-kind” contributions. They also say it will dovetail with existing capital plans and draw private dollars.

Earlier Monday, before Skelly’s remarks, Frapporti told The Spectator that Hamilton 2026 didn’t plan to ask council for approval in principle until the province committed. “We’re very optimistic about that, but we feel we need to have that house in order before we make the city jump through hoops.”

The 2026 pitch is scaled back from an initial proposal to host the Games in 2030, which would mark 100 years since the first ones were held in Hamilton.

In February, council endorsed the 2030 event in principle.

But the bid team, originally called Hamilton 100, shifted gears, pivoting to a 2026 proposal with the support of Commonwealth Games Canada and the international Commonwealth Games Federation.

Those organizations offered a “window of exclusivity” until September to host the 2026 event, eliminating the traditional bid process.

Frapporti said Wednesday that officials had confirmed this offer could be extended to allow the city time to deliberate on the proposal.

In his email, he argued a provincial decision not to support the 2026 Games would be “premature” given it hasn’t yet had a “full briefing” on the benefits of a “no-bid Games.”

“In the end, we are all fighting for Hamilton and advocating for the many municipalities around us that are supporting this effort and we will continue to do so pending the government clarifying its position.”

Hamilton 2026 has framed the Games as a pandemic recovery project with a focus on leaving affordable housing as its signature legacy.

The latest roster of venues — some existing but requiring upgrades and others to be built anew — cuts about $300 million from the original proposal for the centenary plan, Frapporti noted.

The projected capital cost is roughly $250 million, down from the $550 million proposed for the larger event four years later.

The revised proposal — which drops soccer from its lineup — includes a $24-million Sackville Hill track-and-field park on the Mountain, a $66-million aquatics centre at McMaster University and a $41-million multisports complex at Redeemer University College.

Central to the plan is $61.8 million in private investment to revamp downtown entertainment venues through a long-term lease with the city — a project led by a consortium that includes PJ Mercanti, who’s president of the Carmen’s Group and Hamilton 2026.

Hamilton 2026 says it has secured a $12-million commitment from McMaster for the aquatics complex and $3 million from Redeemer for the multisports building. The latest proposal also aims to tap about $22 million from the city’s Future Fund.

Some councillors have expressed enthusiasm for the Games as a way to land government dollars for affordable housing, renew sports facilities and spur economic spinoff.

Others have signalled concern amid a $3-billion-plus municipal infrastructure backlog and ongoing COVID-19 challenges.

This trepidation mirrors community opposition despite the bid team’s support from major organizations, including post-secondary institutions and the chamber of commerce.

An online petition urging “no public money” for the Games had garnered nearly 1,300 supporters Wednesday afternoon. Others have written the city to register concerns.

Local amateur sports organizer Kevin Gonci has copied council on a letter to Premier Doug Ford urging a city plebiscite. In an interview, he pointed to how Calgary did that before deciding against a bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The same should be done here, but so far, the city “hasn’t made any effort at all to touch base” with residents, said Gonci, chair of the Golden Horseshoe Track and Field Council. “Let Hamilton residents decide if they want to take this on or not.”
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #116  
Old Posted Oct 6, 2020, 7:59 PM
Berklon's Avatar
Berklon Berklon is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Hamilton (The Brooklyn of Canada)
Posts: 3,042
Skelly's an idiot... but I agree with her here.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #117  
Old Posted Oct 8, 2020, 1:06 AM
SteelTown's Avatar
SteelTown SteelTown is offline
It's Hammer Time
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 19,872
Local host hopefuls will consider 2027 for Commonwealth Games

https://www.thespec.com/news/hamilto...lth-games.html

The volunteer committee aiming to host the Commonwealth Games in Hamilton will shift its focus to 2027 if it can land government support.

But a move from 2026 to the off-cycle year is up to the international federation that oversees the event, says Louis Frapporti, chair of the local bid team.

“We’re in the middle of this. We don’t get to decide when the Games occur,” Frapporti said Wednesday.

Talk of 2027 comes after the Ontario government said it couldn’t afford the Games in 2026. MPP Donna Skelly told The Spectator on Monday that supporting the Games and potentially the World Cup the same summer would be too costly, especially given the financial burden of the COVID-19 crisis.

A spokesperson for Premier Doug Ford echoed her remarks, made on behalf of Minister Lisa MacLeod, whose portfolio is heritage, sport, tourism and culture industries.

The government’s focus is the pandemic, Ivana Yelich said in an email Tuesday. “We encourage the city and bid group to consider pursuing this opportunity in 2027 or beyond in Hamilton and would entertain those discussions with the parties involved.”

Yelich said Ford’s position remained the same after a meeting with Frapporti and Mayor Fred Eisenberger on Tuesday.

Without provincial funding, the $1-billion-plus Games won’t happen in Hamilton.

The private group hoping to host them had initially aimed for 2030. In February, council gave its support in principle for that plan, which was to mark the event’s return to its birthplace 100 years later.

Then, amid the pandemic, Commonwealth officials asked the bid team to consider lining up government support for a scaled-back Games in 2026 without having to compete in a bidding process.

The idea of Hamilton hosting the Games, even in 2030, has been the subject of debate in the community and at city hall.

On Wednesday, Eisenberger described the meeting with Ford as “very positive” but noted the premier’s concern about a potential “logjam” with FIFA over the 2026 proposition.

“The way we’ve left it is there’s general support for the Commonwealth Games for Hamilton from the premier, from the province.”

Coun. Maureen Wilson questioned whether it was appropriate for Eisenberger to meet with Ford on 2026 or 2027 given council had only endorsed the 2030 bid.

“It’s not clear to me that this council has formally set out that we are pursuing ... recovery monies or any kind of monies for a 2026 or 2027 bid.”

Eisenberger said he wasn’t “negotiating ... in terms of dollars and cents,” but “on behalf of the City of Hamilton for the Games bid as a whole.”

Coun. John-Paul Danko called it “extremely frustrating” to have learned about the shift to 2026 and now potentially 2027 via the media and “not through proper channels as a councillor.”

Coun. Esther Pauls, a liaison to the bid team with Terry Whitehead and Judi Partridge, said she was also “in the dark” about the latest twist.

“I’m disappointed but I know the mayor and the committee are doing their best.”

Hamilton 2026 has presented the Games as a pandemic-recovery project that will leave affordable housing as its legacy.

The latest proposal involves a $250-million capital plan for venues, down from $550 million for the 2030 bid.

The 2026 plan relies on private investment, but heavily on provincial and federal funding. As well, it calls for in-kind municipal support such as land but also roughly $22 million from the city’s Future Fund.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #118  
Old Posted Oct 8, 2020, 1:02 PM
Markus83's Avatar
Markus83 Markus83 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 478
Quote:
Originally Posted by Berklon View Post
Skelly's an idiot... but I agree with her here.
HaHa..true say.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #119  
Old Posted Oct 15, 2020, 10:46 PM
SteelTown's Avatar
SteelTown SteelTown is offline
It's Hammer Time
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 19,872
Could the meeting between the province and Commonwealth Games Federation be about funding for a 2027 Games in Hamilton?

By Steve Milton
https://www.thespec.com/sports/hamil...-hamilton.html

On Friday, the Commonwealth Games Federation will meet for the first time with representatives of the Ontario government to seriously discuss holding the 2026 or ’27 Games in Hamilton.

No one from Hamilton’s local bid committee will be at the video meeting and it’s not known if Lisa MacLeod, provincial minister for heritage, sport, tourism and culture will take part. But Patrick Sackville, director of major policies and partnerships for the premier’s office is among those expected to be involved.

The international governing body for the Commonwealth Games is expecting to hear a pitch from the province to reposition its request for provincial funding to a Hamilton Games in “2027 or beyond.”

MacLeod seemed to make it quite clear in a news conference last week that her preference would be for a 2027 Hamilton Games. Local MPP Donna Skelly had earlier told The Spectator that there would be no provincial funding for the repositioned 2026 Games because Ontario could not afford both it and Toronto’s bid for some men’s World Cup 2026 games in Toronto. Both MacLeod’s and Premier Doug Ford’s offices backed up Skelly’s statement.

David Grevemberg, the CGF’s chief executive told The Spectator via email that the international body is still officially in 2026 mode.

“There is no overlap between the schedules of the two events and both are uniquely placed to add much needed benefits to Ontario and Canada over the coming years to 2026 and beyond,” Grevemberg said.

“Friday will be the first time the CGF has engaged directly with the province so these discussions will be a good opportunity for both sides to get to know each other. Simply put, we look forward to a positive dialogue. We have not been asked to consider a 2027 Commonwealth Games and therefore no discussions have taken place at the CGF. Our planning remains very much focused on securing a host for 2026.”

That is not going to happen and the CGF surely knows that.

But, the international federation has a lot of contributing factors to juggle and resolve, including revived interest in Australia for the 2026 Games but, more importantly, the fact that 2027 is also the year for the Pan Am Games and World Athletics Championships. And, politically, CGF member nations and the international sports associations affiliated with the Games would not favour a sudden and unilateral shifting of the Games’ calendar.

MacLeod said last week that the local bid committee, “should not have been surprised” about the no-funding bombshell. She said the province wanted FIFA and Commonwealth Games bid committee to have meaningful discussions and those did not happen.

“Hopefully, we’ve now settled on a path where we can support both bids,” she said.

Translation: World Cup 2026, Commonwealth Games 2027.

Grevemberg said FIFA has raised no concerns to the CGF about both events being held in Ontario two months apart.

But the powerful soccer body doesn’t usually raise concerns aloud, it just acts upon them. The Spectator speculated months ago that the Games here could jeopardize Toronto’s World Cup chances.

MacLeod said, “We’ve said we’d support (2027 or beyond) in principle for the moment,” but more details are needed.

Spokesperson Lou Frapporti strongly supports Ontario and the CGF having frank discussions without the inhibiting presence of Hamilton2026 in the virtual room.

“Our interest is the recovery and transformation opportunities whether they’re presented in ’26 or ’27” he said.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #120  
Old Posted Feb 12, 2021, 6:51 PM
johnnyhamont's Avatar
johnnyhamont johnnyhamont is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 1,115
Am I right that there's been silence on this since October, almost 4 full months? Is a 2027 Games on the table? If not, is Hamilton pursuing 2030?
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Ontario > Hamilton > Culture, Dining, Sports & Recreation
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 11:35 AM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.