Canada’s national women’s soccer team is going to the London 2012 Olympics, but the British Columbia government is not.
Business in Vancouver has learned that there will be no B.C. tourism or business promotional event or exhibit in the Olympic city during the July 27-August 12 Games.
Jobs, Tourism and Innovation minister Pat Bell told BIV that the government that hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics is instead considering a presence at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia and at the 2018 edition in PyeongChang, South Korea.
“We had a good look at it. I had staff prepare some options for us and we chose not to do anything,” Bell said Monday.
“It was more return on investment than anything else. Having (ex-Premier) Gordon Campbell over there as (Canada’s) high commissioner is a huge asset to us that doesn’t cost us anything.”
Bell acknowledged the United Kingdom is a key tourism market, but he said the B.C. government is focusing on trade and tourism with China, India, South Korea and Japan instead.
“We think it would be very crowded and cluttered, particularly during a Summer Games held in Europe,” he said, “so to have the level of impact that we would need would’ve required an expenditure we couldn’t justify.”
Bell said the decision was made in November, but a BIV source said finance minister Kevin Falcon unsuccessfully made another proposal for a presence at London 2012 at a cabinet meeting in mid-January. The source said Premier Christy Clark was opposed because she wants to distance herself from predecessor Campbell.
“Whatever you thought of (Campbell), this guy loved B.C., he was a great ambassador, a great promoter for the province,” said the source, who did not want to be named.
Asked to comment on Falcon’s failed attempt, Bell said: “You’re asking me questions you know I can’t answer because I can’t reveal to you conversations that take place in cabinet.”
The B.C. government spent $16.7 million combined on Turin 2006 and Beijing 2008 pavilions and $8.9 million during the 2010 Games on a Vancouver Art Gallery pavilion and related business hosting and ticketing programs.
Bob Mackin
@bobmackin