Give us a sporting chance
The 2014 Commonwealth Games, an international sports celebration of competition and athleticism, kick off Wednesday in Glasgow. With 4,500 athletes from 70 Commonwealth countries, and another 2,000 officials keeping tabs on 17 different summer sports, reports indicate Scotland’s largest city is abuzz in the countdown to the opening ceremonies.
Why should Edmontonians — especially those with little interest in sport — care about an event on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean? Among the crowd taking in the spectacle is an Edmonton delegation, taking careful notes and talking up our city’s ambitions to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Edmonton is squaring off against Durban, South Africa, for the opportunity. The matter won’t be decided until September 2015, but this bid to bring the Commonwealth Games to Edmonton for a second time deserves community support.
Countless Edmontonians are either too young or too new to the city to remember the excitement of the 1978 games. The same is true of the 1983 Universiade, the 2001 World Championships in Athletics or even the 2005 World Masters Games.
Our booming city is due for another high-level, multi-sport event that can inspire youngsters, build our growing summer sports hub and maintain Edmonton’s international reputation as a top-notch event host with superb volunteers.
Since the city announced its bid for the 2022 games in late March, some have turned up their noses. The same refrains are commonly heard whenever the possibility of hosting an international event is raised: Too expensive. Too irrelevant. Too big a distraction from the “real” work of government.
Let’s remember there were plenty of critics of the 1978 bid, too. Some objected to the river valley location of the new Kinsmen pool, and neighbours of the new Commonwealth Stadium didn’t want it there either. By the time the games were over, however, the Journal described them as a “triumph for all seasons.” Mayor Cec Purves declared, “We won’t be mistaken for a dot on the map any longer.”
The 1978 Commonwealth Games proved Edmonton was a grown-up city that could host big events. They gave officials a push to build public sports facilities that to this day are the backbone of the city’s recreation infrastructure. They turned the world’s gaze on us, and we performed brilliantly.
Collectively, they remain one of the city’s defining moments.
Hosting the 2022 games won’t change the cityscape the way it did 36 years ago. It doesn’t have to. Our facilities are already world-class, though some projects and upgrades would be welcome. Existing plans to build an indoor velodrome at Coronation Park could get a boost. An expanded and renovated Kinsmen pool and a new mid-sized stadium that seats 10,000 have also been mentioned.
The city and province, partners in the bid, estimate it will cost $7 million to put together their pitch and $1 billion to hold the event. The Alberta government should be applauded for its support. The federal government should join, too.
There is much work ahead for the bid committee, led by former Edmonton Airports CEO Reg Milley. By March 2015, it must file a completed bid that answers 200 questions about everything from venues and financing to security. Here at home, there is interest in how many tourists might come and what kind of economic impact the games will carry.
Edmontonians can help by visiting the Edmonton2022.com website and sharing their stories and photos of 1978, among other tidbits.
While the next 11 days are Glasgow’s time to bask in the spotlight, well-rehearsed Edmonton is waiting in the wings.