Games could bring nearly $1 billion to Victoria area, Black says

The 2022 Commonwealth Games would make perfect financial sense for Greater Victoria and its taxpayers.

Hosting the Games would bring almost $1 billion to Greater Victoria — and local taxpayers would pay less than two per cent of that amount. Canada would fund $400 million, which would cost Victoria taxpayers $2 million. B.C. would fund $400 million, at a cost to local taxpayers of $5 million.

Municipalities in the capital region would provide $25 million worth of in-kind services, which would cost taxpayers $10 million. Commercial revenues of $130 million would be generated and cost local taxpayers nothing.

In the end, the total cost to local taxpayers would be $17 million, or 1.8 per cent of the money coming to town. Here is another way to look at it: As Greater Victoria, grows, it will need bigger and better athletic facilities. The sports and recreation facilities proposed for the Games would cost an estimated $225 million.

If we host the Games, local taxpayers would get those facilities for just $4 million, less than two per cent of the total cost. If we don’t host the Games, our cost would be $225 million.

And what about housing? Games money would jumpstart affordable housing. The Games would launch 2,000 new twobedroom affordable-housing units in Victoria before 2022, which would lead to another 4,000 new housing units after 2022.

The Games would put $75 million into a sport legacy fund, which stands at $25 million today.

The Games would promote Canada, B.C. and Victoria to an audience of more than 1.5 billion people.

The Games would increase the pride and spirit in our community, and increase motivation for Canadian athletes.

The 1994 Games created eight national sport centres in Victoria, all with good coaching and good resources. Those centres have ensured we are the permanent home to many top-tier athletes.

The 2022 Games would create several more national centres. Local athletes would benefit, as would our economy. As a result of the Games, Saanich would have the finest aquatic centre in North America.

One of the most important lasting benefits might be on local roads. The Games would provide the catalyst to fix the Colwood Crawl permanently, through the addition of two more traffic lanes between Leigh Road and McKenzie Avenue.

With parking lots along the highway — which would be created when the regional stadium and arena are built — we could have a major park and ride program, which would reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

Without the Games, where would we ever find the funds to accomplish these things? Here are more numbers: With the Games, $150 million of wages would be paid to people hired in Greater Victoria. With the Games, $350 million of services would be purchased from local companies.

This opportunity to host the Commonwealth Games will likely not come again for decades.

We have already had them once, and governments try to spread them around. When Durban, South Africa, pulled out as the host city, a golden opportunity came our way. We have one chance to make this work, and we have one chance to reap all of the rewards that the Games permanently bring.

We should move prudently but quickly to take advantage of this chance.

David Black is chairman of the Commonwealth Games bid committee.