This is an open letter to Premier John Horgan and Finance Minister Carole James.
As a competitor in the 1958 British Empire (now Commonwealth) Games, the 1959 Pan American Games, and the 1960 Olympic Games, and as a Governor of the 1994 Commonwealth Games here in Victoria, I can attest to the fact that the hosting of these events has an ever-lasting impact on the hosting community if they are responsibly run.
If one compares Victoria prior to 1994, and what has happened since, it is as though the city had suddenly blossomed into a world-renowned home for athletic participation and excellence. If one drives around Victoria today and observes just the number of bicyclists in competitive gear, training year-round, it gives one a sense of the numbers of people taking advantage of our city and its climate to train for a multitude of sports.
The facilities and the financial legacy left to us from the 1994 Games continues to support the endeavours of thousands of athletes and citizens. We have a new swimming pool being planned for Victoria, at a proposed cost of some $70 million. Could hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games perhaps help with the funding of this facility so that it could be utilized for the Games? Are there other partnerships that could be considered as well?
The benefits to the community, the province, and the country are many when we host a successful Games. I would ask you to reconsider your position, and the proven track record of the people behind the proposed bid for the Games, and lend your support to it.
Bob Wheaton
Saanich