Could the Olympics be coming back to Vancouver?

We welcomed the world in 2010. Could we be doing it again soon? It appears a pitch could be in the works.

Vancouver and Whistler are set to hold a news conference with their counterparts from the Lil’wat, Squamish, and Musqueam First Nations on Friday over a “sporting partnership.”

The Vancouver Sun is reporting that the big announcement will be an agreement between the communities to explore a bid for the 2030 Winter Games.

If the rumours are true and the project moves forward, the games could be coming back to Vancouver 20 years after the city last hosted.

The idea has been circulating for years, creating many mixed reactions.

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Last year, the City of Vancouver directed staff to put together a report to consider what a bid would look like.

Vancouver City Councillor Melissa De Genova brought the idea of hosting the games to city council in 2020, amid the nostalgia of the 10-year anniversary of the 2010 Winter Games.

“We do have the infrastructure, we have a number of facilities that were purpose-built for the Olympic games, and I think not looking at this opportunity would be doing a disservice to the people of Vancouver,” De Genova said in an interview with CityNews on Feb. 27, 2021.

The facilities include Rogers Arena, Richmond Oval, Whistler Sliding Centre, and Olympic Village.

Speaking with her again on Friday morning, De Genova is excited that the possibility of another games in Vancouver is being brought forward, but admits there’s a lot to determine before the ink dries.

“We can’t move forward without the support and partnership and collaboration of the four host nations that were previously involved and the municipalities. Vancouver can’t go at this alone,” De Genova said.

Another city councillor, Jean Swanson, has spoken against the idea of bringing the games back to the city as she says the financial cost could be better spent to address affordability and poverty issues.

De Genova addresses the criticism by saying Vancouver can do things differently this time and ensure that helping marginalized residents is still the priority.

“We can learn from any mistakes that we’ve made in the past and this will be even bigger and better than 2010,” she said.

The 2010 Olympics coincided with the recession. The $1.1-billion project went into receivership and the city took on $690 million of debt to keep it afloat. However, Mayor Gregor Robertson said it paid off in the end.

The legacy of the 2010 games stretched beyond Vancouver and Whistler, with many other cities hosting events.

“We can’t move forward without the support and partnership and collaboration of the four host nations that were previously involved and the municipalities. Vancouver can’t go at this alone,” De Genova said.

Other cities looking at hosting the games in 2030 include Lausanne, Switzerland; Sapporo, Japan; Salt Lake City, Utah; and a joint-bid from Spain, France and Andorra.