‘Disrespected’: Squamish Nation says B.C. rejected Olympic bid over Zoom

A Squamish Nation councillor is calling out the B.C. government after the province announced it would not support the 2030 Vancouver Olympic bid.

Elected councillor Wilson Williams says First Nations leaders involved in the Indigenous-led bid had asked for face-to-face meetings throughout this process, but only got one.

“We feel very disrespected,” he told CityNews, saying it wasn’t just the fact the province’s decision essentially kills the bid that hurts — it’s also the way it was done.

“I said this in the meeting. I said it feels like I got kicked in the teeth. What am I going to turn around and say to our people? We’re promising them an Indigenous-led process. We want to do this, we’ve done engagement that we’ve got support for, and then all of a sudden an entity can turn around in the drop of a dime — over a Zoom — and say they’re not supporting it, rather than meeting us.”

“I know we all use Zoom — I use it as well for meetings — but when it’s something that hits close to home that you’ve been pouring your heart into for the betterment of Indigenous people and the betterment of Canada potentially hosting another Winter Games was really disheartening, I have a heavy heart today,” Williams added.

The councillor says he doesn’t want to point fingers at any one person, but calls out “old-school politics, bureaucrats, and the infrastructure” that have worked for the government but not for Indigenous peoples.

“I’m disheartened because of the politics that were played. What does that mean to reconciliation? It means that the province may be not ready for reconciliation yet. Meanwhile, the world is ready,” the Squamish Nation councillor said.

“Very heartbreaking when you look at all the work that’s gone into an Indigenous-led process for about almost a year now. I can’t entirely say that it’s fulsomely shocking because of the way they’ve been treating the four Nations and I feel the politics that they used was very unfortunate, it’s very old school, which takes away from the Indigenous-led process which falls under our culture and traditions.”

In a statement Thursday, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport Lisa Beare said the province “has the responsibility to weigh the benefits with the costs and possible risks of the project.”

Citing those direct costs and potential risks associated with the project, Beare said any issues could “jeopardize the government’s ability to address pressures facing British Columbians right now.”

“Based on careful consideration, the Province is declining to support a bid,” she added.

The bid, which was supposed to be submitted to the International Olympic Committee by February 2023, was led by the Lil̓wat7úl (Líl̓wat), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations.

After the announcement Thursday, Beare told reporters that she had spoken with the First Nations this week, adding they were “extraordinarily disappointed, as it’s understandable.”

“I very much understand that. This is a model that is truly unique and it’s something we need to applaud,” she continued. “Having our First-Nations-led bid is something the IOC should really pay attention to. We’re going to keep working with the host Nations to advance reconciliation, like we do every single day. And I have given them my commitment to do that.”

Olympic bid essentially done without B.C. support: Squamish Nation councillor

However, Williams says the process, from the side of the province, has “never felt sincere.”

“There was always something negative first to say about what we’re doing from the province rather than constructive,” he explained.

Without the province’s support, Williams says this bid is dead.

“Being a lead on behalf of Squamish but working together closely with the other Nations and their teams, a lot of good work has gone into this, a lot of relationships have been built. We were defining what Indigenous-led is as we build these relationships, not just with Nation to Nation but with government. To really not have full, sincere engagement from the province from the get-go really was concerning, but at the same time we were led down this sort of path that … everything seemed promising at one point but at the same note, it didn’t,” he said.

Related articles: 

• B.C. won’t support Vancouver 2030 Olympic bid: province

• Vancouver votes to move ahead with Indigenous-led Olympic bid

• Canadian Olympic Committee sees ‘ample time’ for 2030 bid as BC cities discuss doubts

“I’ve been feeling angry about it. It’s one of the only times that I’ve felt really that kind of anger inside me professionally. It felt like we were down a good, strong path for the past year. A lot of good things have been done though. I look to the City of Vancouver, the municipality of Whistler, the Interior Nations that we’ve built relationships with, engagement with Sun Peaks — all these things are great. These strong relations are good,” Williams added.

The concept for the 2030 Olympics was officially unveiled by stakeholders in Whistler this past June. The plan noted various resorts and facilities across B.C. as potential Olympic venues, with many existing venues incorporated into the vision for reuse.

The last Olympics to be hosted in B.C. was in Vancouver in 2010.

In July, the City of Vancouver voted to move ahead and continue to support four local First Nations with their bid to host the Winter Games. The vote passed despite some concerns from staff about finances and the apparent tight timeline to submit a bid to the International Olympic Committee by next February.

Number 91 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action says, “We call upon the officials and host countries of international sporting events such as the Olympics, Pan Am, and Commonwealth games to ensure that Indigenous peoples’ territorial protocols are respected, and local Indigenous communities are engaged in all aspects of planning and participating in such events.”