B.C.’s Olympic decision a blow to reconciliation: First Nations

The backlash over B.C.’s decision to not support a 2030 Olympic bid continues, with host Nations saying the move is a blow to reconciliation efforts.

“If we’re looking at reconciliation, we weren’t invited in the room for this decision that was shared with us. We weren’t allowed the time to negotiate or have that extended dialogue of what the potential of an Indigenous-led process and hosted Olympic Games would look like,” Wilson Williams, an elected Squamish Nation councillor, said Friday.

First Nations leaders acknowledge that, as things stand, their effort to bring the Winter Games to Vancouver is all but dead.

“I am not so upset about the province saying they’re not supporting the 2030 bid but I’m upset of the process that didn’t happen,” Tsleil-Waututh Nation Chief Jen Thomas explained, adding she and the other Indigenous representatives were not given an in-person opportunity to present their vision.

“For me, for our Nation, this is 10 steps backward in reconciliation. The province has to step up now and build that trust, build that relationship with us because that’s something I think is going to take some time now.”

Related articles: 

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

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

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

The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees have also weighed in, saying they, too, are disappointed by the province’s decision.

“From the beginning, when the COC and CPC were invited by the Lil?Lil̓wat7úl (Líl̓wat), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations to participate in a feasibility study, we believed all partners had to be on board for the project to continue – and that includes all levels of government,” a statement from the COC and CPC reads.

The province announced on Thursday that it was “declining” to back the bid. It cited costs and ongoing issues facing British Columbians as reasons.

The 2030 Olympics would have been the first Indigenous-led Games.

Williams told CityNews moments after the B.C. government announced its decision that he and others felt “very disrespected,” in part because of the process.

However, what stung even more was that he says they were informed over a Zoom call.

“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,” Williams said Thursday.

Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, and Sport Lisa Beare has said that despite not moving forward on the project, the B.C. government is still committed to putting reconciliation efforts into action.

But leaders say the damage is done and that more work needs to be done to get back on track.

Call to Action number 91 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission 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.”

While the province’s decision is not the outcome many of the stakeholders were hoping for, they are highlighting some of the positives from the entire process.

‘Putting reconciliation at the heart of major event planning’

The COC and CPC say “there is no denying that the work done so far has been truly transformational.”

“We have set a new precedent for putting reconciliation at the heart of major event planning in this country, bringing to life Call to Action #91 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as well as the principles of UNDRIP and DRIPA,” their statement reads. “In doing so, we presented a bid that put climate action, fiscal responsibility, and the housing and development needs of the host communities at the heart of the Games concept, which uniquely would have reused existing venues and infrastructure to deliver the Games. Most of all, we were proud to follow a process that served as a model of respect, inclusivity and community.”

The committees adds that they are “committed to building” on the work that has been done.

“In following this Indigenous-led process, we believe we’ve been part of a model that can apply beyond sport and we encourage all organizations and policymakers across the country to build on this work as they strive to meaningfully put reconciliation in action,” the committees said.