Olympics' bid looking fiercely expensive
By Paul Willcocks
VICTORIA - British Columbians should be getting mighty nervous about what the Vancouver-Whistler Olympic Games could cost us.
The 2010 Games could turn out to be a great thing for B.C., a chance to showcase the province before the world.
But the Olympic bid is steam-rolling forward without nearly enough public information or consultation on the costs and benefits.
The Olympic bid committee has already sent its proposal off to the IOC, a list of promises of all the things you will do to make these the best Games ever.
Sadly, you won't know what those promises are, the bid committee having decided they should stay secret. That seems a little odd, since Bern, Switzerland, one of B.C.'s top rivals, has posted its proposals on the web site for all to see. Bern also plans a referendum before going further, something citizens in Whistler have unsuccessfully been seeking.
There's much encouraging in B.C.'s Olympic bid. The Games are expected to be officially self-supporting, with revenue covering the operating costs and maybe leaving a little money over. And the province could well score future tourism business and some nice sports facilities.
But the self-supporting claim is misleading.
Organizers already have about $9 million from the province to help make the pitch to get the Games. Ottawa and B.C. have promised $310 million each for new facilities for sports events.
And on top of that, the federal and provincial governments are on the hook for security costs, easily $500 million if recent Games are an indication.
And there's more.
The Games bid requires an expanded convention centre, which would serve as the headquarters for some 10,000 journalists, and cost some $500 million.
There's a strong case for a new convention centre, but it's certainly not clear why those who will benefit - Vancouver hotels and restaurants - shouldn't pay the bill.
Bid chairman Jack Poole also says that without major improvements to the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler, Vancouver won't win the Games. Figure $1.3 billion for that. And proponents also want a rapid transit line from the airport, another $1.4-billion megaproject.
Add them up, and you'll see that those cost-free Games will really reach into taxpayers' pockets for $5.3 billion.
Of course there will be benefits, including an estimated $2 billion in tax revenue for the two levels of government. But that doesn't come close to the costs.
And that too would be fine if we had decided that the most important capital priorities for B.C. were a better highway to Whistler and rapid transit from the airport.
But we haven't made that decision. And I'm not sure that people bouncing over rutted roads in the northeast would be so keen to know that their tax dollars were being used to make it easier for people to get to their chalets in Whistler. Or that people in the North and Interior facing health care cuts would think that a better way of getting from the airport to downtown Vancouver should be a top priority.
The Olympic bid has crept up on British Columbians. Few people realize that a specific proposal has been submitted, or that in about a year B.C. could have actually won these Games.
That's partly our fault. The Games people have been out talking about their plans, but the public hasn't paid much attention.
But it's also the proponents' fault, for failing to provide enough information about exactly what this will cost and where the money will be found within the finances of a government that says it's too broke to provide a wide range of other services to citizens.
The Games may make sense. But right now, it feels like we're being asked to hand over a lot of money with no clear idea what we're getting, or why we should want it.

Paul Willcocks can be reached at willcocks@ultranet.ca

Yale land deal a step forward on treaties
By Paul Willcocks
VICTORIA - It was only a small piece of land along the Fraser River, but it represented a big step forward for the Liberal approach to resolving treaties.
Cabinet approved Attorney General Geoff Plant's proposal that about 180 hectares of land be set aside for a treaty deal with the Yale First Nation.
It's an important piece of property, in part because it's one of the few flat places along the river, which runs through a steep canyon. The property, across the river from the Yale townsite, also rather cleverly connects two existing reserves - partly by setting aside a narrow corridor.
But two things make the agreement important.
First, it reflects an apparent success in using interim measures - temporary agreements before a treaty is reached - to help move negotiations forward.
The Liberals have indicated they're prepared to enter into significant interim measures where there is hope of progress. The greater the realistic assessment of the chance for progress at the table, the farther the government will go.
That's reinforced by the term of this agreement - two years or less. Unless all three parties renew it, the land will no longer be protected for a future settlement after two years. And the province has said it won't renew the deal unless there has been progress at the table.
And second, the deal has won praise from the band, with Chief Robert Hope even attending the open cabinet meeting where it was approved. Given the government's stormy public battles with First Nations over the treaty process, that's an important win for the government.
"The BC Liberals have shown they can negotiate treaties and make deals whereas past government's have failed," the Yale First Nation said in a release. "The attitude shown at our table is one of progressive and innovative problem-solving."
The deal appears to embody successfully a carrot and stick approach to
negotiation.
The carrot is the province's willingness to set aside land or take other measures to protect a First Nation's interests or encourage economic development if negotiations are progressing.
And the stick is the refusal to negotiate such measures - or the willingness to take them away - if progress isn't being made, or there isn't a reasonable hope of an agreement in principle.
The Yale First Nation has made at least some progress in talks since 1994, but has spent the last two years working unsuccessfully towards a draft agreement.
This interim deal provides a strong positive incentive for them to keep talks moving, and to make sure the community is prepared to support any agreements that are reached. The land is reserved; the timber and mineral deposits protected. But that could change if talks stall.
The interim deal doesn't resolve the land question. But it shows a good faith commitment on the province's part. The chunk of land would roughly double the reserves currently occupied by the 130 band members and add considerably to their potential for economic development.
And the deal was reached without much damage to other interests in the area. The land has potentially valuable gravel and placer gold deposits. Their ownership will still be decided in talks, and existing claim holders won't lose their rights.
But no new claims will be issued and the timber - about 700 cubic metres per year of annual allowable cut - will be protected.
The deal has the potential to bring a little more certainty for others interested in economic development in the area. As part of the interim measure, the First Nation agreed not to obstruct "unreasonably" economic activities on other land within its traditional territories.
The treaty referendum, now being tallied, was a step backward.
But this agreement represents a step towards a pragmatic approach to moving negotiations towards a successful end.

Paul Willcocks can be reached at willcocks@ultranet.ca