By: Emily Chan, Grade 10

“And the host city is… VANCOUVER!” Cheers erupted across the city as people jumped for joy to hold such a prestigious title. Everyone will always remember July 2nd, 2003 as the day that Vancouver was announced to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. Yet there were mixed feelings on that day; they ranged anywhere from feeling that you’re on top of the world to wanting to escape from this city.

Why would there be such a wide range of emotions? How can a couple weeks of fun sports cause any disappointment and anger? On the other hand, how can anyone enjoy debt, along with an increase in population for a couple weeks, maybe months? Therefore, the point of this article is to inform readers of the financial impacts of Vancouver hosting the 2010 Olympics so that they may make a decision for themselves on how they feel about it.

The first controversial topic is jobs. During the Olympics, and prior to, many people will be offered jobs to help; it could be anything from construction to ticket sales. People who are pro-Olympics would argue that this would assist all of the unemployed/laid-off workers right now (possibly from the recent recession). Atlanta, the host of the Olympics in 1996, is a good example of this job creation. Between 1997 and 1999, there were 24, 200 office jobs created – and that’s just office jobs. These thousands of people now had an opportunity for a steady income, even if it was just for a short while. On the other hand, the sudden employment would only mean an even greater loss of jobs at the end of the Olympics. In other words, what will all of the people do after the Olympics have moved on? All of the workers who thought that life was going well will soon find it difficult to pay bills again. For a certain 2004 summer Olympic Games in Athens, this is exactly what happened. Just four months after the Olympics, the economy entered a phase of slower growth, which resulted in a huge amount of lost jobs. There were nearly 100, 000 jobs lost between September to December that year. That’s 100, 000 families who just lost their income to keep their family going!

Truth be told, the Olympics has led to initiatives in construction of transportation (Canada Line) and sports facilities, as well as increased tourism. These games will make Vancouver known world-wide, which will attract people to come and visit from all over. Furthermore, citizens of Vancouver can take advantage of the new recreational areas and improvements to infrastructure. On the flipside – where is all of this money coming from to build those facilities, transportation lines, and apartment buildings? The answer is simple: YOU. Although you may not realize, the prices of food and other necessities will grow in front of your very eyes. Not only that, but instead of your tax dollars going towards things such as education in our own city, it will be wasted on making those two weeks of pure entertainment. Never mind seeing any of it upfront and centre; tickets can cost anywhere from $25-$525 per event.

Readers, brace yourselves; it’s about to get dirty. Another problem that goes hand-in-hand with the Olympics is debt. In fact, some have hastened to rename the “Olympics” to the “Owe-lympics,” and rightfully so. Montreal, who held the Summer Olympics of 1976, just finished paying off their debt. That’s more than 30 years ago! What’s to stop Vancouver from falling into that same pit of financial ruin? Things like the construction of the Olympic Village might just be the thing tipping us into despair.

This is just one perspective on the 2010 Olympics. Now, it’s up to you to decide for yourself whether or not we should pride ourselves on being the host city, or stand back and realize that it’s not all fun and games; The Olympics come with a price, but is it one that is worth it?

“Complete at all costs: The Olympic Village”

In mid-January, the village, which is being created solely as housing for the athletes during the games, was granted unlimited borrowing! This means that they can “borrow” as much money as they feel to complete those homes! Gordon Campbell, our very own premier, stated that, “[The people distributing the money] will make decisions for themselves about what the best choices are [that] they have to make for their taxpayers.”
Campbell urged B.C. legislature to quickly pass Bill 47, the amendment to the Vancouver Charter to allow for unlimited borrowing to complete the village, saying that, “We have to do this to meet the city’s needs.” What’s hard to understand is why the construction of housing for athletes is more important than any other social problem – enough to give them unlimited funding. Athletes have greater priority and a set 2010 deadline but other things don’t. Imagine if we took this unlimited-funding, must-complete-on-time attitude and applied it to the other problems Vancouver faces daily?

The Olympics are expected to cost roughly 6 billion dollars; the Olympic Village’s construction costs alone are estimated at $800 million. One has to think what the world would be like if that money was contributed to a more worthy cause.