2030 Commonwealth Games?
 

2015 Pan Am facilities ripe for centenary Games in city

January 18, 2010
John Kernaghan
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/706979

It's a long way off, but a centenary Commonwealth Games for Hamilton in 2030 was on sports organizers' minds over the weekend.

Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) sees an opportunity to celebrate the birth of the Games, known as the British Empire Games when Hamilton spawned them in 1930, by using the 2015 Pan Am Games as a platform.

"We should be poised to take advantage of the legacy of the Pan Am Games," said CGC president Dr. Andrew Pipe following the sports body's annual general meeting.

"It would mean double the value of the investment you make for 2015."

He cited the $170 million in sports and recreation infrastructure slated for Hamilton and Burlington.

Those facilities, which include a major stadium, pool at McMaster University, world championship-calibre cycling track and a $23-million soccer centre, could still be used 15 years later.

Pipe said the CGC is first looking at 2022 for a Games in Canada, but the special circumstances of the 100th anniversary for Hamilton could mean hosting two sets of Games eight years apart.

"It's hypothetical if you could run both in the same region, but that could be explored strategically."

After Hamilton's original version, three other Commonwealth Games in Canada were staged in Alberta and British Columbia.

Michael Fennell, president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said Canada should be hosting more Games and noted the 2030 version is a special occasion.

"Canada has proven it has the expertise and resources to stage major Games, whether it is the Olympics or Commonwealth Games. It should do more."

He addressed security concerns for the 2010 Games in New Delhi, telling CGC members yesterday his organization has hired a security consultant to advise it on preparations for the events in India next October.

New Delhi defeated Hamilton in the 2003 competition to stage the Games.

"We live in a crazy world," he noted, but added many nations, including Canada, are helping the Indian and New Delhi security apparatus prepare for the 10-day sports showcase.

That would be awesome.

As long as it isn't used as an excuse to delay LRT to 2029, lol.

By 2030 A and B-Line should be well into service. The T-Line would probably be an issue by that time, think that's the line connecting B and A-Line from Limeridge Mall to Meadowlands.

If any Commonwealth Games bid from Hamilton made sense, this is the one. I still think the 1996 Olympics should have gone to Athens automatically.

Maybe the 2018 games? Looks like the only serious bid is from the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Go for it?

After hosting 1st games in 1930, should Hamilton bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games?
'I'm certainly keen': Mayor Fred Eisenberger

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilt...2030-1.4269193

he people who think far ahead about these things are beginning to talk about Hamilton as a host city for the Commonwealth Games in 2030.

It would mark 100 years since Hamilton hosted the first version of the games, then known as the British Empire Games.

The Civic Stadium, later Ivor Wynne, where Tim Hortons Field now stands, was the original athletes village, pool and track and field stadium.

"It's somewhat premature to use the word 'bid'," said Greg Maychak, who works for the city's public works department and also serves as a member-at-large at Commonwealth Games Canada.

But, he said, city staff are working on a preliminary report to present to city council members next week, awaiting councillors' direction to explore or investigate what that would look like.

"There's some logic to hosting the 100th anniversary of those games," said Mayor Fred Eisenberger. "I'm certainly keen on doing that."

'The 2030 Games would surely go to Hamilton'

Eisenberger emphasized that his colleagues on city council would have to sign off on the idea, but said "there are certainly a lot of good emotional reasons" to host it here, where a Hamiltonian invented it.

"I would think the organizing committees would be pretty keen on having it come back to Hamilton where it started."

Elsewhere, at least some eyes are on Hamilton for Canada's chosen city for a 2030 bid. On the heels of a failed 2022 bid, the Commonwealth Games Federation encouraged Victoria bid organizers to look at 2030.

But David Black, the bid organizer in Victoria, told the Victoria Times-Colonist he doubted they'd stand a chance for federal support against Hamilton.

There's sentimental value attached to the chance for a special centennial celebration in the place the games began.

"Victoria 2030 would be great. But the 2030 Games would surely go to Hamilton," he told the newspaper.

Hamilton would have some wrinkles to iron out.

The city got a new stadium when it hosted the soccer events in 2015 for the Toronto Pan Am/Parapan Am Games.

But it doesn't currently have a world-class pool and diving facility. The city's stadium, though ready by the time Pan Am and Parapan Am Games kicked off, was a debacle to construct and finish and is still giving the city headaches.

And it would need provincial and federal buy-in, as international games come with hefty price tags.

But, the Queen's Baton Relay – equivalent to the torch relay for those other international games – came here last month on its way to Gold Coast in Australia next spring.

And the Hamilton baton stop did get some wheels turning.

"As the founding city, it'd be a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the Commonwealth Games, on our city and how we changed, how we're growing," Maychak said.

The bid process usually begins about eight years ahead of time. But a headstart could leave enough time to develop a special centennial celebration.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DIgRgYAW4AEuge-.jpg:large
Joey Coleman
https://twitter.com/JoeyColeman

Hopefully the Pan Am stadium will finally be finished for this.

...and add maybe $50 million more to spruce up the stadium and a roof on both stands.

That 12 years away! We could get a new stadium in the right location. It will be 15 years old and obsolete by then.

:psycho: :stunned: :gaah: :koko: :titanic: :lmao: :sarcasmalert:

Or they might even build a real stadium suitable for a city of this size.

no thanks. we have much more pressing needs than draining a couple hundred mill on a stadium used 20-30 times max a year.

THF is more than suitable for our current needs. anything else would be frivolous and irresponsible given more demanding infrastructure needs

Really not seeing the point. While THF isn't great and has a bad location, it does the job and has more than enough seats for what it's being used for (even during the "sellouts" of Ti-Cat games there are plenty of empty seats).

Since we already have a new stadium - spend the money elsewhere.

It won't be new in 13 years. It is already out of date and too small to be of use for a Commonwealth Games. If you noticed when they announced locations for World Cup games if the North American bid is accepted, that Hamilton isn't on the Canadian list. There is a reason for that, the stadium is too small.

What a waste of money. The BC Provincial Government decided not to support Victoria, BC's bid for the Commonwealth games because its woefully expensive and doesn't bring the numbers of an Olympics or PanAm. We have better things to spend our money on.

I hope it happens. I'm the kind of nerd that likes stuff like this, and I went to a tonne of the Pan Am stuff... Depends on how much it would cost, though.

Looks like Glasgow 2014 cost £575.6 million, which is a pretty hefty pricetag. I guess the Pan Ams were around a billion as well, right?

I think we can do it on a budget, under a billion. Maybe the most $750-800 million.

The majority of the cost will likely be a new Aquatics Centre, upgrading THF and sprucing up Copps. Can keep the budget tight if we let Milton host the velodrome event and rowing and kayaking to St. Catharines.

Yea, but still new enough. Needing a new stadium/arena after only 15-20 years is ridiculous... no matter how cities like Atlanta try to justify it. Building a larger capacity stadium just to be able to host a few events over the course of many years is a waste. It will also create over-supply of seats for the Ti-Cats, killing the illusion of ticket-scarcity... and at the same time will result in a less intimate stadium experience with more empty seats and ruining the atmosphere.

The stadium ship has sailed... we have one and we're stuck with it.

Plus it doesn't help when I consider things like the Commonwealth Games and Pan-Am Games a waste of time and money. If it weren't for the last Pan-Am Games being hosted by Toronto/Hamilton - I'd have no idea who was hosting it. I don't even know who took home the most medals during that event. Same deal with Commonwealth.

So many more useful things that can be done with that money.

it doesn't have a running track... why would we build a new stadium with a running track that will never be used. also the pan am games used a track stadium with 5K permanent seats and 12k temp seats

The city has such an infrastructure deficit. We won't be building a new stadium for 50 years.

money doesn't grow on trees. we can't just build a new stadium because ours will be 15 yrs old....

and the reason is not because the stadium is too small. TD Place and Saputo were both on the list and they are the same size or smaller than Hamilton

Yeah, I feel like this ship sailed long ago.

*We've got a new football stadium (as does Mac).
*Milton built a velodrome so no need for that.
*Copps isn't worth the investment and there's no need for a new arena.

If the Pan-Ams hadn't been in the area a couple years ago, it would be a different discussion. Just not sure I see the point anymore...