No stadium, no problem — yet
Soccer officials assess Halifax as potential host for women's World Cup games
By MONTY MOSHER Sports Reporter
Tue, Apr 5 - 5:39 PM
There was a horde of soccer dignitaries — and one 800-pound gorilla — in the room at a media conference Tuesday in Halifax.
Officials from the Canadian Soccer Association, along with a representative from Events Nova Scotia and Soccer Nova Scotia, met with reporters after the CSA brass spent two days in Halifax to assess its potential as a host locale for the 2015 World Cup women’s soccer championship.
After paying an entry fee to be part of the bid process, Halifax is one of seven Canadian centres in line to host games in the tournament. Canada became the tournament host last month when Zimbabwe quit the process.
The CSA, which began the national tour in Vancouver before heading to Nova Scotia, seemed pleased with Halifax, except for the niggling detail of no stadium and no urgency to get one built. A 20,000-seat stadium to satisfy FIFA requirements would likely cost upwards of $60 million.
FIFA observers will be in Halifax in September to assess the city’s readiness, or lack thereof, for a world-class soccer event. Meanwhile, a steering committee looking into the stadium issue for Halifax Regional Municipality continues its work.
CSA general secretary Peter Montopoli, along with CSA president Dominic Maestracci, reviewed the hotels and training facilities around the region and found all to their liking.
Montopoli reiterated that the stadium issue can still be resolved in time for 2015. The officials looked at potential stadium locations as part of their tour.
“From what we’ve seen yesterday and today, certainly Halifax has everything available and ready to be part of a FIFA Women’s World Cup in terms of the convention centre, the hotels and what we’re learning and seeing from the training fields. Obviously, that’s an important part.
“The last part is the new stadium project, which we’re very encouraged as to what we hear where that development is today.”
He said a decision to build a stadium could come in early 2012 and still keep Halifax in contention.
“It’s a little tight, but it certainly still works for us,” he said. “In early 2012, when we announce the official host cities, if they stay on the timeline we should be OK.”
The caravan is off to Montreal next. Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa and Moncton are also on the list with Moncton’s turn coming later this month.
Montopoli said that despite the proximity, Halifax is not competing against Moncton in the bid process.
“They can both be successful cities, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “We made a commitment to the federal government and to the provinces and the people in our sport that we wish to be coast to coast.
“We’re committed to making that happen and we’re doing everything we can to support each of the candidate bid cities,” he added. “It’s not one over the other.”
He said FIFA will eventually weigh in and FIFA has strict standards that need to be met. Ultimately, the CSA and FIFA will sit down to determine the participating cities.
Canada will also host the 2014 world under-20 women’s event. Montopoli said that tournament is smaller than the 2015 tournament and would likely to be held in a central location to keep transportation costs to a minimum.
Grant MacDonald, the director of major events and community partnerships at Events Nova Scotia, said he’s pleased the CSA liked the city and looks forward to FIFA’s arrival a few months from now.
“We will hopefully have some progress,” he said. “HRM continues their work on the stadium steering committee and I believe they will be going back to council between now and September and as a result we should have more to report to FIFA and the CSA.”
The FIFA Women’s World Cup is held every four years and will be in Germany this summer. Twenty-four countries will participate.
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Not my department, I'm more of an infrastructure guy.
. In my opinion, Mayor Kelly is doing what he can to see that the new convention centre gets build, he has succeeded in having a wastewater treatment facility built, has managed to get some big name concerts in Halifax and he is doing what he can to see that a stadium is built in the Halifax area. (of course he hasn't done all of these things without support). Personally, I think Mayor Kelly has had several successes in spite of strong opposition from special interest groups (thanks to local area media). I hope that he will have the same success with the stadium.
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