Vancouver Olympic organizers said on Friday their effort to host the 2030 Winter Games could be over. That would leave Utah and Sapporo, Japan as the final two in the running.
Indigenous tribes were at the forefront of Vancouver’s 2030 Olympic bid — that is, until the provincial government of British Columbia said it wouldn’t support it. The Associated Press reported Thursday the province decided it didn’t want to spend the estimated $1.2 billion to $2.2 billion.
“No support from the governments would kill the bid,” First Nations spokesperson Chris Lewis said in a press conference in Vancouver Friday. “We’re still here to have that conversation. We want meaningful dialog. If we want true reconciliation, we need to be in the room talking amongst and with you as an equal voice.”
Tribe leaders at the press conference said they were disappointed, and the decision marked a setback to relations between the First Nations and provincial and federal governments. They said that’s because the tribes weren’t invited to discuss the decision about financial support before it was final, despite the branding of the bid process as “Indigenous-led.”
Lewis said the First Nations are still interested in planning a future Winter Games, including 2034.
Vancouver’s evident withdrawal from the running underscores the question: Who will host in 2030?
As President and CEO of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, Fraser Bullock is one of the leaders of Utah’s pitch. He told KPCW that regardless of the implications of the news out of Vancouver, his team won’t change its focus.
“In the world of bids, there's always different things that happen,” Bullock said. “You have to be prepared for those, and our lesson is we focus on our bid, we put our best foot forward, and leave the rest to the [International Olympic Committee] (IOC).”
Bullock said his committee’s plans apply equally to a bid to host in 2034 if not in 2030.
Before word of Vancouver’s setback spread, Bullock told Heber Valley government leaders in Midway this week Sapporo may also face a hurdle. In August, a Sapporo executive for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was arrested for suspicion of bribery during those Games. Bullock said there’s no way of knowing how that will impact the Japan bid.
Bullock said compared to Vancouver, Salt Lake City’s taking a different strategy to fund the estimated $2.2 billion Games, if held in 2030.
The State of Utah is backing the effort as a financial guarantor, acting as a safety net. But ultimately, the plan is to use money from sponsorships, the IOC and federal government, not state or local taxpayer dollars.
“We just have to make sure as we prepare the budget, and as we manage the Games, we do so in a way that is highly responsible, has lots of cushion, such that a guarantee would never even come close to being called,” Bullock said.
Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Olympics. Bullock said two U.S. Olympics within 18 months could complicate contracts with sponsors.
“The challenge is,” Bullock said, “when you have back-to-back games only 18 months apart, then the sponsors may have limited dollars that they can allocate to projects over time. And so and when they’re that close together, are there sufficient dollars to be able to cover both Games that are that close together?”
The Salt Lake City committee will pitch to the IOC Future Host Commission in four weeks. Bullock said the IOC will announce in December which locations are still under serious consideration to host in 2030.
A final decision is expected by October 2023.