Vancouver City Council |
MOTION ON NOTICE
Submitted by Councillor Ladner for the Regular Council meeting of February 10, 2004
2. Sports Events Encouragement
MOVER: Councillor Peter Ladner
SECONDER: Councillor
WHEREAS, the City of Vancouver has established itself as a world sports event destination with the hosting of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games;
AND WHEREAS, the City of Vancouver now has the opportunity to capitalize on this initiative by securing other major sporting events that are looking at Vancouver as a possible venue;
AND WHEREAS, the city faces ongoing requests for assistance from organizers of these events, tempting council to make ad hoc decisions on funding and support;
AND WHEREAS, the city is already involved in encouraging sports activity through the 2010 Winter Olympics legacy program, recognizing the value of sport in improving health and building communities;
AND WHEREAS, major sporting events benefit the city by generating tourism business, celebrating local sports heroes, and stimulating grassroots participation;
AND WHEREAS, the City of Vancouver's athletic facilities are inadequate for hosting even a high school-level championship in track, swimming or tennis;
AND WHEREAS, this lack of facilities forces many of the city's leading athletes to leave town and train elsewhere, depriving community-level sports organizations of coaching skills and high-level local competition;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, the City of Vancouver acknowledge the value of sport in building healthy communities by asking staff to report back on a strategy to:
· determine which sporting events return the biggest payback for tourism, community participation and a vibrant urban culture;
· work with the Tourism Vancouver Sport Tourism Task Force to bring those major sporting events to Vancouver;
· improve or build athletic facilities capable of serving both community level and national/international level sporting competitions;
· ease barriers to producing existing sporting events in Vancouver, including reducing police and permitting costs.* * * * *