Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Author/local: Pat Fry/6447

TO:

Vancouver City Council

FROM:

General Manager of Engineering Services

SUBJECT:

Grey Cup 1999

 

CONSIDERATION

RECOMMENDATION

COUNCIL POLICY

On September 25, 1984, Council approved the funding for the cost of police services for the PNE parade (no longer held), the Sea Festival Parade (no longer held), the Remembrance Day Services and Parade and the Grey Cup Parade when held in Vancouver.

In 1987, Council approved a $20,000 grant to the Grey Cup Committee and in 1990 Council approved grants totaling $23,500 to assist the Grey Cup Committee. Engineering staff time and policing for the weekend was also provided as part of each departments operating budget.

PURPOSE

This report outlines the major activities involved in the Grey Cup Event and the City Engineer submits for Council's consideration, requests from the Grey Cup Committee (Appendix A) for financial and other support.

DISCUSSION

This report proposes that the City of Vancouver and the BC Lions host the 87 th annual Grey Cup at B.C. Place Stadium on Sunday, November 28, 1999. Traditionally, the host City, along with the Grey Cup Committee coordinates the Grey Cup Festival weekend, including dinners, luncheons, special events and the Grey Cup Game that is televised nationally.


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

This years Grey Cup weekend is full of events with three nights of entertainment and festivities to be held at the Plaza of Nations, beginning Friday with a Kick-Off Celebration and ending Sunday with an Entertainment Event before the game. Each night a charity will be named as the recipient of proceeds raised at each event.

The following is a schedule of the activities that make up the weekend's events.

FAN DAY - BC PLACE STADIUM

This year's weekend festivities does not include a parade but in its place a fan appreciation day at BC Place Stadium on Saturday, November 27 th. This event is free to the public and is an excellent opportunity for fans of all ages to participate in the excitement of the big game. A day packed with celebration that will include the BC High School Football Championships, an east and west team practice, finals of the a national Skills Competition, eight CFL cheerleading squads compete in Cheerfest, and players and CFL personalities will be on hand for autographs and photographs.

CITY OF VANCOUVER RECEPTION

As the host's representative, the Mayor's office will coordinate an afternoon reception for CFL and Grey Cup officials and dignitaries. The date, time and location of the reception will be finalized when the Grey Cup schedule is completed. Funding will be required to host the event and the cost is estimated at $10,000.

BANNERS AND FLAG ISLAND

The Grey Cup Festival Committee has requested that flags with CFL and Grey Cup related logos be permitted to be placed on the flag island triangle located at Davie, Denman and Beach Avenue. Use of the flag islands are generally reserved for charities and civic sponsored events. However, the City Engineer has made exceptions to this practice for the Grey Cup event in previous years and will do so again in 1999.

The Grey Cup Festival Committee is currently investigating the availability of corporate funding to produce banners at key locations in the downtown. The Committee asks that Council permit the use of third party advertising on a small triangular extension at the bottom of the proposed banners, as was approved for APEC in 1997. It is recognized that this request is being made in advance of the banner policy review that will be before Council later in the year. If this idea is approved by Council, the design of the banners will be reviewed and approved by the City Engineer before installation.

FINANCIAL AND OTHER SUPPORT

Each year the Grey Cup Committee solicits private and corporate sponsorships as a base level of funding. However, the cost of promoting the weekend and hosting the community events is high and financial and other support from the City is requested.

Engineering Services Activities:

· Engineering staff can provide extensive assistance through the FEST committee and will coordinate the traffic management plan to ensure motorist and the general public are not delayed in any area where a Grey Cup event is taking place.

· Engineering can further issue a Special Event Market Permit to restrict the sale of unauthorized Grey Cup related merchandise within the downtown core. Other events that are issued this type of permit include the Chinatown Night Market, the DuMaurier Jazz Festival and the Symphony of Fire. Enforcement of illegal street vendors can also be provided through the Streets Activity Branch.

· Other Engineering Service contributions include the provision of signing, barricading, and sanitation services.

Police Department Activities:

· The Police Department will provide considerable additional coverage and crowd control beginning with Friday afternoon of the Grey Cup weekend and up to the game day on Sunday. Preliminary plans are for about 25 additional personnel to be deployed Friday and Saturday and up to 158 on Sunday. This conservative figure for game day includes 70 personnel for the Crowd Control Unit and may not be required depending on the assessment of risk level that the Police will make at the time.

As these services have been provided in the past under existing operating budgets, the Grey Cup Committee is once again requesting these be included as services provided "in kind." The estimated cost for Engineering Services is $15,000 and the estimate for Police services is between $94,000 and $144,000.

CONCLUSION

The Canadian Football League has determined that the economic value of the Grey Cup to a city is between 18 and 20 million dollars. The total net economic impact of Grey Cup `97 in Edmonton Alberta, as reported by the Economic Development Office, was $27.8 million. This is based on indirect, direct and induced impacts. The majority of this economic impact, $22.8 million, is concentrated in the Edmonton, Alberta Capital Region. We would likely see a similar benefit to the Greater Vancouver Region with a large proportion benefitting Vancouver itself.

The Grey Cup Game is the most watched sports event in Canada on television reaching 7,852,000 fans in Canada and the US. This coverage will put Vancouver in the spotlight in 1999. In view of the potential benefits to the economy of Vancouver, and in the interests of participating in a celebration of the heritage of Canadian football, the City Engineer submits "A and B" for Council's consideration and recommends "C" through "F".

* * * *

ag990601.htm

Comments or questions? You can send us email.
[City Homepage] [Get In Touch]

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver