Hamilton eyes 2014 Commonwealth Games

[Faster]

they should do what hamilton is doing, build the venues but as extensions to the Unitesities, Halifax has four of them (Dalhousie, St. Mary's, St. Vincent, and Kings Cross) which is more than any other city i believe in Canada at least. I know Dals main stadium is 30,000+ and pretty new.

[Guardian]

Halifax has a lot going against them. They have very little venues at present. That’s the mean reason why they lost the Canadian bid to the 2010 Commonwealth Games. It would be expensive for them to host it.

To me, if Canada does try to go for a Commonwealth Games bid for 2014, I think the "Golden Horseshoe" area has all the cards. However, at the back of my mind, I get the feeling that some other Canadian cities may try to upset this.

[Alexjc]

Halifax has a lot going against them. They have very little venues at present. That’s the mean reason why they lost the Canadian bid to the 2010 Commonwealth Games. It would be expensive for them to host it.

To me, if Canada does try to go for a Commonwealth Games bid for 2014, I think the "Golden Horseshoe" area has all the cards. However, at the back of my mind, I get the feeling that some other Canadian cities may try to upset this.

:help: What's "The Goldern Horseshoe"? :help:

[Apple]

The Golden Horseshoe represents the area of Niagara Falls through Hamilton and up to Toronto.

If you look at Lake Ontario on a map you'll see it's a U shape from Niagara Falls to Toronto so that's how it got the horseshoe part and the golden part came from Hamilton because it’s the city colour.

[stevie]

I just got a very interesting e-mail from Kerry Prendergast, mayor of Wellington.

Dear Steven

Thank you for your email regarding the Commonwealth Games.

Wellington is not considering a bid for the 2014 games. However I

understand that Auckland City Council is. I suggest you contact Mayor

Dick Hubbard who may be able to provide you with the information you

seek.

On a personal note, I appreciate your positive feedback on the work that

I am doing for our absolutely positively fantastic city!

Yours sincerely

Kerry Prendergast

MAYOR

Auckland? I was not aware of that, maybe she was confused with Hamilton, NZ. But Auckland would make logical sense I guess, It is the only city in NZ has really could compete with cities like Glasgow or Hamilton. Also Auckland does have a great sporting infrastructure with quite a few indoor arenas and the new 12,000 seat Vector Arena to be finished 2006 but where would they hold athletics? Would have to be a new stadium.  

I will e-mail Dick Hubbard to find out if it is true *fingers crossed*

[Apple]

Hasn't Auckland hosted the Commonwealth Games twice before already? I think the last one was in 1990.

To bad Wellington isn't bidding.

[stevie]

Yup, Auckland has hosted twice in 1950 and 1990. The 1990 Games are still regarded has the best of its time.

[Alexjc]

The Golden Horseshoe represents the area of Niagara Falls through Hamilton and up to Toronto.

If you look at Lake Ontario on a map you'll see it's a U shape from Niagara Falls to Toronto so that's how it got the horseshoe part and the golden part came from Hamilton because it’s the city colour.

Thanks for the explanation "Apple".

As for a potential NZ bid,  well done to nzolympic for finding out about Wellington's aspirations.  Your lucky you have got an approachable mayor.  I'm just wondering if she's holding back untill after the 2011 RWC Bid results later this year.

As for Auckland, no word has been mentioned on the future of the CWGs in that city, at the moment infrastructure redevelopment is the main priority.  As for a major sports fixture, the V8's at Whenuapai are what Auckland is trying to gear up to while new plans to rebuild Pukekoe are still secret.

Watch this space....

[Guardian]

Yup, Auckland has hosted twice in 1950 and 1990. The 1990 Games are still regarded has the best of its time.

How was the 1950 edition of the Commonwealth Games regarded to the general public? Remember, it was the first such Games after WWII.

[Alexjc]

Being the first games of the "Post War" era and, time wise, only 18 months after London '48 SOG, 1950 was small.

The difficulties faced by many teams in just getting here was huge.  You have to remember that air travel over long distances were almost non existant (expensive) and flying boats still ruled supreme in the south pacific.  For most it was a sea going voyage of up to six weeks.

Eden Park had a grass track laid down although an infield 100yard running straight had to be laid as the main track sraights were actually tangents so to fit into the ground.

The athletes accomodation were old US Marine Core barracks left over from the pacific war.

Still when they ended they coined the saying "freindly games".

However the 1954 Vancouver Games really set the standard and of course, wrote themselves into the history books for ever.

[Apple]

Good reasons to try again: Di Ianni

The first step in Hamilton's renewed bid for the Commonwealth Games may be coloured by the "heartache and expense" of the first attempt.

That's Mayor Larry Di Ianni's take on an endorsement a group will seek soon from city council.

But Di Ianni said despite the deep disappointment of the city's loss to New Delhi, India for the 2010 showcase, there are good reasons to try again.

He noted the planning experience and work in place.

Di Ianni said he would advocate the city support a letter of Hamilton's intent to compete in the domestic stage of the bidding process, noting that was based on the city enjoying the same partnership as the first bid.

That is in place with McMaster University and the private sector represented by The Hamilton Spectator committed to mount another bid.

Commonwealth Games Canada announced last week it wants a Canadian city to go after the 2014 Games.

The Hamilton bid group mus deliver a letter of intent to seek the Games by July 22. They hope to meet with the city on July 13.

David Adames, executive director of Tourism Hamilton said the organizing group is confident there will be strong federal and provincial support for whoever wins the domestic competition.

He pointed to a federal-provincial-territorial agreement on sport which supports two multi-sport events for the 2010 to 2020 period. The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler is the first. A second is to be determined.

The provincial government is expected to sit back and see if more than one Ontario city seeks the domestic blessing before discussing specific levels of support.

And if Hamilton were to win the domestic stage, Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MP Tony Valeri said he would enthusiastically push for federal support of the bid.

So far only Glasgow, Scotland, has declared a formal bid for the 2014 Games.

[Apple]

Getting an endorsement from city council should be really easy. There are still some councillors that wear the 2010 bid shirts.

This bid will be a bit different then the last one. Mostly because they’ll be more private sector partnership (MRX Associates). Bob Young the owner of the Tiger Cats will help finance a new main stadium, which is a big help.

Bob Young is a big computer nerd. He created Red Hat, unix program for computers and also runs lulu.com. So he’s a millionaire.

^ that's him. Nerdy looking huh lol

[arwebb]

So at the moment we are looking at a known three horse race...

Hamilton, Cape Town, Glasgow.

Darkhorses would be Singapore, or London(failing '12) as a consolation prize. Wellington a posibility if NZ fails it's 2011 RWC bid, that country is overdue to host.  A possible Australian candidate is also likely after the success of 2006.

I'd have thought it would be too soon to come back to England or Britain after Manchester 2002.

Do people think Glasgow would suffer because of this?

[Alexjc]

So at the moment we are looking at a known three horse race...

Hamilton, Cape Town, Glasgow.

Darkhorses would be Singapore, or London(failing '12) as a consolation prize. Wellington a posibility if NZ fails it's 2011 RWC bid, that country is overdue to host.  A possible Australian candidate is also likely after the success of 2006.

I'd have thought it would be too soon to come back to England or Britain after Manchester 2002.

Do people think Glasgow would suffer because of this?

In the end, as we have seen, it's the last one left standing, as it was for 2006.  Hamilton should feel agreeved that they lost to India as the CG Federation said they favored Ne Delhi as a new frontier games, and the fact they have been bidding since 1984.

I do agree with you in respect of the UK hosting within twelve years, but look at Atlanta, and you can see that it dosen't really matter.  Scary thing is IF London fails next week, they may bid for a consolation prize, and develop the Olympic site on a much slower scale.

[Suit U Sir !!!]

So at the moment we are looking at a known three horse race...

Hamilton, Cape Town, Glasgow.

Darkhorses would be Singapore, or London(failing '12) as a consolation prize. Wellington a posibility if NZ fails it's 2011 RWC bid, that country is overdue to host.  A possible Australian candidate is also likely after the success of 2006.

I'd have thought it would be too soon to come back to England or Britain after Manchester 2002.

Do people think Glasgow would suffer because of this?

In the end, as we have seen, it's the last one left standing, as it was for 2006.  Hamilton should feel agreeved that they lost to India as the CG Federation said they favored Ne Delhi as a new frontier games, and the fact they have been bidding since 1984.

I do agree with you in respect of the UK hosting within twelve years, but look at Atlanta, and you can see that it dosen't really matter.  Scary thing is IF London fails next week, they may bid for a consolation prize, and develop the Olympic site on a much slower scale.

Very very unlikely.

If the 2012 olympic bid fails, then it's full steam ahead with an England 2018 FIFA world cup bid.

If London were to be interested in a commonwealth games, it would have been in the 1980's or 1990's, prior to the Millenium dome, wembley and picketts lock fiascos. At present or post 2012 result (if they lose), then I very much doubt whether the commonwealth games would even enter their minds.

Because of the Millemium done (which swallowed up billions of public money), and Wembley stadium costs now spiralling uo to the £800 million to £1 billion mark (initially they were saying £400 million),there is no way London council would waste so much money into an event which has does not reap massive financial profits.

A london comonwealth games would be another white elephant for the city.

[Suit U Sir !!!]

Sorry, just to clarify that my above post was in response to:

Scary thing is IF London fails next week, they may bid for a consolation prize, and develop the Olympic site on a much slower scale.

London(failing '12) as a consolation prize

[Apple]

Hamilton may face Halifax for 2014 Commonwealth Games

Halifax has the early jump on Hamilton in the hunt for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, but the real hurdles are yet to comes.

The east coast city that twice lost Games would bid again Tuesday.

A plan to submit a letter of intent on a possible bid for 2014 Games, in partnership with the province, won unanimous approval at Halifax city hall this week.

The plan to endorse a Hamilton bid goes to council here either Wednesday or the following Monday, to meet a July 22 deadline for a letter of intent.

Halifax is banking on increased exposure since it lost to Hamilton it 2002. It has held the world junior and world women’s hockey championships.

“Halifax’s reputation on an international basis has improved dramatically,” claims event promoter Fred MacGillivray.

But the real question may be if the city has addressed a lack of adequate facilities, a factor cited as a major drawback in the last bid.

The Halifax plan to make a preliminary submission had one councillr wondering what had changed since it cost $900,000 to lose to Hamilton three years ago.

Hamilton won the Canadian part of the competition decisively, only to be defeated by New Delhi for the 2010 Games by a 46-22 vote influenced by some surprising last minute financial incentives.

Halifax also lost out to Victoria in a bid for the 1994 Games.

“We fully expected Halifax to be back and we welcome that, competition is good,” said Hamilton bid official David Adames.

Adames, executive director of Tourism Hamilton, said principals in the 2014 bid group may take a plan to council July 18 rather than next Wednesday so there is more time to flesh out the proposal.

But he stressed Hamilton has a wealth of knowledge and experience it can use from the 2010 bid.

That process cost $450,000 for the domestic stage and $2.4 million for the campaign at the global level.

The city picked up $700,000 of that.

In the 2002 domestic run-off to win the 2010 Games, Hamilton outscored Halifax 118-94 on non-sports facilities, which included the athlete’s village. And it got a better rating, 103-78, on the sports venues, several of them at McMaster University.

Adames has heard rumbling of a bid coming out of Toronto but says city staff there have been preoccupied with the bidding process for the 2015 World’s Fair.

The Commonwealth Games originated in Hamilton in 1930 as the British Empire Games.

[Eruedan]

Why does Canada continue to throw up these comparitively small cities, when other nations are throwing more and more money into the Commonwealth Games?

[Faster]

while the city of Manchester has a pop of 450,000 and a greater area of 2.5 million

the golden horseshoe area around Hamilton includes 8 million with about 450,000 people within the city of Hamilton

Melbourne has a pop of 3.5 million and its a large suburban area and only 53,000 in the city centre part of Melbourne

Kuala Lumpur has a pop of 1.5 million

so comparitavely the Hamilton area is quite large

[Apple]

I wouldn't say Hamilton is a small city. It's a mid size city which happens to be in the most populated region of Canada.

Hamilton's market area (500 mile radius) is 120 million people.

[Guardian]

Now that London has the 2012 Olympic Games, will it hurt Glasgow's chances to land the 2014 Commonwealth Games? Okay, Canada had Edmonton 1978 right after Montreal 1976, but who knows what will happen here.

[Eruedan]

Let me explain this a bit better...Hamilton may have a large hinterland but it is the 8th largest city in Canada (710,000), Halifax is the 13th biggest city (380,000) and 1994 host Victoria is 15th (330,000).

In comparison Melbourne is the Australia's 2nd largest (3.6 million), Manchester is the UK's 3rd largest (2.5 million), Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia's largest city (4.2million) and Delhi is India's 2nd biggest city (19 million). See the difference. Have you heard of Newcastle, Geelong or Toowoomba?

So in comparison Hamilton or any other interested Canadian city is NOT large....they are ridiculously small. 99% of people in the real world haven't even heard of Hamilton or Halifax or Victoria.

I just don't understand the thought process of the larger Canadian cities not wanting the games. Toronto would be a shoe in, now Cape Town is not running.

[stevie]

I don’t know if I would call Hamilton small but Eruedan is right in saying that these cities are not well known around the world which is the trend of Canadian Commonwealth hosts. But I don’t want the Commonwealth Games to turn into a mini Olympics in which only mega cities can host them.

[Apple]

Big cities don't usually host the Commonwealth Games. Plus the CGF likes to keep it that way so other smaller countries can be able to host them.

The one thing I really really liked about Hamilton's 2010 Commonwealth Games bid was the introduction of six sports for Elite Athletes with a Disability (EAD). Call it Paracommonwealth or something lol.

The six sports Hamilton wanted to introduce for the disable were Athletics, Lawn Bowls, Swimming, Wheelchair Basketball, Table Tennis and Weightlifting. I hope Hamilton's 2014 bid will include this again.

[Faster]

Big cities don't usually host the Commonwealth Games. Plus the CGF likes to keep it that way so other smaller countries can be able to host them.

The one thing I really really liked about Hamilton's 2010 Commonwealth Games bid was the introduction of six sports for Elite Athletes with a Disability (EAD). Call it Paracommonwealth or something lol.

The six sports Hamilton wanted to introduce for the disable were Athletics, Lawn Bowls, Swimming, Wheelchair Basketball, Table Tennis and Weightlifting. I hope Hamilton's 2014 bid will include this again.

thats one thing i like about the commonwealth games they include the special sports as part of the games and that they go toward the medal standings, so its not as much as a side show