Jump to content

Vancouver 2030


Recommended Posts

My thoughts on Vancouver 2030 and from what I'm hearing around the community are this...20 years is too soon. We loved hosting in 2010 but 2030 isn't the right moment. Maybe 2038 or beyond. Not too far out from 2010 that the venues are decrepit and need total rebuilds, but not so close that the memories of 2010 are so vividly fresh.

 

I also think the IOC might do a multiple set of host announcements all at once, like what happened for the Summer Games of 2024 and 2028. For example, the could look at their prospects for future Winter Games and decide to do something like:

 

  • Salt Lake 2030
     
  • Sapporo 2034
     
  • Barcelona 2038
     
  • Vancouver 2042

 

Or any mix from that group.

 

Would rotate the games, minimize new construction costs, assure a healthy list of future hosts, and give lots of time for development and maintenance of facilities, lining up sponsors, and securing funding.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But is it too soon for Canada? 22 years separated Calgary and Vancouver. What is 20 years. I think this is one of those opportunities that mean we get the Olympics now or have to wait another generation. Double North America (Vancouver and SLC) is probably a bigger money opportunity then the current double East Asia. Optics of USA-USA are also not great either. So going to Vancouver could be attractive. And I honestly think Madrid is in a good position to land 2036 if they want it. So why would the Spanish settle for Barcelona and share the Games with France.  

There is also a interesting concept coming out of regional Germany. A bid akin to their North Rhine-Westphalia bid, but based on Thuringia (where the majority of German winter Olympians come from).

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Kenadian said:

My thoughts on Vancouver 2030 and from what I'm hearing around the community are this...20 years is too soon. We loved hosting in 2010 but 2030 isn't the right moment. Maybe 2038 or beyond. Not too far out from 2010 that the venues are decrepit and need total rebuilds, but not so close that the memories of 2010 are so vividly fresh.

 

I also think the IOC might do a multiple set of host announcements all at once, like what happened for the Summer Games of 2024 and 2028. For example, the could look at their prospects for future Winter Games and decide to do something like:

 

  • Salt Lake 2030
     
  • Sapporo 2034
     
  • Barcelona 2038
     
  • Vancouver 2042

 

Or any mix from that group.

 

Would rotate the games, minimize new construction costs, assure a healthy list of future hosts, and give lots of time for development and maintenance of facilities, lining up sponsors, and securing funding.

 

I don't know if that is the case for 2030 to 2042 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. But i still predict: Sapporo 2030 and Salt Lake 2034.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, SportLightning said:

 

I don't know if that is the case for 2030 to 2042 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. But i still predict: Sapporo 2030 and Salt Lake 2034.

I just remembered that the Paralympics will go their separate ways somewhere in the 2030’s.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is another sliver of undeveloped prime land in Vancouver, at the southern foot of Burrard Bridge. It is the Kitsilano Reserve and is owned by the Squamish Nation and they are known to be interested in developing it with high rise towers. With the 2030 bid proposed as a being presented by the local Indiginous peoples, I could see this as a potential site for the Olympic Village, though as you see in my link to Google Maps, it isn't very big. But it is next to the now-abandoned Molson brewery which is up for redevelopment. Just south of that property is an Armoury and a Defense Department building.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While the were 'only' 22 years in between Calgary and Vancouver, the difference is that they were in two different cities. The "too soon" notion applies to the way Vancouverites feel about it, not about another games in Canada. If Calgary sought 2030 or if Quebec City were able to find a suitable solution to their problems, I don't think the "too soon" sentiment would be as strong.

The games of 2010 were sold to Vancouver as a "once in a lifetime" moment. But going into it again in 20 years isn't that. Plus, the world is quite different now and as a host city, the eight to seven years of building up and preparing to host an Olympics is a lot. There's a lot of political maneuvering, financial and economic considerations, and the disruption of any additional infrastructure builds.

 

So the feeling of "too soon" is akin to how you would feel if you had a big party at your house and invited everyone you knew. Even if it was a huge success and lots of fun, you still had to do a lot to prepare for it and then clean up after it. So do you rush off and do it again a few weeks later? Maybe. Maybe not. But you know once again, it will take effort and money and scrutiny so maybe it's best to spend that on fixing up some of the problems you have in your house, like that old kitchen you've grown tired of. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And my ordering idea on the next four games was a bit random. It might make more sense to place Sapporo over Salt Lake for 2030 given the timing with Los Angeles 2028. Then a put in a gap between a Winter Games in the USA and Canada with a European city. Europe never goes more than 12 years between hosting.

 

The Summer Games of 2036 and 2040 will also play a role. I'm not sure which city at this moment is the front runner, but I feel pretty confident that 2036 will be in Europe.

I'm also thinking the whispers of a Montreal-Toronto bid could fit the IOC's new objectives for something in the 2040s  making use one of the most expensive ever Olympic facilities, 2015 Pan Am venues, and spreading the games throughout the Saint Lawrence-Lake Ontario region from Quebec City to Niagara.

 

So maybe this:

  • Sapporo 2030
     
  • Vancouver 2034
     
  • Europe 2036 (Madrid, Berlin, Istanbul, London?)
     
  • Europe 2036 (Barcelona?)
     
  • Toronto-Montreal 2040 (or an Asian city)
     
  • Salt Lake 2042
     
  • Asian city 2044 (or Toronto-Montreal)
     
  • Asian city 2046 

 

But all speculative of course.

Edited by Kenadian
forgot a city and a typo
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Faster said:

There is also a interesting concept coming out of regional Germany. A bid akin to their North Rhine-Westphalia bid, but based on Thuringia (where the majority of German winter Olympians come from).

:lol::lol::lol:

Not happening. It's Bavaria or bust for a German winter games. And if DOSB continue to work as helpless as they've done in their reason attempts, it will most certainly be bust.

47 minutes ago, Kenadian said:

So maybe this:

  • Sapporo 2030
     
  • Vancouver 2034
     
  • Europe 2036 (Madrid, Berlin, Istanbul, London?)
     
  • Europe 2036 (Barcelona?)
     
  • Toronto-Montreal 2040 (or an Asian city)
     
  • Salt Lake 2042
     
  • Asian city 2044 (or Toronto-Montreal)
     
  • Asian city 2046 

Probably not happening this way. The IOC have already promised Salt Lake either 2030 or 2034. Depending on whether Sapporo wants 2030, that pushes Vancouver back to at least 2038 or 2042. I'd be very surprised to see either a Canadian Summer Olympics or a Barcelona winter games, too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/4/2022 at 11:33 PM, SkiFreak said:

The Richmond Oval was converted in a way to allow it to be easily converted back to a skating oval. All the ice making equipment is still in the building. They poured a layer of this special rubber before installing the basketball courts. Similar to the setup of Rogers Arena when it was shared between the Canucks and Grizzlies. They did this in case the Olympics came back to Vancouver, and it looks like they might.

The Olympic Oval here in Calgary is starting to show it's age. It was shut down from August 2020 to May 2021 - had a mechanical failure with the refrigeration system. Of course, due to covid, it was hard to get technicians here from Europe to repair it. If our speed skaters' performance isn't great in Beijing, this is why. The Athletes trained at local lakes, went to the oval in Fort St John, or just rollerbladed on the concrete at the oval while the equipment was down.

Richmond Olympic Oval is a brimming example of a positive post-Games legacy | Urbanized (dailyhive.com)

The oval is a great example of legacy but looking at its interior now, it would be a massive undertaking to get it ready for the Olympics again (probably a key reason the oval has never been mentioned when it comes to the world championships). Looking at the interior now, it's hard to see them removing the running track in the mezanine to renistall seating along with removing the climbing wall. It could get expensive very quickly.

Sad news about the Calgary oval though. It's a shame they cannot get it a little touch up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/6/2022 at 2:38 AM, AliciasBlade said:

I just remembered that the Paralympics will go their separate ways somewhere in the 2030’s.

Nah, i guess they will just renew their partnerships before we get the 2034 and 2036 bid races. If i were in the IPC, i wouldn´t even take a separation as a possibility, at least for now; i would take even a suggestion of a merger actually.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, yoshi said:

How easy is it to set up a temporary speed skating rink in a park or BC Place or something? Although I'd be surprised if there's no market for a permanent one in all Canada. 

Very few people know that BC does have a second oval that is active as a skating oval, but it's up in Fort St. John.

https://www.fortstjohn.ca/EN/main/parks-rec/facilities/pomeroy-sport-centre.html

Some of Team Canada's athletes were heading there when the oval here in Calgary was down with mechanical failure last year. Don't know what the seating capacity of the facility is though. And it's also a bit too far from Vancouver.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

52 minutes ago, yoshi said:

How easy is it to set up a temporary speed skating rink in a park or BC Place or something? Although I'd be surprised if there's no market for a permanent one in all Canada. 

This is actually the preferred option for the IOC and ISU with Milan-Cortina as there are serious concerns About the costs of prepping the existing oval for the Olympics. Both are proposing Arena Civica, an athletics stadium, for speed skating and it's outdoors. I'd be curious as to how the costs for something like this would compare to the costs of converting a stadium temporarily for the NHL Winter Classic. So yes if Arena Civica is a viable option then I would think Vancouver could come up with something similar. I'd reckon the Ft. St. John's option would require extensive work to get it Games ready. BC Place is a no go. The oval wouldn't fit without removing a portion of the lower seating bowl. It's the same conundrum many prospective SOGs hosts face when trying to find a stadium for athletics as football stadiums aren't conducive to an athletics track.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, StefanMUC said:

I thought speed skating will be in Baselga di Pine, where the traditional - outdoor - track needs renovation?

Massive renovation actually. Baselga did Pine is really nothing more than the oval and some bleachers. Plans call for turning into a full scale indoor arena. Hence the concerns about costs and the suggestion to use Arena Civica.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the oval was built at Simon Fraser University as originally planned, it probably would've stayed as a skating oval.

Vancouver will need another new venue, something that wasn't part of the games in 2010 - a Big Air jump. I was thinking where there is a nice concrete background to surpass those Beijing cooling towers. Off the Cleveland dam? Off the Harbour Centre?:rolleyes::P Actually, it would be good to get all the X-games events in one location. Or Grouse Mountain maybe (if no room on Cypress)? Grouse is supposed to be replacing their Skyride tram with a gondola in the near future.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Random thoughts on the oval for Vancouver 2030.

I think reusing the Richmond one is the easiest ideas but if that's too complicated or expensive to reconfigure for an Olympics and then switch back to the post-games format.

An outdoor oval in the Greater Vancouver area just can't be. It is never cold enough to keep ice. Maybe up in Whistler?

A new indoor facility using the Richmond Oval as a template for Games and post-Games use could be built at Simon Fraser University (the original idea for the 2010 bid) and used as the university's rec facility.

But they're also talking about this bid being a more BC-wide affair, options could include a new Richmond-type facility in Victoria, the Okanagan, or one of the Fraser Valley cities (Abbottsford, Chilliwack).

The question of making this bid more BC-wide compared to 2010 seems unclear yet. Maybe some events in Victoria, Kamloops, Kelowna (they all have new-ish arenas with good capacity). Or maybe take the events that were held in Cypress to another ski resort (Big White, Revelstoke, Silver Star, Fernie, etc.). That would cut the risk of having to truck in snow again.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Kenadian said:

Random thoughts on the oval for Vancouver 2030.

I think reusing the Richmond one is the easiest ideas but if that's too complicated or expensive to reconfigure for an Olympics and then switch back to the post-games format.

An outdoor oval in the Greater Vancouver area just can't be. It is never cold enough to keep ice. Maybe up in Whistler?

A new indoor facility using the Richmond Oval as a template for Games and post-Games use could be built at Simon Fraser University (the original idea for the 2010 bid) and used as the university's rec facility.

But they're also talking about this bid being a more BC-wide affair, options could include a new Richmond-type facility in Victoria, the Okanagan, or one of the Fraser Valley cities (Abbottsford, Chilliwack).

The question of making this bid more BC-wide compared to 2010 seems unclear yet. Maybe some events in Victoria, Kamloops, Kelowna (they all have new-ish arenas with good capacity). Or maybe take the events that were held in Cypress to another ski resort (Big White, Revelstoke, Silver Star, Fernie, etc.). That would cut the risk of having to truck in snow again.

 

 

Putting venues in more far-flung locations will increase the chances of a need for another 'sea-to-sky' type construction project. That will increase costs. Whatever happens with the Oval, you are gonna be looking at a venue that won't stay an Oval again. Vancouver will never be able to replace Calgary as the national training center. So post-games legacy again is not a bad idea. 

Vancouver still has the 3 arenas (though Rogers is probably nearing the end of its life by NHL standards). Curling I could see being farmed out. Langley would be a good option there in the existing WHL facility. 

Using a different freestyle/snowboard venue would also be a necessity now over Cyrpress. 

Other change I'd like to see is the medal ceremony/concert being outdoors akin to Salt Lake and Torino and not indoors like it was. Maybe BC Place is a better venue then it was, but some winter feel would have been welcome.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Faster said:

Vancouver still has the 3 arenas (though Rogers is probably nearing the end of its life by NHL standards). Curling I could see being farmed out. Langley would be a good option there in the existing WHL facility.

It's unfortunate that the arena in Langley so far out in suburbia. The Expo Line extension should connect the SkyTrain to Langley by 2030, but it's an hour long walk to the arena from downtown Langley. Buses are a thing, of course, but they are an added annoyance and delay.

A modest new arena for Simon Fraser University (with 35,000 students and a very healthy athletic program) might be a useful asset for a future bid, and likely wouldn't be a white elephant.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Nacre said:

It's unfortunate that the arena in Langley so far out in suburbia. The Expo Line extension should connect the SkyTrain to Langley by 2030, but it's an hour long walk to the arena from downtown Langley. Buses are a thing, of course, but they are an added annoyance and delay.

A modest new arena for Simon Fraser University (with 35,000 students and a very healthy athletic program) might be a useful asset for a future bid, and likely wouldn't be a white elephant.

The walk from the skytrain to the richmond oval was a pretty big hike too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/9/2022 at 9:41 PM, Nacre said:

.

A modest new arena for Simon Fraser University (with 35,000 students and a very healthy athletic program) might be a useful asset for a future bid, and likely wouldn't be a white elephant.

The university didn't want the oval in 2010 I highly doubt they'd consent to a mid-sized arena they don't need. Simon Fraser's basketball venue, West Gym, hds only around 1500 and competes at the NCAA Division Ii level. The campus also has a couple other venues that double as recreation facilities so there's really no need for a mid-sized arena that they probably couldn't fill anyway.

 

On 2/9/2022 at 7:57 PM, Kenadian said:

Random thoughts on the oval for Vancouver 2030.

I think reusing the Richmond one is the easiest ideas but if that's too complicated or expensive to reconfigure for an Olympics and then switch back to the post-games format.

An outdoor oval in the Greater Vancouver area just can't be. It is never cold enough to keep ice. Maybe up in Whistler?

A new indoor facility using the Richmond Oval as a template for Games and post-Games use could be built at Simon Fraser University (the original idea for the 2010 bid) and used as the university's rec facility

 

See my comment above. An oval at SFU is not likely due to costs. Richmond would be too expensive and time consuming too return to competition mode. Repeating what Richmond did is certainly an example of a viable legacy but in an era with a cost conscious Publix I think that would be a hard sell in BC. The oval in Calgary needs some upkeep and would be far less costly than building another oval in BC. If Calgary's 2026 bid to use the Whistler ski jump was acceptable then Vancouver can easily propose using the oval in Calgary as an acceptable cost conscious option.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...