Furlong said there is "public appetite" for British Columbia to bid for another Winter Gamesgetty images
Former Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) CEO John Furlong said that he believes the city "could and should bid" for the '30 Winter Games, according to Donna Spencer of the CP. Furlong said, "We have the venues. We could effectively be the only city ever to use exactly the same footprint. We have this opportunity. Eventually, these venues will get tired and get old and the timing will go away." VANOC said that the '10 Games "broke even financially." Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said that a potential '30 Games was a "'fun idea' for the city, but stressed it would be up to provincial and federal governments to make a call on whether to look at a bid and provide necessary funding." Furlong said that there is "public appetite" for British Columbia to "throw its hat into the Olympic rings again." He "pointed to an online poll recently conducted in the province indicating" 68% of those asked felt the '10 Games were "worth the money" (CP, 2/20). Furlong said that the IOC "would likely welcome the bid," and that Vancouver's experience "would give the city a leg up." He also anticipated another round of debate over the city's financial priorities, reminding that these concerns "eventually subsided against the evidence of spectacular infrastructure, world-class venues, and massive public engagement." Stewart said that he "would want a referendum for residents to vote on the idea if there was any thought of going ahead" (Vancouver PROVINCE, 2/21).
