for the mouth of Mayor Peter Kelly himself a mere 2 hours ago
http://www.gamesbids.com/cgi-bin/news/viewnews.cgi?category=1&id=1150996308
Yes it would be great to break federal government funding precedent and fund the commonwealth games in Halifax to the tune of 80 to 100 percent federal funding. Considering Montreal 1976 had zero federal funding and the Vancouver committee is having to submit to an independant review of funding for a mere 55 million to cover cost overruns for construction for the 2010 venues. This is the
plea for federal funding from the HRM council because Rodney Mac Donald is in no position to be writing the 600 million dollar checque he planned on for the commonwealth games with a decreased minority government.

Mayor Kelly you can have federal funding to clean up the harbour and perhaps recontruct the sewer system but the commonwealth games you will not break the precedent with calgary , victoria or edmontons funding arrangements for their commonwealth games or winter olympics. Those are tory ridings for the most part and it would play into stephen harper looking like a hypocrate when he talked about handouts to the atlantic provinces.

jim jones

I don't really see it as a sure sign the end is near, its just a plea for more federal funding. I actually read in the daily news that he stated the ceiling for costs. He bascially said if the province and city together have to pay over 1 billion dollars, thats where the line is drawn.

And By the way, if the price does go to 1 billion excluding federal funding, even I would be against it lol.

I don't really see it as a sure sign the end is near, its just a plea for more federal funding. I actually read in the daily news that he stated the ceiling for costs. He bascially said if the province and city together have to pay over 1 billion dollars, thats where the line is drawn.

And By the way, if the price does go to 1 billion excluding federal funding, even I would be against it lol.


Exactly, I'm for the games big time but I do believe in fiscal responsibilty. I think that it was a good thing for the Mayor to say because it shows fiscal repsonsibilty and that they are not going to let cost run out of control. I do believe they can do it for under 1 billion and I am not worried about it.

the beginning of the exit pretty plain to see
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/511664.html
It will certainly be 2 billion for all concerned by the time 2014 rolls around.

jim jones

I don't really see it as a sure sign the end is near, its just a plea for more federal funding. I actually read in the daily news that he stated the ceiling for costs. He bascially said if the province and city together have to pay over 1 billion dollars, thats where the line is drawn.

And By the way, if the price does go to 1 billion excluding federal funding, even I would be against it lol.

well look at history and you can see 375 milion was hard cap on federal funidng for the bid for hamilton 2010 and that was with Shella Copps being in the Paul Martin government. Realistically the bid is underfunded for the reality of the commonwealth games post kuala lumpar. If your were at manchester levels the provincial city share would be 800 million. the city was committed to 125 million at the begiining of this. Melbourne level would be over the one billion mark to 1.2 billion province and city. New Delhi is looking like it will go higher.
The Stephen Harper Tories really have nothing to gain politically in the HRM with more NDP MLAs elected to province house and even Peter Mac kay in Pictou County feeling the heat from 66 percent of the proivncial ridings in his home county going NDP. Stephen Harper would lose a ton of support from his base in alberta by uping the anty as Mayor Kelly would want. Calgary especially would take a dim view in light of their people withdrawning their domestic bid for the CWG's 2014.

jim jones

It's not really Halifax's fault, or Harper's, that Calgary decided to withdraw from the bidding. Stop spectulating and just wait and see what happens, geez.

It's not really Halifax's fault, or Harper's, that Calgary decided to withdraw from the bidding. Stop spectulating and just wait and see what happens, geez.
Calgary withdrew simply because in their words "too many balls were in the air".
I would not doubt that Rodney Mac donald withdrew support as he faces the possibility of fighting an election before the bid awarding next year. The NDP was going to start hammering the tories in the house and the similiar budget if Rodney got a majority was going to include commonwealth games funding.
The tories cant keep the HST promise and fund the commonwealth games to the tune of 600 million as Maureen Mac donald raised in the last days of the last session of prrvince house.

jim jones