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Taxpayers providing $50G for Masters Games

Event billed as tourism promotion
gauthier
Masters Games athletes are well-educated, at the height of their careers and have an average age of 49. Photo: Jennifer Gauthier

A contract signed last year by city manager Penny Ballem says taxpayers will spend $50,000 to wine, dine, fly and host International Masters Games Association (IMGA) bigwigs before and during the 2016 Americas Masters Games. City hall is betting that the Aug. 26 to Sept. 4, 2016 festival will draw 7,500 amateur athletes aged 29 and up from North, Central and South America to pack hotels and restaurants and compete in 27 sports.

A 2012 presentation to IMGA about the Games, originally planned for 2014, said the Games would run on a $6-million to $8-million budget, based on costs of the quadrennial European Masters Games. Last October, Ballem signed a memorandum of agreement making Sport B.C. the host society, pledging an unspecified amount of city services and agreeing to offset any deficit. City council has not revealed the business plan or budget. Partners include B.C. Pavilion Corporation and Vancouver Hotel Destination Association. The province’s Community, Sport and Cultural Development ministry says it has not received a formal funding request.

The June 26, 2014 Host City Agreement for what was then called the Pan American Masters Games said Vancouver taxpayers will pay the cost of one IMGA board of governors meeting. “[Vancouver] will be responsible for paying for business class plane tickets for all members of the board of governors and up to three members of the staff from the nearest airport to Vancouver, as well as for their accommodation and food,” states the contract.

VHDA and Tourism Vancouver made the initial $150,000 rights fee payment, but taxpayers must also provide accommodation for up to three days for as many as five VIP guests invited to attend the IMGA meeting and opening ceremony, plus up to four return business class tickets and up to 20 days of accommodation of iMGA inspection and coordination visits before the Games.

IMGA’s 14 directors include a mix of International Olympic Committee members and presidents of international sport federations, plus an honorary member, Malaysian construction tycoon Prince Imran. President Kai Holm is also head of the Danish Olympic Committee.

The contract is governed by Swiss law and any dispute would be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland: “Vancouver hereby expressly waive the application of any legal provision under which they may claim immunity against any lawsuit, arbitration or other legal action initiated by IMGA.”

A request to interview Ballem was forwarded to city communications director Rena Kendall-Craden, who told the Courier Ballem was on holiday until September. Kendall-Craden said she was unaware of any event to mark the one-year countdown.

IMGA’s 2016 candidature guidelines say 49 is the average age of masters athletes. They tend to be “well-educated, at the height of their careers” and pay their own way to the Games.

“They have a high average income and the vast majority are in a relationship and usually travel to the Games with their family/partner,” the document said.

There are no national teams nor is there an athletes village. The Games are sold as a tourism promotion, not likely to draw major global media or sponsorship. Rental car companies stand to profit, and parking could be at a premium, however. IMGA documents said 48 per cent of athletes chose private vehicles for transport at the 2009 World Masters Games in Sydney, Australia.

Ballem gave Sport B.C. a no-bid $1.2-million contract in March to organize and manage the FIFA Fan Zone during the Women’s World Cup under the guise of a “trial run” for its Vancouver 2016 duties. Sport B.C. subcontracted production to Brand Live, a frequent event services provider to city hall since Vision Vancouver came to power in 2008. In May, Ballem refused interview requests about the Sport B.C. contract, telling the Courier instead to contact the Freedom of Information office for details.

Vancouver 2016 is the second regional Masters Games. The next European Masters Games are Oct. 1 to 11 in Nice, France.

Registration fees haven’t been announced for Vancouver 2016, but the city will pay IMGA a $25 per athlete cut if between 3,000 and 5,000 athletes register, and $50 per athlete if there are between 5,000 and 8,000 athletes.

@bobmackin