A pivotal meeting at Vancouver city hall about the Olympic bid.
According to two sources, deputy city manager Karen Levitt tells Stewart that staff were exhausted from the pandemic and other citywide events. Senior bureaucrats and council members worry that the province would not support another Olympics. There were also concerns about the viability of a first-time, Indigenous-led bid for the Olympics.
“We’re already thinking about strategic off-ramps,” Levitt says.
One of those “off-ramps” was the World Cup.
Less than a week before FIFA went public, Levitt told those in the meeting that Vancouver would get five matches.
“The Grey Cup could likely be here in ’24, Invictus is coming in ’25, FIFA is coming in ’26,” Levitt says. “FIFA is a big one.”
Vancouver City Hall, dressed in FIFA World Cup colours and logo, and the Capt. George Vancouver statue. (Mackin)
FIFA names Vancouver a 2026 host city. Seattle and Toronto also get World Cup matches.
Horgan scraps the $789 million Royal B.C. Museum project.
“I made the wrong call, I made a call when British Columbians were thinking about other concerns,” Horgan says.
Six days later, Horgan says he will resign the premiership when the NDP chooses a new leader.
Two weeks after Ken Sim defeats Stewart in the Vancouver election, the B.C. NDP government refuses to support another Olympics in 2030. It was already backing the 2025 Invictus Games and 2026 World Cup.
“There are billions of dollars in direct costs, and potential guarantee and indemnity liability risks on this project that could jeopardize our government’s ability to address pressures facing British Columbians right now,” says tourism minister Lisa Beare.
David Eby and John Horgan (BC Gov/Flickr)
FIFA schedules seven matches in Vancouver between June 13 and July 7, 2026. Two more than originally expected. Canada would play two of its three first round matches at B.C. Place.
The same day that Premier David Eby kicks off the NDP re-election campaign, he secretly signs an agreement to give the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh at least $600,000, an undefined quantity of World Cup match tickets and passes, and a pavilion at the PNE’s FIFA Fan Festival. The payments would later increase to $6 million each.
At FIFA’s two-step draw in Washington, D.C., Australia, Belgium, Egypt, New Zealand, Qatar, Switzerland and Turkey are scheduled to play in B.C. Place during the five first round matches. The city will also host round of 16 and 32 elimination matches.
Almost four years after the late Horgan cancelled the $789 million Royal B.C. Museum project, the Eby NDP government estimates the cost of hosting FIFA World Cup could reach $729 million. Three times higher than originally forecast.
The 23rd FIFA World Cup kicks off in Mexico City.