Organizers have not yet called B.C. about potentially hosting the 2030 Winter Olympic Games, but provincial officials say they’d now be interested in picking up the phone.
A lack of bids for future Winter Olympics may see the International Olympic Committee rotate the Winter Games among a short list of cities.
That “highly theoretical list” of rotating host cities could include Vancouver along with Salt Lake City, Pyeongchang, Switzerland, Italy and Scandinavia, according to Associated Press.
Vancouver-Whistler hosted the 2010 the Winter Olympics.
Tourism and Sport Minister Lana Popham said the province has not yet had a conversation with the IOC.
“Potentially, we would be happy to hear about it, but we haven’t been identified as a province or a country that would be in that rotation.”
When a potential bid comes up, the province weighs costs and economic benefits before making a decision.
RELATED: B.C. won’t support bid for 2030 Winter Olympics
Four First Nations, along with Vancouver and Whistler, had signed an agreement with the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee to explore hosting the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Late last year, the provincial government announced that it wouldn’t support a bid for the 2030 Olympic Winter Games, citing costs.
The IOC’s announcement that it is exploring rotating host cities now changes the dynamic.
“We don’t know any of the details yet, but right now, we are sticking to the policy that we have,” Popham said, adding that any future involvement by the province would work closely with First Nations.
Vancouver will be a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Kamloops is B.C.’s official host candidate community for the 2027 North American Indigenous Games, the largest international, multi-sport, and cultural event for Indigenous youth in North America. The event could draw up to 6,000 athletes, their coaches, staff and artists from more than 750 Indigenous Nations in Canada and the United States.
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