March 31, 2003
Burnaby Bid to Host 2009 World Police and Fire Games
Motion on Notice
[Be it resolved that this House endorse the Burnaby fire fighters' bid for the 2009 World Police and Fire Games as a tremendous economic and social opportunity to showcase Burnaby and B.C. to the world.]
R. Lee: I'm really pleased today to rise in the House to support the motion moved by my colleague, the hon. member for Burnaby-Edmonds.
I'm excited that firefighters in Burnaby are taking the lead in bringing the 2009 World Police and Fire Games to Burnaby. The World Police and Fire Games have been held biannually since 1987. These games are open to active or retired members of the public safety community, including fire fighters, police officers, correctional agents and customs officers. It's estimated that this event will attract over 12,000 participants from more than 65 countries who would compete in up to 67 different sports.
The games will not only bring in athletes, but also their accompanying persons from all over the world. For the 2005 games in Quebec, it's estimated that there will be 10,000 athletes and 10,000 accompanying persons generating $48 million in economic benefits around Quebec City. It's interesting to know that Quebec City had to compete with 13 other cities to win the right to host the 2005 World Police and Fire Games, while the Burnaby firefighters are the only public community services group in the world to meet the deadline for the competition to host the 2009 games.
This kind of estimate of economic impact was based on past experiences. A study of the 2001 World Police and Fire Games showed that it had a direct economic impact on the Indianapolis economy of $27 million. A multiplying factor of two, which is not unusual, will bring the economic benefits to the range of $15 million.
The 2009 World Police and Fire Games will also be a perfect event for British Columbia to prepare for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Volunteers in the order of 10,000 may gain invaluable experiences by getting involved in organizing and helping with the 2009 games. Not only cities in the lower mainland, but also those in the heartlands, will play host then to some 30,000 visitors for two weeks.
No doubt, tourism in British Columbia will benefit tremendously when we win these two bids. I'm pleased to see that organizations like Tourism Vancouver and the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games candidate city bid team have no hesitation in endorsing Burnaby's bid to host the 2009 World Police and Fire Games. It's nice to know that the experienced staff at Tourism Vancouver, who have helped prepare the 2010 Olympic bid, have also been helping with the preparation of the bid for the 2009 games.
The city of Burnaby has a long history of hosting large-scale games. In 1993 the B.C. Disability Games were held in Burnaby with almost 1,000 physically disabled athletes. In 1997 the B.C. Summer Games took place in Burnaby with over 4,000 young athletes. Thousands of volunteers were trained. Local businesses were very supportive, and I remember many residents even opened their homes to visitors.
With over 20,000 visitors from places outside this province, it will be a rare opportunity to showcase Burnaby and British Columbia. Our visitors may participate in education forums and conferences, learning about the practice of community policing, study the emergency response logistics, test their advanced communications systems, share experience in combatting crimes, participate in professional development or compare legislative measures.
The opportunities are limitless. The friendship and working relations developed through these games will bring better understanding between the visitors from all cultures around the world. With strong support from the three levels of government, I am sure that the 2009 World Police and Fire Games will be coming to Burnaby, British Columbia and Canada. I totally support the motion put forward that this House endorse the Burnaby firefighters' bid for the 2009 World Police and Fire Games as a tremendous economic and social opportunity to showcase Burnaby and B.C. to the world.
