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Canadian Lottery Proposed to Fund Olympics

Heritage Minister Sheila Copps said Friday the federal and B.C. governments are working on a national lottery that would help fund the 2010 Winter Games should the Vancouver/Whistler bid eventually win.

``The design is being worked on with the government of British Columbia,'' said Copps, who was in Montreal to attend a world conference on women and sport. ``The premier is very supportive as is the minister for sport.

``The cost of hosting the Olympics is challenging, and we have some specific commitments to improve facilities.''

Copps said the governments want to encourage the development of a lottery system that would be aimed at Olympic investment. The lottery is still in the design stage and it ``could take many different forms,'' she added.

Ted Nebbling, the B.C. government's point man for the 2010 bid, and Premier Gordon Campbell were not available for comment.

Michele Penz, a spokeswoman for the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corp., said the lottery was news to her.

But, she said, it was not a surprise considering the support Ottawa has already shown the bid committee, citing a $9.1-million government investment made last December.

``We are aware that both Sheila Copps and the prime minister are big supporters of the bid,'' Penz said.

The selection for the 2010 Winter Olympics site will take place in Prague, Czech Republic in July, 2003.

The Heritage Department is finalizing the Vancouver/Whistler bid book to be submitted to the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, Switzerland, at the end of May.

Copps said her office was drawing on its experience in helping with Toronto's unsuccessful attempt at landing the 2008 Summer Olympics.

``The bid book will basically show that part of our plan is to actually have a national sport development strategy as well as a strategy for improving the facilities that are on site in Vancouver and Whistler,'' Copps said.

In 1979, when then prime minister Joe Clark signed over the lotteries to the provinces, it was on the condition that money taken in by those lotteries be allocated to sports and culture, said Copps. However, the plan did not last long.

``In the original agreement (the provinces) were required to put (the money into sports and culture), and then in 1986 they amended the agreement to absolve them of that responsibility,'' Copps said.

Before a lottery can even be considered, Vancouver/Whistler first has to win the bid for the 2010 Games.

Copps said she plans to be in Vancouver in early June to announce ``specific funding'' with regards to upgrading exisiting facilities, though she gave no details of which facilities would be upgraded.

Penz said examples of new facilities or upgrades would be a wider rink at General Motors Place for the larger international ice-hockey surface, upgrades at east-end Hastings Park for figure skating and a new speed skating oval at Simon Fraser University in suburban Burnaby.

``There would be a legacy attached to (the skating oval) in that it would serve purposes well beyond the life of the 2010 Winter Games,'' said Penz.

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