Hamilton politicians have voted against studying a potential bid to host the Commonwealth Games in their centennial year — at least for now.
Ward 7 Coun. Donna Skelly says we have to go beyond the “romantic idea” that Hamilton hosted the original Commonwealth Games and that 2030 will be their 100th anniversary.
Skelly insists the reality is that hosting the game is “going to cost a lot of money.”
The result of the vote was seven to six at Wednesday’s meeting of the general issues committee.
That result could change at next week’s meeting of Hamilton city council, when Mayor Fred Eisenberger who supports investigating the bid, will have returned from his trade mission to Colombia.
Others voting not to express a non-binding interest in hosting the games include Ward 4 Coun. Sam Merulla who stresses that the city has other priorities, including future light rail transit construction, and Flamborough Coun. Judi Partridge who says “we don’t need another fiasco” referencing the troubled construction of Tim Horton’s Field.
Terry Whitehead, on the other hand, says voting not to consider a bid is “short sighted” without understanding the costs, responsibilities and “legacy opportunities.”
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