Hamilton won’t bid on 2030 Commonwealth Games

Hamilton will not be bidding to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030.

City Council has made that clear, voting 10-5 to not even study the potential opportunity.

It had been a closer vote of 7-6 at the committee level, but Councillors Jason Farr, Matthew Green and Donna Skelly all switched from supporting to opposing a study of the potential costs and benefits, after having another week to think about it.

Ward 4’s Sam Merulla remains the most outspoken critic of the idea.

Merulla says the bid would be a “basket of lunacy” considering the city’s other priorities and noting that he ran on a “back to basics” platform in the last municipal election.

Mayor Fred Eisenberger believes it is “very unfortunate” that council has chosen to make a decision without “all of the facts in front of us.”

Stoney Creek’s Doug Conley also urged colleagues to gather the information, saying “closing your eyes and putting your head in the sand is not the way to go.”

2030 will be the centennial year for the Commonwealth Games, which were first held in Hamilton in 1930 as the British Empire Games.