Should London bid for 2020 International Plowing Match?

City politicians will debate Monday whether or not London should bid for the 2020 International Plowing Match.

Ward 2 Coun. Bill Armstrong first raised the idea back in October and while the suggestion received lukewarm support from London city council, after a 90 minute discussion they did ask staff to investigate the potential costs and benefits.

The report says hosting the event will be costly both in terms of time and money.

It would require up to 200 city staff and 9,000 hours of work. Staff say hosting the event would require a start-up grant of $100,000, which could be lost if the event fails to turn a profit, plus discretionary funds that would could range between $150,000 and $550,000.

Armstrong has submitted a list of 25 letters of support from the community backing his push to have London host the event in 2020.

Those writing in support of the IPM include the Covent Garden Market, the Western Fair District, Fanshawe Pioneer Village, Best Western London, Tourism London and the London International Airport.

Tourism London initially wrote a letter in support of the event, but General Manager John Winston also cautioned against it on October saying London didn’t have the infrastructure.

Armstrong hopes he has council’s support on Monday.

“I believe that this is a great opportunity,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to showcase London in many different ways. Show the world our agricultural community, show the world our agri-industry that we have and want to develop further.”

Approximately 1,000 acres of flat, well-drained farmland would be required to host the event.

The report says the five-day event typically attracts 85,000 people but is short on details about the potential economic impact.

Staff say the Ontario Plowman’s Association has done economic impact studies but “they cannot be shared at this time.”

However, Armstrong says the event would be a boost for the local economy.

“Based on a 2016 report, generated by the provincial government, the spinoffs back then were $30 million in economic activity,” he said.

The event was held in the Town of Minto in Wellington County in 2016. The Seaforth Huron Expositor reported this past March the 2016 IPM had an economic impact totalling $29 million.

London last hosted the International Plowing Match in 1928.

This year’s event was held in Walton, east of Goderich in Huron County. Now in its 100th year, the IPM has become a must-attend for high-profile politicians. The leaders of all four of Ontario’s political parties attended, as did Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The strategic priorities and policy committee will discuss bidding for the event Monday at 4 p.m.