Organizers of a revised bid to bring the Commonwealth Games to Hamilton in 2026 will appear before city councillors next month.
Councillors, in an 11-5 vote on Monday, agreed to hear the updated pitch on Aug. 10 despite some steadfast opposition.
Stoney Creek Coun. Brad Clark says he will not be supporting the bid, “regardless” of what Hamilton 2026, Commonweath Sport Canada and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) have to say when they appear virtually on Aug. 10.
Clark says the city has an infrastructure deficit of almost $3 billion and hosting the games would “inevitably bump other capital projects for which residents have been waiting a long time.”
In Ward 9 alone, Clark notes that thousands of sidewalks, roads, bridges, culverts and trails are in need of repair.
He also points to risks related to COVID-19, such as when it will be over and “will people even attend large, international games?”
Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger insists that councillors need to see the updated 2026 proposal before they dig in their heels.
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Eisenberger says his belief is that bid organizers are “doing everything humanly possible to make it almost a zero cost scenario” for Hamilton taxpayers.
Hamilton’s bid corporation, made up of a group of local businesspeople and volunteers, had initially been pursuing the 2030 Commonwealth Games but switched its focus to 2026 at the urging of the Commonwealth Games Federation.
CGF president Dame Louise Martin has said that “due to the escalating importance of securing a host city”, it has sidestepped its own protocols in guaranteeing Hamilton the 2026 Games if it can achieve the necessary financial arrangements.
That includes getting approvals in principle in the months ahead from the city, provincial and federal governments.
City council had previously heard that the municipality would be responsible for up to 20 per cent of the $1.5 billion cost of a 2030 Commonwealth Games bid, but bid spokesperson Lou Frapporti has described their 2026 plan as a “scaled-down” version of the original proposal.
He’s also indicated that private investment will further drive down the city’s costs.
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