Indigenous-Led Olympic Bid Could Bring the winter Games Back to Vancouver in 2030
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The Canadian Olympic Committee (‘COC’) and the Canadian Paralympic Committee (‘CPC’) have announced the first-ever Indigenous-led Olympic bid, proposing that the 2030 Winter Olympics be brought to Vancouver.
The Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, the City of Vancouver, and the Resort Municipality of Whistler have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (‘MOU’) to explore this possibility. If the bid is successful, it would be the second Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games hosted on Indigenous land in British Columbia after the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
“Such a bid would be the first Indigenous-led bid in the history of the Games and, if successful, would be a major step towards Reconciliation through sport. The four Host Nations proudly welcomed the world for the 2010 Vancouver Games, playing an important role as they took place on our shared territories,” a February 1 statement from the Squamish Nation read. “The 2030 Games would be an opportunity for the Host Nations, and their Members, to take on the lead role in all aspects of planning and hosting this international event.”
While a formal bid has not yet been placed, First Nations are engaging municipalities in order to assess the possibility.
“This MOU is also an important first step towards exploring the feasibility of bringing the Olympic and Paralympic Games back to the region,” the CPC and COC said in a joint statement. “We believe this agreement provides the foundation for transformative change for future event hosting and collaborative work with Indigenous communities across Canada and the world.”
The COC and CPC expressed that they “believe there is incredible potential for a transformative Olympic and Paralympic Games in the region and support a process that explores feasibility in accordance with First Nations protocol, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Report Call to Action 91, the United Nations Declarations on The Rights of Indigenous Peoples and BC’s Declaration on the Rights of Indignous Peoples.”
In a statement, Musqueam Chief Wayne Sparrow voiced this same sentiment, saying that “by exploring the possibility of bringing the Games back to our territories, we have an opportunity to create a new Olympic legacy that is grounded in our unique Indigenous perspectives.”
The Government of Canada launched the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate injustices committed against Indigenous peoples. A report with 94 Calls to Action was published in 2015.
Call to Action 91 states that the Commission calls upon “the officials and host countries of international sporting events such as the Olympics, Pan Am, and Commonwealth Games to ensure that Indigenous peoples’ territorial protocols are respected, and local Indigenous communities are engaged in all aspects of planning and participating in such events,” and was cited by the COC and CPC.
Other bids for the 2030 Winter Games are Barcelona, Zaragoza and Pyrenees, Spain, host of the 1993 Summer Games; Sapporo, Japan, host of the 1972 Winter Games; and Salt Lake City, United States, host of the 2002 Winter Games.
Vancouver fits well into what is proposed in the International Olympic Committee (‘IOC’) Agenda due to the slim budget, reuse of existing infrastructure, and suitable environment for winter sports. According to experts, Vancouver would require minimal new infrastructure because of pre-existing sliding centres, ski jumps, and speed-skating ovals, although athlete accommodation and a curling venue would be needed.
Many believe that if Vancouver’s 2030 Olympic bid is successful, the city could set a new standard for a socially responsible Games and be a vehicle for transformative change, but Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart told CBC, “No matter what is decided by the Indigenous peoples represented here today, Vancouver will continue to walk this different and unfamiliar path as we continue to put reconciliation into action.”