Looks as if a bit of a problem is on the horizon fro Canadian sport, and the federal government.
The Golden Horseshoe is interested in bidding for the 2017 Pam Am Games.
Canadian University Sport (CIS) is thinking of bidding for the FISU (summer games).
And the Commonwealth Games Federation (Canada) would like to have a Canadian bid for the 2015 Commonwealth Games.
Time to dust off that Federal Hosting Policy!
Saturday, June 07, 2008
IOC in fear of Beijing crackdown
by Paul Kelso, the Guardian
June 7, 2008 at 1.37pm.
The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic games is just 62 days away, and across the Chinese capital clocks count the days. Among International Olympic Committee executives and members gathered in Athens this week they are counting the hours to a different landmark: "Everyone is counting the days to the opening ceremony," said one senior figure. "Me? I'm looking forward to reaching the closing ceremony on August 24 and getting on the plane home."
Publicly the IOC expresses complete confidence in China's preparations, but behind the optimism lie deep anxieties about the most politically-charged and culturally challenging games in Olympic history.
Many of the senior officials in Athens this week arrived direct from Beijing where they held a series of crisis talks with the authorities following the imposition of a huge security clampdown and a new level of government-led bureaucracy that threatens to disrupt the smooth running of the games.
As well as concerns over making the games work, there are genuine fears that athletes who choose to speak out against the Chinese regime, critical media and any individuals daring to protest publicly could prompt a huge backlash from the authorities and the general public.
At the heart of the IOC's concerns is the political fallout from events of the last three months. Riots in Lahsa, Tibet in March prompted a global wave of anti-Chinese protests which found a convenient focal point in the hapless Beijing Olympic torch relay. What Beijing hoped would be a triumph degenerated into a tawdry public relations fiasco that damaged both China and the IOC.
The response in Beijing has been dramatic. Shaken by events, the Chinese authorities have ordered a huge security clampdown on Olympic sites that threatened to disrupt basic games operations.
According to seasoned Sinophiles in the Olympic movement there has also been a tangible hardening of the public and official mood too. The attacks on the torch relay came as a genuine shock to many Chinese, who feel their country has been unfairly traduced. There is bemusement too at the actions of NGOs including Amnesty that have called on athletes to speak out against the Beijing government. The Chinese code of hospitality does not include insulting your host, and the reaction of the authorities and public to anyone who does criticise China is the great unknown of this Olympiad.
The collision of 20,000 journalists, 10,000 athletes and thousands of foreign spectators with the Chinese is causing acute unease within the IOC, and some influential figures fear that any backlash could be damaging to both the games and the Olympic movement.
Most sensitive is the issue of athletes speaking out. The IOC charter prohibits "propaganda and demonstrations", and the IOC has promised to apply "common sense" when assessing whether the line has been crossed by, for example, the wearing of a Free Tibet T-shirt or an inflammatory press-conference comment.
There are no such guarantees from the elaborate Chinese security apparatus, however, and the current mood in Beijing gives little cause of optimism that they will be indulgent of dissent.
There are technical fears, too. The Chinese central government has taken a tighter grip on the project in the wake of Lhasa, restricting the ability of the Beijing organising committee (Bocog), with which the IOC has worked for seven years, to take meaningful decisions.
New security arrangements have been imposed at many venues, and the IOC fear that the three-cordon procedure proposed by Beijing could prevent athletes, officials and media - the three categories prioritised by the IOC - from being able to smoothly attend venues.
Broadcasters already setting up operations in the city have also experienced difficulties, encountering restricted vehicle access to stadia and finding that permits for filming outside venues are currently taking 21 days to process. With the games lasting just 17 days, the drawbacks are obvious.
The IOC's task in trying to resolve some of these issues has been made harder by the introduction of a new level of bureaucracy, only revealed today. A two-tier command structure has been imposed, with central government officials leading the top tier and Bocog officials and the mayor dealing with day-to-day operations. With decisions usually having to be taken swiftly, the structure poses a major challenge to the smooth running of the games.
Hein Verbruggen, the chairman of the IOC coordination commission that has steered the Beijing games since 2001, acknowledges the challenge. "The biggest challenge that we face is bureaucracy," he said this week. "The Chinese way is to plan everything to the finest detail so there are a lot of procedures in place. But the hospitality and friendliness of the people will be spectacular, and I am absolutely certain the games will leave an incredible legacy for the country."
IOC president Jacques Rogge also expressed confidence that the games would proceed smoothly, and that security arrangements would not ultimately prove overbearing. "We have asked the Chinese to try and find the right balance between security and operations, and I have confidence that they will do so," he said today.
For all the outward confidence, it would be no surprise if Rogge was among those breathing a sigh of relief on August 25.
Doha rejection exposes weakness of the Olympics
When Rogge and his executive board gathered in Athens this week, they knew the agenda was likely to be dominated by the race to host the 2016 games.
What they may not have expected was that a contest likely to be dominated by marquee cities Rio de Janeiro, Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid would be swamped in controversy surrounding the ejection of a small Gulf state with more money than genuine prospects of success.
That is what happened however after Doha, the Qatari capital and the first middle-eastern city to bid to host the games, was thrown out of the race on Wednesday evening.
The decision may ultimately have proved correct - there are many reasons why you might consider the tiny desert state an inappropriate venue for the games, starting with the role of women and the treatment of migrant workers - but the cack-handed execution and the subsequent row reveals some deep-seated insecurities in the Olympic movement.
Officially Doha was junked from the race because its request to stage the games in October 2016, thus avoiding the searing summer temperatures of the IOC's preferred window between July 15 and August 31, was rejected.According to bid insiders, Doha had been assured that the dates were no barrier to inclusion in the race, and proceeded with a bid that on technical merits was ranked above Rio and level with Chicago.
Rogge denies that the IOC misled the city, claiming that the decision was made with the interests of athletes in mind. Doha's expulsion still represented a wholesale rejection of the recommendations of the IOC's technical committee, setting a precedent the movement may come to regret.
In the wake of the Salt Lake City scandal that exposed corruption in the bidding process, Rogge oversaw a change in procedure that placed technical merit above the political and personal whims of IOC members. In Doha's case that approach appears to have been set aside, ironically to help prevent a return to the culture of graft that characterised old-school bidding.
It is hard to avoid the conclusion that Rogge and the executive committee blocked Doha because they did not trust the full IOC membership to make the correct decision in an open vote. The IOC membership is capricious and unpredictable, and had Doha made it on to the short list the full weight of its petro-dollar fortune would have been unleashed on the membership. For an organisation desperate to remove the perception that its members' votes might be for sale, that could have been disastrous.
Perhaps more seriously for the long-term health of the games, the decision exposes the relative weakness of Olympic sport in the international market. An Olympics in October would pitch the games directly against the European football leagues and the NFL and major league baseball in the US. The IOC leadership know that with track-and-field at its lowest ebb, discredited by drug scandals and pushed to the margins as a consequence, the games would be crushed by a humiliating lack of interest.
Simply, the Olympic movement's only chance of sustaining interest and, crucially, broadcast revenue is to sit in a summer window that avoids competition. With the all-important TV negotiations for 2016 that will secure the IOC's medium-term future yet to begin, Rogge was not prepared to allow even the remotest prospect that broadcasters would be asked to pay billions for an autumn games in the desert.
June 7, 2008 at 1.37pm.
The opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic games is just 62 days away, and across the Chinese capital clocks count the days. Among International Olympic Committee executives and members gathered in Athens this week they are counting the hours to a different landmark: "Everyone is counting the days to the opening ceremony," said one senior figure. "Me? I'm looking forward to reaching the closing ceremony on August 24 and getting on the plane home."
Publicly the IOC expresses complete confidence in China's preparations, but behind the optimism lie deep anxieties about the most politically-charged and culturally challenging games in Olympic history.
Many of the senior officials in Athens this week arrived direct from Beijing where they held a series of crisis talks with the authorities following the imposition of a huge security clampdown and a new level of government-led bureaucracy that threatens to disrupt the smooth running of the games.
As well as concerns over making the games work, there are genuine fears that athletes who choose to speak out against the Chinese regime, critical media and any individuals daring to protest publicly could prompt a huge backlash from the authorities and the general public.
At the heart of the IOC's concerns is the political fallout from events of the last three months. Riots in Lahsa, Tibet in March prompted a global wave of anti-Chinese protests which found a convenient focal point in the hapless Beijing Olympic torch relay. What Beijing hoped would be a triumph degenerated into a tawdry public relations fiasco that damaged both China and the IOC.
The response in Beijing has been dramatic. Shaken by events, the Chinese authorities have ordered a huge security clampdown on Olympic sites that threatened to disrupt basic games operations.
According to seasoned Sinophiles in the Olympic movement there has also been a tangible hardening of the public and official mood too. The attacks on the torch relay came as a genuine shock to many Chinese, who feel their country has been unfairly traduced. There is bemusement too at the actions of NGOs including Amnesty that have called on athletes to speak out against the Beijing government. The Chinese code of hospitality does not include insulting your host, and the reaction of the authorities and public to anyone who does criticise China is the great unknown of this Olympiad.
The collision of 20,000 journalists, 10,000 athletes and thousands of foreign spectators with the Chinese is causing acute unease within the IOC, and some influential figures fear that any backlash could be damaging to both the games and the Olympic movement.
Most sensitive is the issue of athletes speaking out. The IOC charter prohibits "propaganda and demonstrations", and the IOC has promised to apply "common sense" when assessing whether the line has been crossed by, for example, the wearing of a Free Tibet T-shirt or an inflammatory press-conference comment.
There are no such guarantees from the elaborate Chinese security apparatus, however, and the current mood in Beijing gives little cause of optimism that they will be indulgent of dissent.
There are technical fears, too. The Chinese central government has taken a tighter grip on the project in the wake of Lhasa, restricting the ability of the Beijing organising committee (Bocog), with which the IOC has worked for seven years, to take meaningful decisions.
New security arrangements have been imposed at many venues, and the IOC fear that the three-cordon procedure proposed by Beijing could prevent athletes, officials and media - the three categories prioritised by the IOC - from being able to smoothly attend venues.
Broadcasters already setting up operations in the city have also experienced difficulties, encountering restricted vehicle access to stadia and finding that permits for filming outside venues are currently taking 21 days to process. With the games lasting just 17 days, the drawbacks are obvious.
The IOC's task in trying to resolve some of these issues has been made harder by the introduction of a new level of bureaucracy, only revealed today. A two-tier command structure has been imposed, with central government officials leading the top tier and Bocog officials and the mayor dealing with day-to-day operations. With decisions usually having to be taken swiftly, the structure poses a major challenge to the smooth running of the games.
Hein Verbruggen, the chairman of the IOC coordination commission that has steered the Beijing games since 2001, acknowledges the challenge. "The biggest challenge that we face is bureaucracy," he said this week. "The Chinese way is to plan everything to the finest detail so there are a lot of procedures in place. But the hospitality and friendliness of the people will be spectacular, and I am absolutely certain the games will leave an incredible legacy for the country."
IOC president Jacques Rogge also expressed confidence that the games would proceed smoothly, and that security arrangements would not ultimately prove overbearing. "We have asked the Chinese to try and find the right balance between security and operations, and I have confidence that they will do so," he said today.
For all the outward confidence, it would be no surprise if Rogge was among those breathing a sigh of relief on August 25.
Doha rejection exposes weakness of the Olympics
When Rogge and his executive board gathered in Athens this week, they knew the agenda was likely to be dominated by the race to host the 2016 games.
What they may not have expected was that a contest likely to be dominated by marquee cities Rio de Janeiro, Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid would be swamped in controversy surrounding the ejection of a small Gulf state with more money than genuine prospects of success.
That is what happened however after Doha, the Qatari capital and the first middle-eastern city to bid to host the games, was thrown out of the race on Wednesday evening.
The decision may ultimately have proved correct - there are many reasons why you might consider the tiny desert state an inappropriate venue for the games, starting with the role of women and the treatment of migrant workers - but the cack-handed execution and the subsequent row reveals some deep-seated insecurities in the Olympic movement.
Officially Doha was junked from the race because its request to stage the games in October 2016, thus avoiding the searing summer temperatures of the IOC's preferred window between July 15 and August 31, was rejected.According to bid insiders, Doha had been assured that the dates were no barrier to inclusion in the race, and proceeded with a bid that on technical merits was ranked above Rio and level with Chicago.
Rogge denies that the IOC misled the city, claiming that the decision was made with the interests of athletes in mind. Doha's expulsion still represented a wholesale rejection of the recommendations of the IOC's technical committee, setting a precedent the movement may come to regret.
In the wake of the Salt Lake City scandal that exposed corruption in the bidding process, Rogge oversaw a change in procedure that placed technical merit above the political and personal whims of IOC members. In Doha's case that approach appears to have been set aside, ironically to help prevent a return to the culture of graft that characterised old-school bidding.
It is hard to avoid the conclusion that Rogge and the executive committee blocked Doha because they did not trust the full IOC membership to make the correct decision in an open vote. The IOC membership is capricious and unpredictable, and had Doha made it on to the short list the full weight of its petro-dollar fortune would have been unleashed on the membership. For an organisation desperate to remove the perception that its members' votes might be for sale, that could have been disastrous.
Perhaps more seriously for the long-term health of the games, the decision exposes the relative weakness of Olympic sport in the international market. An Olympics in October would pitch the games directly against the European football leagues and the NFL and major league baseball in the US. The IOC leadership know that with track-and-field at its lowest ebb, discredited by drug scandals and pushed to the margins as a consequence, the games would be crushed by a humiliating lack of interest.
Simply, the Olympic movement's only chance of sustaining interest and, crucially, broadcast revenue is to sit in a summer window that avoids competition. With the all-important TV negotiations for 2016 that will secure the IOC's medium-term future yet to begin, Rogge was not prepared to allow even the remotest prospect that broadcasters would be asked to pay billions for an autumn games in the desert.
2015 Pan Am Games Possibility in Ontario
Jun 07, 2008 04:30 AM
by Rob Ferguson Queen's Park Bureau, Toronto Star
The Ontario government is backing a $1.77 billion local bid to host the PanAm Games in 2015, seeing it as an audition for the Olympics, the Toronto Star has learned.
Now it's up to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government to decide whether to get on board with Ontario, Toronto and about a dozen municipalities in the Golden Horseshoe in pushing for the summer games.
"We like what we've seen," a senior provincial government source said yesterday after officials finished poring over the business plan for the bid, which will now be sent to Ottawa for review.
The bid envisions "four to six" new Olympic-sized pools for the games that would be held in cities stretching from Niagara, around Lake Ontario to Durham and north to the Barrie area.
"That's just the tip of the iceberg," added the source. "There are all sorts of facilities that would have to be built or refurbished."
They could include Hamilton's Ivor Wynne Stadium, home to the Tiger-Cats of the CFL.
One government official put the number of venues required to host the games at 70 or more, such as Rogers Centre, BMO Field on the CNE grounds and dozens of others for sports ranging from track and field to swimming to basketball.
"It will be a benefit to the economy of the Golden Horseshoe and it could leave a lasting legacy of recreational sports facilities," the provincial source said, estimating the financial impact during the games alone at $45 million from an estimated 10,000 athletes and 250,000 visitors from 42 countries.
The PanAm Games, open to countries in the Americas, are held every four years.
The last was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2007 and the next will be in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2011.
While no money needs to be put on the table yet, Ontario government sources said a cost-sharing plan would see the province and the federal government each put up 35 per cent, or $619.5 million.
Toronto and the other municipalities hoping to host some of the 300 sporting events would pay 30 per cent or $531 million, likely with help from the private sector.
The bid budget covers both capital costs to repair and replace worn-out sports venues as well as operating costs for running the games, which last came to Canada in 1999 when Winnipeg was the host city.
Cost will undoubtedly be a delicate point as the economy slows and government revenues are squeezed. City Hall sources warned earlier this spring that Toronto is willing to sign on as a main bidder providing Queen's Park picks up most of the tab.
But a spokesperson for Mayor David Miller said yesterday that winning federal approval for the games is the immediate goal.
"At this point talking about the funding is premature," said Don Wanagas.
"We're waiting to hear a response from the federal government. Once we see the business case that everybody's ready to get together on this we can talk about financing."
Federal officials could not immediately be reached for comment. The provincial source warned municipalities would have to make "firm commitments for the projects that they want."
At $1.77 billion, the bid value is well within the $1.5 to $2 billion originally estimated by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), which will only support the bid if all levels of government are behind it, the provincial source said.
COC chief executive Chris Rudge told the Star in March that the Golden Horseshoe is its preferred site for the PanAm Games because southern Ontario has one-third of Canada's population but is "dramatically underserviced as far as sports facilities and infrastructure."
Winning the PanAm Games would be a psychological boost for the area given Toronto's two previous failed Olympic bids and Hamilton's failure to win the Commonwealth Games.
The last major, international multi-sport event held in the area was the 1930 British Empire (now Commonwealth) Games, staged in Hamilton, a provincial source said.
Other cities believed to bidding for the 2015 PanAm Games are Lima, Peru; Bogota, Colombia; and Caracas, Venezuela.
by Rob Ferguson Queen's Park Bureau, Toronto Star
The Ontario government is backing a $1.77 billion local bid to host the PanAm Games in 2015, seeing it as an audition for the Olympics, the Toronto Star has learned.
Now it's up to Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government to decide whether to get on board with Ontario, Toronto and about a dozen municipalities in the Golden Horseshoe in pushing for the summer games.
"We like what we've seen," a senior provincial government source said yesterday after officials finished poring over the business plan for the bid, which will now be sent to Ottawa for review.
The bid envisions "four to six" new Olympic-sized pools for the games that would be held in cities stretching from Niagara, around Lake Ontario to Durham and north to the Barrie area.
"That's just the tip of the iceberg," added the source. "There are all sorts of facilities that would have to be built or refurbished."
They could include Hamilton's Ivor Wynne Stadium, home to the Tiger-Cats of the CFL.
One government official put the number of venues required to host the games at 70 or more, such as Rogers Centre, BMO Field on the CNE grounds and dozens of others for sports ranging from track and field to swimming to basketball.
"It will be a benefit to the economy of the Golden Horseshoe and it could leave a lasting legacy of recreational sports facilities," the provincial source said, estimating the financial impact during the games alone at $45 million from an estimated 10,000 athletes and 250,000 visitors from 42 countries.
The PanAm Games, open to countries in the Americas, are held every four years.
The last was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2007 and the next will be in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 2011.
While no money needs to be put on the table yet, Ontario government sources said a cost-sharing plan would see the province and the federal government each put up 35 per cent, or $619.5 million.
Toronto and the other municipalities hoping to host some of the 300 sporting events would pay 30 per cent or $531 million, likely with help from the private sector.
The bid budget covers both capital costs to repair and replace worn-out sports venues as well as operating costs for running the games, which last came to Canada in 1999 when Winnipeg was the host city.
Cost will undoubtedly be a delicate point as the economy slows and government revenues are squeezed. City Hall sources warned earlier this spring that Toronto is willing to sign on as a main bidder providing Queen's Park picks up most of the tab.
But a spokesperson for Mayor David Miller said yesterday that winning federal approval for the games is the immediate goal.
"At this point talking about the funding is premature," said Don Wanagas.
"We're waiting to hear a response from the federal government. Once we see the business case that everybody's ready to get together on this we can talk about financing."
Federal officials could not immediately be reached for comment. The provincial source warned municipalities would have to make "firm commitments for the projects that they want."
At $1.77 billion, the bid value is well within the $1.5 to $2 billion originally estimated by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), which will only support the bid if all levels of government are behind it, the provincial source said.
COC chief executive Chris Rudge told the Star in March that the Golden Horseshoe is its preferred site for the PanAm Games because southern Ontario has one-third of Canada's population but is "dramatically underserviced as far as sports facilities and infrastructure."
Winning the PanAm Games would be a psychological boost for the area given Toronto's two previous failed Olympic bids and Hamilton's failure to win the Commonwealth Games.
The last major, international multi-sport event held in the area was the 1930 British Empire (now Commonwealth) Games, staged in Hamilton, a provincial source said.
Other cities believed to bidding for the 2015 PanAm Games are Lima, Peru; Bogota, Colombia; and Caracas, Venezuela.
Winnipeg Peregrine Falcons Die
The 3 newly-hatched Peregrine Falcons that were in a nest at the Radisson Hotel in Winnipeg, died June 6th as a result of too much rain pouring into their nest, really extreme cold and water.
http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/features/falcon/
A very sad story.
http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/features/falcon/
A very sad story.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
And Besides.....
The new KINGSTON AQUATICS CENTRE would have many amenities:
One of the amenities would be 2, 25m swimming pools.
Another amenity would be a warm, gradual depth pool that is perfect for children to play in.
Another amenity would be diving boards.
Another amenity would be a nice outdoor patio where visiting families can get a cool drink while their children are playing in the pools.
Another amenity would be lots of light and windows.
What other amenities would YOU like in YOUR new AQUATICS CENTRE? It's YOURs. Have a say!!
One of the amenities would be 2, 25m swimming pools.
Another amenity would be a warm, gradual depth pool that is perfect for children to play in.
Another amenity would be diving boards.
Another amenity would be a nice outdoor patio where visiting families can get a cool drink while their children are playing in the pools.
Another amenity would be lots of light and windows.
What other amenities would YOU like in YOUR new AQUATICS CENTRE? It's YOURs. Have a say!!
Kingston Aquatic Centre
As Kingstonians become more active with spring's arrival, and the prospect of summer, it is discouraging to read and hear incorrect "facts" circulating about efforts to develop an all-season AQUATIC CENTRE in Kingston.
Even the Mayor, who should know better, talks about a 50m pool that only a few will use and want.
This is abslutely untrue.
Everyone who has said they think that we need more pool facilities has also read about or visited fantastic AQUATIC CENTRES that they've seen all over this country, the USA, and Europe. These are "people places" used extensively by rich and poor, swimmers and non-swimmers: people who enjoy life and the fun and relaxation that comes with a facility designed for many activities.
It is time that the Mayor and those who write to The Whig become more educated about AQUATIC CENBTRES/COMPLEXES and stop being so ignorant about what is being discussed. There is plenty of information about a Kingston AQUATIC CENTRE online, available free for everyone. Visit
http://ktownaquaticcentre.ca/
and become informed.
It is not unusual for those who suppoort one position, to spread incorrect info about the "opposition." However, most Canadians intensely dislike dishonest politicians, and are telling them that.
Even the Mayor, who should know better, talks about a 50m pool that only a few will use and want.
This is abslutely untrue.
Everyone who has said they think that we need more pool facilities has also read about or visited fantastic AQUATIC CENTRES that they've seen all over this country, the USA, and Europe. These are "people places" used extensively by rich and poor, swimmers and non-swimmers: people who enjoy life and the fun and relaxation that comes with a facility designed for many activities.
It is time that the Mayor and those who write to The Whig become more educated about AQUATIC CENBTRES/COMPLEXES and stop being so ignorant about what is being discussed. There is plenty of information about a Kingston AQUATIC CENTRE online, available free for everyone. Visit
http://ktownaquaticcentre.ca/
and become informed.
It is not unusual for those who suppoort one position, to spread incorrect info about the "opposition." However, most Canadians intensely dislike dishonest politicians, and are telling them that.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Peregrine Falcons Growing Up
http://www.cbc.ca/manitoba/features/falcon/
Follow the link to see a Peregrine Falcon keeping her 3 babies warm on the Radisson Hotel in Winnipeg.
We have been watching the eggs hatch, then the babies being fed, and parents changing places. This is truly one fine experience.
Show your children!
Follow the link to see a Peregrine Falcon keeping her 3 babies warm on the Radisson Hotel in Winnipeg.
We have been watching the eggs hatch, then the babies being fed, and parents changing places. This is truly one fine experience.
Show your children!
Fall Election? Definitely!
This government is absolutely incredible.
It is led by a man whose ethics are not ingrained, like most Canadians, but that are skin deep and can be changed (like underwear, as Ms Couillard would say) for convenience and to keep in power.
This is a man who claims to be honourable. No one in this country would use that word to describe him.
The sooner Canadians can get to the polls, the better.
It is led by a man whose ethics are not ingrained, like most Canadians, but that are skin deep and can be changed (like underwear, as Ms Couillard would say) for convenience and to keep in power.
This is a man who claims to be honourable. No one in this country would use that word to describe him.
The sooner Canadians can get to the polls, the better.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
More on Queen's and its Principal
The last few years at Queen's have been full of change. New facilities, building construction, street redesign and upgrading, new policies, faculty and staff retirements and new hires....the list is long.
The next few years must be seen as a period of "entrenchment." This isn't stagnation, not doing anything, standing pat. It is insuring that initiatives of the past few years are incorporated into the university's modus operandi.
It takes a particular kind of person to do this effectively, not "just anybody."
Let's hope that those who identify the criteria essential for the next Principal, take this into account.
The next few years must be seen as a period of "entrenchment." This isn't stagnation, not doing anything, standing pat. It is insuring that initiatives of the past few years are incorporated into the university's modus operandi.
It takes a particular kind of person to do this effectively, not "just anybody."
Let's hope that those who identify the criteria essential for the next Principal, take this into account.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Queen's and It's Most Recent Principal
It's not easy for an organization to lose the person who holds the top position, particularly when the person is expected to continue in the job.
Until the AMS passed its resolution in March, there had only been rumblings and grapevine talk about the job that the principal was doing. The resolution forced, fortunately, the talk-over-coffee out into the open.
I was fortunate to be a part of a group called "The Group for Excellence." Its sole raison d'etre was to provide expert input into the physical activity component of the Queen's Centre. The group met for almost 3 years, developed a program for the facility, met with key persons on campus who were involved in the process, lobbied the trustees, and ultimately met with Principal Hitchcock to explain our suggestions, and try to have her understand the tremendous benefits of the university building a 50m swimming pool.
It was at this meeting (with one other graduate of Queen's, and the Principal) that I began to understand that she really didn't want to hear what we had to say, and really didn't care at all. Our meeting was half an hour. We had carefully planned the key points to make, the rationale, and the counter-arguments we expected her to make. We barely opened our mouths before SHE began to talk. She pretty well talked the whole time. We did make our key point, but it was quite clear that she had made up her mind and there was no point in our banging our heads against a concrete wall.
In all the years I have worked with others who are committed to a project, the "Group for Excellence" was the most satisfying, and the least satisfying. A group of about 15 people with wide sport interests agreed that the greater good would be served by our working together.
Never have I presented an idea to someone who not only refused to listen, but insisted in talking the whole time.
So the resolution that the AMS passed didn't surprise me, and it didn't surprise me to hear that students on campus think she doesn't connect with them. She doesn't.
Communication is a 2 way thing, and listening requires "hearing" what others are saying. One of the common techniques to effective listening is to concentrate on what is being said, and NOT getting ready to counter the arguments.
It has been said that her gender and American citizenship were the factors that did her in. It is more than that. She never really understood the "culture"of Queen's, the "Big Four" universities, or the traditions that (for good and bad) are entrenched in this institution. There's stuff at this university that creates the culture of this university; it has been here forever, and every year, it gets further entrenched.
Bill Leggett wasn't a Queen's grad, but he knew the MGill culture, not the same as Queen's, but a unique culture that differentiates it from every other university. And certainly differentiates it from any American university/college. And Leggett was liked by the students.
Principal Hitchcock never figured it out, didn't seem to be TRYING to figure it out.
We missed her at football games in the fall, except for the "command performance" at homecoming. Her presence there would have sent a positive message to students, and more importantly, to alumni who populate the west grandstand, and who cough up the bucks.
When the powers-that-be get down to deciding what the next principal needs, let's hope that they decide that being a Queen's grad is essential. The pieces need to be gathered up and put back together again, and only a Queen's grad can do that.
This is THE essential ingredient for the next principal.
Until the AMS passed its resolution in March, there had only been rumblings and grapevine talk about the job that the principal was doing. The resolution forced, fortunately, the talk-over-coffee out into the open.
I was fortunate to be a part of a group called "The Group for Excellence." Its sole raison d'etre was to provide expert input into the physical activity component of the Queen's Centre. The group met for almost 3 years, developed a program for the facility, met with key persons on campus who were involved in the process, lobbied the trustees, and ultimately met with Principal Hitchcock to explain our suggestions, and try to have her understand the tremendous benefits of the university building a 50m swimming pool.
It was at this meeting (with one other graduate of Queen's, and the Principal) that I began to understand that she really didn't want to hear what we had to say, and really didn't care at all. Our meeting was half an hour. We had carefully planned the key points to make, the rationale, and the counter-arguments we expected her to make. We barely opened our mouths before SHE began to talk. She pretty well talked the whole time. We did make our key point, but it was quite clear that she had made up her mind and there was no point in our banging our heads against a concrete wall.
In all the years I have worked with others who are committed to a project, the "Group for Excellence" was the most satisfying, and the least satisfying. A group of about 15 people with wide sport interests agreed that the greater good would be served by our working together.
Never have I presented an idea to someone who not only refused to listen, but insisted in talking the whole time.
So the resolution that the AMS passed didn't surprise me, and it didn't surprise me to hear that students on campus think she doesn't connect with them. She doesn't.
Communication is a 2 way thing, and listening requires "hearing" what others are saying. One of the common techniques to effective listening is to concentrate on what is being said, and NOT getting ready to counter the arguments.
It has been said that her gender and American citizenship were the factors that did her in. It is more than that. She never really understood the "culture"of Queen's, the "Big Four" universities, or the traditions that (for good and bad) are entrenched in this institution. There's stuff at this university that creates the culture of this university; it has been here forever, and every year, it gets further entrenched.
Bill Leggett wasn't a Queen's grad, but he knew the MGill culture, not the same as Queen's, but a unique culture that differentiates it from every other university. And certainly differentiates it from any American university/college. And Leggett was liked by the students.
Principal Hitchcock never figured it out, didn't seem to be TRYING to figure it out.
We missed her at football games in the fall, except for the "command performance" at homecoming. Her presence there would have sent a positive message to students, and more importantly, to alumni who populate the west grandstand, and who cough up the bucks.
When the powers-that-be get down to deciding what the next principal needs, let's hope that they decide that being a Queen's grad is essential. The pieces need to be gathered up and put back together again, and only a Queen's grad can do that.
This is THE essential ingredient for the next principal.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
It Matters A LOT
Patrons to the new arena in downtown Kingston have reported a lot of unfortunate things about the facility. The most recent, and perhaps the most irritating, is the fact that the Canadian flag is flying incorrectly.
Canadian flag protocol requires that when two flags are being flown, the Canadian flag is placed to the left of the other nation's flag. This is not quite written in (lime)stone, but almost.
In the new rink, the Canadian flag is being flown on the right of the USA flag.
Apparently, when this was brought to the attention (twice, at least) of the rink's management, the person who pointed this out, was told that it would require a cherry-picker -type of equipment to change it. The inference being that it would cost a lot of money to hire one, and it wasn't worth the cost.
Here's the news: it IS worth the cost of renting the necessary equipment.
In this town, there ARE a lot of people who think that it is important to fly the Canadian flag correctly. And, in fact, there are a lot of Canadians who think that too. And I am one. It is important to fly the flag correctly. Not just now, or in Kingston where the armed forces are constantly present, but in every town and hamlet in this country.
If this matters so little to the rink's management, is there anything that matters MORE? Oh yes. Selling tickets.
Speaking of which, in an unprompted conversation today, a woman told me of her recent visit to the rink to get tickets for some show. She was told that there were none there, but she could get them online.
"Online?" she said.
"Yes. They have them online."
Heavens....all those add-ons, coming to almost $15.00 per ticket! The management makes it so that if one wants tickets, they have to be bought online, even if the customer is standing right there at the ticket wicket. What a rip-off.
This is another example of the cavalier attitude demonstrated at the new rink.
Someone should tell Councillor Hector that the flags are being flown incorrectly. Then, get your stopwatch out, and see how long it takes to order up a cherry picker! Nanoseconds!!!!
Canadian flag protocol requires that when two flags are being flown, the Canadian flag is placed to the left of the other nation's flag. This is not quite written in (lime)stone, but almost.
In the new rink, the Canadian flag is being flown on the right of the USA flag.
Apparently, when this was brought to the attention (twice, at least) of the rink's management, the person who pointed this out, was told that it would require a cherry-picker -type of equipment to change it. The inference being that it would cost a lot of money to hire one, and it wasn't worth the cost.
Here's the news: it IS worth the cost of renting the necessary equipment.
In this town, there ARE a lot of people who think that it is important to fly the Canadian flag correctly. And, in fact, there are a lot of Canadians who think that too. And I am one. It is important to fly the flag correctly. Not just now, or in Kingston where the armed forces are constantly present, but in every town and hamlet in this country.
If this matters so little to the rink's management, is there anything that matters MORE? Oh yes. Selling tickets.
Speaking of which, in an unprompted conversation today, a woman told me of her recent visit to the rink to get tickets for some show. She was told that there were none there, but she could get them online.
"Online?" she said.
"Yes. They have them online."
Heavens....all those add-ons, coming to almost $15.00 per ticket! The management makes it so that if one wants tickets, they have to be bought online, even if the customer is standing right there at the ticket wicket. What a rip-off.
This is another example of the cavalier attitude demonstrated at the new rink.
Someone should tell Councillor Hector that the flags are being flown incorrectly. Then, get your stopwatch out, and see how long it takes to order up a cherry picker! Nanoseconds!!!!
Saturday, April 05, 2008
MEMO TO HARPER: Don't even think about a boycott.
THE CANADIAN PRESS, MONTREAL, April 4, 2008
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says it's too early to talk about any boycott of the 2008 Olympics, but most athletes would prefer to simply strike the dreaded b-word from the dictionary.
The thought of missing the Beijing Olympics weighs heavily on the minds of many Canadian athletes who have spent a lifetime training for the global athletic event. Politics and sports just don't mix, says Canadian swimming sensation Brent Hayden. "I'm an athlete, I'm not a politician and I'm going to compete at the Games no matter where they're held," Hayden said Friday during Olympic swimming trials in Montreal.
China's violent crackdown on riots in Tibet has prompted human rights groups to call for a boycott of the Games. Amnesty International has accused China of human rights abuses.
Harper won't attend the opening ceremony in August. Instead he will send a high-level delegation to represent Canada. The prime minister said his absence has nothing to do with a boycott and that he planned to skip the ceremonies long before the unrest in Tibet. The Canadian Olympic Committee would not comment on Harper skipping the ceremony. There is no set protocol on whether a prime minister or head of state should attend and rulers around the world are making different plans.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has mused he and the entire French team might boycott the opening ceremonies while allowing athletes to take part in competition. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she will take a pass on the opening while U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown plan to attend.
Calgary swimmer Mike Brown says he won't boycott the Games, but he wouldn't hold it against any athlete who did. "I would have liked (Harper) to have been there," Brown said. But the 23-year-old Brown says the thought of missing the Games is unfathomable. "I would be very heartbroken if everything gets put on hold," Brown said. "For somebody else to decide that we're not allowed to compete at the Games? That doesn't seem right to me."
Most Canadians seem to be on the same page as the athletes. A survey by Harris-Decima conducted at the end of March found only 13 per cent of Canadians supported a boycott, though more than half wanted some form of protest that would still allow Canadian athletes to compete. Pierre Lafontaine, Swimming Canada's CEO and head coach, says his team likely won't take part in the opening ceremonies as his athletes' competition begins the following morning. "I don't think the swimming team has ever gone because it takes four or five days to recover," Lafontaine said. But any boycott talk irks Lafontaine, who said "boycotting the games has never worked, is never good." Boycotts only hurt the morale of young athletes who have spent a lifetime training for an Olympic spot, he said. "This is the one common denominator around the world that brings people together," Lafontaine said. "It's the one thing -- it's not religion, it's not politics -- it's sports."
First-time Olympian Tanya Hunks says she has sacrificed too much to even fathom the idea of not going to the Games. "It kind of breaks my heart," Hunks said of boycott talk. "I've put my life on hold for this and so many athletes have." Hunks says boycotting the games in the past has shown no benefits, referring to Canada's boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. "Waking up at 5 a.m. is hard, so we deserve" to go, said the 27-year-old Vancouver native.
This week there were signs that tension is easing in Tibet as the Chinese government announced it would reopen the region to tourism by May. However, reports Friday said China's state media were reporting new violence had broken out in a volatile Tibetan region, leaving at least one government official seriously injured.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says it's too early to talk about any boycott of the 2008 Olympics, but most athletes would prefer to simply strike the dreaded b-word from the dictionary.
The thought of missing the Beijing Olympics weighs heavily on the minds of many Canadian athletes who have spent a lifetime training for the global athletic event. Politics and sports just don't mix, says Canadian swimming sensation Brent Hayden. "I'm an athlete, I'm not a politician and I'm going to compete at the Games no matter where they're held," Hayden said Friday during Olympic swimming trials in Montreal.
China's violent crackdown on riots in Tibet has prompted human rights groups to call for a boycott of the Games. Amnesty International has accused China of human rights abuses.
Harper won't attend the opening ceremony in August. Instead he will send a high-level delegation to represent Canada. The prime minister said his absence has nothing to do with a boycott and that he planned to skip the ceremonies long before the unrest in Tibet. The Canadian Olympic Committee would not comment on Harper skipping the ceremony. There is no set protocol on whether a prime minister or head of state should attend and rulers around the world are making different plans.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has mused he and the entire French team might boycott the opening ceremonies while allowing athletes to take part in competition. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she will take a pass on the opening while U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown plan to attend.
Calgary swimmer Mike Brown says he won't boycott the Games, but he wouldn't hold it against any athlete who did. "I would have liked (Harper) to have been there," Brown said. But the 23-year-old Brown says the thought of missing the Games is unfathomable. "I would be very heartbroken if everything gets put on hold," Brown said. "For somebody else to decide that we're not allowed to compete at the Games? That doesn't seem right to me."
Most Canadians seem to be on the same page as the athletes. A survey by Harris-Decima conducted at the end of March found only 13 per cent of Canadians supported a boycott, though more than half wanted some form of protest that would still allow Canadian athletes to compete. Pierre Lafontaine, Swimming Canada's CEO and head coach, says his team likely won't take part in the opening ceremonies as his athletes' competition begins the following morning. "I don't think the swimming team has ever gone because it takes four or five days to recover," Lafontaine said. But any boycott talk irks Lafontaine, who said "boycotting the games has never worked, is never good." Boycotts only hurt the morale of young athletes who have spent a lifetime training for an Olympic spot, he said. "This is the one common denominator around the world that brings people together," Lafontaine said. "It's the one thing -- it's not religion, it's not politics -- it's sports."
First-time Olympian Tanya Hunks says she has sacrificed too much to even fathom the idea of not going to the Games. "It kind of breaks my heart," Hunks said of boycott talk. "I've put my life on hold for this and so many athletes have." Hunks says boycotting the games in the past has shown no benefits, referring to Canada's boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. "Waking up at 5 a.m. is hard, so we deserve" to go, said the 27-year-old Vancouver native.
This week there were signs that tension is easing in Tibet as the Chinese government announced it would reopen the region to tourism by May. However, reports Friday said China's state media were reporting new violence had broken out in a volatile Tibetan region, leaving at least one government official seriously injured.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Exciting Week for Canadian Swimming!
The Canadian Olympic swim team will be chosen this week at the Olympic Pool in Montreal.
This is a great week to check out CBC TV at 6.30pm for daily updates, and Saturday afternoon at 2.30pm for the finale.
There are Kingston area swimmers in the pool, swimming theeir hearts out, hoping to make the 2008 team, but definitely setting the stage for 20012 in London, or 2016.
Check out www.swimming.ca
for live coverage, and updates.
Canadian swimming has entered a new exciting era, led by retired Olympian swimmer Dan Thompson (President) and CEO Pierre Lafontaine. Inspired leadership. Get behind them!
This is a great week to check out CBC TV at 6.30pm for daily updates, and Saturday afternoon at 2.30pm for the finale.
There are Kingston area swimmers in the pool, swimming theeir hearts out, hoping to make the 2008 team, but definitely setting the stage for 20012 in London, or 2016.
Check out www.swimming.ca
for live coverage, and updates.
Canadian swimming has entered a new exciting era, led by retired Olympian swimmer Dan Thompson (President) and CEO Pierre Lafontaine. Inspired leadership. Get behind them!
Public Tears Really Are Private
Jennifer Jones' team won the World Curling Championship yesterday. It was a great game to watch, with an end that pleases Canadians.
If you have stood at the top of the podium, you will know about tears. If you have led or coached a team or athletes who have stood there, you will know about tears.
If you have not done any of these things, don't make any assumptions about tears. Although public, they are priviate, and unique. For every person whose tears well up, the reasons are private and are often never spoken.
Be happy for athletes at the top of the podium. Help them savour the moment, and the moments that follow. They never want it to end.
"It was great," said second Jill Officer, 32. "Loud and proud, baby. It was awesome and when the beat really picks up at the end there, I just totally had chills all the way down my body."
Wonderful!
If you have stood at the top of the podium, you will know about tears. If you have led or coached a team or athletes who have stood there, you will know about tears.
If you have not done any of these things, don't make any assumptions about tears. Although public, they are priviate, and unique. For every person whose tears well up, the reasons are private and are often never spoken.
Be happy for athletes at the top of the podium. Help them savour the moment, and the moments that follow. They never want it to end.
"It was great," said second Jill Officer, 32. "Loud and proud, baby. It was awesome and when the beat really picks up at the end there, I just totally had chills all the way down my body."
Wonderful!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Swim Canada OLYMPIC TRIALS
Montreal, April 1-6,2008.
Hit the wall first; go to Beijing. Not complicated, no subjectivity. Clean and simple.
And how well Kingston will be represented, in spite of our wait for an aquatic complex!
NEWS Update from KAARS, Kingston Association of Aquatic Recreation & Sport.....
Kingston Supports Its Olympic Hopefuls
To show our support to the half dozen Kingston swimmers competing in a number of events at the Olympic trials, Kingston Sport Tourism of KEDCO and the Kingston Association of Aquatic Recreation and Sport (KAARS) joined efforts to sponsor the women’s 400m medley relay event at the CN (sponsored by Canadian National Corp) Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials, a six-day national competition that will take place April 1-6 at the Olympic Park Pool in Montreal, QC.
Canada’s elite swimmers will compete at the trials to earn a place on Canada’s Beijing Olympic Team. Touching the wall first is all that matters in making the Team. This will include the 24-year old Elizabeth Wycliffe, Kingston Kiwanis Amateur Athlete of the Year, from the Ernestown Barracudas Swim Club who presently trains at the University of Texas. Wycliffe is ranked as Canada’s number one swimmer for that event. She’s also number one ranked in the 100m backstroke.
This is just one hopeful that is trying out for the team as five more Kingston swimmers have qualified to compete at the Trials. We have two 18-year olds, Jessica Craig and Pamela Ruksys, 17-year old Benjamin Roberts and then Allie Duff at 14. The biggest surprise of all is Amanda McCormack who is only 12. They are all working to position themselves in Canada’s swimming ranks, and we are very proud to be supporting them.
Each day, swimmers will be nominated to the Olympic & Paralympic Team as they race their speciality event. All members of Canada’s swim team will be nominated at the 2008 Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials in Montreal.
Forty to fifty of Kingston’s swimming enthusiasts will be travelling to the Montreal Olympic Pool over the weekend to watch the competition. There are seats on the bus (including entry ticket) still available for the April 5th finals at $40 each/double. If interested in getting on board contact KBMtour@kingston.net . There will be CBC coverage on Saturday afternoon with taped hi-lites broadcast on Monday, April 7th (check your listings). All-in-all, Kingston should be proud regardless of the outcome.
Visit www.ktownaquaticcentre.ca
for updates on the swimming trials, and for news about out efforts, along with city staff and many supportive citizens, to build an AQUATIC CENTRE in Kingston. It's time! We're in the right location!
Just think....if we had an AQUATIC CENTRE in Kingston, young Olympic hopeful AMANDA MCCORMACK would be able to stay here to train for the 2016 Olympic Games, and our local children could train alongside her, and become the best they could be!
An exciting thought, so let's have a KINGSTON AQUATIC CENTRE!
Hit the wall first; go to Beijing. Not complicated, no subjectivity. Clean and simple.
And how well Kingston will be represented, in spite of our wait for an aquatic complex!
NEWS Update from KAARS, Kingston Association of Aquatic Recreation & Sport.....
Kingston Supports Its Olympic Hopefuls
To show our support to the half dozen Kingston swimmers competing in a number of events at the Olympic trials, Kingston Sport Tourism of KEDCO and the Kingston Association of Aquatic Recreation and Sport (KAARS) joined efforts to sponsor the women’s 400m medley relay event at the CN (sponsored by Canadian National Corp) Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials, a six-day national competition that will take place April 1-6 at the Olympic Park Pool in Montreal, QC.
Canada’s elite swimmers will compete at the trials to earn a place on Canada’s Beijing Olympic Team. Touching the wall first is all that matters in making the Team. This will include the 24-year old Elizabeth Wycliffe, Kingston Kiwanis Amateur Athlete of the Year, from the Ernestown Barracudas Swim Club who presently trains at the University of Texas. Wycliffe is ranked as Canada’s number one swimmer for that event. She’s also number one ranked in the 100m backstroke.
This is just one hopeful that is trying out for the team as five more Kingston swimmers have qualified to compete at the Trials. We have two 18-year olds, Jessica Craig and Pamela Ruksys, 17-year old Benjamin Roberts and then Allie Duff at 14. The biggest surprise of all is Amanda McCormack who is only 12. They are all working to position themselves in Canada’s swimming ranks, and we are very proud to be supporting them.
Each day, swimmers will be nominated to the Olympic & Paralympic Team as they race their speciality event. All members of Canada’s swim team will be nominated at the 2008 Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials in Montreal.
Forty to fifty of Kingston’s swimming enthusiasts will be travelling to the Montreal Olympic Pool over the weekend to watch the competition. There are seats on the bus (including entry ticket) still available for the April 5th finals at $40 each/double. If interested in getting on board contact KBMtour@kingston.net . There will be CBC coverage on Saturday afternoon with taped hi-lites broadcast on Monday, April 7th (check your listings). All-in-all, Kingston should be proud regardless of the outcome.
Visit www.ktownaquaticcentre.ca
for updates on the swimming trials, and for news about out efforts, along with city staff and many supportive citizens, to build an AQUATIC CENTRE in Kingston. It's time! We're in the right location!
Just think....if we had an AQUATIC CENTRE in Kingston, young Olympic hopeful AMANDA MCCORMACK would be able to stay here to train for the 2016 Olympic Games, and our local children could train alongside her, and become the best they could be!
An exciting thought, so let's have a KINGSTON AQUATIC CENTRE!
Olympics: Jittery sponsors stay loyal to China, but worry in private
Olympics: Jittery sponsors stay loyal to China, but worry in private
March 28, 2008
from AFP
BEIJING (AFP) — Big corporations are still loyal backers of the Beijing Olympics, looking beyond boycott calls and protests over Tibet, Darfur and human rights to their long term interests in China.
Firms such as Coca-Cola, Visa, Volkswagen and Adidas are jittery about the bad news swirling around the Games but are even more worried about offending Beijing's rulers, according to experts.
"The Chinese government is the gatekeeper to 1.3 billion potential consumers so they are choosing their words carefully," said Damien Ryan, a Hong Kong-based media advisor with Ryan Financial Communications.
"Nobody wants to say a word that could be used against them down the road."
As recently as three months ago the Beijing Olympics looked like a win-win marketing dream for the world's top companies who fought tooth and nail, and paid tens of millions of dollars, for the right to sponsor the event.
The opportunities remain dazzling in a country where the consumer base is measured in hundreds of millions, but suddenly the companies find themselves in a position where they have to explain themselves.
"The line so far is that the Olympics are a force for good and sponsors are part of that change for good," said Ryan.
But sponsors have been unable to deflect pressure from campaign groups who are urging them to bring pressure to bear on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and on the Beijing Games organisers.
Group such as the Students for a Free Tibet, which want the IOC to reroute the torch relay to eliminate the Tibet leg, are planning to launch grass roots campaigns targeting sponsors.
Dream for Darfur, an organisation set up to pressure China into helping end the bloodshed in the western Sudanese region, has also urged Olympic sponsors to speak out publicly on the issue.
Those who fail to do so will face "intensive advocacy," that may include demonstrations at corporate headquarters, said Jill Savitt, the group's director.
Coca-Cola, Samsung and computer maker Lenovo, which are sponsors of the torch relay in addition to being top Olympic sponsors, and other firms have shown no signs of wavering publicly on their backing for the event or the Games themselves.
Coca-Cola said in a statement it was "inappropriate" for sponsors to comment on the political situation of individual nations and that it "firmly believed the Olympics are a force for good."
"We remain committed to supporting the torch relay, which provides a unique opportunity to share the Olympic values of unity, pride and inspiration with people all over the world," the firm added.
Adidas, another veteran Olympic sponsor, expressed concern about Tibet and also addressed boycott calls.
"We are concerned about the recent situation in Tibet. We hope that the situation will calm down very soon," the firm said in a statement.
"We believe that a boycott of the Beijing Olympic Games would be counter-productive and we have therefore reiterated our commitment to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games."
Privately, however, firms are worried, according to western marketing experts in Beijing.
They have appointed crisis management teams, increased their budgets for media consultants, and have been talking privately to the Beijing Olympic organising committee, which has invited sponsors to Beijing for talks later this month
At least one multinational sponsor is considering cutting its budget for Olympic-related marketing in the west because it fears a possible consumer backlash there, where opposition to China's Tibet crackdown is high.
The sponsors have also become more conciliatory towards human rights and other groups.
Last year, multinational Olympic sponsors refused to meet with Dream for Darfur representatives.
That has changed. Savitt and Hollywood actress Mia Farrow, the organisation's founder, have been meeting with sponsors for the past week in the United States.
Nicholas Bequelin, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, said big firms were also "much more open to meeting with us and hearing from us."
"We have told them that there are high reputational risks to be associated with any event that takes place in a one party dictatorship," he said.
March 28, 2008
from AFP
BEIJING (AFP) — Big corporations are still loyal backers of the Beijing Olympics, looking beyond boycott calls and protests over Tibet, Darfur and human rights to their long term interests in China.
Firms such as Coca-Cola, Visa, Volkswagen and Adidas are jittery about the bad news swirling around the Games but are even more worried about offending Beijing's rulers, according to experts.
"The Chinese government is the gatekeeper to 1.3 billion potential consumers so they are choosing their words carefully," said Damien Ryan, a Hong Kong-based media advisor with Ryan Financial Communications.
"Nobody wants to say a word that could be used against them down the road."
As recently as three months ago the Beijing Olympics looked like a win-win marketing dream for the world's top companies who fought tooth and nail, and paid tens of millions of dollars, for the right to sponsor the event.
The opportunities remain dazzling in a country where the consumer base is measured in hundreds of millions, but suddenly the companies find themselves in a position where they have to explain themselves.
"The line so far is that the Olympics are a force for good and sponsors are part of that change for good," said Ryan.
But sponsors have been unable to deflect pressure from campaign groups who are urging them to bring pressure to bear on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and on the Beijing Games organisers.
Group such as the Students for a Free Tibet, which want the IOC to reroute the torch relay to eliminate the Tibet leg, are planning to launch grass roots campaigns targeting sponsors.
Dream for Darfur, an organisation set up to pressure China into helping end the bloodshed in the western Sudanese region, has also urged Olympic sponsors to speak out publicly on the issue.
Those who fail to do so will face "intensive advocacy," that may include demonstrations at corporate headquarters, said Jill Savitt, the group's director.
Coca-Cola, Samsung and computer maker Lenovo, which are sponsors of the torch relay in addition to being top Olympic sponsors, and other firms have shown no signs of wavering publicly on their backing for the event or the Games themselves.
Coca-Cola said in a statement it was "inappropriate" for sponsors to comment on the political situation of individual nations and that it "firmly believed the Olympics are a force for good."
"We remain committed to supporting the torch relay, which provides a unique opportunity to share the Olympic values of unity, pride and inspiration with people all over the world," the firm added.
Adidas, another veteran Olympic sponsor, expressed concern about Tibet and also addressed boycott calls.
"We are concerned about the recent situation in Tibet. We hope that the situation will calm down very soon," the firm said in a statement.
"We believe that a boycott of the Beijing Olympic Games would be counter-productive and we have therefore reiterated our commitment to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games."
Privately, however, firms are worried, according to western marketing experts in Beijing.
They have appointed crisis management teams, increased their budgets for media consultants, and have been talking privately to the Beijing Olympic organising committee, which has invited sponsors to Beijing for talks later this month
At least one multinational sponsor is considering cutting its budget for Olympic-related marketing in the west because it fears a possible consumer backlash there, where opposition to China's Tibet crackdown is high.
The sponsors have also become more conciliatory towards human rights and other groups.
Last year, multinational Olympic sponsors refused to meet with Dream for Darfur representatives.
That has changed. Savitt and Hollywood actress Mia Farrow, the organisation's founder, have been meeting with sponsors for the past week in the United States.
Nicholas Bequelin, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, said big firms were also "much more open to meeting with us and hearing from us."
"We have told them that there are high reputational risks to be associated with any event that takes place in a one party dictatorship," he said.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Now Here's a Ridiculous Idea
To think that Kingstonians, or Ontarians in general, would support another tax, is unimaginable. Yet, a Kingstonian who holds a high office, is floating that idea. A municipal tax for infrastructure.
Yesterday, the Mayor of Sarnia said that she does not support a municipal tax. Others have spoken out against this incredible idea, long before the Mayor of Sarnia said it.
It's another bone-headed idea, to match the one in which the city shoe-horned its new rink into one downtown block, made no provision for parking, did not conduct credible traffic studies prior to deciding to build there, had virtually no idea where the money was to come from, ignored thousands of local taxpayers who opposed the location, and counted on federal government support when there was little (if any) support noticeable from the feds.
Then, in the time since construction started, had the audacity to beat on the federal government on a number of issues and STILL expect it to give, not $4 million, but $8 million!
Kingstonians can barely comprehend all this.
Yesterday, the Mayor of Sarnia said that she does not support a municipal tax. Others have spoken out against this incredible idea, long before the Mayor of Sarnia said it.
It's another bone-headed idea, to match the one in which the city shoe-horned its new rink into one downtown block, made no provision for parking, did not conduct credible traffic studies prior to deciding to build there, had virtually no idea where the money was to come from, ignored thousands of local taxpayers who opposed the location, and counted on federal government support when there was little (if any) support noticeable from the feds.
Then, in the time since construction started, had the audacity to beat on the federal government on a number of issues and STILL expect it to give, not $4 million, but $8 million!
Kingstonians can barely comprehend all this.
NO Boycott of the Beijing Olympic Games
Speak up.
Canada should not boycott the 2008 OG.
No athlete would support it, espeecially those who were hurt by the 1980 boycott. Those athletes, including Sue Holloway, kayaker at the time, have had 28 years to reflect on it. It's amazing that they don't seem bitter.
The Canadian government can't tell the COC what to do, but it sure can make it dreadful for athletes. The federal government gives very little money to the COC, but, recently it has provided funding for Own The Podium (summer and winter versions), and this government wouldn't think twice about cutting off that funding.
So, while there's little taxpayer money in the actual team or Missin Staff, there is considerable funding in federally-supported programs.
Canada should not boycott the 2008 OG.
No athlete would support it, espeecially those who were hurt by the 1980 boycott. Those athletes, including Sue Holloway, kayaker at the time, have had 28 years to reflect on it. It's amazing that they don't seem bitter.
The Canadian government can't tell the COC what to do, but it sure can make it dreadful for athletes. The federal government gives very little money to the COC, but, recently it has provided funding for Own The Podium (summer and winter versions), and this government wouldn't think twice about cutting off that funding.
So, while there's little taxpayer money in the actual team or Missin Staff, there is considerable funding in federally-supported programs.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Like Yogi Berra said, "It's deja vu all over again."
Watching Canada/China play in the women's World Curling championships, it seemed as if the reel had re-wound.
In the 1980s, Canadian syncho was at the top of the synchro world. Now, 2008, Canadian synchro teams have a tough time getting a medal. The A team is off the Beijing next week to the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, hoping to make the top 8 in the world. Let's hope they do.
In those days, China and Russia were just getting onto the world stage. Since then, with all the money in the world, and support personnel and experts galore, they have risen to the top of the synchro world; their demise is a way down the road!
But, back to curling. One loss is no big deal, but sometimes a look back shows that those "one losses" accumulate.
Let's hope that Canada is able, and willing, to commit the necessary resources to keep both men's and women's teams on the podium. Other countries will do it; we must.
Let's hope that the lessons of synchro have been learned by other sport organizations in the country.
In the 1980s, Canadian syncho was at the top of the synchro world. Now, 2008, Canadian synchro teams have a tough time getting a medal. The A team is off the Beijing next week to the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, hoping to make the top 8 in the world. Let's hope they do.
In those days, China and Russia were just getting onto the world stage. Since then, with all the money in the world, and support personnel and experts galore, they have risen to the top of the synchro world; their demise is a way down the road!
But, back to curling. One loss is no big deal, but sometimes a look back shows that those "one losses" accumulate.
Let's hope that Canada is able, and willing, to commit the necessary resources to keep both men's and women's teams on the podium. Other countries will do it; we must.
Let's hope that the lessons of synchro have been learned by other sport organizations in the country.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Let the games begin; Boycotting Olympics hurts the athletes, Kingstonian says
from the Kingston Whig Standard, March 24, 2008
by Brock Harrison
Several of the world's highest-profile Olympians have publicly denounced any notion of boycotting the upcoming Summer Games in China because of that country's human-rights record in Tibet.
Kingston's own elite Olympian is adding her voice to that call.
Andrea Blackwell, now a well-known local basketball coach, was just 17 when she was prevented from playing with the national women's basketball team in the 1980 Olympiad, as Canada joined U.S. President Jimmy Carter's boycott of the Moscow games.
She says she understands the need to draw attention to critical international issues - like Russia's refusal to pull out of Afghanistan in 1980 and China's current human-rights rap sheet - but she also says a politically sanctioned boycott that withdraws participation can be "devastating" to the athletes.
"Just knowing the time and the effort that athletes put into the Olympic Games, I don't know that I could support a boycott," said Blackwell, who was fortunately at the very beginning of her amateur career in 1980.
"Obviously, this shows how important [the Olympics are] to countries but its unfortunate who gets affected most by it."
Competing in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles and the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta has somewhat erased Blackwell's painful memories of missing the 1980 Games, but she says if a 2008 boycott goes through others won't be as fortunate.
"I couldn't imagine had the 1996 Olympics been boycotted. That was the end of my career. I wouldn't have had another chance," said Blackwell, who coaches the St. Lawrence College Vikings women's basketball team and the senior boys' team at Loyalist Collegiate.
Calls for the Beijing boycott have intensified in the wake of deadly clashes between the Chinese government and Tibetan protesters who are pushing for greater autonomy from the Communist regime.
Ostensibly, the Olympic boycott would be one of several diplomatic pressure points the international community could apply to China for its violent treatment of protesters and its continued support for the Sudanese regime that is accused of aiding genocide in the Darfur region.
China wishes to use the spotlight it will receive from the upcoming games to signify its arrival as a world power on the international stage. A large-scale gesture of rebuke, in theory, would throw cold water on those ambitious plans and draw widespread attention to China's alleged domestic and foreign atrocities.
Blackwell, echoing the sentiments of Australian Olympic swimming icon Ian Thorpe and British Olympic silver-medalist swimmer Sharron Davies, says there are other ways for government officials and diplomats to exert influence.
She also says it's opportunistic for governments to leverage the Olympics to promote their own agendas when those same governments often fail to support athletes between events.
"The whole idea of a boycott demonstrates the power of sport and how valuable sport is," she said. "It's not just the tiny fraction of people who actually makes it to the Games, it shows how valuable it is to everyone."
The Canadian government hasn't taken a stance on a boycott, but the idea is getting some political footing. Randy Hillier, Progressive Conservative MPP for Hastings-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington, rose in the legislature last Tuesday calling on Ottawa to impose a boycott.
Blackwell says that would be an "incredibly hard" pill for athletes to swallow, given the years of training they dedicate to reaching the Olympics.
"You obviously want to support your government and the decisions that get made, but sometimes it makes it pretty difficult when you're directly affected without any control," she said.
by Brock Harrison
Several of the world's highest-profile Olympians have publicly denounced any notion of boycotting the upcoming Summer Games in China because of that country's human-rights record in Tibet.
Kingston's own elite Olympian is adding her voice to that call.
Andrea Blackwell, now a well-known local basketball coach, was just 17 when she was prevented from playing with the national women's basketball team in the 1980 Olympiad, as Canada joined U.S. President Jimmy Carter's boycott of the Moscow games.
She says she understands the need to draw attention to critical international issues - like Russia's refusal to pull out of Afghanistan in 1980 and China's current human-rights rap sheet - but she also says a politically sanctioned boycott that withdraws participation can be "devastating" to the athletes.
"Just knowing the time and the effort that athletes put into the Olympic Games, I don't know that I could support a boycott," said Blackwell, who was fortunately at the very beginning of her amateur career in 1980.
"Obviously, this shows how important [the Olympics are] to countries but its unfortunate who gets affected most by it."
Competing in the 1984 Games in Los Angeles and the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta has somewhat erased Blackwell's painful memories of missing the 1980 Games, but she says if a 2008 boycott goes through others won't be as fortunate.
"I couldn't imagine had the 1996 Olympics been boycotted. That was the end of my career. I wouldn't have had another chance," said Blackwell, who coaches the St. Lawrence College Vikings women's basketball team and the senior boys' team at Loyalist Collegiate.
Calls for the Beijing boycott have intensified in the wake of deadly clashes between the Chinese government and Tibetan protesters who are pushing for greater autonomy from the Communist regime.
Ostensibly, the Olympic boycott would be one of several diplomatic pressure points the international community could apply to China for its violent treatment of protesters and its continued support for the Sudanese regime that is accused of aiding genocide in the Darfur region.
China wishes to use the spotlight it will receive from the upcoming games to signify its arrival as a world power on the international stage. A large-scale gesture of rebuke, in theory, would throw cold water on those ambitious plans and draw widespread attention to China's alleged domestic and foreign atrocities.
Blackwell, echoing the sentiments of Australian Olympic swimming icon Ian Thorpe and British Olympic silver-medalist swimmer Sharron Davies, says there are other ways for government officials and diplomats to exert influence.
She also says it's opportunistic for governments to leverage the Olympics to promote their own agendas when those same governments often fail to support athletes between events.
"The whole idea of a boycott demonstrates the power of sport and how valuable sport is," she said. "It's not just the tiny fraction of people who actually makes it to the Games, it shows how valuable it is to everyone."
The Canadian government hasn't taken a stance on a boycott, but the idea is getting some political footing. Randy Hillier, Progressive Conservative MPP for Hastings-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington, rose in the legislature last Tuesday calling on Ottawa to impose a boycott.
Blackwell says that would be an "incredibly hard" pill for athletes to swallow, given the years of training they dedicate to reaching the Olympics.
"You obviously want to support your government and the decisions that get made, but sometimes it makes it pretty difficult when you're directly affected without any control," she said.
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