Hockey Canada rejects Kingston's bid to host 2012 RBC Cup
Humboldt, Sask. gets the nod over Kingston and two other cities
from The Kingston Whig Standard
The Kingston Kimco Voyageurs will not be hosting the 2012 RBC Cup.
Hockey Canada awarded the national junior A hockey championship to the Humboldt Broncos of Saskatchewan on Sunday at its annual general meeting in Montreal.
Kingston, Port Alberni, B.C. and Fort McMurray, Alta. were the other cities bidding for the event.
"Our committee did an exceptional job on our bid," Voyageurs owner Gregg Rosen said. "There's nothing more we could have done to secure the 2012 tournament. Hockey Canada has made its decision and it's the goal of our organization to get back to the RBC Cup and hopefully have an opportunity to host it down the road."
The Vees advanced to the national final in 2009 in Victoria, B.C., finishing fourth. Under Rosen's ownership, the Vees have led the Ontario Junior A Hockey League in attendance the past two seasons.
It marks the second national hockey championship setback for Kingston this month. Earlier in May, the Kingston Frontenacs lost out on their bid to host the 2011 Memorial Cup, which went to Mississauga.
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It's easy to underestimate Humboldt, the Broncos, and the support the team has.
Humboldt is not some hick town on the prairie. It is near Saskatoon, it's people travel and work throughout the region.
The Broncos have been a strong team for...well, perpetually. They play good hockey, they have strong management, they have excellent fan support, they have excellent media coverage.
Media coverage of the team would definitely be one factor taken into account. The Broncos get regular, in-depth coverage from the Saskatoon Star Phoenix. Coverage is about the athletes it is positive, it is human-interest related. The placement of articles is superior to the layout and placement of articles in The Whig. Compare this to the sort of coverage that the Vees get in Kingston. Not even in the same league.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
They Made Two Decisions!
Maybe it was because the TV cameras weren't on councillors last night at their Special Meeting, maybe it was because some of them came to their senses, but amazingly, city council made two right decisions.
They will accept the federal government's offer of property along Highway 15 to build affordable housing, and they will proceed with the second stage EA for the third crossing of the Rideau River.
Kingston needs affordable housing. No one disputes that. People make unwarrented assumptions about the way of life of those who will live there. Not much charity shown.
And, all the questions that councillors were asking, particularly Councillor Schmolka, will be answered in the 2nd phase EA. Why councillors kept asking questions that the consultants said would be answered in the next phase, is a mystery to most of us.
Now, if council were to re-visit the S&R decision, and accept Mr Doornekamp's offer, citizens might think that council was acting in our best interest.
It's still difficult to see where this council will get all the money that it has committed to projects in the last year.
They will accept the federal government's offer of property along Highway 15 to build affordable housing, and they will proceed with the second stage EA for the third crossing of the Rideau River.
Kingston needs affordable housing. No one disputes that. People make unwarrented assumptions about the way of life of those who will live there. Not much charity shown.
And, all the questions that councillors were asking, particularly Councillor Schmolka, will be answered in the 2nd phase EA. Why councillors kept asking questions that the consultants said would be answered in the next phase, is a mystery to most of us.
Now, if council were to re-visit the S&R decision, and accept Mr Doornekamp's offer, citizens might think that council was acting in our best interest.
It's still difficult to see where this council will get all the money that it has committed to projects in the last year.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Outer Station, Kingston, Ontario
Montreal Street, en route from Highway 401, one of the routes used by tourists to enter Kingston!
Another Goes Under
You have to wonder when the councillors of Kingston will figure out that their stewardship of the downtown is AWFUL!
Another store, Sir Gawain, a women's and men's wear shop, is closing its doors (announced this morning) It is located at the corner of Ontario and Princess Streets. Well, it's located there right now, but come July, it too will be gone.
And to think that these same councillors have decided NOT to buy the S & R building, that would have had quite a bit of pedestrian traffic, perhaps people going in to pay their parking tickets or property taxes........
Someone recently commented to me, "I can't wait to get rid of these people." There are a lot of citizens climbing onto that bandwagon.
One has to feel for the fellow who is trying to make an impression on the local market with his excellent (yes, I have had them, bought them) take-home frozen dinners, across from the Lone Star that has been closed for almost a month. On Ontario Street. The Lone Star must be crying too, since a lot of its trade is on the patio, summer-time.
What do the other owners/renters of property in the downtown think of all the closings? Do they wonder how long they can hang on?
There are over 40 vacant storefronts on Princess Street between Division and Ontario Streets. Why is this? One of those who knows, from experience, says that the rental rates in the buildings are astronomical. This person decided (without much contemplation) to take the business off Princess Street, to an adjacent street, and even then the rental rates are almost choking. Why? City taxes? Greedy landlords? Both?
Council doesn't address this in public at all. One has to wonder if they are oblivious to this, or if they don't care, or if they think it's just a passing aberration, or is there some other reason?
Kingston's downtown is in crisis. The citizens know this, why don't city councillors?
Too bad the Special meeting of Council tonight isn't being telecast on Cogeco 13. It sure would be nice to see if even one councillor tried to put this critical situation on the agenda.
Another store, Sir Gawain, a women's and men's wear shop, is closing its doors (announced this morning) It is located at the corner of Ontario and Princess Streets. Well, it's located there right now, but come July, it too will be gone.
And to think that these same councillors have decided NOT to buy the S & R building, that would have had quite a bit of pedestrian traffic, perhaps people going in to pay their parking tickets or property taxes........
Someone recently commented to me, "I can't wait to get rid of these people." There are a lot of citizens climbing onto that bandwagon.
One has to feel for the fellow who is trying to make an impression on the local market with his excellent (yes, I have had them, bought them) take-home frozen dinners, across from the Lone Star that has been closed for almost a month. On Ontario Street. The Lone Star must be crying too, since a lot of its trade is on the patio, summer-time.
What do the other owners/renters of property in the downtown think of all the closings? Do they wonder how long they can hang on?
There are over 40 vacant storefronts on Princess Street between Division and Ontario Streets. Why is this? One of those who knows, from experience, says that the rental rates in the buildings are astronomical. This person decided (without much contemplation) to take the business off Princess Street, to an adjacent street, and even then the rental rates are almost choking. Why? City taxes? Greedy landlords? Both?
Council doesn't address this in public at all. One has to wonder if they are oblivious to this, or if they don't care, or if they think it's just a passing aberration, or is there some other reason?
Kingston's downtown is in crisis. The citizens know this, why don't city councillors?
Too bad the Special meeting of Council tonight isn't being telecast on Cogeco 13. It sure would be nice to see if even one councillor tried to put this critical situation on the agenda.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
S & R for City Staff
And, while we are on the subject of bone-headed decisions....a quick look at the suggestion that the city purchase the S&R building, all renovated at the developer's expense, and ready to move into.
They said "NO."
Most children in grade 7 would be able to figure out that if the city is paying about $500,000/year to RENT an inadequate building, they will pay $5. million for a 10 year rental. And still nOT OWN the building.
The city has over $14 million in the budget for new digs. They would have to come up with $5 million more to get into the S&R building. This is chicken feed, considering how they just, without comment, gave $600,000 to fix up the Sir John A locomotive.
One has to admire the city staff for their "no comment" stance on this decision. Anyone who has been involved in any sort of organization, knows that with consolidation of staff comes greater co-operation, collaboratiion and efficient use of time. Just ask someone who does organizational development!!!
They said "NO."
Most children in grade 7 would be able to figure out that if the city is paying about $500,000/year to RENT an inadequate building, they will pay $5. million for a 10 year rental. And still nOT OWN the building.
The city has over $14 million in the budget for new digs. They would have to come up with $5 million more to get into the S&R building. This is chicken feed, considering how they just, without comment, gave $600,000 to fix up the Sir John A locomotive.
One has to admire the city staff for their "no comment" stance on this decision. Anyone who has been involved in any sort of organization, knows that with consolidation of staff comes greater co-operation, collaboratiion and efficient use of time. Just ask someone who does organizational development!!!
Kingston's Council is Treading Water
How right Councillor Steve Garrison is!
City council is doing nothing these days.......oh yes, they did do something this week.
After about 2.5 hours asking questions of the consultants on the Third Crossing (cost of moving to next phase is about $650,000) they left the item.
They went next to an item about the locomotive Sr John A that is sitting in Confederation Park in front of city hall. The engine needs work.
They passed, WITHOUT COMMENT, a request for over $650,000 to restore the locomotive and put it in some kind of enclosure.
This is ridiculous! It is the same amount of money they squabbled over about the Third Crossing!!!
Work on the next phase of the Third Crossing will take several years (most guess at 2-3 years) and that is just for the required studies!!!!
That's not even deciding to actually build the crossing!
These people have their heads in the sand. Whenever they stand up, it's to posture for the up-coming municipal election in October.
City council is doing nothing these days.......oh yes, they did do something this week.
After about 2.5 hours asking questions of the consultants on the Third Crossing (cost of moving to next phase is about $650,000) they left the item.
They went next to an item about the locomotive Sr John A that is sitting in Confederation Park in front of city hall. The engine needs work.
They passed, WITHOUT COMMENT, a request for over $650,000 to restore the locomotive and put it in some kind of enclosure.
This is ridiculous! It is the same amount of money they squabbled over about the Third Crossing!!!
Work on the next phase of the Third Crossing will take several years (most guess at 2-3 years) and that is just for the required studies!!!!
That's not even deciding to actually build the crossing!
These people have their heads in the sand. Whenever they stand up, it's to posture for the up-coming municipal election in October.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Queen's: The Invisible University
CIS-SIC, the governing body for Canadian university sport, released the list of universities bidding for various national championships between now and about 2013.
Sadly, Queen's University, with its new Activity Centre has not bid for even one national championship.
This is amazing!
What could possibly be reasons? A short list........
1. Not proud of the new digs
2. Not enough capacity to put on a national championship
3. Difficulty getting a team together, or perhaps get consensus on the package
4. Lack of support form the university administration
5. Infighting about which sport to bid for
6. Lack of money
More to come......
Sadly, Queen's University, with its new Activity Centre has not bid for even one national championship.
This is amazing!
What could possibly be reasons? A short list........
1. Not proud of the new digs
2. Not enough capacity to put on a national championship
3. Difficulty getting a team together, or perhaps get consensus on the package
4. Lack of support form the university administration
5. Infighting about which sport to bid for
6. Lack of money
More to come......
Friday, May 14, 2010
Cut from the same cloth
There is a piece of cloth....
Juan Antonio Samaranch and Gary Bettman were cut out of it.
Juan Antonio Samaranch and Gary Bettman were cut out of it.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
So, What Does She Know?
Wondering how I know ?
A history in bidding, and multi-sport games.
Served on the COA Site Selection Committee to choose the site for the 1999 Pan Am Games. COA chose Winnipeg add to the PASO list. Winnipeg won.
Many Canada Games, Pan Am Games and Calgary Olympics.
Spend much time studying and communicating with franchise holders.
A history in bidding, and multi-sport games.
Served on the COA Site Selection Committee to choose the site for the 1999 Pan Am Games. COA chose Winnipeg add to the PASO list. Winnipeg won.
Many Canada Games, Pan Am Games and Calgary Olympics.
Spend much time studying and communicating with franchise holders.
City Council's Lack of Vision
Kingston was one of four cities bidding to host the 2011 Memorial Cup.
Not surprisingly, it didn't win.
There are a lot of reasons why it didn't win, some of which are written about in the Whig Standard today.
The winning bid from Mississauga guaranteed $3 milllion. It is highly unlikely that Kingston made a guarantee of this size.
This from the Toronto Star, this morning, by Kevin McGran:
The selection committee — featuring a Toronto-heavy board that includes Blue Jays president Paul Beeston, former NHL executive Frank Bonello, NHL senior vice-president Jim Gregory, and NHL director of central scouting E.J. McGuire — concluded Mississauga could put on the best show.
That, despite the fact the Majors have only 1,000 or so season ticket holders at the 5,501-seat Hershey Centre while teams in the other three cities play to packed arenas.
Mississauga owner Eugene Melnyk reportedly guaranteed a $3-million return for the OHL from the event, $1 million more than Windsor.
“What you hope from this from the Majors’ perspective is you hope there will be carryover,” said OHL commissioner David Branch. “You’re going to introduce (junior hockey) to fans in this area who maybe haven’t witnessed OHL hockey for a long time or ever. They’ll see what a great quality product it is and they’ll come back.”
Branch said his only worry is whether the Hershey Centre is big enough.
“Toronto is a special events city and that alone will put it over the top in terms of it being a complete sellout,” said Branch. “There are no concerns at all. The biggest problem we’re going to have is maybe the arena isn’t big enough. There are so many OHL centres with an hour and a half of the GTA that many will undoubtedly want to come and watch the games.”
Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion said the city is willing to spend up to $2 million “in kind” to help promote the event that is expected to generate up to $15 million in economic benefits. Melnyk, who also owns the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, was behind the bid but missed the news conference due to illness.
The ticket campaign begins Tuesday with “Dave Keon” packages beginning at $699 for a Majors season-ticket and tickets to the Memorial Cup. The “Frank Mahovlich” package begins at $899.
The return of the Memorial Cup will end at least one long major championship hockey drought for the Greater Toronto Area that dates back to the 1960s. The Memorial Cup was last played in the GTA in 1966 when the Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Oshawa Generals at Maple Leaf Gardens.
----------
The loss of the bid comes from several factors, but knowing sports organizations, I am quite sure that it was the guarantee that did it.
Two other factors include the lack of a significant fan base for the Frontenacs and the fact that the team doesn't play very good hockey.
The Whig Standard article cites a very significant factor: city council's lack of vision. The way Ken Wong sees it, council was pretty cheap in its contribution to the event. That is certainly true. With great reluctance they offered sortof "discounted" price ice time and few other throw-ins.
It is these "throw-ins" that an organization will look at; they are the hidden factors that the bid committee can fall back on, add to as the process evolves and make the city look good.
Council's lack of vision is one way to put the factor. My view is that Kingston is so parochial, so stuck on itself, so fixed on navel-gazing. Council cannot look out, it cannot see forward, it thinks it is the best thing since sliced bread.
Not only does council have aa "small town" mentality, the lack of leadership from the mayor holds the city back. The mayor of a community is its chief cheerleader. The mayor gets out there, speaks well of the city, talks about what it can do, what it is where it is going. The current mayor does none of these things. His lack of enthusiam is palpable.
So....why did the city lose the 2011 Memorial Cup? No big buck guarantee, the cheap mentality of council, a mayor who sat in the weeds, once again.
And the really unfortunate part of this is that no one will tell council and the mayor that they are responsible, that they are holding the city back, that they are creating a negative climate. It's a small town, and citizens fear retribution.
Not surprisingly, it didn't win.
There are a lot of reasons why it didn't win, some of which are written about in the Whig Standard today.
The winning bid from Mississauga guaranteed $3 milllion. It is highly unlikely that Kingston made a guarantee of this size.
This from the Toronto Star, this morning, by Kevin McGran:
The selection committee — featuring a Toronto-heavy board that includes Blue Jays president Paul Beeston, former NHL executive Frank Bonello, NHL senior vice-president Jim Gregory, and NHL director of central scouting E.J. McGuire — concluded Mississauga could put on the best show.
That, despite the fact the Majors have only 1,000 or so season ticket holders at the 5,501-seat Hershey Centre while teams in the other three cities play to packed arenas.
Mississauga owner Eugene Melnyk reportedly guaranteed a $3-million return for the OHL from the event, $1 million more than Windsor.
“What you hope from this from the Majors’ perspective is you hope there will be carryover,” said OHL commissioner David Branch. “You’re going to introduce (junior hockey) to fans in this area who maybe haven’t witnessed OHL hockey for a long time or ever. They’ll see what a great quality product it is and they’ll come back.”
Branch said his only worry is whether the Hershey Centre is big enough.
“Toronto is a special events city and that alone will put it over the top in terms of it being a complete sellout,” said Branch. “There are no concerns at all. The biggest problem we’re going to have is maybe the arena isn’t big enough. There are so many OHL centres with an hour and a half of the GTA that many will undoubtedly want to come and watch the games.”
Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion said the city is willing to spend up to $2 million “in kind” to help promote the event that is expected to generate up to $15 million in economic benefits. Melnyk, who also owns the NHL’s Ottawa Senators, was behind the bid but missed the news conference due to illness.
The ticket campaign begins Tuesday with “Dave Keon” packages beginning at $699 for a Majors season-ticket and tickets to the Memorial Cup. The “Frank Mahovlich” package begins at $899.
The return of the Memorial Cup will end at least one long major championship hockey drought for the Greater Toronto Area that dates back to the 1960s. The Memorial Cup was last played in the GTA in 1966 when the Edmonton Oil Kings beat the Oshawa Generals at Maple Leaf Gardens.
----------
The loss of the bid comes from several factors, but knowing sports organizations, I am quite sure that it was the guarantee that did it.
Two other factors include the lack of a significant fan base for the Frontenacs and the fact that the team doesn't play very good hockey.
The Whig Standard article cites a very significant factor: city council's lack of vision. The way Ken Wong sees it, council was pretty cheap in its contribution to the event. That is certainly true. With great reluctance they offered sortof "discounted" price ice time and few other throw-ins.
It is these "throw-ins" that an organization will look at; they are the hidden factors that the bid committee can fall back on, add to as the process evolves and make the city look good.
Council's lack of vision is one way to put the factor. My view is that Kingston is so parochial, so stuck on itself, so fixed on navel-gazing. Council cannot look out, it cannot see forward, it thinks it is the best thing since sliced bread.
Not only does council have aa "small town" mentality, the lack of leadership from the mayor holds the city back. The mayor of a community is its chief cheerleader. The mayor gets out there, speaks well of the city, talks about what it can do, what it is where it is going. The current mayor does none of these things. His lack of enthusiam is palpable.
So....why did the city lose the 2011 Memorial Cup? No big buck guarantee, the cheap mentality of council, a mayor who sat in the weeds, once again.
And the really unfortunate part of this is that no one will tell council and the mayor that they are responsible, that they are holding the city back, that they are creating a negative climate. It's a small town, and citizens fear retribution.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Own The Podium
Interesting reading at Roger Jackson's blog. He is the leader of OTP.
http://ownthepodium.wordpress.com/
http://ownthepodium.wordpress.com/
XX1 Olympic Winter Games
Here we go!
Headline in the sports section of the Toronto Star this morning: "Feschuk: Snowboard Silver as Skiers, Skaters Fall short."
Come on, Feschuk. Let's drop the negarive stuff. Oh yes, Feschuk didn't write the headline; some poor underpaid, overnight intern did. Well STOP THE NEGATIVE!
Headline in the sports section of the Toronto Star this morning: "Feschuk: Snowboard Silver as Skiers, Skaters Fall short."
Come on, Feschuk. Let's drop the negarive stuff. Oh yes, Feschuk didn't write the headline; some poor underpaid, overnight intern did. Well STOP THE NEGATIVE!
Monday, February 15, 2010
XX1 Olympic Winter Games
Great Opening Ceremony.
Why all this talk about not winning a Gold Medal at either of the games we have hosted? It seems to me that all this blathering is just media hype. I haven't heard ONE person mourn that Canada didn't win Gold at either '76 or '88. Just media frenzy.
Why all this talk about not winning a Gold Medal at either of the games we have hosted? It seems to me that all this blathering is just media hype. I haven't heard ONE person mourn that Canada didn't win Gold at either '76 or '88. Just media frenzy.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Not WAYNE GRETZKY
Now that would be one monumental mistake, to have WAYNE GRETZKY light the Olympic cauldron on Friday night.
All Canadians do NOT worship at his feet, do not consider him greater than sliced bread, and consider his departure from Canada to be (at best) very disappointing.
NO Wayne Gretzky to light the flame.
And, while we are at it, no BETTY FOX either. It was her son who demonstrated spirit and determination, not her.
All Canadians do NOT worship at his feet, do not consider him greater than sliced bread, and consider his departure from Canada to be (at best) very disappointing.
NO Wayne Gretzky to light the flame.
And, while we are at it, no BETTY FOX either. It was her son who demonstrated spirit and determination, not her.
Monday, February 08, 2010
Scotties
The final of the Scott Tournament of Hearts yesterday was a nail-biter. In the end, an extra end too, Jennifer Jones and her mates won. There were several very quesionable calls in the game, particularly by the O'Rourke team. In the final end, they left a Jones rock nearest the pin, and played other shots. Very strange.
There were many questions throughout the week though. The team had great difficulty "getting" the ice. It was strange, though, because Jones hasn't had that difficulty in other competitions.
Several other teams had strange weeks too. Saskatchewan? Ontario? The ice was a prblem for them on occasion too. TSN's commentators remarked on it, gently, when they really should have lambasted the ice makers, and some of the skips for the shots they called. They were too nice.
There were many questions throughout the week though. The team had great difficulty "getting" the ice. It was strange, though, because Jones hasn't had that difficulty in other competitions.
Several other teams had strange weeks too. Saskatchewan? Ontario? The ice was a prblem for them on occasion too. TSN's commentators remarked on it, gently, when they really should have lambasted the ice makers, and some of the skips for the shots they called. They were too nice.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Olympian Forever
It's time the media stopped referring to Canadians as "former Olympians."
Once an athlete has competed in an Olympic or Olympic Winter Games, he/she is an Olympian. Period. Not a "former Olympian."
In Randy Starkman's column today, a reader refers to Debbi Wilkes who won a figure skating medal in 1964 with Guy Revell as "former Olympian Debbi Wilkes." She will NEVER be a former Olympian. She will be an Olympian "who competed in the 1964 OWG" but never a former Olympian.
Pretty well everyone knows that it is extremely difficult to represent our country in the OLys or OWG, so let's give these athletes their due.
Big media giants like Sun Media, or QMI it is called now (I think) perpetuate this error. If I could find out how to contact DAVID LANGFORD who is the chief sports person for Sun Media, I would give him my opinion on this. But he is harder to locate (e-mail-wise) than chicken's teeth. If you know his email, let me know!
The sports editor at the Kingston Whig Standard tells me that they just print what comes off the wire from their media giant. Well, folks, that just isn't good enough. If he cared about our Olympians, he would edit out the error!
Once an athlete has competed in an Olympic or Olympic Winter Games, he/she is an Olympian. Period. Not a "former Olympian."
In Randy Starkman's column today, a reader refers to Debbi Wilkes who won a figure skating medal in 1964 with Guy Revell as "former Olympian Debbi Wilkes." She will NEVER be a former Olympian. She will be an Olympian "who competed in the 1964 OWG" but never a former Olympian.
Pretty well everyone knows that it is extremely difficult to represent our country in the OLys or OWG, so let's give these athletes their due.
Big media giants like Sun Media, or QMI it is called now (I think) perpetuate this error. If I could find out how to contact DAVID LANGFORD who is the chief sports person for Sun Media, I would give him my opinion on this. But he is harder to locate (e-mail-wise) than chicken's teeth. If you know his email, let me know!
The sports editor at the Kingston Whig Standard tells me that they just print what comes off the wire from their media giant. Well, folks, that just isn't good enough. If he cared about our Olympians, he would edit out the error!
Friday, February 05, 2010
This is Very Generous
Each Olympic Gold Medal Nets $100,000 for Athletes
by Randy Starkman
Toronto Star, February 4, 2010
Canadian athletes who strike gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics will be sparking more than just future dreams for younger athletes – they'll be making a financial investment in them.
Sprott Asset Management LP, known for its success with gold stocks, announced this morning in Toronto that in conjunction with The Sprott Foundation they will donate $100,000 for every gold medal won in Vancouver to the Canadian Athletes Now Fund, which raises money to help this country's athletes.
While Canada has never won a gold medal at a home Olympics, it's expected they could win as many as 10 at the upcoming Games.
“One of warmest feelings of all time is to see a Canadian athlete win a medal,” said Eric Sprott, ceo of Sprott Management LP. “It's stunningly exciting. I always realized these athletes winning the medals have worked so hard and there's so much dedication by those around them. I've always thought it was a huge accomplishment and should be rewarded.”
Sprott said it was of much greater benefit overall to spread the money out among athletes than have it go to the winner of the gold medal.
“We don't want to say that the person who wins gold is the only winner,” said Sprott. “There are a lot of athletes involved, not just gold medal athletes.”
Jane Roos, founder of the CAN Fund, said it was Sprott who came up with the idea.
“It celebrates excellence and fits in with our vision to have summer and winter athletles work together to support each other,” said Roos.
To that end, Olympic rowing gold medalist Ben Rutledge attended the launch of the fundraiser.
“I think it's great we've got somebody who is looking ahead to the future, especially knowing we face funding cutbacks going forward,” said Rutledge.
The Sprott Foundation has also made an initial contribution of $210,000 to help the CAN Fund cover funding for 35 athletes they still had on their books. The CAN Fund gives out $6,000 to each athlete to help cover training and living expenses. Roos said that 80 per cent of the athletes on the Winter Olympic team have received funds from their group.
Sprott Asset Management is also encouraging other corporations and the public to add to the total that will be donated for the gold medal tally at a website they have set up, sprottgoldpledge.com
by Randy Starkman
Toronto Star, February 4, 2010
Canadian athletes who strike gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics will be sparking more than just future dreams for younger athletes – they'll be making a financial investment in them.
Sprott Asset Management LP, known for its success with gold stocks, announced this morning in Toronto that in conjunction with The Sprott Foundation they will donate $100,000 for every gold medal won in Vancouver to the Canadian Athletes Now Fund, which raises money to help this country's athletes.
While Canada has never won a gold medal at a home Olympics, it's expected they could win as many as 10 at the upcoming Games.
“One of warmest feelings of all time is to see a Canadian athlete win a medal,” said Eric Sprott, ceo of Sprott Management LP. “It's stunningly exciting. I always realized these athletes winning the medals have worked so hard and there's so much dedication by those around them. I've always thought it was a huge accomplishment and should be rewarded.”
Sprott said it was of much greater benefit overall to spread the money out among athletes than have it go to the winner of the gold medal.
“We don't want to say that the person who wins gold is the only winner,” said Sprott. “There are a lot of athletes involved, not just gold medal athletes.”
Jane Roos, founder of the CAN Fund, said it was Sprott who came up with the idea.
“It celebrates excellence and fits in with our vision to have summer and winter athletles work together to support each other,” said Roos.
To that end, Olympic rowing gold medalist Ben Rutledge attended the launch of the fundraiser.
“I think it's great we've got somebody who is looking ahead to the future, especially knowing we face funding cutbacks going forward,” said Rutledge.
The Sprott Foundation has also made an initial contribution of $210,000 to help the CAN Fund cover funding for 35 athletes they still had on their books. The CAN Fund gives out $6,000 to each athlete to help cover training and living expenses. Roos said that 80 per cent of the athletes on the Winter Olympic team have received funds from their group.
Sprott Asset Management is also encouraging other corporations and the public to add to the total that will be donated for the gold medal tally at a website they have set up, sprottgoldpledge.com
Thursday, February 04, 2010
The Fight Is On!
The discussion is hot in the media, and even hotter within the sport community. Virtually NONE of the sport federations want OTP to come under the COC, but for political reasons, they won't quite put it this way.
The fact remains: keep OTP away from the COC.
-------------
COC, OTP fight for control of future athlete funding
By Cam Cole, Vancouver SunFebruary 4, 2010 3:02 AM
(no photo)
Own the Podium president Roger Jackson stands by the mural at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary on Feb. 2. Jackson hopes OTP remains independent after the Vancouver Games.
VANCOUVER — Before wading into the whole Canadian Olympic Committee/OwnThe Podium/federal funding brouhaha, a nagging memory from the days leading into the 1988 Calgary Olympics:
"The world does not end on Feb. 28," the Mulroney government's sports minister, Otto Jelinek trumpeted to reporters. "Future funding will not be tied to Canada's performance in Calgary. Sports federations need not fear. They can rest assured that the bottom is not going to fall out."
As far as he knew at the time, that was probably true.
But then Canada won zero gold medals in Calgary, only five medals in total, and . . . well, priorities changed in Ottawa. The world did not actually end on Feb. 28, it just felt that way to the next generation or two of elite Canadian amateur athletes.
Which brings us to the Harper government's sports minister, Gary Lunn, and the assurances he has given that Own The Podium's request for $22 million a year in "replacement funding" — to offset the loss of sponsorship money from the Vancouver organizing committee once the Games are over — is in the works, and everyone's in favour of it, and when the federal budget comes out on March 4, it'll be there.
The cheque, in other words, is in the mail.
But we've seen this movie before, and the niggling suspicion is that the report on the future of sports funding — written by the panel that Lunn struck to study it — is languishing in Ottawa due to some nefarious interference. Delayed, the conspiracy theorists say, by successful lobbying from the COC because the report as it sits is about to hand control of the federal dough to OTP.
Under this theory, the COC, headed by outgoing CEO Chris Rudge and incoming president Marcel Aubut, wants the feds to put OTP under COC control.
Meanwhile, OTP, led by CEO Roger Jackson, wants to stay independent because it views the COC as an unwieldy, bureaucratic sinkhole which doles out funds — through Sport Canada — so inefficiently that the athletes are badly served and high-performance objectives are constantly being watered down by internal COC politics.
If your eyes are already spinning in their sockets, you're not alone. Can't we all just get along?
Everyone loves Own The Podium. In its brief life, it has already demonstrated that it knows how to get bang for its buck, how to turn money into Olympic medals, efficiently.
Hurrah for Roger.
If he wants independence to continue doing that, what's the counter-argument?
"I'm wearing two hats here, because I'm also the chair of Own The Podium," said Rudge, the COC chief. "It's not a case of them being in opposition, it's a case of the evolution of a concept."
A concept, he rightly points out, that was born in the mind of the late Mark Lowry, the COC's former executive director of sport, who devised the idea of merit-based, directed funding at least a couple of years before OTP was formed.
"So if there's an issue about whether this could be done under the aegis of the COC, well, there's a precedent for it," Rudge said. "We had a program called the Canadian Sport Review Panel, and it dispersed the high-performance funds, co-ordinated with Sport Canada, and that was then handed over to OTP to do."
He said the COC acknowledges that, whatever the panel decides, funding distribution henceforth has to be done independently of the COC.
As if.
"There's no question OTP has been an absolute home run," Rudge said, "but there are areas where we still have overlaps between what the COC does in athlete preparation and what OTP does. Are there ways those can be harmonized in order to avoid duplication and release more dollars? The panel has given its report back, I've not seen it, but from my perspective — because it's going to say something about where we should go, but it's not going to be able to act on it — I think we're better off not seeing it until after the Games."
If Jackson's spidey senses are tingling, it's only because he's been president of the COC, when it was the COA, three different times, and he knows how it works and doesn't work.
"It's a hugely politicized organization, and it's a membership organization, so you have the member (sports federations) themselves approving distribution of money, and they're the ones into whose pockets these funds would go," said the former gold-medal-winning Olympic rower.
"For us, a far better model for Canadian sport is a properly run agency, totally independent, totally focused on high performance, rather than mixing it up with the politics of the COC, the self-interest of all the representations of federations in the COC, and all of the other program responsibilities of the COC which include Pan-Am Games, winter Games, summer Games, youth Games, and all those Games missions and the other stuff. It's a no-brainer."
You want medals? Focus on medals. Sounds simple.
Rudge agrees, and says there's no reason it has to be a war. The federal government, he points out, has "stepped up to the table" with a total of $47 million in annual funding, in three different initiatives, guaranteed in perpetuity, that wasn't there five years ago, "so I think Minister Lunn deserves some credit for what he's done, and we shouldn't lose sight of that."
It's only a question of who will control that money, and whatever additional funds the government might allocate in the upcoming budget.
"It's not something I would panic over. I think it's a healthy debate. The truth is always somewhere between two opposites. I think that truth will be found," Rudge said, and believes that the government-commissioned panel will find it.
That, surely, would be a first.
Vancouver Sun
ccole@vancouversun.com
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
---------------------
The fact remains: keep OTP away from the COC.
-------------
COC, OTP fight for control of future athlete funding
By Cam Cole, Vancouver SunFebruary 4, 2010 3:02 AM
(no photo)
Own the Podium president Roger Jackson stands by the mural at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary on Feb. 2. Jackson hopes OTP remains independent after the Vancouver Games.
VANCOUVER — Before wading into the whole Canadian Olympic Committee/OwnThe Podium/federal funding brouhaha, a nagging memory from the days leading into the 1988 Calgary Olympics:
"The world does not end on Feb. 28," the Mulroney government's sports minister, Otto Jelinek trumpeted to reporters. "Future funding will not be tied to Canada's performance in Calgary. Sports federations need not fear. They can rest assured that the bottom is not going to fall out."
As far as he knew at the time, that was probably true.
But then Canada won zero gold medals in Calgary, only five medals in total, and . . . well, priorities changed in Ottawa. The world did not actually end on Feb. 28, it just felt that way to the next generation or two of elite Canadian amateur athletes.
Which brings us to the Harper government's sports minister, Gary Lunn, and the assurances he has given that Own The Podium's request for $22 million a year in "replacement funding" — to offset the loss of sponsorship money from the Vancouver organizing committee once the Games are over — is in the works, and everyone's in favour of it, and when the federal budget comes out on March 4, it'll be there.
The cheque, in other words, is in the mail.
But we've seen this movie before, and the niggling suspicion is that the report on the future of sports funding — written by the panel that Lunn struck to study it — is languishing in Ottawa due to some nefarious interference. Delayed, the conspiracy theorists say, by successful lobbying from the COC because the report as it sits is about to hand control of the federal dough to OTP.
Under this theory, the COC, headed by outgoing CEO Chris Rudge and incoming president Marcel Aubut, wants the feds to put OTP under COC control.
Meanwhile, OTP, led by CEO Roger Jackson, wants to stay independent because it views the COC as an unwieldy, bureaucratic sinkhole which doles out funds — through Sport Canada — so inefficiently that the athletes are badly served and high-performance objectives are constantly being watered down by internal COC politics.
If your eyes are already spinning in their sockets, you're not alone. Can't we all just get along?
Everyone loves Own The Podium. In its brief life, it has already demonstrated that it knows how to get bang for its buck, how to turn money into Olympic medals, efficiently.
Hurrah for Roger.
If he wants independence to continue doing that, what's the counter-argument?
"I'm wearing two hats here, because I'm also the chair of Own The Podium," said Rudge, the COC chief. "It's not a case of them being in opposition, it's a case of the evolution of a concept."
A concept, he rightly points out, that was born in the mind of the late Mark Lowry, the COC's former executive director of sport, who devised the idea of merit-based, directed funding at least a couple of years before OTP was formed.
"So if there's an issue about whether this could be done under the aegis of the COC, well, there's a precedent for it," Rudge said. "We had a program called the Canadian Sport Review Panel, and it dispersed the high-performance funds, co-ordinated with Sport Canada, and that was then handed over to OTP to do."
He said the COC acknowledges that, whatever the panel decides, funding distribution henceforth has to be done independently of the COC.
As if.
"There's no question OTP has been an absolute home run," Rudge said, "but there are areas where we still have overlaps between what the COC does in athlete preparation and what OTP does. Are there ways those can be harmonized in order to avoid duplication and release more dollars? The panel has given its report back, I've not seen it, but from my perspective — because it's going to say something about where we should go, but it's not going to be able to act on it — I think we're better off not seeing it until after the Games."
If Jackson's spidey senses are tingling, it's only because he's been president of the COC, when it was the COA, three different times, and he knows how it works and doesn't work.
"It's a hugely politicized organization, and it's a membership organization, so you have the member (sports federations) themselves approving distribution of money, and they're the ones into whose pockets these funds would go," said the former gold-medal-winning Olympic rower.
"For us, a far better model for Canadian sport is a properly run agency, totally independent, totally focused on high performance, rather than mixing it up with the politics of the COC, the self-interest of all the representations of federations in the COC, and all of the other program responsibilities of the COC which include Pan-Am Games, winter Games, summer Games, youth Games, and all those Games missions and the other stuff. It's a no-brainer."
You want medals? Focus on medals. Sounds simple.
Rudge agrees, and says there's no reason it has to be a war. The federal government, he points out, has "stepped up to the table" with a total of $47 million in annual funding, in three different initiatives, guaranteed in perpetuity, that wasn't there five years ago, "so I think Minister Lunn deserves some credit for what he's done, and we shouldn't lose sight of that."
It's only a question of who will control that money, and whatever additional funds the government might allocate in the upcoming budget.
"It's not something I would panic over. I think it's a healthy debate. The truth is always somewhere between two opposites. I think that truth will be found," Rudge said, and believes that the government-commissioned panel will find it.
That, surely, would be a first.
Vancouver Sun
ccole@vancouversun.com
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
---------------------
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
The Biggest Question: What Happens After the Games?
Take a look at RANDY STARKMAN's column
http://thestar.blogs.com/olympics/
There is no doubt that there is much anxiety about future sport funding. Canada has a pattern of putting gobs of $$$ into the one or 2 years before a big competition, expecting miracles (there seldom are any), and then dropping back to an abysmal amount of funding for sport. And the results usually show this short-term thinking.
It has been like this as long as I have been in sport, and longer. Just look at international results starting in the mid-1960s.
http://thestar.blogs.com/olympics/
There is no doubt that there is much anxiety about future sport funding. Canada has a pattern of putting gobs of $$$ into the one or 2 years before a big competition, expecting miracles (there seldom are any), and then dropping back to an abysmal amount of funding for sport. And the results usually show this short-term thinking.
It has been like this as long as I have been in sport, and longer. Just look at international results starting in the mid-1960s.
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