World Cup Viewing BC Place Clause A Struck

My screen isn't updating. I'm assuming I'm up. Yes. So I'd like to move an amendment to one that's on the screen, please.

Yeah, like I stated during my introduction and the response to Councillor Fry as well, basically, you know, we want to make these games as accessible to as many people as possible. And there are a lot of people that are dealing with affordability challenges. And these are such an incredible event, once in a lifetime in the city of Vancouver. We want to make sure that people have access to it. And so the first part of the, or my amendment strikes, so the first part, because after conversations with FIFA, it just doesn't seem like it's going to be possible to open up BC place on non-game days. because of all the security requirements and all the infrastructure that's been put into place. And so we acknowledge that and we support FIFA's decision. They've been great partners and they care about putting on a very safe games. And I'm always, I'm proud that we asked this because if you don't ask. you don't get and you don't know. And now we know, and at least we had an opportunity to have that conversation. The second clause still applies because this is really just a pricing issue. And like I said, there are a lot of people that are struggling with affordability challenges. Even with the small fee where some people may think it's a small fee, that could be a significant fee that excludes a lot of people in our city. And that, you know, we want to make sure that as many, you know, Vancouverites and residents and locals, regardless of where they are socioeconomically, have an opportunity to participate in these matches and these games.

Thank you.

Yeah, thanks very much, Chair, and thanks, Mayor Sim, for bringing this motion forward. I'm sort of looking at this from a few different angles. First of all, back in 2010, actually it was in January of 2010, in the weeks just prior to the 2010 Games arriving here, an associate of mine had a harebrained idea to have a website guide that listed all of the free activities one could do during the 2010 games here and for a website that was probably doing about maybe you know 400 or so page hits per day it was quite surprising to see it all of a sudden jump up to 5,000 and then a couple days later 10,000 per day and then a little bit after that, 50,000 per day, and then it peaking at about 150,000 per day. And it was partly thanks to some news coverage that we've got on Global News and their assignment editor, Clive Jackson, who was a big supporter of making sure that we could promote this. The website crashed one day, and I was in a panic to try and get it going again. But the fact was is that after the end of the Games, we had about 2.5 million page views, on this guide, which we dubbed Where to Be for Free. And what a lot of people will acknowledge is that the 150,000 or so people that started to come downtown, started going to the Richmond Oval, started going to all the BC Pavilion. going to the Surrey Live site, all of these activities made that to be the most, probably the best winter games in history. And it was because we thought about average folks who weren't able to get up onto the slopes, weren't able to go up to Whistler and watch the you know, the luge and what have you. Couldn't afford those tickets, but they could afford sometimes the few bucks in their pocket a day to just go out and be a part and feel like they're a part of something. And so this is why I'm so excited. about this and this opportunity for FIFA because it stands as a chance for Vancouver not only to be on the global and world stage again, but a chance to really show our best face, the fact that we are a safe, welcoming, diverse, incredible urban destination. I sort of tell this story to just illustrate that I think we have a really great opportunity here. And I remember because my phone used to light up and it would say VanOck on the phone, but it wasn't VanOck. It was VanOck forwarding calls from people who wanted to know where they could get to a certain venue or where to park, and it was going straight to my phone. And I remember one day a woman calling me saying, I'm coming in from Agassiz. I've got two kids. I'm going to be able to get to Surrey SkyTrain, and then I need to come down. I've got a $100 budget for a day. Where should I go? And I helped this, basically provided some advice. It was fun, but it was also just an indication of just how important it was for people to be able to do stuff when they don't have big budgets to do this. And so I think the FIFA Live site, I'm working for the P&E board, of course, and I know that that team at the P&E is working really hard to make this into a spectacular occasion as well. So excited to support this and really look forward to what's coming up in just a few months.

Yeah, thanks. Chair, I'm wondering if through you I could ask a question of the mover of the motion and amendment. Yeah, please go ahead. Yeah, so I'm just reading through the staff comments that talk about amphitheater ticketing is the only opportunity for the host committee to generate revenue to offset a proportion of event costs. So mechanically speaking, what does this look like when we're – I think the direction is to request that the province – fund the general admission. Is this the province paying the P&E? Is the P&E board expecting to generate revenue from the amphitheater to offset the cost of the new amphitheater construction?

Just really quickly to, and through you, Chair, the response is the P&E is not expecting that they will net out much revenue from the game day experiences where probably some of the revenue from the live site will come. And again, it's in partnership with the province. We'll be through things like parking, food and beverage sales and what have you. The actual cost associated with the ticketing is pretty nominal, all things considered. And again, I'm just It's not to say that we don't, you know, there aren't some dollars involved there, but it's my understanding that it's not something that the P&E is terribly worried about to have game day or sort of non-game day activities on there or sort of game day having free tickets for those ones.

Okay, if I may, in follow-up then. Oh, sorry, Mayor.

So just to be clear, it's just for the seven home games. We're not asking for this for the other games, the viewings or the concerts. I think that's fair game. And so... You know, when I look at this, you know, and not to put, you know, words into the province's mouth or whatever, but we do have, you know, the hotel fee that's being charged as an example. So they can reroute some of that. And, you know, like... On an average stay, let's say a $300 stay generates, let's say $7.50. And each one of those can sort of go towards, you know, funding, you know, a ticket for someone, you know, a kid who's a dreamer, who has no ability to go to a match. You know, I think that that would be worthwhile. And when you look at it from that perspective, it's not going to be costing the taxpayers of the city of Vancouver. or the province. It's going to be based on prosperity and the amount of attention that our city will get during the games and after the games. You know, I think some of that should go towards making sure that the residents of Vancouver, especially the ones that can't afford it, have an opportunity because we're, you know, this isn't City Hall's FIFA World Cup. This is the residents, every single Vancouverite, everyone in the region, everyone in the province. These are our FIFA games. And it won't feel like our FIFA games if people don't have opportunities because they can't afford to see it. And so that's one thing I'll fight for. And, you know, I think that's something we can really ask the province to do. I don't think it's a lot to ask for seven games.

No, I appreciate that, Mayor, and I will note that you've expressed that this isn't at a cost to the taxpayers of Vancouver, but we're asking the province, and that you've mentioned that this is specific to the seven home games, which isn't captured in this enactment clause, but given as you are the guy writing the letter, I'm confident that you will include that that is the specificity that we're talking about, not concerts or... Absolutely. All right. Thanks, Mayor. Thank you. Thanks, Chair, for indulging that. Thank you.

Can I please get a vote assist in favor? My interface isn't working.