November 13, 2009 - 10:54 am |
Posted by Jonathan Ross
I have had some recent conversations with both NPA party members and members of Sam Sullivan’s previous administration, and without a doubt, the Olympic Village tends to be one of the preeminent sore points for those struggling with the current political landscape.
The reaction of most NPA/Sam Sullivan acolytes when discussing the Olympic Village.
This is for a number of reasons – the fact that revelations released by the leak of Peter Ladner’s in-camera document detailing a $100 million loan to Millennium sunk the NPA in the final weeks of the campaign, the fact that former City Manager Judy Rogers’ head rolled due in part to the way the project was managed, the fact that it is Vision Vancouver that has pulled things from the fire to launch what is sure to be a jewel for the city for decades to come – you take your pick.
I have seen the anger, the bitterness and the venom that emanates from these individuals when the Olympic Village is brought up – and I have now learned my lesson to avoid the topic altogether.
That being said, the inability to accept reality continues from some in that crew. Take for example lone NPA Councillor Suzanne Anton, who has penned an oped for the Vancouver Province today that unsurprisingly glosses over the key details that caused Mayor Gregor Robertson to refer to the Olympic Village as a “train wreck” when he inherited the project last December.
Let’s break down Anton’s piece and her version of events.
Read the rest of this entry »
September 12, 2009 - 11:56 am |
Posted by Jonathan Ross
After a midnight and beyond oil burning session, I am not going to detail the entire story of the Olympic Village and the troubles created by decisions made by the previous NPA dominated council. For that, you can check out a good account of the basics by Vancouver Courier columnist Mike Howell here.
Instead, today will mark the beginning of an ongoing series of questions that I will put out there for Suzanne Anton, who is the only individual left standing after the NPA’s November evisceration, to consider.
Snatched from Anton's website banner, the NPA logo has been conveniently placed on a white background for easy Photoshopping after the release of the KPMG report
Not that I expect to get any kind of substantial answers until the KPMG report is publicly released. Nonetheless, readers might also contemplate these queries and choose to ask them of Anton directly: Read the rest of this entry »
September 3, 2009 - 12:56 pm |
Posted by Jonathan Ross
“Do the contracts with Fortress/Millenium stipulate who would finance all the unplanned add’l costs or shortfalls and the City’s role re budget overruns?” – former Chief Financial Officer Estelle Lo, in an email dated October 10, 2008
September 3, 2009 - 12:31 pm |
Posted by Jonathan Ross
A new sign of the times at Vancouver City Hall, where someone is finally taking some responsibility over spending
In consideration of the fact that the Whistler Athletes’ Village will be handed over to 2010 Games organizers with a $1-2 million surplus in the bank, it is amazing how Vancouver’s was originally conceived and managed during the heart of construction by the previous civic administration.
First to clarify, current Vancouver City Manager Penny Ballem has introduced some major changes with the way in which capital projects are funded – namely that they are going to have to face “more oversight, due diligence, [and] rigour in terms of our original estimates.”
This is in stark contrast to the days of Sam Sullivan and Peter Ladner, who both offered lackadaisical attitudes towards a project that was to cost hundreds of millions and advertised as a jewel in the massive global profile that Vancouver was to experience both during and after the Olympics. Read the rest of this entry »
