When a city is chosen to host the Saskatchewan Summer Games or Winter Games, its citizens know there will be a legacy.
If the 2010 Winter Games does run up a deficit, citizens should balance that against the legacy of the Games. For example, we already know Moose Jaw will be left with new gymnastics equipment and wrestling clocks.
This is equipment the city might not otherwise have purchased, but now our youth will benefit from this new equipment which was purchased by the Games committee, but left here for our youth to use.
In the past when the city has hosted various games, we have come out of it with new outdoor sports areas including soccer fields and baseball diamonds. And again while many taxpayers will point out they will never us such facilities so why should they pay for them, the kids who did use these facilities are now taxpayers and they are paying for the new ones.
It’s a gamble when a city bids on hosting games. Yes, there could end up being a deficit by the Games committee, but the city overall benefits from the competitions, the influx of people to our city who are shopping, eating, staying in hotels and generally boosting our economy.
