This time with the Olympics.
From the NP:
"Canada's $9.2-million, Olympic pavilion is being built by a U.S. firm from Chicago.
And Joyce Murray, Liberal MP for Vancouver Quadra, is accusing the federal government of badly botching the contracting process by waiting too long to issue it."
Yep. Staying "tried & true" to his best buddy the - U.S.A.
"The timeline excluded a lot of Canadian firms that would have otherwise been eminently capable of doing this work. This is something that they've known they would be doing for four years."
"The contract was awarded on Nov. 17 and published on Monday, leaving only 81 days to build it before the Olympics open on Feb. 12."
What kind of work will be done in only 81 days? Lots of cutting corners to get done in time? Wouldn't surprise me. And could this cause some kind of danger to those in the stadium enjoying the events? I certainly hope not.
So what is it with Harper awarding so many big contracts to American companies. He does it continually with defense contracts, which are huge, the billboards for the EAC were done by a U.S. Co., & I don't know what else. Does anyone out there know?
Let's hope that Canadian labourer's are the actual ones who are hired to do the building of the Stadium - not imported
U.S. ones. Gee, thought we were in a recession & needed stimulus funds going into OUR economy. We need more job creation - here, not there.
Harper loves the U.S so much why doesn't he just pack up & move there & take his cabal along with him.
12 comments:
That is mind boggling
Yes it is MoS. How can this even be possible after knowing about this for 4 YEARS. Giving the contract to a Canadian company would have kept the money here & would help with economic stimulation & jobs in the Vancouver/B.C. area.
Harper states he's an economist so you'd think he'd know better. Makes me wonder who's really running the show here. Is our Con Govt. Canadian in name only? Is it really just an extension (hidden) of the Republican Party in the States? I know that sounds like paranoia but I'm really beginning to wonder. Just look at the Copenhagen Conference & how Harper is only following Obama's lead, & not completely at that because he's really a climate change denier - just like all other conservatives on this planet. And also all the Republican/Rove tactics employed from day one of his 1st winning election.
Sounds crazy, I know, but perhaps I am. 4 years of Harper has made me this way.
DO NOT get me started on the whole Owe-lympic debacle. This is just another botched job in a long string of f*ck-ups when it comes to these games and I am PISSED!
I'm actually not too disappointed with the Olympics overall. I know there is a lot of undercurrent, and it's an easy target, but I think all and all they've done a good job. There is a lot of exaggeration and deliberate misinformation out there.
When it's all over, the Games will be regarded a success. The expenditures they've made our projects that will have other lives or were long-term enhancements (transit line, roadway improvements, facilities upgrades, etc) that needed to be done.
Having said all that, though, I've seen this one coming for a while. And it is the federal government alone. This has nothing to do with VANOC or the Province. I've seen questions about why nothing was moving forward with the Canada Pavilion for months now.
I don't know if it's intentional they went with a US firm or just botched the file. I almost suspect it's just the latter. It seems no one was in the federal government was getting their act together.
When you consider that most of the other major projects - which were huge projects - are already completed - many of them months ago - it just makes no sense that the one thing the federal government had a sole responsibility - just languished.
Really sad actually. And just how good will the content be, if this is how they are throwing it together at the last minute?
One clarification, when I say "they've" done a good job overall, I mean the city of Vancouver, VANOC, and the Province of BC.
I don't think most people understand how little the federal government is involved in actual preparatory work - getting facilities built, etc. This pavilion may in fact be the only concrete item for which the federal government had responsibility.
In fact, the only other item I know of which the federal is involved in is security. Not downplaying that importance. It's just that I don't think most people understand that the city and Province bear the large lion share responsibility for the Games, not the Federal government.
This pavilion was the federal government's "one tangible thing" and they botched it.
Well, if you live in the lower mainland of BC, how very nice for you that you get all these wonderful infrastructure improvements. But for those of us who live in other parts of the province, we are seeing nursing lay-off, hospitable bed closures, doctor shortages, affordable housing shortages, an increase in homelessness, NO infrastructure improvements. In other words - we are getting the SHAFT, yet we still get to fund these games and pay for them until we retire.
You don't know one damn thing about it, or my priorities, or my beliefs.
Just because I believe mass transit is a good investment, and so appreciate that the plans for a new transit line were accelerated so it would be ready for the Games does not mean I think the Province should neglect health care.
And you're going to lecture someone who lives in Vancouver about the problem of homelessness? Have you ever been to Vancouver? Do you even know its regarded as the homeless capital of ALL of Canada because of its mild climate? We here in the lower mainland are well aware of the issues surrounding homelessness.
And by the way, I pay taxes too, as do most of the 75% of BC population that lives in the lower mainland. So many people will benefit from the community centre facilities left after the Games - and the moderate income housing handed over, and the tax revenues generated from the market rate housing built for the Olympic village.
We all pay taxes, and those funds go to a number of things. Just because a bridge gets built in Prince George doesn't mean a resident wants a homeless man to starve on the streets of Surrey.
But if it makes you feel better to cast your judgments on me, go for it. I'm sure you'll sleep better.
Jospeh, I did not lecture you and I did not make any judgments about your beliefs.
I HAVE lived in Vancouver and I am painfully aware of the homeless situation there, and I also have a friend who is currently living in a homeless shelter - ask her how she feels about the Owe-lypics and she'll give you more of an earful than I did.
I don't own a car, so I take public transit here in the Kootenays. You got a lovely new Canada line. We have sh*tty public transit given the population that relies on it. It would be NICE however, if some of the funding the lower mainland receives for its upgrades could have been spread around a bit so that ALL of BC can benefit.
That was the point of my comment.
Don't lecture me about tax distribution until you've lived in rural BC. I sit here and see all the health care dollars for this region being slashed, I see homeless people in MY community with NO access to housing or even decent food banks, I see social services being cut, and I think "gee, look at all these hundreds of millions of dollars being poured into a SPORTING EVENT when I can't see an internist at my own hospital if I have a fracking heart attack!"
Non-apology accepted.
My point was that taxes get spent on a lot of things. We also have a few shiny new ferries in the lower mainland. Does that mean those selfish people on Vancouver Island don't care about health care? Or the homeless? Or the environment?
I get it. I really do. You're perfect. Anyone with a different perspective is shit. So by all means keep using RANDOM caps to your heart's content.
I'll make sure to offer proper deference next time our paths cross.
Have a good day. Whether you believe it or not, I actually mean that. Life's too short to feel otherwise. I still don't know if I could stand to sit in the same room with you . . . sudden SHRILL yells tend to hurt my ears and scare my dog. But have a good day in your corner of our beautiful province.
You sound like a protectionist.
Did you complain about Obama cash for clunkers, that helped Toyota more then any other maker. The biggest seller, the Toyoto Corolla, made in Cambridge Ontario.
Joseph,
You are over-the-top in attacking another commenter here. Everyone is entitled to their thoughts & opinions. In your world it seems that if anyone disagrees with your POV then you attack & demean them. I've seen you do this numerous times on other blogs.
If you are unable to have reasonable & sensible discussions with others here at my blog I shall delete your comments.
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