Dec 04 2010
Speaking of Olympics: was it worth it?
Olympic Village: $1 Billion
Olympic Paralympics Centre: $85.45 Million
Sea-To-Sky Highway: $600 Million
Richmond Oval: $178 Million
Canada Line: $2.05 Billion
These are just a few examples of the costs that Canadian taxpayers have had to bear. Built for years, host for weeks, but only competed for seconds. But in reality, the venues and transportation infrastructure will last us over 60 years. The Olympic Village has transform a industrial wasteland into a showcase of sustainable living for over 3000 people after the games. The Olympic Centres are acting as community centres, either as an ice rink or an aquatic centre. The Sea-To-Sky Highway will increase the provincial GDP by up to $300 million by 2025! It will carry 50% more cars 15 years from now. The Richmond Oval was converted to a multi-use sports complex. The Canada Line Skytrain created another means of transportation where citizens can now go from Richmond to Vancouver City Centre within 15 minutes. Although the costs for the Olympics were high, they also brought to us many things that will last for a long time. To say whether the Olympics was worth its costs differs between people. But for me personally, I believe that the Olympics created a great reputation for Canadians in the world, and I sure had an amazing priceless experience