100 Olympics jobs not enough for Games critic

Developer inks inner-city deal with city council
Damian Inwood
The Province
Friday, November 16, 2007

A deal to provide 100 inner- city jobs has been signed by the developer building the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Village at Southeast False Creek.

But NDP Olympics critic Harry Bains says that "doesn't come close" to honouring what was promised in the Inner-City Inclusivity Agreement, which was signed during the Olympic bid phase.

The Southeast False Creek Olympic Village Community Benefit Agreement was announced yesterday between the city, Millennium Southeast False Creek Properties Ltd. and Building Opportunities with Business Inner-City Society (BOB).

The agreement also provides up to $15 million in procurement opportunities for inner-city firms, plus a $750,000 legacy fund for training and employment support to inner-city residents and businesses.

"This agreement also exemplifies the commitment of Project Civil City to use the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games as a catalyst to address the social challenges our community faces," said Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan.

"This announcement will help us ensure inner-city residents benefit from our role as host city."

Officials say the agreement will help local inner-city residents receive construction training and secure jobs through the Olympic Village project.

It will also offer local inner-city businesses preferential access to procurement opportunities.

The 100 jobs will come from contractors MetroCan Construction Ltd., ITC Construction Inc. and their sub-trades to work on the Olympic Village construction.

Over the next few weeks, the city and BOB will meet with inner-city residents, businesses and community organizations to review the details and look at how they can become involved.

But Bains criticized the announcement, saying 100 jobs fall far short of what's needed in the Downtown Eastside.
"It doesn't even come close to dealing with the issues in that area," he said.

"They have simply thrown some numbers together and don't have any details."

The original agreement promised to tackle homelessness, protect rental units and let the Downtown Eastside benefit from the business deals surrounding the Olympics, added Bains.

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