Paralympian helps propel anti-Olympic movement

Critic questions Games cost, government's homeless strategy
Naoibh O'Connor, Vancouver Courier
Published: Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Going into the city's 2003 referendum on hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Ian Gregson was ambivalent about the project.

He was a two-time Paralympian and the author of a book on the history of disability sports in Canada, but as an athlete, he focused on training and competing and not on politics. But while working at Simon Fraser University and involved with the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), he decided to organize a debate for the referendum.

Gregson says he called the bid committee to recommend people for the Yes side. The committee also recommended people for the No side. He didn't research the names until anti-Olympic critic Chris Shaw called to say he'd been duped. The people recommended for the No side were on the bid committee, according to Gregson.

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