HYPOCRISY ALERT : Eby once opposed Olympics, now hides FIFA spending

VICTORIA — The British Columbia government is withholding updated cost estimates for hosting seven matches of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup until after the provincial legislature’s spring se8ssion ends.Premier David Eby said his BC NDP government would release the full figures by the end of the month — after the session concludes May 28. The tournament begins June 11.Eby touted the economic benefits, claiming the event will generate more than $1 billion for the province’s economy. However, he stopped short of providing updated taxpayer costs, citing ongoing negotiations with Ottawa on security funding and final details from stakeholders.A recent report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates total government support for Canada’s co-hosting role at $1.066 billion, with $473 million from Ottawa and $593 million from provincial and municipal governments..For BC, projections hover around $578 million for the seven Vancouver games at B.C. Place Stadium, or about $82 million per match.The delay stands in contrast to Premier Eby’s vocal opposition to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics when he served as executive director of the BC Civil Liberties Association. Around that time, Eby very publicly raised concerns about restrictions on free speech, civil liberties, and, perhaps most pertinently, the costs of hosting large international events on what he called “stolen land.”.In interviews and public statements in the years directly preceding the widely heralded and celebrated 2010 Vancouver Olympics, Eby highlighted risks of heavy-handed security, displacement of vulnerable populations, and the prioritization of corporate interests over public rights.He advocated for protections against bylaw enforcement targeting protesters and the homeless.Now leading the province, Eby defends the FIFA investment as a net positive despite escalating costs and rumours of the homeless once again being displaced ahead of the festivities — a rumour that the City of Vancouver has vehemently denied..Regardless, with the games less than a month away for Canadian matches, questions remain about final security, operations, and any contingency overruns.As the countdown continues, British Columbians must impatiently await clarity on the true bottom line for hosting FIFA’s showcase. The full picture, whenever released, is expected to test public appetite for government spending on global sporting spectacles amidst significant economic and legal challenges for the province.

HYPOCRISY ALERT : Eby once opposed Olympics, now hides FIFA spending

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