THUNDER BAY -- Council could decide Thursday if it wants the city to make a bid for the 2021 Canada Summer Games.
A report Monday laid out what it would take to make a bid for the games, which would coincide with the 40th anniversary of the city's 1981 games. Going for it would require around $350,000 from this year's budget.
With a number of councillors at the Ontario Good Roads Association conference in Toronto this week, Coun. Andrew Foulds said administration should put a decision package together for Thursday's budget meeting on how the city could pay for the bid.
"I think it's at least worthy of a debate," he said.
Councillors agreed but not without several having their doubts.
Coun. Linda Rydholm said she's heard no city has ever hosted the summer games twice, something she's asked administration to look at.
"I don't feel like throwing out $350,000 on hopes," she said.
For Coun. Shelby Ch'ng, with a $3 million capital investment required and administration already raising concerns about where the athletes would be housed, she wondered if the money could be better spent elsewhere.
"I think we need to ask the question are we really up for doing this?"
Administration said the bidding process will be hypercompetitive with some communities in Southern Ontario already considering pooling their resources together to make one bid.
"It's not going to be an easy bid," acting community services manager Gerry Broere said.
"It will be a challenge."
And if the city's going to make the bid, they'd better make it with the intention of winning the games.
Coun. Rebecca Johnson raised concerns about the $350,000 impact to this year's already tight budget.
"We can't even seem to get $10,000 down," she said of the budget process to-date.
Thursday's meeting begins at 5:30 p.m.
