Pavco pain
What happens when you’ve got a stadium that cost taxpayers more per seat than almost any sports arena in the world has cost the public and it’s only needed a…
Pavco
Similarities, including the price
For roughly the same amount Pavco paid for modifications to BC Place, Poland built, from the ground up, Stadion Narodowy, an 58,145 seat arena and conference centre with similar retractable…
Crony capitalism, part duh…
I don’t know that I will bother writing about the detail that I’ve accumulated in examining convention centre projects in North America and abroad. Regular readers can probably guess accurately…
Failing upward
In the five years 2009-2013, B.C. Pavilion Corporation, the provincial operator of BC Place and the Vancouver Convention Centre, accumulated deficits totaling $234,178,000 before public contributions (Source: Pavco audited financial…
BC’s crony capitalism in action
Flipping channels Sunday, I paused to watch as Vancouver Whitecaps FC played an MSL game at the StubHub Center in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, CA. In a facility…
NOT for the people
In an 1830 speech, Massachusetts Senator Daniel Webster said that government should be “Made for the people, made by the people, and answerable to the people.” British Columbia’s present ruling…
As much as anyone, Liberals hurt themselves
“A lie is an affront to the soul, as well as an insult to the intelligence of the person to whom one lies.” ― Judith McNaught Underwear mfg is prime…
No doubt about the winner in a contest of one
Ian Reid and Bob Mackin have been the leading journalists examining Paragon Gaming’s past relationship with Pavco. We knew Paragon had an inside track for the proposed casino at BC…
No news is likely bad news
With the first quarter of British Columbia’s current fiscal year ending, public agencies and crown corporations will soon release annual reports and audited financials for the year ended March 31,…
What’s up at PavCo besides operating losses?
Whispered leaks say that PavCo’s professional managers are arm wrestling with political hacks who want only happy talk reaching ears of the public. Trouble is, good news at PavCo is…
Something is rotten in the state of PavCo
The government’s fiscal year ends in a few days so here’s a suggestion for more accurate financial reports in BC. Add a separate line item for “Fraud, Theft & Abuse.”…
Bob Mackin poses a good question
B.C. Place’s field of fire, 2010 Gold Rush, NEWS AND VIEWS ON VANCOUVER 2010 (AND BEYOND) FROM BOB MACKIN. “What is the final cost of the stadium for taxpayers? How…
Some targets are easier to make than others
Forget land costs, management and operating expenses; BC Place still needs $2.5 million a month to break even. That represents amortization of recent renovation costs over 20 years. Of course,…
Has the game changed or merely the players?
Recently, I was amused by a certain radio news-talk host angrily sputtering in response to callers' claims that he was partial and passive in political coverage. He replied that, in…
Stadium skeptics proved wrong
News Item: "Former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters will be building an even bigger Wall at BC Place on May 26 next year. "In an announcement made Tuesday morning, BC…
Online journalists saved the bacon
Gordon Campbell and PavCo's David Podmore made an announcement in March 2010: "Downtown Vancouver is getting a new $450-million casino and hotel complex to anchor its new "entertainment epicentre," B.C.…
BC Place giant outdoor screen blares light into nearby residents’ homes
The new BC Place is a fine upgrade indeed. Its giant 'crown' atop the building is at once ugly and beautiful. Inside, the new seats, the windows around the upper…
Can we believe anything they say?
Pavco's convention centre and stadium deals fascinate me. People residing beyond BC's lower mainland are probably more pissed-off than fascinated. These deals clearly demonstrate the disaster potential when public and…