We are just over seven months away from the FIFA World Cup kicking off in Vancouver, and a new survey shows the event is bringing up mixed feelings for locals.
The Canada Pulse Insights Poll, commissioned by CityNews, found most Metro Vancouver residents think that hosting the tournament will benefit the city, despite the cost.
In total, 63 per cent of Metro Vancouver residents say the price tag — which may top $600 million — is worth it.
On the other hand, a strong majority of taxpayers say they don’t want to cover cost overruns. Of those surveyed, only 17 per cent in Vancouver believe residents should foot the bill, which is a stark contrast to the 83 per cent who say they shouldn’t have to bear the additional financial responsibility.
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“The reason for that is pretty clear, as there’s been enough investment upfront,” said Canada Pulse CEO John Wright.
“The public expects these projects to be run with some kind of accountability, so they’re sending a very clear fiscal warning: no overruns or you may have to answer to it in the next election.”
Moshe Lander, senior lecturer in the department of economics at Concordia University, points out the issue with this.
“You can’t say, well, I’m okay with spending this money, but not if it comes with overruns,” Lander said.
“The other thing to keep in mind is the amount people are comfortable with. $500-600 million dollars is well above the original amount the mayor promised when Vancouver got into bed with FIFA in the first place.”
Earlier this year, the province estimated the games would generate more than $1 billion in visitor spending during the tournament and the five years following, with FIFA’s own assessments coming in even higher at $1.7 billion.
Lander questions this line of thinking.
“Nobody bases their vacation plans in the medium- to long-term because Vancouver hosted a bunch of irrelevant early-stage World Cup matches,” he said.
“Are people coming to Vancouver years after the Olympics because it hosted the Olympics? I don’t think that’s really true.”
The first FIFA World Cup game will take place at BC Place on June 13, 2026.