Vancouverites divided on hosting events like the FIFA World Cup | Daily Hive

Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive

With the FIFA World Cup kicking off this week and Vancouver hosting its first match tomorrow, the city is now firmly in the midst of hosting the world’s biggest sporting event — and new data reflects how Vancouverites feel about it.

So far, there’s been a mixed reaction to Vancouver as a host city. Some people have lamented about the high cost to taxpayers, while others (particularly politicians) have labelled it a “once in a generation opportunity.”

On one hand, some groups and organizations have faced tangible consequences of hosting FIFA, like Vancouver skateboarders losing access to the Hastings Skate Park, Dragon Boat BC having to cancel its major summer event on False Creek, and the BC Sports Museum getting kicked out of BC Place for two months.

On the other hand, the city has come alive in a way that’s rarely felt, turning five blocks of Granville Street into a vibrant FIFA pedestrian zone and transforming the PNE fairgrounds into the FIFA Fan Festival with everything from viewing screens to live music to food and beverage vendors.

Now, data reflects this split sentiment. According to a survey that Nextdoor commissioned with AngusReid, Vancouverites perception of hosting a major international event is almost a coin toss: 45 per cent said it’s negative, and 45 per cent said it is positive.

Forty-nine per cent of Vancouver residents said the city is unprepared to manage international events. Over half — 56 per cent — said they’re concerned about the cost to taxpayers, 17 per cent about traffic delays, and 15 per cent about rising costs for residents.

“For a city that has been watching housing and living costs climb for years, a large-scale international event carries a particular kind of anxiety,” wrote Nextdoor in a blog.

Across the province, 49 per cent of British Columbians said that international events have a positive impact on the host city, and 50 per cent said major Canadian cities are “unprepared to manage a major international event like the FIFA World Cup while minimizing disruption to local neighbourhoods,” said a spokesperson for Nextdoor.

Meanwhile, Toronto residents reported having a more positive perception, with 57 per cent saying hosting has a positive impact, and 28 per cent said it’s negative.

On a national level, the perception is even rosier: 62 per cent said hosting international events would have a positive impact, and 25 per cent said it was negative. But 47 per cent were concerned about the cost to taxpayers.

“When a major international event comes to a Canadian city, most people watching from a distance tend to feel good about it. There’s the economic lift and the cultural energy of a country showing up on the world stage,” said Nextdoor.

What are your thoughts on Vancouver hosting the FIFA World Cup? Let us know in the comments or by emailing vancouver@dailyhive.com.

You might also like: