Better Attitude Required:

This letter was in todays Morning Star Newspaper:

Better attitude required

Published: August 29, 2009

It's too difficult. We can't do it. There isn’t enough time. Fighting talk from the Vernon council and the business community of Vernon. The tourism manager actually told council not to do it.
The issue? Whether to hold the RBC Royal Bank Cup in Vernon. Hey, aren’t we the national champions, for the fifth time (a record)? Didn’t council meet with the Vipers on their triumphant return just outside city hall? Wasn’t it all on TV?
The Royal Bank Cup would be a super tournament for Vernon and it's two years away. Plenty of time to organize the whole show. So what’s the problem? Don’t we want the 1,000 people (five teams and their supporters) to come and stay in Vernon for 10 days or more? Don’t we want to be on national TV? Don’t the hotels want the trade? Don’t the restaurants want 1,000 people eating out for 10 days in the local economy (revenue $400,000)? So let’s organize this. Call the Wesbild Centre — "Got those dates free in 2011?”
Call Civic Arena — "Got those dates free?" Call the hotels. — "Got 500 rooms available in May 2011 (revenue $500,000)?" Vernon has the B.C. Winter Games that year. Isn’t hockey the major game for Canadians in winter? Hey, the Vipers get automatic entry if we host it — five-time champions remember.
The revenue figures indicate we will get $1 million injected into the economy (food, accommodation, etc.) for 10 days and yet the tourism manager questions, “What return Vernon would get." Who is paying your salary? A million dollars for 10 days — I think that would be enough.
But we need sponsors, I hear the cry. So we need to raise $250,000 and we can’t do it in time. Look, its two years away. The economy is improving (so we are told) and the marketing men can raise that sort of money on an improving economy, if you give them two years to do it. A solution is for the council to underwrite the deal. It’s not that much. Remember the roundabout on Pleasant Valley Road cost $300,000 and I don’t see 1,000 people and the TV companies rushing from all over the country to look at a roundabout.
What’s the matter with putting Vernon first, or putting Vernon on the national map? If we wait until the organizers are ready and the tourism manager is ready and the sponsors are ready and we wait till the economy is better, we miss our chance.
Other people have stepped in already. Never mind Vernon, we will get you something one day, when it’s easy to do.

Mike Mattinson