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Council passes resolution to cover any Manitoba Games deficit

Council unanimously passed a resolution that the city would cover any financial shortfall incurred as a result of hosting the 2018 Power Smart Manitoba Games at its March 13 meeting.

Council unanimously passed a resolution that the city would cover any financial shortfall incurred as a result of hosting the 2018 Power Smart Manitoba Games at its March 13 meeting.

"The agreement between Sport Manitoba and Thompson and the host society is a standard practice in games," said Mayor Dennis Fenske. "It ensures the Manitoba Games will happen without incurring a deficit. If so, the host community, which is the City of Thompson, would agree beforehand to cover that deficit. In the history of the games there's never been a deficit but it is a standard protocol that Sport Manitoba requires the City of Thompson to pass the resolution as they have asked every other community that's hosted the games to pass a similar resolution to cover any deficits."

Coun. Judy Kolada asked prior to the vote why the resolution is needed so far in advance of the games, which will be held March 4-10 of next year and what situations could possibly lead to a deficit.

"Personally I'm concerned about us coming up with the number of volunteers that we require and I'm wondering why we're passing a resolution a year in advance," Kolada said. "It seems as though we shouldn't have to be passing that resolution this early in the process so if you can enlighten me on those questions."

Fenske said the process was exactly the same as it was when Thompson lasted hosted the Manitoba games in 1994 and referenced the previous week's weather as an example of an event that could derail an event like the games.

"Knock on wood but the dates for next year's games are the dates that we had for the blizzard," said the mayor. "Had the games happened last week I'm sure that they would have been cancelled or deferred. There may have been costs that were not recoverable and in that extreme case the City of Thompson would have had to cover if they were proven to be deficit numbers."

Coun. Colleen Smook and deputy mayor Kathy Valentino expressed confidence that the games would bring financial benefits to Thompson.

"Based on our experience with our own games in '94 and anything else that the City of Thompson goes for and the past few games of Sport Manitoba, I'm very confident that this will actually bring dollars to the coffers of Thompson," said Smook.

"I am completely confident that not only the committee that's in place and chairing these games but our city as a whole and all community members and our citizens will ensure that we won't have a deficit and I believe it will be a very, very huge success," said Valentino.

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