Government officials ratchet up spending for 2010 Vancouver Games

Government officials ratchet up spending for 2010 Vancouver Games{mosimage}VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Cost overruns for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver prompted government pledges of an extra $99 million Wednesday.

Canada’s federal government committed another $49.5 million and British Columbia promised to match it.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper made the announcement in Vancouver, along with British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell, Mayor Sam Sullivan and members of the Olympic committee.

For months, the province and the Vancouver organizing committee have been pressing the federal government for extra money to cover soaring construction costs.

Vancouver Olympic officials warned that British Columbia’s booming economy was driving up construction costs.

The Games’ original $424 million capital budget for building venues ballooned to $523 million out of an overall budget of $1.8 billion.

The construction budget came under scrutiny from the head of the Torino Olympic Organizing Committee. Chief executive Cesare Vaciago, in a July visit to B.C., suggested Vancouver’s budget was too low, based on his experience.

His Vancouver counterpart, Jim Furlong, pointed out VANOC’s capital budget is about half of Torino’s $1.2 billion tab because there is less to build.

— The Associated Press