In 2026, the eyes of the world will be on BC Place as it hosts seven matches in the FIFA World Cup, but until recently, nobody has been able to lay eyes on the stadium agreement for those games.
Bob Mackin of Breaker News obtained the documents through a Freedom of Information request and shared them with CTV News.
The contract stipulates that FIFA will have exclusive control of BC Place from one month prior to the opening match until one week after the final match hosted in Vancouver.
That includes areas inside and outside the stadium.
BC Place is required to have two independent power sources so that no matches are delayed or cancelled in the event of a power outage.
The province will spend between $150 million and $200 million to upgrade the stadium to meet the contract requirements.
Work at BC Place will include renovations to washroom facilities and elevators to increase accessibility, upgrades to broadcast and media areas and the installation of a natural grass pitch for the matches.
The portion of the contract stipulating how much rent FIFA will pay to use BC Place has been redacted.
"That’s troubling for a whole lot of reasons. It makes a total mockery of the idea of accountability,” said Carson Binda of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Taxpayers like you and I should be able to see what contracts our governments are entering into, what the implications of those contracts are, what it will cost us, and what our city politicians have promised to this big, nebulous international soccer organization."
One such contract that has been kept completely hidden is the host city agreement between the City of Vancouver and FIFA.
"In certain circumstances, the city is contractually and/or legally obligated to keep specific information confidential,” the city said in an email. “For major sporting events, certain information is not publicly disclosed for safety and security reasons, as is the case for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Host City Agreement.”
But other host cities participating in the 2026 FIFA World Cup – including Toronto, Seattle and Santa Clara, Calif. – have shared their agreements.
Those contracts include up to 250 VIP tickets per match for host cities to use as they see fit.
“Are they going to go towards political insiders? Potentially big donors to the mayor and his political party?” said Binda. "Who’s going to get these VIP packages? How are they going to be used? And at the end of the day, why are normal taxpayers being iced out of this entire process?"
Those are all good questions considering the cost to taxpayers has already doubled since the original estimate two years ago.
The latest price estimate for hosting games has ballooned to up to $581 million with kickoff still two more years away.
Thursday’s U.S. presidential debate was a re-run that featured two candidates with a combined age of 159, but it went especially poorly for one of them, President Joe Biden.
One of Canada's largest police forces has knowledge of car thieves attempting to breach Ontario's Ministry of Transportation database, CTV News has learned.
Canada has welcomed more than 3.9 million new citizens since 2005, with nearly one third coming from India, the Philippines or China, according to a CTVNews.ca analysis.
Canada's unofficial national colours will be on full display Monday as Canadians don patriotic T-shirts, wave hand-held flags and hang bunting to celebrate their country. But while the red-and-white flag for the most part unites Canadians, the colours' meaning is open to interpretation.
The Canada Revenue Agency says it is ramping up efforts to recover overpayments of pandemic-related benefits.
U.S. President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump went head-to-head in the first of two planned presidential debates.
A New Hampshire man charged with threatening the lives of presidential candidates last year has been found dead while a jury was deciding his verdict, according to court filings Thursday.
A raspy, sometimes halting U.S. President Joe Biden repeatedly sought to confront Donald Trump in their first debate ahead of the November election, as his Republican rival countered Biden’s criticism by leaning into falsehoods about the economy, illegal immigration and his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
For half a decade, a Saskatoon family has been trying to bring their orphaned niece to Canada, they say now it’s a matter of life or death.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
The world's largest hockey stick could soon become the world's most in-pieces hockey stick as a Vancouver Island community prepares to tear down and carve up the Canadian landmark.
Months after a double-stabbing in downtown Victoria that left one victim dead, a suspect has been charged with murder.
The hospitality and tourism industry in B.C. is looking forward to a busy Canada Day long weekend.
Mounties in Kelowna say a suspect is at large after a man was stabbed in the city Sunday afternoon.
Police are remaining tight-lipped about a woman’s death in a Kelowna park on Friday.
Police have identified a man found dead in B.C.’s Interior last weekend as Donald “Donnie” Lyons.
Ken Holland is out as Edmonton Oilers president of hockey operations and general manager. He joined the Oilers in May 2019 and his contract ends this Sunday.
Police officers involved in a man's September 2020 Edmonton shooting death have been cleared by the province's law-enforcement watchdog.
Several stolen vehicles believed to have been used in organized and serious crime, including one homicide, have been found in Alberta during an investigation into an auto theft ring.
A potential strike by WestJet airplane mechanics would upend travel plans for 250,000 customers over the Canada Day long weekend, the airline says — and cost it millions of dollars.
The United Conservative Party has come out swinging at new Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi in a series of attack ads.
Police say a 19-year-old man critically injured after being hit by a vehicle in northeast Calgary on Tuesday is dead.
The 122-year-old Raymond Stampede is set to get underway this weekend, but this year’s event will occur at a new location.
A picture of rage and determination among COVID-19 protesters at the border blockade at Coutts, Alta., was spelled out in text messages shown Thursday at a murder-conspiracy trial.
Dozens of farmers from across southern Alberta turned out Wednesday for Farming Smarter’s annual 2024 field school.
Winnipeg police say the occupants of a home that exploded in the Transcona neighbourhood on Wednesday were not there at the time of the blast.
A sigh of relief for Winnipeg community groups concerned about the amount of money available to them through the city's community grants program.
A sentencing hearing is underway for a Manitoba doctor found guilty of sexually assaulting multiple patients over several years.
Thursday marked day four of the trial of Jeffrey Dumba, a former Regina teacher who is accused of sexually exploiting a 15-year-old female student.
Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) is investigating after suffering what it calls a "cybersecurity incident."
A death in the community of Canora, Sask. has been deemed non-suspicious in nature following an investigation.
The Supreme Court of Canada has rejected an application from a Saskatoon man who murdered his wife.
For half a decade, a Saskatoon family has been trying to bring their orphaned niece to Canada, they say now it’s a matter of life or death.
Drivers in Saskatoon’s north industrial area were treated to a grisly sight on their commute home on Thursday — a truck apparently spilled a load of pig parts onto Millar Avenue.
With a week left until thousands of LCBO workers could walk off the job, the Crown corporation has announced that it will close all its retail stores for 14 days if no deal is reached by July 5.
Ontarians heading outdoors this summer are likely well-versed on the potential risk of Lyme disease that comes with a tick bite. But there are three other pathogens that can be transmitted by blacklegged ticks that public health officials want you to know about – and confirmed cases have already been reported in Ontario.
U.S. President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump are set to go head-to-head tonight in the first of two planned presidential debates. Here's how to watch the CNN Presidential Debate, Power Play's pre- and post-debate specials, and follow along in our real-time CTVNews.ca live expert analysis and commentary by debate and body-language experts.
The pond sector at the Mont-Saint-Bruno Provincial Park is closed after a woman died after a tree fell on her on the Grand-Duc trail on Thursday.
The Loto Quebec International Fireworks competition begins Thursday in Montreal with a tribute to boy and girl bands.
The stage is set for the 44th edition of the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Over the next 10 days there will be 350 concerts taking place in the heart of downtown, the majority of them free.
Ottawa Public Health is issuing a warning about a new drug found in the local unregulated drug supply that could lead to a spike in overdoses.
CTV News Ottawa looks at things to do in Ottawa during the Canada Day long weekend.
Ottawa police are going as far as to tell people to stay away from Facebook Marketplace altogether when looking for a place to rent because of the prevalence of scams.
Gas prices at Maritime pumps went up overnight just ahead of the Canada Day long weekend.
A large basking shark was captured close to the shoreline on Nova Scotia's Eastern Shore.
An Elderbank, N.S., couple plans to buy a new electric car and a four-wheeler after winning $500,000 from Atlantic Lottery.
Charges have been laid in relation to a recent fatal fail to remain investigation in St. Thomas.
For nearly 50 years, Clinton's kids have enjoyed an outdoor pool. However, following a three-year long closure due to expensive required repairs, Clinton's pool will now never be swam in again.
VIA Rail unveiled the first cars in its new fleet of state of the art passenger trains Thursday, with leaders taking part in the inaugural ride between London and Windsor.
A man, previously found guilty of first-degree murder in connection to a 2014 death in Kitchener, has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.
Drama is usually reserved for the Stratford Festival stage, but on Thursday night, it might play out at Stratford City Hall – again.
Parents who ran into technical problems with Waterloo Region’s registration system for before and after school programs have a new date to circle on their calendars.
Lactalis Canada officially reopened its facility on Thursday, unveiling a new product line.
One person has been charged after a suspect stole a vehicle in Sables-Spanish Rivers Township, then drove it to Ontario Provincial Police to discuss another matter.
Armed with notes, Chief Sydney Lecky was ready for his first public meeting with the Timmins Police Service Board on Thursday.
A judge dismissed all sexual misconduct charges against a Newfoundland lawyer Thursday, saying repeated inconsistencies and falsehoods in the complainant's accounts eroded her credibility and left him unable to believe her allegations.
With rain coming down in central Labrador and temperatures dropping, the wildfire near Churchill Falls has been downgraded, although fire officials say there's still work to be done to keep the flames at bay.
The wildfire that forced the evacuation of Churchill Falls remains three kilometres from the community as the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador signalled cautious optimism.
© 2024 
All rights reserved. Use of this Website assumes acceptance of Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy
