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Canwest News Service
VANCOUVER — Canada's $9.2-million, Olympic pavilion is being built by a U.S. firm from Chicago.
And Joyce Murray, Liberal MP for Vancouver Quadra, is accusing the federal government of badly botching the contracting process by waiting too long to issue it.
"Think about it: these are Canada's Games, taking place in Canada, and the project is for Canada's pavilion and it's being built by an American firm," she said.
"The timeline excluded a lot of Canadian firms that would have otherwise been eminently capable of doing this work. This is something that they've known they would be doing for four years."
The contract was awarded to Giltspur Exhibits, a Chicago-based company, for more than $9.2 million after a two-week request for proposals process on MERX, the federal government's tendering website.
The contract was awarded on Nov. 17 and published on Monday, leaving only 81 days to build it before the Olympics open on Feb. 12.
The Canada Pavilion will be an anchor for downtown revelry during the Games.
She said Canadians would prefer to see a Canadian company doing the work.
"This is Canada's face to the world," she added. "I think it's regrettable that this was botched and at the end of the day it's another country's talent that's putting this together. I would be very surprised if the U.S. would do a massive celebration of Americanness and hire a firm from outside their country."
Murray raised the issue during Question Period in the House of Commons on Friday.
"The Canada pavilion is on track to be completed for the start of the Games, " replied Dean Del Mastro, parliamentary secretary to Minister of Canadian Heritage James Moore. "It will celebrate everything that Canada has to offer, everything from our heritage and our culture, from First Nations to settlers, everything that this country is all about."
Minister of State for Sport Gary Lunn did not return calls.
Neither Premier Gordon Campbell nor Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson were willing to comment, and officials in their office referred questions to the federal government.
Vancouver Province
