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B.C. business leaders in discussions with World Economic Forum

Talks underway to bring annual general meeting to Whistler in 2005 The Vancouver Board of Trade confirmed this week that it is lobbying to bring the World Economic Forum to Whistler in 2005.

Talks underway to bring annual general meeting to Whistler in 2005

The Vancouver Board of Trade confirmed this week that it is lobbying to bring the World Economic Forum to Whistler in 2005.

"I would say there is a better than even chance that we could go for 2005," said Darcy Rezak, managing director of the board.

B.C. and Whistler are popular with the leaders of the World Economic Forum. In fact WEF founder Klaus Schwab was holidaying in the resort this week.

He declined to comment on the forum coming to Whistler when contacted at his hotel.

"I am here for holiday reasons and to enjoy the resort and see how life is here and the skiing," said Schwab.

Rezak and several other high profile B.C. business people were in Davos, Switzerland last week attending the annual meeting of the WEF.

While there were no formal discussions about hosting the 2005 meeting in Whistler, Rezak confirmed the idea was talked about.

"There were no meetings with the founder on the subject in Davos but there were casual comments and there is a healthy interest," said Rezak.

"The discussions are beginning to take place now so we will be in dialogue hopefully within a matter of a few short days to be able to say, ‘OK folks let’s pick it up a bit and where do we have to go from here.’"

However, said Rezak, world events, particularly in Iraq, may overtake the discussions.

All this was news to Whistler Mayor Hugh O’Reilly.

"I have not been directly involved in any way," he said.

"But I think we sent a pretty clear message that the forum would be invited if they considered hosting it at an alternate time."

Emotions ran high in Whistler last spring as the community learned that council was considering hosting the annual general of the WEF.

This meeting is traditionally held in January, prime ski season in Whistler. Since the World Economic Forum attracts heads of state, leaders of major international corporations and religious and political leaders, security is extremely high and protests follow. It was believed by many, including the operators of Whistler-Blackcomb, that the security and protests would have a severe and negative impact on business .

A petition was circulated last spring and thousands signed to oppose hosting the event. Hundreds of others turned out for a council meeting hosted in Millennium Place to voice support and opposition.

The result was an invitation with strings attached.

Whistler council passed a motion which said the WEF was welcome, providing it maintained the safety of the community without interfering too much in the operation of the resort, and shifted the meeting from peak-season in January to the shoulder seasons.

Also, the federal government would have to pay for and organize security and insurance, organizers were to ensure that recommendations to incorporate sustainability were part of the agenda, and the second phase of the Whistler Conference Centre renovation was to be completed.

Rezak said the leaders of the WEF are aware of concerns around the conference, which generally draws thousands of protesters from around the world.

"I do know that the organizers are very sensitive to local concerns and issues and want to be as sensitive as they can be," he said.

And it would be unlikely the WEF would book somewhere it was not welcome.

However the bottom line is that conventions are free to book wherever they please.

"When the Shriners came to Vancouver it is not clear that they had to have the approval of the city of Vancouver," said Rezak.

O’Reilly is hopeful that WEF leaders would consider Whistler’s concerns.

"The fact is there was community involvement and there was a message sent back," said O’Reilly.

"I think they are in receipt of that and understand what the community concerns and issues are, as are other key players, so it seems to me as long as they are trying to work within that then that is probably fine."

Rezak said the WEF’s decision to host their annual meeting in New York last year opened up the opportunity to bring the event to locations other than Davos.

"It became clear that it is not necessarily anchored to Davos forever and the organizers expressed interest in exploring other possibilities and other locations," said Rezak.

Bringing the meeting to B.C. would be a great opportunity, Rezak said.

"If you could have 2,500 delegates representing the world’s 1,000 largest firms, hundreds of NGOs, people like Amnesty International, perhaps 50 to 100 senior religious clerics from all over the world, some heads of government, senior bureaucrats and financiers and decision makers, spend a week in British Columbia do you think there might be a chance that at least some of the business people would want to invest here?" asked Rezak.

"And if only 50 of them invest only $10 million bucks that’s half a billion dollars into our economy, so it is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Canada and British Columbia."

Rezak also pointed out that the nature of the WEF has changed over the last several years. Now, more than ever it is focused on global issues, not just the rich getting richer, he said.

"When Colin Powell spoke the first question from the floor was from Amnesty International," said Rezak of last week’s address by the U.S. Secretary of State to the meeting in Davos.

So it looks like talks about Whistler and the WEF will continue.

"We weren’t making a pitch in Davos," said Rezak.

"We simply let it be known that we are here, we are available, we are open for business.

"We think it is a good idea. The organizers make the decision, but we are in active discussions with them and the organizers are regular visitors to this part of the world and love B.C., so how can we turn that to our advantage."