It’s a rare day when someone has the guts to tell a big corporation, “Go stuff it.”
I’m sure Pat Bell, B.C.’s Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, didn’t use those exact words when dealing with Telus, but that’s the gist of his response.
Telus, one of Canada’s telecommunications behemoths, was reportedly prepared to fork over $40 million – the equivalent of five monthly residential “bundle” bills – in order to splash its purple-enhanced name across the entrances to BC Place stadium.
The problem though, Telus didn’t want anything to do with the name BC Place.
I can only imagine what the corporate big-wigs had in store for a new name: Telus Field, Telus Wireless Park, Telus We’re Great Stadium…?
Who really knows?
We do know the name, BC Place, will remain in honour of this great province and the taxpayers who really paid for the stadium. I like that, but the B.C. Conservative Party has knots in its panties over the revenue loss.
“This political decision has real consequences on taxpayers,” said party leader John Cummins in a news release. “…on the spur of the moment the Liberals backed out and taxpayers are left holding the bag.”
So what else is new, John?
Taxpayers are ALWAYS left holding the darn bag, but at least this is one we can carry and hold our heads high too at the same time.
BC Place is something we can all take pride in and so did the world when the opening and closing ceremonies were held there for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Really, what’s $40 million pay for these days?
Four doctors, three judges and one hot luncheon at yet another teachers’ rally?
And really, how long will it take to recoup 40-big-ones from beer-drinking football fans?
Two, maybe three games at the most?
The way I see it, if Telus has forty million bucks burning a hole in its pocket, they are most welcome to hand it over to the Vancouver Island Health Authority for naming rights to the new hospital.
Telus General Hospital (in Campbell River) has a nice – ha-ha – ring to it.
Telus could even take over admissions at a fraction of the cost, provided that you are using an authorized Telus cell phone and don’t mind explaining that hemorrhoid flare-up to someone earning 25 cents an hour at a call centre in India.
The possibilities are endless in terms of local naming rights: Telus High School at Carihi, Telus City Hall Council Chambers, Telus Outhouse on the Foreshore.
In the words of Nike, just do it!
paulr@campbellrivermirror.com