2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games: How the Security Budget Was Developed

• The 2010 Bid Corporation was formed in July 2001 to assist the cities of Vancouver and Whistler in the 2001 launch of the international bid to host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
• In the Fall of 2001, Government of Canada departments and agencies began working with the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation to determine preliminary cost estimates for security and policing at the 2010 Games.
• These initial cost estimates were reflected in the Bid documents provided to the International Olympic Committee in 2002.
• Strategic planning for security began immediately following the July 2003 announcement that Canada would host the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The RCMP’s Integrated Security Unit led these efforts.
• Strategic security planning was conducted in conjunction with VANOC’s own planning efforts related to location and design of venues.
• The Governments of Canada and British Columbiasigned the 2010 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Security Cost Sharing Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in December 2006.  The MOA clearly contemplated the possibility that security costs would be in excess of the initial bid budget, as the development of a comprehensive security plan (including the associated costs) moved forward.  The development of the MOA was a necessary part of the security planning process, as it defined the roles, obligations and responsibilities of British Columbia, Canada, the RCMP and the joint BC/Canada Security Committee. 
• A comprehensive security plan for 2010 was completed in November 2007 and presented by the Integrated Security Unit to the BC/Canada Security Committee.
• Costs associated with the comprehensive plan were presented to the BC/Canada Security Committee, as well as its Budget Review Sub-Committee, on several different occasions in 2007-08 in order to review and validate the costs associated with Games security.
• The Budget Review Sub-Committee also conducted a detailed audit of the revised RCMP/ISU costs associated with the security budget in February 2008.
• The Governments of Canada and BC then considered the comprehensive security plan and associated budget.
• Preliminary discussions on a revised cost share agreement to address the revised security budget began in July 2008. An agreement was reached on February 19, 2009.