Edmonton’s Commonwealth Games had smoother sailing

By Colin F. Smith

The run-up to the October 3 opening of the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India has been rough, with a bridge collapse, criticism of event facilities and athletes’ accommodations, security concerns and participants pulling out of competition.

At time of writing it remains to be seen whether the problems will be ironed out and the games prove to be a success, but there is quite a contrast between the troubled Delhi event and the smooth sailing experienced by the Commonwealth Games held in Edmonton a little over 32 years ago.

The Commonwealth Games held in the city from August 4 to 12, 1978 were the first under that name. The first such event, held in Hamilton in 1930, was called the British Empire Games, which was changed to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games and then the British Commonwealth Games before the current name was adopted.

There were 1,474 athletes and 504 officials from a record 46 countries who took part in the games, which were also the first at which Canada was the overall winner, taking 109 medals, including 45 gold, in10 sports. A total of 395 medals were awarded in 128 separate competitions.

In Delhi, Commonwealth Games organizers have planned for more than 8,000 athletes and officials from 72 nations, who will take part in 17 sports.

When all is said and done the event is expected to cost more than $6 billion and will be the costliest games ever. The 1978 games came in at a trim $51 million, including $21 million for the construction of Commonwealth Stadium. That would be about $160 million in current dollars.

While there a number of concerns about Delhi’s games, the only shadow over Edmonton’s was whether Nigeria would succeed in organizing a boycott by the African Commonwealth members over New Zealand’s sporting links with apartheid South Africa, as had happened at the Summer Olympics in Montreal two years earlier.

However the Nigerian effort fizzled as a result of stiffened precautions against South African sports involvement and diplomatic countermeasures, and Nigeria, Uganda and Botswana were the only absentees among the African nations.

The weather could have put a damper on the event. It had been very chilly in the early part of the first week of August.

But it was a balmy 80 degrees Fahrenheit when Queen Elizabeth II, flanked by Prince Philip and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, officially opened the games in front of 43,000 enthusiastic spectators in the brand-new Commonwealth Stadium.

The day’s entertainment had begun with a five-minute aerobatics display by the Snowbirds.

Then pentathalete Diane Jones-Konihowski entered the stadium carrying the ceremonial baton, the last of 287 runners to do so on its journey from Buckingham Palace, a games tradition. The baton, a carved narwhal tusk, contained the queen’s message.

The weather held almost until the games were officially closed by Prince Philip on August 12.

The event, Edmonton’s first major international sporting event, was judged a great success, and one to which the efforts of 10,000 volunteers made an important contribution.

“We won’t be mistaken for a dot on the map any longer,” said mayor Cec Purves.

The city subsequently was able to host other international competitions including the 1983 World University Games (Universiade), the 2001 IAAF Championship in Athletics and matches from the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Commonwealth Stadium continues to be the home base for the Edmonton Eskimos football team.