Vancouver is coming to grips with some of the unforeseen side effects of hosting the Winter Olympics in 2010. In one case, child skaters are losing out as neighbourhood community rinks close to be refitted as Olympic-standard practice facilities.
In another, a popular fireworks event faces the axe because of lack of corporate sponsorship.
Every summer, the crowded west end of the city's downtown attracts 1.6 million visitors to watch the HSBC Celebration of Light. But with corporate donor fatigue setting in as dollars are redirected towards Olympics-related events, the festival is looking at a C$500,000 (HK$3.3 million) shortfall in its C$3 million budget.
'We don't need one big sponsor, the funding can be done in a variety of different ways,' says Alicia Maluta, general manager of the Vancouver Fireworks Festival Society. 'We could have three evening sponsors of C$150,000 each.'
Organisers warn that if the money does not come by the end of this month, the fireworks will be cancelled.
It is a threat the festival organisers have made before for dramatic effect. The fireworks display - a competition between different countries to show off their flare over English Bay - nearly shut down in 2001 after initial sponsors Benson and Hedges pulled out. The federal government was to blame after passing legislation in 2000 that restricted tobacco companies from using their names in the title of sponsored events.
While HSBC jumped aboard as a title sponsor, thanks to the bank's commitment of C$400,000 a year, there is still a problem securing second- and third-tier sponsorship. Organisers worry potential sponsors reckon on getting a bigger bang for their buck in Olympics sponsorship.