Vancouver hosting the World Cup may open up possibilities for Port Coquitlam: Mayor

By ● Port Coquitlam ●

The beautiful game is coming to B.C. – and possibly to Gates Park.

FIFA Men’s World Cup matches are scheduled to be played in Vancouver for the first time in 2026, according to an announcement from the province Thursday.

“British Columbians will enjoy an economic boost to the tourism and hospitality sectors that will be felt for years to come,” Premier John Horgan stated in a press release, adding that B.C. would not be hosting, “just for kicks.”

The 80-match event is set to be jointly hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico. The province has not yet confirmed how many games will be played in Vancouver.

Local news that matters to you

No one covers the Tri-Cities like we do. But we need your help to keep our community journalism sustainable.

The total cost of hosting the World Cup is expected to range from $240 million to $260 million, according to an estimate from the province. The event could also help generate more than $1 billion in new revenue in the five years following the event, according to the release.

Port Coquitlam could host practices, exhibition games and more, according to Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West.

“We’re excited about the possibilities that open up for Port Coquitlam with Vancouver being named as one of the World Cup host cities,” the mayor wrote in an email. “We’ll be pursuing opportunities to bring this once in a lifetime experience close to home for our residents.”

Earlier this spring, Port Coquitlam announced plans to redevelop about 10 acres of Gates Park to add a new synthetic turf field.

image supplied Port Coquitlam

Set to be complete in 2023, the field: “will enable the city to host matches and events related to high-level tournaments, such as Vancouver’s bid to host the 2026 World Cup,” according to an announcement from Port Coquitlam last April.

The $12.2 million project – which includes lighting, an enhanced boulevard, and a two-storey fieldhouse – is slated to cost the city $2.5 million with the province chipping in a $6.7 million grant. B.C. Soccer is set to contribute $2.5 million with another $500,000 coming from PoCo Soccer.

Local soccer groups are scheduled to have 80 percent of field time throughout the year.

Author

A chiropractor and a folk singer, after having one great kid, decided to push their luck and have one more, a boy they named Jeremy Shepherd.

Shepherd grew up around Blue Mountain Park in Coquitlam, following a basketball around and trying his best to get to the NBA (it didn’t work out, at least not yet).

With no career plans after graduating Porter Elementary school, Jeremy Shepherd pursued higher education at Como Lake Middle School and eventually, Centennial High School.

Approximately 1,000 movies and several beers later in life, Shepherd made a change.

Having done nothing worth writing, he decided to see if he could write something worth reading.

Since graduating journalism school at Langara College, Shepherd has been a reporter, editor and, reluctantly, a content provider for community newspapers around Metro Vancouver for more than 10 years.

He worked with dogged reporters, eloquently indignant curmudgeons and creative photographers, all of whom shared a little of what they knew.

Now, as he goes about the business of raising two fascinating humans alongside a wonderful partner, Shepherd is delighted to report news and tell stories in the Tri-Cities.

He runs, reads, and is intrigued by art, science, smart cities and new ideas. He is pleased to meet you.

Related Articles

Support Us
Support Us

Help us continue serving you!

The Tri-Cities Dispatch team and I are immensely proud of what we’ve built here and couldn’t have done it without the support of our readers. Will you join 191 of our readers and help keep Tri-Cities Dispatch accessible to everyone?

Help us reach 24 new monthly supporters.

This site uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. By continuing to use this website, you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with our privacy policy.

Scroll to Top