[mobglob-discuss] Bid Corp Conflicts of Interest (part 4)

Mon Feb 17 10:54:05 PST 2003

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2003

VANCOUVER-WHISTLER BID CORP IN POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: PART 3

NO GAMES 2010 COALITION continues to demand full disclosure of
potential conflict of interest positions by members of the
Vancouver-Whistler 2010 Bid Corp.

To date, Bid Corp has provided only a cursory disclosure of financial
interests of Bid Corp Directors.

NO GAMES 2010 Coalition researchers have now documented the following
information that the Vancouver/Whistler 2010 Winter Olympic Bid doesn’t
say about the Bid Corporation Board of Directors:

Of the over two-dozen business-type members – three are board members
of Concert Properties, of which three were the founders of the company
(formerly Vancouver Land Corporation and Greystone Properties). Those
being: Jack Poole (Chair of Concert Properties, formerly Greystone
Properties, Vancouver Land Corp., which was backed by $15 million union
pension funds arranged by Ken Georgetti and then handed to Poole by
then City of Vancouver Mayor Gordon Campbell.); David Podmore (CEO &
President); Ken Georgetti and Tony Tennessy (Directors).  Note that Mr.
Podmore is head of Team 2010, the promotion arm of the
Vancouver-Whistler 2010 Bid Corp.

Concert Properties (initially established to ‘supposedly’ provide low
income housing) is now a major residential developer at a BC ski resort
– Silver Star Mountain.
Concert Properties is listed at SkyScrapers.com as owner of thirteen
high-rise buildings including office towers such as Centro and 1190
Hornby.
Additionally, Concert is actively involved in the hospitality
development sector as a partner in the Victoria Marriott Hotel.
Jack Poole is a Partner in Western Corporate Enterprise, an investment
company with an active interest in businesses throughout North America
with partners Henning Brasso and Bob Lee, Poole retains part ownership
of Richmond Honda and Sur-Del Honda
Poole has also remained active in real estate development, with a
number of private projects in Calgary, Denver and other cities
throughout North America

Concord Pacific (Li Ka-Shing and Hui family owned), developer of the
former Expo 86 lands (one-sixth of downtown Vancouver) is significantly
represented on the Bid Board – with David McLean (Chairman of the Board
and a Director of Concord Pacific Group Inc.) and KWOK Tun-li, Stanley
(Former Deputy Chairman for Concord Pacific).

David McLean is also involved with the following business interests: 
a) Founding Chairman of the Vancouver Board of Trade Foundation        

b) Founder and Chairman, Vancouver Film Studios (another BC
government-funded private entity)                                      

c) Chairman of the Board, The McLean Group, which has developed
numerous residential, office, retail and industrial properties         

d) past Chair the Canadian Chamber of Commerce                         

e) Director, DeHavilland Aircraft of Canada                            

f) Director, Northwestel                                               

g) Director, CANAC Consultants Ltd.                                    

h) Director, Nu West Group                                             

 i) Founding Chairman of Westech Information Systems, the former
information systems arm of B.C. Hydro, and led the company through
privatization from its parent company                                  
                                                                     j)
Former Chairman of the Board of Coastland Wood Industries              

k) One of twenty-two business delegation members led by Premier Gordon
Campbell to attend 2002 World Economic Forum.

Stanley Tun-li Kwok, reported as ‘Mastermind of Expo '86’ is also
involved in a multitude of multinational businesses:                   

a) Principal, Stanley Kwok Consultants Inc.                            

b)  Director, Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited (The Cheung Kong Group,
owned principally by Li ka-Shing operates in 41 countries and employs
over 163,000 staff worldwide)                                          

c) Development Consultant for the South East Shore of False Creek d)
Director of Omnipoint Corporation, priceline.com Incorporated,
VoiceStream Wireless Corporation, Western Wireless Corporation, Global
Crossing Ltd., Breakaway Solutions Inc.                                

  d) Director, Amara International Investment Corporation (a
Vancouver-based private company specializing in real estate investment
and in locating Asian partnerships for projects).                      

e) Director, CTC Bank of Canada                                        

f) Director, Husky Energy Inc.                                         

g) Principal, Stanley Kwok & Associates,(worked on the Concord Pacific
development on the former Expo lands on the north shore of the Creek)  

 h) Joint Venture Partner with TYBA Group Inc and Dong Ah Construction
Industrial of Seoul, South Korea in the Crystal Project , a CAN$200
million development in suburban Vancouver that also includes 55,000
square feet of office space, a 210,000 square-foot retail area, a
22,500 square-foot conference center and a 218-unit residential
complex.                                                              
i) Former Director, BC Hydro                                           

j) Director, Bank of Montreal

In addition to Concert Properties’ real estate development interest in
other ski resorts, other Bid Board members are intimately involved in
the ski resort industry:                                               
                                                                   a)
Kerrin Lee-Gartner (listed as Canadian Olympic Athlete - Alpine Skiing)
is Principlal, Kerrin Lee-Gartner’s Snow Creek Lodge and Principal,
Fernie Alpine Resort                                                   
                                                                   b)
Nancy Greene Raine (listed as Director of Skiing, Sun Peaks Resort;
Canadian Olympic Athlete - Alpine Skiing) is Principal, Nancy Greene’s
Cahilty Lodge, Sun Peaks, BC; President, NGR Resort Consultants Inc.;
Proponent with husband Al Raine of Melvin Creek/Cayoosh, $500 million
four-season ski resort (90 minute drive from Whistler). Al Raine was
responsible for the planning of Whistler                               

            c) Doug Forseth, Senior VP, Operations, Whistler and
Blackcomb Mountains represents the interests of Intrawest Corp. (who
stand to benefit in the reported range of $10 to $30 million in
facility rental fees for the use of their facilities)     
d) Caleb Chan has reportedly purchased the Nancy Greene Lodge and the
Crystal Lodge hotel businesses in Whistler, B.C.

Caleb Chan is also involved in major development businesses:           

a) President & Chairman, Burrard International                         

b) President & Chairman, The International Land Group, San Francisco,
Director c) UBC Properties Trust, Director, Belkorp Industries Inc.    

d) Director, Board of Trustees, Canadian Hotel Income Properties       

e) Principal, GolfBC Properties: Kelowna: The Okanagan Golf Club,  The
Bear at Okanagan Golf Club, The Quail at Okanagan Golf Club,
Gallagher's Canyon Golf & Country Club, The Pinnacle Course at
Gallagher's Canyon Whistler: Nicklaus North Golf Course, Crystal Lodge
Furry Creek: Furry Creek Golf & Country Club Vancouver: Mayfair Lakes
(Richmond), Burrard Golf & Tennis (at Burrard & Alberni, Vancouver)
Vancouver Island: Arbutus Ridge Golf & Country Club (Cobble Hill),
Olympic View Golf Club (Victoria) Other GolfBC properties: Burrard Golf
& Tennis The Crystal Lodge, Whistler                          
f) Principal, CRC Developments Ltd.( The company owns golf course
residential developments)                                              

g) Principal, Gallagher's Canyon Land Development Ltd.                 

h) Nicklaus North, in Whistler, B.C. and Arbutus Ridge on Vancouver
Island are two examples of communities CRC has developed. Currently in
the planning stages is the development of a new community at the
Olympic View Golf Course in the Victoria area on Vancouver Island      

i.Goldenwood Townhouse Project, Whistler, BC                           

j) member of the advisory board of the Asia Pacific Initiative in
Vancouver       
k) Director, B.C. Housing Management Corporation                       

l) Director, Land Planning Committee of the Loma Linda University
Development Corporation 

Other major office/residential/hospitality developers on the Bid
Board/Bid Society include:             
Greg Greenough, Chair, Maclab Enterprises Ltd. Maclab Enterprises is
the largest privately held residential rental property holder in
Alberta and the Northwest Territories: active in residential and
commercial rental properties and provides professional property
management through Midwest Property Management, Edmonton, Calgary, Red
Deer, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Yellowknife, Vancouver and Victoria ;
several subdivisions underway, the company’s land development group
offers opportunities to homebuilders in the Edmonton Capital Region ;
hotel properties in Edmonton, Jasper National Park and Yellowknife
under the Maclab Hotels & Resorts banner: Edmonton House Suite Hotel,
Campus Tower Suite Hotel, Fraser Tower Suite Hotel, Pyramid Lake
Resort, Tekarra Lodge                                                  

Peter Armstrong, President and CEO, Armstrong Hospitality Group Ltd.   

Arthur Griffiths, CEO, GMC Projects Inc.                               

Peter Ufford, Project Leader & Treasurer, Sea to Sky Private
University, Squamish, BC and Director, Wall Financial Corp.

Other Bid Board members having business interests Vancouver and in the
sea-to-sky corridor include:                                           

Dave Davenport, President/Owner, Davenport Merchandising Ltd.,  
Principal, Stitch store and Mountain Crests embroidery, Principal, Mr.
Whistler (expanded to four stores, which were sold in 2001)

Great Canadian Railtour Company Ltd.is aptly represented by Peter
Armstrong, President and CEO and Rick Antonson, Former Vice President

The above highlights the need for an immediate and binding conflict of
interest declaration by all Bid Corp directors, clearly stating that
neither they, their families, nor any company in which they have a
vested interest will in any way profit from the 2010 Winter Games.  

For additional information, contact:
NO GAMES 2010 Coalition Spokesperson
Chris Shaw
875-4111 (68373)

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