It is interesting to note that the Parliamentary Budget Officer’s estimate of a $578 million cost for Vancouver’s round-ball games is less than two weeks old and is already outdated. Official sources now say British Columbia’s cost for seven matches on the West Coast could reach $729 million.
But hey, there’s still five weeks before Vancouver’s share of the World Cup is over. The numbers have plenty of time to grow.
Maybe Canada should invite a few neighbours to come here from Seattle to manage spending on the World Cup.
World cup tickets in Vancouver for Canada vs. Switzerland range from $980 to $2,450. Round of 16 tickets are available at prices ranging from $3,450 to $3,735. That’s for each ticket!
I am so old that I can remember going regularly to professional sports events and paying $1.75 for a good seat. (Okay, it was for WHL Canucks games, sitting in the corner at the PNE Forum in 1965.)
These numbers emphasize what we already knew. Taxpayers in Canada are on the hook for more than a billion dollars, but people sitting in the stands will mostly be wealthy tax avoiders and evaders.
FIFA’s World Cup proves the sad reality that rich citizens can afford to play because less wealthy citizens are required to pay.
Categories: Budget & Estimate Disasters
in-sights.ca 
Mega games such as the Olympics and the World Cup of soccer! Football, are the biggest corporate con of modern society?
The world cup of soccer is the acme of corporate rape of society followed by the Olympics.
It pisses me off that so many well meaning people are conned into this rape of their good intentions!
TB
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Bread and Circuses?
Bread or Circuses?
Who will choose for us?
Consider the Electric Vehicle…
A while back 18 automobile manufacturers rose in concerted (rehearsed?) anger about being coerced into building EVs in North America for North America. It must STOP.
https://www.autoblog.com/carbuying/these-18-automakers-are-walking-away-from-ev-plans
After years of rapid growth, the electric vehicle boom is hitting turbulence. With demand slowing and incentives fading, at least 18 automakers are now canceling, delaying, or scaling back EV plans in the U.S., including major brands like Ford, Honda, Nissan, and Volkswagen.
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Ontario Premier Rob Ford was so alarmed by this change that he told David Eby to slow down sales of Asian EVs … to protect Ontario jobs! And that’s what happened.
37% David Eby [Angus Reid March poll approval]
31% Rob Ford [Angus Reid March poll approval]
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In Europe automotive experiments seem less controlled by politicians than by Popular Demand.
https://www.best-selling-cars.com/electric/2025-half-year-europe-top-electric-car-brands-and-bev-models/
Brand (Electric) BEV Sales 1-6/2025 % Change
1 Volkswagen 135,427 78
2 Tesla 109,262 – 33
3 BMW 94,658 15
4 Audi 74,561 53
5 Skoda 71,789 147
6 Renault 64,402 58
7 Kia 55,915 60
8 Mercedes 55,428 5
9 Volvo 49,219 -32
10 Hyundai 46,380 33
11 Peugeot 43,679 -2
12 BYD 41,270 143
13 Cupra 37,372 109
14 Ford 35,239 223
15 Citroen 33,557 185
16 Opel/Vauxhall 28,095 24
17 Mini 27,617 240
18 MG 24,744 -45
19 Polestar 22,744 79
20 Toyota 19,432 33
21 Dacia 18,939 72
22 Porsche 18,192 318
23 Fiat 14,577 -37
24 Nissan 11,470 -27
25 Xpeng 8,346 273
Is it surprising that Europe decided to expand the number of charging stations? That new technology is reducing the time it takes to recharge EVs?
Lots of price-conscious enviro-conscious buyers no longer have any reason not to get more of what they want from spending less,
https://citaevcharger.co.uk/blog/best-selling-electric-car-brands-europe-2025
Europe’s EV Momentum
Before exploring the Electric Car Brands, let’s set the stage. The UK is a prime example of where EV adoption continues to climb. In 2025, the UK surpassed 1.2 million fully electric cars on the road.
This growth also fuels demand for Certified EV Chargers, OZEV EV Chargers, and advanced charging technologies like Fast and Super Fast EV Chargers. After all, an EV is only as practical as the charging network behind it.
With government incentives, trusted EV charger suppliers, and wider installation of Home EV Chargers and Public EV Charging Stations, the UK is shaping a future where smart EV charging becomes the norm.
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In India, [population 1.4 billion] Tata Motors is partnering with a Chinese EV firm
https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/technology/articles/tata-motors-turns-chery-platform-144523989.html
Tata Motors has selected a platform developed through a Chinese joint venture to underpin its Avinya electric vehicle (EV) line-up, after an earlier technology arrangement with Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) collapsed,
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Et tu, Scotland?
Scottish electric vehicle (EV) firm Munro plans to build a manufacturing facility in the UK in 2027, targeting industrial clients across mining, defence and construction.
Chief executive Avinash Rugoobur told the Financial Times the plant would be oriented towards domestic client demand, with output eventually scaling to thousands of vehicles per year.
He added that the company’s smaller operational footprint and the bespoke requirements of its specialist customer base made home-market production financially viable, despite the UK’s higher energy and labour costs.
Established in 2018, Munro began by converting older Land Rovers to electric drivetrains before launching the Series M, a purpose-built model for off-road and heavy industrial applications.
The company currently builds dozens of vehicles annually in Scotland and anticipates reaching hundreds within the next year.
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https://www.reuters.com/business/stellantis-produce-three-new-peugeot-models-mulhouse-2026-06-02/
MULHOUSE, France, June 2 (Reuters) – Stellantis (STLAM.MI) will produce three new electric and hybrid Peugeot models at its Mulhouse factory in eastern France from 2029, the automaker said on Tuesday, as part of a revamped global that includes a major new product push.
The launches will be backed by a €400 million ($466 million) investment in the Mulhouse plant, alongside a further €500 million for research and development. Most of the R&D spending will go into the new STLA One platform, which is designed to underpin a new range of electrified vehicles.
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…and there it is.
Lots of EVs, for Europe, for Asia, SE Asia, the global market, for our lungs, hearts, and the environment.
Available. For all the reasons our politicians choose to ignore to keep their place in a Big Money Game we never seem to win…
.
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