With less than five months to go before the 2010 Winter Olympics, the federal government has dashed the host province's long-standing hopes for a joint B.C.-Canada pavilion at the Games.

"They want to do it on their own," provincial Olympics Minister Mary McNeil disclosed Tuesday. "They want their own presence."

The last-minute decision leaves British Columbia scrambling to make do with a much-reduced Olympic pavilion slated for the fourth floor of the Vancouver Art Gallery, a far cry from the prominent structures that the province and Ottawa shared during the 2006 Winter Games in Turin and at last year's Summer Olympics in Beijing.

And there is still no word on the Conservative government's plans to highlight Canada's presence at an event with world-wide attention and hundreds of thousands of anticipated visitors.

The federal move to go it alone, without B.C., comes amid growing concerns over what some perceive as a waning financial commitment by Ottawa to the Games during the current recession, an accusation strongly rejected by the Conservative minister for the Olympics, Gary Lunn.

"Our commitment is as strong as ever. I can assure you of that," Mr. Lunn declared, in an interview. "Money is tight. But there is absolutely no lessening of our commitment to the 2010 Winter Olympics."

As if to underscore the minister's assertion, the government pledged $7.7-million late Tuesday to help Olympic organizers provide bilingual services at the Games.

Still, no less than the Tories' first minister for the Olympics, David Emerson, has warned his old Conservative associates against skimping on a "once-in-a-generation [marketing] opportunity."

"To let this go by over relatively small budgetary amounts would be a pretty serious mistake," Mr. Emerson told The Globe and Mail.

Asked whether he'd been conveying that message to Ottawa, the ex-minister replied: "I've been making my voice heard."
Critics point to the recent cancellation of a high-profile Forbes CEO Forum in Victoria just before the Olympics after the federal government without explanation withdrew its $1-million sponsorship of an event designed to attract leading business executives from around the world.

At the same time, Ottawa had been holding back on whether to commit to the joint B.C.-Canada Pavilion. Their reluctance prompted the province to proceed to tender unilaterally last month, while still hoping Ottawa would come on board.

The Request for Proposals called for construction of a project labelled the "BC Canada Pavilion" designed, according to the document, "to leave guests in awe of what B.C., within a larger framework of Canada, can offer visitors, residents, investors and trading partners."

Ms. McNeil, the provincial Olympics minister, said the joining of forces had worked well in Turin, where B.C. and Canada shared a highly successful, $6-million pavilion, and in Beijing, with an even more lavish $14.6-million structure showcasing provincial and federal business opportunities.

Many considered the Beijing pavilion a bit of a flop, however, because of restricted access ordained by Chinese authorities.

Regardless, Ms. McNeil said the province had been anxious to work with Ottawa again. "We came to them and said: ‘Would you like to join us?' "

Finally, last week, the federal government said no. Mr. Lunn insisted the province should not have had any expectations of Canadian involvement.

"We were never ever in a joint pavilion plan with the province of B.C. We never even entered into discussions," he said. "In fairness, the province did approach us...but the reality is that other provinces are doing pavilions, and we can't do a joint pavilion with one province over the others. We are here to promote Canada, all of Canada."

But he stopped short of affirming that Canada will have a separate pavilion.
"I can't answer that today. I've never said we'll have a pavilion. I can only tell you we'll have a strong presence on the ground during the 2010 Olympics. ... You'll just have to wait for details."

Ms. McNeil, meanwhile, said the budget for B.C.'s slimmed down pavilion has been reduced to slightly under $4-million, less than a third of the cost of the B.C.-Canada pavilion in Beijing.

In addition to construction costs, the government has had to negotiate a financial arrangement with the art gallery. Because the pavilion will be on the fourth floor, admission to the Vancouver Art Gallery will be free throughout the Olympics and possibly, the Paralympics.

The provincial Olympics minister said she was not perturbed by Ottawa's decision. "I think it's appropriate for them to be here on their own, and that's what they're going to do."

The federal government remains the largest single cash contributor to the 2010 Olympics, with more than $1.2-billion in committed funds, much of it for security.