The document summarizes Halifax's bid to host games for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. It discusses Halifax's plans to build a new stadium, estimated at $60 million, to meet FIFA's minimum capacity requirements. A Stadium Advisory Council has been established to review the feasibility and costs. While the federal government will not provide funding for infrastructure, the mayor believes the stadium can be built through funding from other levels of government and businesses. If selected, Halifax hopes to host games for both the 2015 and 2014 tournaments. The document also reviews the bids and infrastructure of competing Canadian cities.

1. Crisis Response #3 – Halifax Host Bid for 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup
March 17, 2011
3, 500 words
B. Hawa Kombian
0523888

2. Crisis Background
FIFA Decision
On Thursday, March 3, 2011, The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA)
announced that the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) had been successful in its bid for Canada
to host the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the preceding 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World
Cup (CSA, 2011, ¶1).
As this is an international competition hosted on a national scale, a number of Canadian
cities are currently bidding for the privilege of being one of several host cities.
The contending cities are Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montréal, Moncton
and Halifax (CP & Freeman, 2011, ¶4). Both the CSA and FIFA anticipate a minimum of six host
cities for the games (CP & Davidson, 2011, ¶4). FIFA will make a decision by early 2012 (CP &
Freeman, 2011, ¶16), following bid city site inspections this fall (CSA, 2011, ¶7)
HRM Bid
HRM paid a bid fee of $25,000 to the CSA to be under consideration as one of the
competition host cities (Lee, 2011, ¶13). Many believe that given the success of the Canada
Games, Halifax has proved its ability to host a large scale sporting event.
The Women’s World Cup is an event that has huge potential for promoting Nova Scotia
and Halifax. FIFA says that this summer’s Women’s World Cup in Germany will mark a
milestone in competitive women’s soccer, with unparalleled television coverage and access to
players, matches and events (Taylor, 2011, ¶7).

3. Halifax is the only bid city that does not currently have a FIFA regulation-sized stadium
(Lee, 2011, ¶5). According to FIFA guidelines, the venue must be able to accommodate 20,000
or more spectators for soccer matches (Taylor, 2011, ¶5). Municipal government officials are
confident that a stadium, currently estimated at $60 million, can be built in time for the
tournament (CP & Freeman, 2011, ¶14).
While the federal government has set aside $15 million, the funds are strictly for
organization purposes and not infrastructure. Gary Lunn, Canada’s minister of state for sport
explained, “For the FIFA Woman’s World Cup, there is absolutely no money for any city,
anywhere in Canada, for (sports) infrastructure” (Lee, 2011, ¶11)
Locally, there appears to be widespread support for a new stadium. Allan Robertson, a
regular spokesperson on behalf of Save the View from Citadel Hill, expressed his support during
an appearance on a radio talk show (Taylor, 2011, ¶9).
Planning Process
HRM and Mayor Peter Kelly have established a Stadium Advisory Council to assess the
feasibility of a facility to host the games (HRM, 2011, ¶3).
The council is comprised of local leaders representing the following organizations: Royal
Bank of Canada (RBC) Atlantic, Cox & Palmer, Nova Scotia Power, Halifax Airport Authority,
Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), Sport Nova Scotia, Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic,
Recreation Nova Scotia, the Health and Wellness Department, the Urban and Rural Economic
Development and Tourism Department and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (HRM,
2011, ¶4).

4. The group will work to determine structure opportunities as well as construction and
operation costs. In order to successfully achieve this, HRM approved $100,000 in funding for
the stadium consultation and business planning analysis (HRM, 2011 ¶3).
The combined consultation and bid costs amount to a $125,000 contribution towards a
project with no certain outcomes at this time.
Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly is hopeful that Halifax can enter a successful bid and has
already commented on the current planning stratagem. “We’ve already commenced Phase 1 of
our stadium review. Once that is complete by the end of June, we’ll then go into Phase 2 (site
selection, funding), and then hopefully onto Phase 3 (building),” he said (Croucher, 2011, ¶9).
Importance of Infrastructure
Availability and quality of infrastructure for a sporting facility will play a large role in
which cities will play host at the games.
Germany will host this year’s Women’s World Cup after beating out nations like Canada.
The organizing committee (OC) chair, Steffi Jones acknowledged that “extensive experience and
know-how was gained at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.” She went on to stress that this intelligence
along with the current infrastructure and array of stadiums already constructed would benefit
the planning process (FIFA, 2011, ¶5).
As 2011 hosts, Germany will have the highest-ever number of stadiums to host the FIFA
Women’s World Cup with nine. Before Germany, the USA had the most with eight stadiums in
1999 (FIFA, 2011, ¶3). Considering that FIFA is reviewing at least six venues, it will be
imperative that each one can adequately accommodate competition matches. The all-time

5. attendance record was recorded at the FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 1999 where an average
of more than 37,300 fans attended each match (FIFA, 2011, ¶14).
The 2015 World Cup will be bigger than the one in Germany this summer because the
number of teams will grow from 16 to 24 and the number of matches will rise from 32 to 52
(Constantineau, 2011, ¶13). In this case Halifax will need to prepare to build a stadium with a
greater capacity than the minimum of 20,000.
Stadium Funding & Location
Despite Ottawa’s “lack of funding” message, Defence Minister Peter MacKay recently
put his support behind the local stadium project (Cochrane, 2011, ¶5).
There appears to be a debate as to whether or not funding will come through based on
whether or not the facility will be one for professional team or community recreation. Jay
Paxton, a MacKay spokesperson expressed that, "If the city of Halifax [...] decides that they
want a professional sporting facility, then there will be no federal funding associated with that.
If the city proposes some sort of other sporting infrastructure, the government has
infrastructure funds it can draw from" (Cochrane, 2011, ¶13). Sport Nova Scotia boss Jamie
Ferguson went on to comment, "All the conversations I’ve had have talked about a stadium
around community use. That’s always been our goal. We’re not involved in any professional
sport enterprises" (Cochrane, 2011, ¶10).
Mayor Peter Kelly asserts that a lack of federal spending does not mean a stadium will
not be built. Instead the mayor explains that HRM is viewing opportunities through business

6. and other levels of government that might be able to supply payment with Ottawa perhaps
supplying some land (Maher, 2011, ¶10).
The Stadium Advisory Council will have to seriously consider a myriad of factors before
making recommendations to regional council on site selection, facility design, construction
methodology and other related matters (Lightstone, 2011, ¶3). Mayor Peter Kelly said the
arena could have a roof and might accommodate such events as sports competitions, concerts,
trade shows and religious gatherings (Lightstone, 2011, ¶14).
Gary Lunn, the federal minister of state for sport, told a Halifax radio show Friday that
the city could play host during the under-20 tournament, even though it does not have a major
stadium.
A possible stadium site is the federally owned land at Shannon Park in Dartmouth. While
this location has been backed by Defence Minister Peter MacKay, HRM is also evaluating the
potential of provincial land near Exhibition Park and property close to the Halifax Stanfield
International Airport. Municipal property in the Dartmouth Crossing area could easily
accommodate a stadium with its proximity to two artificial turf fields and a major highway
(Lightstone, 2011, ¶11).
Competitors’ Standing
The CSA is considering the following venues in each bid city: BC Place in Vancouver,
Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, the football stadium under construction in Winnipeg,
the revamped Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Moncton Stadium and
a proposed new facility in Halifax (CP & Freeman, 2011, ¶10).

7. Vancouver is well positioned as a host city given its experience hosting the 2010 Olympic
Winter Games. The city approved spending up to $400,000 during the next four years to
support both the 2015 World Cup and 2014 Women's U-20 World Cup (Constantineau, 2011,
¶4s). "This is awesome news," Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said. "It's another great
opportunity for our city to host a big global sporting event that is rapidly growing in popularity"
(Constantineau, 2011, ¶3). BC Place stadium is currently under renovations and Mayor
Robertson is confident in his city’s ability to win the bid. "We'd love to host the final and we'll
push hard to win that honour and I think we have a good shot with the new stadium," he said.
Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium has already experienced the presence of an
international Women’s World Cup during the 2002 Under-20 tournament. The stadium was also
a venue for the 2007 men’s Under-20 World Cup, playing host to a semi-final (Van Diest, 2011,
¶6).
Winnipeg currently has a new stadium under construction that would be ideal for
hosting the games. "We will work very hard with our partners, the CSA, and FIFA, to ensure that
Winnipeg is one of the best host cities for this prestigious World Cup," said Hector Vergara,
executive director of the Manitoba Soccer Association (Winnipeg Free Press, 2011, ¶7).
As the nation’s capital Ottawa may have some leverage in attaining a successful bid.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has already spoken to the financial benefit and international TV
spotlight that host cities will receive (Starnes, 2011, ¶10). The newly revamp Lansdowne Park is
certain to meet FIFA’s approval for a host facility.

8. Montréal is unique in its French-Canadian culture and along with the Olympic Stadium
will ensure that over 60,000 are able to experience the joys of the game. The venue also hosted
several of the 2007 Men’s FIFA Under-20 matches to great success (Le Haye, 2011).
Although the smallest of all bidding cites, Moncton has a solid track record of hosting
sporting events. "I think our reputation for staging events whether it was the World Junior
Track and Field Championship or the CFL games or the many concerts we've done, certainly our
reputation as being a wonderful host," declared Jeff Salvis, head of Soccer New Brunsiwck (CBC
Canada, 2011, ¶2).
Surprising to many, Toronto has not put itself in the running as a host city. It appears the
event clashes with the Pan Am Games which the city will host, although those Games begins
almost a month after the 2015 World Cup kick off (Starnes, 2011, ¶16). Peter Montopoli, CSA
General Secretary, says he is open to a move for Toronto to join the selection process, but
emphasized that the city must follow the same bid application rules as everyone else (Starnes,
2011, ¶17).
Prodromes/Crisis Stage
Warning signs of a potential crisis for HRM revolve around speculation from the general
public and the media. This is expanded to not only within Halifax, but nationally, specifically
amongst other bidding cities (Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and
Moncton).
The crisis is currently in the prevention stage (Fearn-Banks, p. 6), wherein nothing
serious or damaging has occurred. In order to ensure that the situation does not escalate into

9. any further of a crisis, it is imperative that HRM engages in proactive communications,
transparent behaviour and public awareness.
Social Media Communications Plans
Key Publics (*denotes social media priority publics)
*CSA
The CSA is an influential public with whom HRM will have to carefully and considerately
communicate. Their perception and understanding of each bid city’s prospects will play an
important role in any recommendations made to FIFA. It is imperative to formally comply with
this public’s processes and expectations as well as to push encourage the perception of HRM as
more than just an adequate choice for host city.
*Stadium Advisory Council
Members of the council must be kept informed of regular meetings and their inherent
confidentiality codes. Representatives may be called to act as communication liaisons through
the media and other publics and so must have certain information regarding specific details of
the analysis.
Government (Municipal, Provincial, Federal)
Any area of government that HRM plans to broach with the topic of funding and planning needs
complete information about the HRM bid and city’s needs. While it may be deemed
inappropriate to target government via social media, the mayor’s office will have to

10. strategically and regularly communicate with their prospective supporters and influencers at
each level.
*Media
Relationships with the media are crucial in order to communicate key messages and as one
mean of reaching publics. Given that the stadium is a community issue with national, provincial
and municipal implications, the media also need to understand the accurate details of the bid
and analysis process. This will ensure that media speculation does not generate unnecessary
rumours, confusion and misinformation around the initiative.
*Halifax/Nova Scotia Soccer Community (Sport/Soccer Nova Scotia, associations, leagues,
affiliations, also pertaining to the national stage)
HRM needs to collaborate with provincial soccer affiliates begin generating support for the
stadium from those with a vested interest. Members from these organizations will be able to
provide insight into specific soccer event planning and important logistics.
*Halifax/Nova Scotia Residents
The general public (Halifax and Nova Scotia) need to understand how the new stadium may
affect them. For Halifax residents, questions of location, accessibility and logistical planning that
might affect their day-to-day life will be important. However, for general Nova Scotian’s, the
issue of municipal funding and usage and implications of tax dollars will be a broader issue that

11. needs to be addressed. If the plans go ahead, the creation of local jobs and stimulation to the
local economy will be a hot button topic.
*Youth
HRM should seek to engage youth, about the increasing role of women’s soccer in Canada.
Garnering support from the younger demographic that is more likely to participate or become
fans of the sport, HRM will ensure widespread recognition and support for the competition
taking place at home.
Local Business (in conjunction to selected site location)
The 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup has the potential to bring plenty of tourism and business to
Nova Scotia and Halifax. This will have an effect on local businesses and owners, especially with
regard to the arena’s location.
Key Messages
Using Cheney’s “Assumed We” strategy of communicating key messages, HRM needs to
reinforce that the stadium is a community development initiative and not a political agenda.
Every citizen needs to feel a sense of shared ownership and understanding of the proposed
facility.
Proposed key messages:
1. HRM is honoured to be under serious consideration to host the 2015 Women’s World Cup.

12. 2. We are confident in the ability of our city to meet all host venue requirements and provide
a memorable experience for all participants and fans.
3. HRM is proud to celebrate and support the growing spirit of soccer and community
recreation across Nova Scotia and Canada.
Communication Tools
The HRM website should have a page dedicated to providing at least monthly details of
the ongoing process and its current stages. Here, updates on each committee meeting, findings
and input can be made available to keep the public informed from a variety of credible sources.
A leading suggestion is to have either one or several committee member(s) blog on the
HRM website about the meetings and the progress that is being made with the initiative. In this
way HRM can put a name and voice to the formal proceedings and help generate the
“community involvement” aspect of the analysis. The blog can also offer an area for comments
to assess the public’s reactions to either committee members and their work and ideas. This
commentary may serve to implement helpful changes to committee structure.
Connected to the HRM website, there certainly needs to be an area where people can
send in their private questions or concerns. Some people want to be transparent in their use of
the internet and social media and expect the same with their responses. This page will have to
be monitored carefully and consistently to ensure the public’s answers are met.
A public meeting is crucial to the success of any proposed stadium in Halifax. “If a
sustainable business model can be developed that meets with Council approval, Council will
then determine if HRM moves on to Phase 2: site selection, building program, design and more

13. detailed costing. Public engagement would be included throughout Phase 2” (HRM, 2011, ¶7).
HRM will need to meet face to face with community representatives and concerned citizens to
engage in a dialogue about the most pressing issues, in order to sufficiently address them.
HRM can utilize Facebook as a platform to link to information about the tournament
and engage other soccer demographics and interest groups on the local and national level. In
this way they can garner support, past the direct Halifax/Nova Scotia population. Facebook
engagement should be continuous and extend throughout the competition this summer in
Germany when it will be a more widely discussed social media topic.
It must be noted that Mayor Peter Kelly has a current Facebook page for photos, Twitter
and an underutilized blog.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Mayor-Peter-Kelly/134341733295393
http://twitter.com/mayorpeterkelly
http://mayorpeterkelly.wordpress.com/
It will be important that he is personally engaged in the social media activity for the
proposed stadium via use of relevant Facebook applications (posts, likes, etc) and Tweet
references. This will lend to the credibility of the social media sites.
Timeline
1. The HRM website should be functional, effective immediately, featuring postings of Stadium
Advisory Council Meetings. The private comment “hotline” section should also be activated.

14. 2. Periodically, Mayor Kelly can begin following key government influencers via Twitter to
better understand some of their key policies and stances on the stadium funding debate.
3. The associated “Councillor’s Blog” should be implemented following the second council
meeting, when representatives are more familiar with council protocols.
4. Just prior to the public meeting, HRM should launch the campaign Facebook site.
5. Public meetings should be implemented once the site moves into phase 2, in June.
Address rumours
Online rumours stating that Halifax would not be chosen because of infrastructure
would be a nearly true rumour (Fearn-Banks, p. 74). Although this is the speculative chink in
Halifax’s bidding armour, no decisions have been set in stone as of yet.
In order to put any rumours to rest, the Mayor’s Office must reiterate the following key
messages:
1. FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) have not yet come to a final decision
on host cities.
2. We can expect a decision in late 2011/early 2012.
3. HRM is working closely with CSA to ensure a successful bid.

15. 4. HRM is doing its due diligence to research all opportunities for a world-class stadium.
5. Halifax has the ability and experience to host the 2015 Women’s World Cup.
Spokespersons
Mayor Peter Kelly
He is the city’s representative and also a member of the Stadium Advisory Council. The public
will expect to hear his perspective on the issue and will look to him for reassurance.
HRM planning officials/Stadium Advisory Council
These representatives will have the ability to speak to the background work, functional
planning that is being done and their belief in Halifax’s strong position as a bidder.
Communication tactics
The aforementioned social media plan tactics are effective in disseminating information
contrary to any surfacing rumours. However, it will also be important to issue press releases to
traditional media outlets. This will ensure that these gatekeepers are kept aware of new,
current and accurate information as it becomes available.
HRM should implement a media monitoring system (traditional and social media) to find
the origin(s) of the rumour and any additional, influential news sources. This will enable the

16. Mayor’s Office to generate a dialogue, relating back to its key messages and dispel any
confusion.
Communications Recommendations
Basic Communication
HRM must make sure that all key publics are appropriately targeted with relevant and
appropriate communication messages. Although not necessarily a social media public,
government officials will have to be kept informed and adequately briefed on Stadium Advisory
Council findings. These will be the people assessing the feasibility of the project and the funding
implications.
Manage and Monitor Social Media
The Mayor’s Office should maintain the social media plan as a source for publics to find
the latest information and developments on the stadium issue. The content will need to be kept
as fresh accurate and appropriately engaging as possible to guarantee consistent usage as a
communications channel.
The social media sphere will also need to be closely monitored to gauge and respond
accordingly to public perceptions. This will dispel unnecessary rumours and help the campaign
stay a step ahead of larger issues.
Community Relations

17. Community relations in the form of public meetings during phase 2, are a crucial step in
the success of the stadium buy-in from locals. Not only will meetings need to be held to
ascertain major questions and concerns, but once a location is set, a more directed community
relations approach will need to be cultivated. HRM will need to slowly foster a shared
understanding and atmosphere in support of the games and their incorporation into the local
identity.
Assess Competitors Communications & Circumstances
Throughout the bidding process, it will be crucial to analyze the strengths, weaknesses,
challenges and opportunities facing the fellow competitor cities. Halifax maybe able to
positively play off of any perceived weaknesses or challenges which other venues are facing, in
order to better position themselves as a stronger host contender.

18. References
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