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The idea of hosting world-class athletes and having the competition televised to viewers worldwide should be enough to cause excitement in any community.
And John Stothart, chief operating officer of the 1995 Nordic World Ski Championships, is counting on local excitement to help Thunder Bay capture the world's imagination in March the way the Olympic Winter Games did for Lillehammer, Norway.
But despite the level of competition, it will be the game's financial picture which most people will use to judge its success.
Residents of Thunder Bay have been inundated with media reports about the Nordic Games' financial problems. And this may make generating support difficult for organizers.
In April Mayor David Hamilton said he was uncertain the games would proceed without additional federal funding. Questions were also raised about a marketing agreement with MBD Europe which is budgeted to raise $3 million through television sponsorships. In addition, it was reported that finances for the games were...