its more than 2 weeks - the restrictions have already started - they started at the beginning of December

and speaking of olympic stuff - they have installed a new overhead pedstrian contraption between the casino and bc place stadium - I noticed it last night for the first time - its just east of the permanent pedestrian overpass and there are a ton of new tents in the parking lot just west of the stadium

also - there is a big Pepsi logo on the big screen at the stadium - will that need to be covered up? and isn't pepsi the main drink inside the stadium? will they have to cover up any pepsi things and only serve coke?

It's disappointing to me that so many logical, factual comments on that article were severely voted down. The Georgia Straight has always been left leaning, but now it's the left wing equivalent of Fox News.

We could have the best Olympics ever, and these people will never believe anything positive had occurred.

Yes, and like the people on CBC they think because the majority on that website agreed with them, the whole WORLD does. :P

They really seem to hate the guy who debunked all of the authors claims with an actual thought out comment... :haha:

You know, other than the standard "HAR HAR CAMPBELL SUCKS DOWN WITH OLYMPIC AND RICH PEOPLE!"

Aww, muffin..

I friggin hate the Straight. Just take a look at the Views on the Olympics section on that page.. nearly all negative. And this article is filled with half-truths and incorrect statements to boot.

The real gold in the article is the political party he aligns himself with. The "Work Less Political Party". It sounds more like a joke from "The Onion" with their slogan "Alarm clocks kill dreams - WORK LESS!" Though clearly, by the fact that all of his facts are wrong, he takes their message of not working very hard (as a journalist?) to heart. Something tells me that they would be worse for Vancouver than the Olympics :P
http://www.apathyisboring.com/en/the...cal_parties/27
http://www.worklessparty.org/

And these people wonder why they are never taken seriously by more than their group of a dozen other crazies.

As I understand it, yes. Virtually all advertising will be removed for the Games-time period and replaced with official sponsors. Coke products would be sold instead of Pepsi as is the case for all venues..

ic - i noticed the logo cause the screens were not on last night usually i don't even notice the big pepsi logo at the bottom of the screen

Vancouver's Chinese New Year parade to go ahead, with Olympic twist
 

Great opportunity to showcase Vancouver's cultural diversity.
But 9:30am for the parade start time? I am not sure I can get up from bed so early. :(

Source: http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Van...778/story.html

Sweet!!

Cool :) I was wondering about that, actually. Hopefully we get some fireworks, too.

The 2010 Team Canada Hockey Roster was unveiled today, here is the full roster, no alternates named yet.

http://vancitybuzz.blogspot.com/2009...-unveiled.html

Surprisingly no Jay Bouwmeester was on the list, me thinks he will be an ALternate selection for sure! Go Canada Go!

Luongo number 3? :( Oh well..

Edit: oh, they are not listed in rank.. never mind.

Given the top line for the Russian team and the expectation that if we don't get gold, these guys will be executed, I would rather Broduer and Fleury to be ahead of Luongo. They have more experience playing with/against that line.

That's the spirit!

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-col...ebrations.html

Just thought I'd post this pic I took the other night of the Omega store setup in the Hotel Vancouver for the Olympics. I'm not sure if anybody posted a photo of it yet. Didn't go inside though.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2797/...ccbe1c82_b.jpg

looks nice

So I got an HBC Olympic sweater from family that got big Vancouver 2010 logos plastered all over it. As much as I like the Olympics, I have to ask... do people seriously wear those normally doing normal every day things !?

I remember years ago I put on a Vancouver 2010 shirt for a workout and people were looking at me funny :(

All I did this winter was note how many people were wearing Olympic stuff. And seriously, the stores are bare except the least attractive stuff. Everyone's looking and fighting to get the red gloves (only kid sizes left) and the canada zip hoodie. It's crazy.

Anyone else notice how all the people staffed in the Olympic Superstore all seem to be speaking with an Australian or British accent. I love it.

I have noticed Olympic wear all over Calgary and Toronto (well, the airport anyways), and even on a whole bunch of Canadians (I assume) in New York City, as well.

I think it's nice that the majority of clothing actually looks alright, which helps!

And yes I'd kill for a pair of those red mittens! ;)

i see lots of people in the clothes - they don't look too olympicy

reminds me of the 80's when logos were on everyones clothes we were walking billboards back than, roots, benetton, club monaco, beaver canoe tc

I actually like the Roots "Right to Play" logo line better:

http://canada.roots.com/on/demandwar...ht+to+play&Go=

My suspicion is the line consists of the clothes they would have produced if they'd gotten the sponsorship contract this year. As it is, they and Mastercard make some contribution to the "Right to Play" organization with each purchase.

I just like the overall look of all the items better (coats, shirts, toques and scarves), though there are individual items in the Hudson Bay collection I like as well (mainly a couple of the coats). Plus it kinda appeals to me that an "alternative" option exists - Roots / MC vs. Bay / Visa. Competition is good ;).

roots does a few other countries uniforms too - don't they usually do the uk? and they have done the USA before

Not that I want to sound too much like a HBC Olympic wear booster, but I don't see anything special about the Roots stuff. It seems to be just a few lines and Canada spelled out in the Roots font.

I dunno.

Officials: Olympics offer plenty to frugal travellers

http://www.ctvolympics.ca/mm/photo/v.../15782_m15.jpg
Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press

By Dene Moore, The Canadian Press Posted Monday, December 28, 2009 1:33 PM ET

VANCOUVER - If you should come across an extra $1,100 hiding in the cushions of your couch, prime seats for the opening ceremonies are surely one of the best ways to enjoy the 2010 Olympic Games.

Or, if you have a few ounces of old, broken gold that you could send to that guy with the ads on TV, then you might just be lucky enough to pick up a resale ticket to the Men's Hockey final.

But, if you're one of many Canadians worried that their credit card company might order their arrest on the spot if they tried to buy either, don't despair.

It doesn't mean the Games are beyond your rather limited monetary reach. Tourism officials say there's plenty for the frugal traveller to do at the Winter Games this February.

"Certainly there are some really hot tickets . . . but there's lots of things and ways to experience the Games that don't have to be really expensive, and sometimes that means not even necessarily spending all of your time and money watching sporting events,'' says Amber Sessions, spokeswoman for Tourism Vancouver.

It's been difficult to predict how many visitors will come just for the Olympics but Tourism Vancouver has estimated a quarter million more people than usual will be in the city for the event. Sessions says there's still time to book a trip to see the Olympics and accommodations are available.

There are dozens upon dozens of free events, including the Ozone at the Speed skating Oval in Richmond, 24 hectares of food, fireworks and fun. The Ozone will have live entertainment including Our Lady Peace, Hawksley Workman, and Bedouin Soundclash, not to mention Heineken House.

Heineken House comes courtesy of the Dutch and will provide the ambience for their national hospitality house, where medals will be handed out to athletes from the Netherlands. And yes, it's free. This is why the world loves the Dutch.

But the Ozone overall is focused on being a family-friendly venue, with an outdoor skating rink, live entertainment and ice art.

A popular tourist draw at any time, Vancouver's Granville Island will be home to the hospitality houses sponsored by Francophonie nations, including France and Switzerland.

Rebecca Bollwitt, or Miss604 to her followers in the blogosphere, says she doesn't have tickets to any events but she's not leaving town, so she'll be looking for ways to enjoy the Olympics on the cheap.

The 29-year-old blogger and web designer says hospitality houses sponsored by various Olympic nations will be on her list of must-sees.

"I'm sure athletes will be stopping there from their home countries,'' says Bollwitt.

"There's (Molson Canadian) Hockey House. I'm not sure if I can get into there . . . but it'll be the home of Hockey Canada so a lot of players will be going there,'' she says, adding that she'll just try to spot people where she can.

Hockey House is far from free. It will cost about $500 a day for food and drink and the possibility of rubbing elbows with NHL stars.

Vancouver's downtown LiveCity venues will feature entertainment and big screens airing Olympic events.

"First thing, if you want to get that Olympic experience without necessarily paying for those gold medal hockey tickets, go to something like the LiveCity Vancouver sites,'' says Sessions.

"It's going to give you the opportunity to feel like you're there without actually paying the ticket price. They're completely free.''

Canadian provinces will also have their own pavilions, including Atlantic House featuring bad-boy fiddler Ashley MacIsaac and regional fare from the four East Coast provinces.

Canada House, the nation's showcase at the Games, hasn't announced its lineup. Officials promise "interactive exhibits, multimedia presentations, information and innovative content.''

The four host First Nations of the Games will have their own pavilion, which is sure to be a big draw with international visitors with its traditional Coast Salish longhouse and plethora of aboriginal talent, including Inuit throat singers and hoop dancers.

Surrey, which doesn't play host to a single Games sporting event, will host a winter festival showcasing the RCMP musical ride. It also will offer a toboggan zone for kids, a skating rink, and live Games broadcasts, as well as free nightly concerts from the Sam Roberts Band, 54-40, Jully Black and Randy Bachman, among others.

And for a frugal first-hand experience of the Olympics, remember that not all sports are created equal. A mere $25 to $30 buys a ticket to many of the alpine events in Whistler and $50 will get you into the cheap seats at the Olympic Speedskating Oval or the preliminary rounds of hockey.

Training sessions for figure skating are open to the public for $30.

And the nightly victory ceremonies at B.C. Place stadium cost a positively un-Olympic $22. Of course, they used to be free, but these are hard times for everyone.

Olympic broadcaster CTV will be airing Olympic highlights in 64 Cineplexes across the country for 12 hours a day for the duration of the Games. A $29.95 passport covers the entire Games or a one-day ticket will cost $9.95.

For those who prefer Pilsner to popcorn as a side to their sports, most of sports bars in Vancouver are planning day-to-night Games coverage. Try Mahoney's Sports Grill on Robson Street or Maverick's on Pacific Boulevard, with its waterfront view. Or venture beyond the Olympic bubble into the wilds of Vancouver, at Score on Davie Street or even Mosquito Creek Sports Bar & Grill in North Vancouver.

In addition to the sporting events, the Cultural Olympiad is bringing hundreds of artistic events to town beginning in January and continuing through the Paralympic Games in March.

In Whistler itself, the venue for the alpine events, there's not much room for penny-pinching on food, drink or lodging.

...

http://www.ctvolympics.ca/about-vanc...sid=23939.html

^ had Roots been given the contract, I'm quite sure what they would have made for the Olympics would be of much higher quality than what they have produced....this is Roots without the Olympic contract, imagine what they could come up with if they had actually won over HBC. I still have some of their Athens gear, the design is amazing and the fabric is of high quality unlike HBC.

Is anyone concerned about the lack of snow on the local mountains thus far?

I hope January will bring a lot more snow.

That is a good point. I do still wear my athens jackets once in a while to the gym. I stopped for a while when some athletes complained about every normal person being able to wear the same thing they do. haha.

Yes, hopefully the mountains get tons of snow...but come February 5, it'll stop...with nothing but sunshine day after day until March.:haha: :D

I just picked up another 2 pairs of red mittens from Bay's Downtown Olympic Superstore. Both S/M and L/XL size are still available. I think the stock will be gone very quickly.;)

Idk what you guys are talking about...whistler has 242cm and cypress has about 200. that's more than enough for the events, although more snow would be nice.

the farmers almanac said we would get less snow than average and that thing is always freakin right - they predicted we would get lots of snow last winter and we would have a dryer/warmer summer than usual

not looking too good for february

IIRC the organizers prefer to make their own snow over using natural snow as it is easier to groom?

I'm not quite sure I'm following this whole snow worry either. As Cbeats mentioned, all the local mountains have pretty impressive snow levels. Whistler had the most snow ever for any month in November and they've gotten more in December. Something like 48 cm in the past 7 days alone, for a nearly 250 cm base mid-mountain. Even the village has over 30 cm on the ground at this point.

And closer to the city, Cypress has a nearly 200 cm base.

It's hardly been a poor snow year outside the city. If anything, this winter is more typical than last year. Last December while Vancouver was buried, Whistler and the interior mountains were getting less snow. They got more in January, but in December last year the coast was getting the brunt of all the snowfall.

I know that the situation this winter could change, but of course it always can. But right now things seem pretty positive . . . certainly better than the mildly alarming El Nino prognostications hinted at in a few articles three or four months ago.

Nice Omega store.
Is that just to the right (east) of the main entrance off Georgia?
If so, what was there before?

************

BTW - massive arched tent (to be plastered with Coca-Cola logos it appears) has been erected at the David Lam Park Live Site.
Also, the entire field area has been paved with paving stones - so no muddy field underfoot!

A wooden structure is being built at the Larwill Park Live Site and there's a steel structure (with aluminum siding that has the 8-panel look typical of house front doors).

The omega store took over part of the lobby area. It was just couches and tables for guests to sit while waiting to be checked in or whatever. It was a dead space that's much better now.

And though it will be closing in April, it would make sense for the hotel to keep that retail space for something else.

Maybe. Unless they like couches and tables.

and speakingg of weather...

does anybody remember February 1991? we had a freak week of warm weather - its hit like +20c people were on the beach in shots an no shirts?

imagine if that happenned agan - haha - if I recall it was just after valentines day like around the 20th

I remember UTV - before it was (City) did a report from wreck beach and it was pretty warm

According Weather Canada, it never hit 20c at the airport during that month, any month around there, or any year around there. The highest was 13.8c on Feb. 4th, which is not that abnormal for at least some days in February.

well i lived through it so i remember it well as do most of my friends

the following week returned to normal colder weather

I remember it well because they showed a naked man at wreck beach cause thats where the reporter was doing her report on the unseasonally warm february beach weather

I remember it very well and always talk about that day. I was in Victoria on a balcony, the tall highrise on Michigan Street behind the museum, drinking a beer and attempting to get a suntan.

Thanks. I didn't think there was retail there before.

more street closures - Vanoc can now clsoe abbot street whenever they want until the end of march

i noticed fencing going in along where stadium station and costco are - looks like that road will be closed soon too according to the news tonight

Is there a place in Vancouver to buy other Countries Olympic gear. Like, say, Team Finland, Sweden, Russia, etc. Olympic hockey jerseys?

An abundance of places sell Canada, but I'd expect people from those Countries want to represent in 2010 :P

Fan-to-Fan Marketplace Questions
 

^Good Question... :shrug:

Thought you all might know some answers about the Fan-to-Fan 2010 ticket selling forum...

First, anyway to know if anything's actually selling on there?

Second, for ticket sellers, is the fee taken upon posting, or upon sale? What happens if your tickets don't sell... VANOC still going to try to collect their fee?

I heard the Bay might be selling gear from other countries, we know they already sell USA stuff. Well I phoned them up and went through a variety of staff members and none of them could answer the question. In fact, their customer service was terrible.
I therefore contacted the British Olympic Assoc., as I would like to buy some gear from them, but they haven't got back to me yet. Something tells me the BOA won't have anything available to the public.


edit. The Bay will be selling kits from other countries. "The U.S. Team apparel is the first of many of the competing National Olympic Teams' replica uniforms that will be launching at the Bay's Downtown Vancouver store," said Mark Kinnin, vice president, global sourcing and Olympics for the Hudson's Bay Company.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/a.../08/c9050.html

Didn't get tickets to Whistler downhill events?

With just a Whistler Blackcomb lift ticket you can have some access to public viewing areas for both Olympic and Paralympic downhill events. Click here to view the map.

I asked an employee at the Olympic store concierge desk that said he knew that there will be other NOC gear, if not on the main floor than on a floor above. So perhaps this is corroboration as well but take it with a grain of salt just in case.

probably at the countries houses

if you want USA stuff there is USA oltmpic store at the peach arch outlet mall or whatever they call it now

if you watched CTV don't go downtown after canada wins a medal - the police will beat you dwon like they did that poor new years guy who from my viewing was doing nothing that justified the much larger police man throwing him to the ground anf practically knocking him out

disturbing

well ty van guys for this random gift even if temp of causing the esplinade riel to be colourized at night

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/...d78c7195_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2665/...5c626a14_o.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/...e0bc9c6b_o.jpg