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2010 Vancouver Olympic & Paralympic Super-Thread
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The countdown to the first day of ticket sales for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games is on! 1.6 million tickets for the Olympic Winter Games go on sale in October 2008 and 250,000 Paralympic Winter Games tickets will be available in 2009. Highlights of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games ticket program include: - More than 100,000 tickets will be available for $25 - Half of all Games tickets will be priced at $100 or less - Tickets go on sale in October 2008 VANOC unveils ticket prices for 2010 Olympics Updated Thu. Oct. 11 2007 9:45 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff Tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics go on sale in exactly one year, and organizers say they are trying to keep the event affordable. "When we bid for the 2010 Games, we made a promise. And that promise was that anyone who wanted to go to the games would be able to go, that no one would be left out, that we would make it possible," John Furlong, CEO of VANOC, said at a news conference Thursday in Vancouver. "Today, we are delivering on that promise. We are delivering a ticket program that is accessible and affordable." There will be 50,000 free tickets and half the tickets will be $100 or less, he said. About 100,000 tickets will be available for $25 or less. "It would be easy to think it's just another ticket to another sports event, but it's not," Furlong said. "It's the entire Olympic experience, an experience that will not come our way again for many, many, many years." For a premium event like the opening and closing ceremonies, prices will range from $175 to $1,100, said Dave Cobb, VANOC's executive vice-president of revenue, marketing and communications. The must-see events for Canadians are the gold medal games in men's and women's hockey. The prices reflect that. Tickets for the men's event will start at $350 and peak at $775. Part of the pricing strategy could be tied to revenue goals. VANOC has budgeted on $232 million in ticket revenue, but that is based on 90 per cent of the tickets being sold. In addition, Furlong noted that having fans in the stands also makes for a much better experience for the athletes. Scalpers The Vancouver Olympic Committee is concerned that some of the tickets will be snatched up by scalpers, who could then pawn them off to customers at inflated prices. So, it's carefully tracking the unauthorized sale of event tickets. One business that recently began advertising tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies has already been forced to shut down. It was selling tickets for as much as $2,400. It wasn't just the high prices that raised eyebrows. There was another problem: VANOC hasn't yet released a single ticket for sale. VANOC wants to cut down on scalping by creating a process that will allow only one application per person. They'll also analyze credit card and address information so that one person or group doesn't monopolize seats. VANOC's Caley Denton told CTV News in Vancouver that they "will try to work and shut down people who are trying to sell their tickets for a profit." He said the practice of outside vendors selling tickets at inflated prices "isn't within the spirit of our program and is actually against the rules of purchasing a ticket." One more way VANOC hopes tickets go to Olympic fans and not scalpers is through a lottery system for events most in demand. Availability About 1.6 million tickets are available. About 30 per cent of all tickets are reserved for members of the "Olympic family." For the Canadian public, people must apply starting in October 2008. Tickets will be distributed by lottery, so there's no guarantee of getting the events one seeks. In the second phase in early 2009, unsold tickets will be made available. Seat assignment will take place from mid-2009 and lasting until year's end. This is the last phase because venue configurations will be finalized in this period. The 2010 Winter Games taken place in Vancouver and Whistler from Feb. 12 to 28, 2010, while the Paralympic Games will run from March 12, to 21, 2010. Cobb warned people against buying from unofficial vendors or outright scalpers. "We're going to spend a lot of time educating potential purchasers of tickets about the dangers of buying from anyone other than an authorized agent of ours," he said. "The last thing we would want to see happen is if someone buys an invalid ticket -- a counterfeit ticket, a ticket that has had its barcode cancelled because it's been stolen -- and those people arrive at a venue at Vancouver/Whistler 2010 and they don't get in." Inevitably there will be counterfeit tickets out there, and "if people want assurances that they're going to go to a venue and have their ticket accepted, they need to buy it from us," Cobb said. Opening Ceremony -- BC Place Stadium A $1,100 B $750 C $550 D $175 Closing Ceremony -- BC Place Stadium A $775 B $500 C $300 D $175 For full list of ticket prices: http://vancouver2010.com/en/Particip...s/TicketPrices |
Ottawa offers $20 million for Winter Games entertainment
Clare Ogilvie, The Province Published: Thursday, November 08, 2007 WHISTLER -- Ottawa is giving Whistler and Vancouver $10 million each to host Live Site celebrations during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games. "We are confirming that $10 million is there," David Emerson, the federal minister responsible for the 2010 Games, told Whistler officials yesterday. Whistler plans on hosting a 24-hour-a-day party every day of the Games. The stage performances, musical acts, theatre and dance will run in six different sites throughout the village with the largest venue being the purpose-built Celebration Plaza. Up to 25,000 will be able to celebrate throughout the village. The Plaza will also be the site of the closing ceremonies of the Paralympic Games. Athletes will also receive medals at the plaza. "It is an opportunity for us to create national pride and celebrate our culture," said Emerson. To date, the budget for Whistler's celebrations is $20 million. Another $12 million will come from the Vancouver Organizing Committee's operational budget, and the resort will put in $7.5 million from a tax on tourists. The remainder will come from sponsors. Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed said the Live Site plan was based on months of discussions. The celebrations will not only leave the legacy of the Celebration Plaza, it will act as a catalyst for arts and culture in the community, said Melamed. "We are convinced that this will carry forward into the years ahead and one of the messages that people will leave Whistler with is the association with culture as well as recreation and service," he said. "Our intention is to create a party experience that you almost can't escape. "We want people to have an opportunity to experience the Games whether they are inside the fence of the venue or outside. We really want to make this a true Olympiad for arts culture and sport." To date no artists or performers have been confirmed, said Doti Niedermeyer, executive director of the Whistler Arts Council. clareogilvie@telus.net © The Vancouver Province 2007 |
What a great idea. They train very hard year round to be the best Canada has to offer. Not to mention that they need the cash.....most of our athletes live in poverty because of the mounting expenses in training.
We also plan on finishing top 16 in next year's Beijing Olympics. Canadian Olympic athletes to be paid for medal wins Updated Mon. Nov. 19 2007 9:17 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff Canadian athletes that reach the podium at any future Olympic Games will be financially compensated up to $20,000 per medal, officials said Monday. The new Athlete Excellence Fund was announced in Ottawa by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC). Canadian athletes will receive $20,000 per gold medal won at any Olympic Games, said the COC. Silver winners will be compensated $15,000 per medal and bronze winners will earn $10,000. "We've had a program of subsidizing athletes in the past but we've never recognized the medal wins with specific dollars," COC president Michael Chambers told CTV Newsnet on Monday. He said countries like the U.S., Australia, England, France and Spain already give their athletes money if they win at the Olympics. Adam van Koeverden, two-time Olympic medallist in sprint kayak, said the financial burden on Olympic athletes and their families can be heavy. "Through this fund, the COC is recognizing that burden, and what an incredible asset more Olympic medals will be for our communities and for Canada," he said. The awards will apply to all Olympic athletes, including those playing in a team sport. In the three non-Olympic years of the four-year cycle, athletes who place in the top five in years one or two, or top four in year three, will receive $5,000. "I think it's a way of saying 'thank you for the work you've done,'" said world-class Canadian hurdler Perdita Felicien, and "recognizing the hard work it takes to be one of the best in the world, and here's your just reward." Canadian athletes competing at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing will be the first eligible to receive the money. But while athletes are applauding the announcement, many recoil at describing the cash rewards as incentives to work harder. "There's no appropriate price for an Olympic gold medal," said van Koeverden. "I wouldn't trade mine for $20,000 or $20 million." Gold-medal gymnast Kyle Shewfelt said while the money would be a welcome gesture, it's not going to make him work any harder as an athlete. "I work hard because I want to work hard, for myself and my country," he told CTV News. And while even millionaire NHL hockey players who win gold at the Vancouver Games would each receive $20,000, they will be offered the option of giving the money back. Meanwhile, Chambers said the COC was continuing to push Ottawa for more funding to help develop athletes. In the last federal budget, no money was provided for the Road to Excellence program set up to help athletes win at the Summer Games. "We're going at them again for the next budget and hopefully they'll become enlightened and see that our athletes deserve the money that we're asking for them," said Chambers. A similar program, Own the Podium, is in place to help athletes train for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The 2008 Olympic Games, which will run from August 8-24, will feature a total of 28 sport disciplines, 302 events, more than 200 participating countries, and an estimated 10,700 athletes, says the COC. Canada will have about 300 athletes participating in Beijing. The COC said the goal for the Canadian team is to finish among the top 16 nations in overall medal count. |
sounds good
most live in oblivion |
I hope so, although knowing my luck I'll be one of the military guys strolling the backwoods of Whistler, or doing time in Afghanistan (If we haven't pulled out by then).
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Venue Update: Nearing Completion
VANOC NEWS RELEASE November 22, 2007 Building the track at the Whistler Sliding Centre, SeptemberBy the end of 2007, construction at all outdoor venue sites will be finished – an unprecedented success. “Just pretty fantastic” noted John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).”We set a target that construction at these venues would be done at the end of this year and they are.” The Whistler Sliding Centre, Whistler Nordic Competition Venue, Cypress Mountain venue, the alpine courses at Whistler Creekside and updates to the short track speed skating and figure skating at the Pacific Coliseum venue will all be completed by Christmas 2007. Construction crews have worked tirelessly to bring these sites to operational use and soon, these venues will be open to the public for recreational use. Not long after, the venues will then be put to work hosting international level competitions starting in February 2008 with the Alpine World Cup in Whistler. http://www.vancouver2010.com/images/.../1skidjump.jpg Even with these recent successes, the venue construction team is still not slowing down – there are indoor venues to be completed. “In the coming year, in 2008, you’ll see the completion of the number one hockey arena at the University of British Columbia which will be used for women’s hockey and sledge hockey,” said Furlong. “You’ll see the curling facility at Hillcrest finished in the third quarter. The speed skating facility at the Richmond Oval will also be substantially complete and the two Villages, obviously, are continuing and are exactly where they need to be to deliver on the objective of having them ready in time for the Games.” “So we’re very proud and, of course, the icing on the cake is they’ll be done and they’ll be completed on budget,” said Furlong. “We’re very, very proud of it.” http://www.vancouver2010.com/images/Features/3nov3.jpg And the luge track at the Base II of Blackcomb at Whistler Village, which will also open in a few weeks. http://www.vancouver2010.com/images/...es/1sept17.jpg |
sweet. Can't wait to watch some of these events live.
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here's a rendering of the live site at georgia/beatty.
http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/olym...ouverLiveS.jpg |
Cool. Do you know what they'll be doing with that site after 2010?
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http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=141331 |
800 DAYS!
Olympics will benefit all of B.C., expert says Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun Published: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 VANCOUVER - The 2010 Winter Games may be coming to the Lower Mainland and Whistler, but that doesn't mean that the rest of the province can't benefit economically and socially. That's the view of Craig Phillips, the secretary-general for the Australian Olympic Committee, who says communities outside the traditional 604 area code should look for opportunities to host international teams getting ready for the Games. Phillips, who will tour Kamloops, Vancouver and Prince George this week as part of a speaking engagement for 2010 LegaciesNow, said his own country's Olympic experiences are an example. Although Australia is strong in summer sports -- it was in the top four in both 2000 in Sydney and 2004 in Athens in gold medals -- its winter sports contingent is small. Australia is looking for suitable facilities outside the Lower Mainland where its athletes, including short-track speed-skaters, can train. Olympic host countries should realize that national Olympic committees and their athletes need to find facilities where they can train in the buildup to the Games. "Some communities in B.C. can realize the opportunities that exist in terms of what the national Olympic committees and national federations are looking for their teams, both in the lead-up period and the pre-Games period," he said. "There are some economic benefits, social benefits available. Some communities removed from the Vancouver-Whistler area might not otherwise have any way of touching the Games." Today Phillips is visiting Kamloops, which became one of the first B.C. communities to land a national team. In 2005, the Austrian national ski team picked Sun Peaks as its local training facility. On Thursday, Phillips will head to Prince George, which has also successfully lured some athletes. Virginia Sprangers, the manager of sports for Events Prince George, a government-backed economic development initiative, said the city hosted the Chinese and Korean curling teams last March in the run-up to the world championships in Edmonton. It also became the temporary home to Chinese short-track speed-skater Li JiaJun, who won a bronze in the 1,500-metre race in Turin in 2006. Sprangers said the French hockey team will also practice in Prince George for a week prior to the Games in 2010. Cathy Priestner, Vanoc's executive vice-president of sport, said many teams -- both national and international -- are looking for quiet places to train. "Many of these teams come from a long ways away and they have to be somewhere in this time zone, preferably, to acclimatize. If they are coming from outside North America, that's very important. Often, they don't want to be in the limelight or smack in the middle things." Vanoc is working with LegaciesNow and another organization to produce a guide for visiting countries listing training facilities in B.C. and Alberta. Communities benefit not only economically, but also from the experiences the visiting athletes bring, Priestner said. "I think it is a really great opportunity for our communities to get engaged with the other nations. The athletes work really well in situations like that. They come into the schools, they are really willing to participate in the community," she said. Phillips will give a noon-hour address today at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. jefflee@png.canwest.com |
theres some big thing coming up in february
feist will be performing for it Quote:
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^ sweet!
Taiwan's Acer to sponsor 2010 Vancouver, 2012 London Olympics Posted : Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:05:04 GMT Taiwan's Acer Inc, the world's fourth-largest personal computer brand, will become a main sponsor for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Acer and the International Olympic Committee said on Thursday in a statement that Acer will supply computing equipment products to the Vancouver and London Olympics. According to the four-year agreement starting 2009, Acer will be listed among the main IOC sponsors which have exclusive advertising rights around the Olympic Games and its symbols such as the Olympic Rings. "The experience with the IOC will bring a fresh and new approach. It will be like being part of a huge community of men and women who, though sharing different feelings and emotions, are driven by a common intent to promote an open dialogue," Acer's Italian president Gianfranco Lanci said in the statement. "As sport overcomes barriers by acknowledging the value of difference and the strength of common objectives, technology is moving in the same direction by facilitating communication among different populations," he added. IOC President Jacques Rogge said he was happy to welcome Acer to the TOP Partner Programme in 2009. "For the Olympic Movement, this partnership will deliver funding to help stage the Olympic Games in Vancouver and London, technology equipment and services to manage the logistical demands, and people to staff some of the most critical functions. In addition, the relationship will play an important role in the promotion of the Olympic Movement and sport across the globe," Rogge was quoted by the statement as saying. Established in 1976, Acer employs 5,300 people and supplies dealers and distributors in more than 100 countries. Revenues in 2006 reached 11.32 billion US dollars. Acer is the world's fourth-largest personal computer brand after HP, Dell and China's Lenovo. |
Critics give failing grade to idea of Olympic school supplies
Olympic committee plans to put logos, mascots on items Damian Inwood, The Province Published: Sunday, December 09, 2007 A Vancouver 2010 plan to sell a wide range of school supplies bearing the logos of the Winter Games and the Olympic mascots is being blasted by teachers and the NDP. "This is a very dubious way of raising funds to pay for the Olympics," said NDP Olympic critic Harry Bains. "We suspect that the cost will be higher with these logos on than for the generic items and some parents will not be able to afford them. "That will leave a bad taste for those kids whose parents cannot afford them." Olympic officials put out a call late last week for an official licensee to make, sell and distribute office and school supplies bearing Olympic logos. They would include rulers, binders, organizers, writing pads, notebooks, pens, pencils, scissors, staplers, pencil sharpeners, erasers, pencil cases, address books and lunch boxes. Bains described using schoolkids to pay for the Olympics' operating costs as a "disturbing new low." "It's one thing if they were to raise funds and put that money back to improve the education of our children," he added, "or if they were to use the money to improve playgrounds and encourage our children to be more active and get some inspiration from the Olympics." Irene Lanzinger, president of the B.C. Teachers' Federation, said she's concerned by marketing directed at children. "There's a sense that the Olympics is just another big entity trying to market things to kids," she said. "That's a problem in society and one that the Olympic committee shouldn't buy into. But they do, big time, with all the logos around the Olympics." Lanzinger said the federation would be particularly concerned if the Olympic-branded school supplies were to be pushed through the schools. Vancouver 2010 officials say there's no difference in branding school supplies with the Olympic logos than with any others already on the market. "Our licensing and merchandise program reflects the positive Olympic and Paralympic values," said Caley Denton, 2010's vice-president of ticket sales and consumer marketing. "Our products will feature imagery that represents sport, culture and sustainability, and will be made available in stores in the same way that all other school supplies are, such as items that feature Shrek, Spiderman or Garfield." dinwood@png.canwest.com it seems like people complain just for the heck of it. Plenty of rooms available for Olympics, say Whistler tourism officials VANOC only booking half of all available accommodations Clare Ogilvie, The Province Published: Sunday, December 09, 2007 There is lots of room at the inns. That's the message Whistler's tourism officials want to send the world now that 2010 Olympic Winter Games organizers are close to booking the rooms they need for the mega-event. "We know that there are 10,000 rooms in Whistler that are nightly rentals," said Diana Lyons, vice-president of operations for Tourism Whistler. That number includes swank hotels such as the Four Seasons and accommodations offered by property-management companies, but not bed-and-breakfasts and condominium-type accommodations. "All along, [the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Games] has said that they need between 5,000 and 6,000 rooms in the Sea-to-Sky corridor. So they are really only talking about 45 to 50 per cent of the available rooms in Whistler," said Lyons, who is worried potential guests may be shying away from booking rooms in the resort at Games time, thinking there is no accommodation left. "That's absolutely not the case," she said. Bruce Van Mook, who oversees management of two hotels and 200 condos and private homes in the resort for Whistler Premiere Accommodations, agrees. "If the story is about 'there is no room at the inn,' then we can certainly refute that, because at this point there is room at the inn," he said. Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed said the resort has been working on the accommodation supply and demand issue for months. "It is probably our greatest challenge in trying to understand what is the actual demand going to be two years out," he said. "Nobody has a crystal ball and unfortunately, we have to prepare for the worst. We can't hope for the best. We have to prepare for the worst and have a variety of contingencies worked out." The resort is considering relaxing accommodation zoning so that anyone in Whistler can rent rooms to visitors. But, said Melamed, officials are concerned that sub-standard spots will go up for rent, hurting Whistler's image, and that employees will be displaced if they rent out their accommodations for more money. The resort has just completed surveys on how many residents and second-home owners will stay in the resort for the 2010 Games. "It is significantly higher than we expected," said Melamed. Expectations have been that more people will want to come to, and stay in, the resort for the Olympics than there is currently room for. Though VANOC is close to securing all its rooms, many groups are just starting to look -- including security officials, unaccredited media, corporations, foreign government delegations and national sport organizations. VANOC has secured 4,000 of the 5,000 rooms it needs in the corridor, said Nejat Sarp, vice-president of accommodations for VANOC. Most of those are in Whistler. "We want everyone to come and enjoy the Games," said Sarp. "That's across all different client groups, through VANOC, the spectators, local guests or whomever, because at the end of the day this is everybody's Games." VANOC also needs 15,000 rooms in the Vancouver area. About 95 per cent of those have already been secured. clareogilvie@telus.net |
NHL-size ice has Vanoc knocking on arena's door
Britannia Community Centre's nearness to Athletes Village also handy for hockey practices Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun Published: Thursday, December 13, 2007 VANCOUVER - Vancouver's Olympic organizers want to take over a third civic arena as a practice facility, but community activists oppose the idea. Vanoc says it needs Britannia Community Centre's arena for hockey training because it has NHL-sized ice close to the Athletes Village that competing teams could use. The arena was not previously considered as an option when Vancouver bid for the Games in 2002 because at that time the competitions were to be played on Olympic-sized ice, and Vancouver had offered its aging Trout Lake arena for training. But changes that Vanoc initiated -- including abandoning two practice venues for figure skating and short-track speed-skating at Hastings Park in favour of new city-built arenas at Trout Lake and Killarney -- means it has to find another civic arena where some practices can take place. Vanoc and the city are negotiating a deal that would see the Britannia arena closed to the public during the Olympics, according to Denis Hainault, Vanoc's director of ice sports and Dave Rudberg, the city's manager of Olympic operations. Talks began several months ago. "We've entered into discussions with Britannia staff, and ultimately the Britannia board, around how it would be used, what the period would be and what improvements Vanoc would need to make to get it to an adequate standard," Rudberg said. Any arrangement will still need to be put to the community board that governs the Britannia complex, which includes a library, swimming pool, community centre and arena. But city council would make the decision, since it has to sign a venue agreement with Vanoc, Rudberg said. The community board that administers the 6.9-hectare site consists of local residents and representatives of the city, park board, school district and library board. Enzo Guerriero, the executive director, said it wants some minor upgrades to the arena, including new rink-side glass, better lighting, humidifiers, paint and an upstairs meeting room. Hainault declined to say how much the upgrades would cost. Guerriero said no figures have yet been discussed, but both men described the improvements as relatively minor in cost. Hainault said any upgrades would be covered in Vanoc's existing venue construction budget. "Vanoc has not given us any idea what their budget is," Guerriero said. Several community activists oppose the temporary closure, saying it would disrupt many services. On Sunday about two dozen people met at the community centre to discuss the proposal. Tammie Tupechka, a former community board member, said the Britannia complex is right in the middle of an activist area opposed to the Vancouver Olympics. She said many people don't want their community services to be further disrupted. "We feel the east side is bearing an unequal proportion of the brunt of putting on the Olympics," she said. "Why don't they try somewhere else, like in Kerrisdale or Kitsilano?" But Hainault and Guerriero said the community centre, pool, library and other services would remain open, although Vanoc would require a security perimeter around the arena. Guerriero, a longtime Britannia director who briefly worked for Vanoc's sustainability department, said the board also wants access for children to watch the training sessions and test events for free. He said Britannia has often acted as a training facility for visiting NHL teams and is known for producing very good ice, so it's not surprising to him that Vanoc would want it, especially since it is close to the Athletes Village in False Creek. Tupechka, who says she and several others have started an anti-Olympics magazine called Torch, said protests were possible if the city and Vanoc reached a deal that was accepted by the community board. But they are worried that protests would be met with heavy RCMP response. "Historically at every other Olympic Games all areas surrounding venues are designated as no-protest zones," she said. Park board estimates the new Trout Lake facility will cost just under $16 million and the Killarney arena $14 million. |
I've been wondering about the medals...
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So any thoughts on what kind of design features you'd like to see incorporated? Maybe they'll incorporate wood into them the way other cities have incorporated jade/granite/glass etc? I could see wood and some sort of native art design encircling them. |
^ wood????? i can understand jade, granite, or glass.....but wood?????
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Would be nice if they punched out medals made of pure gold again. That would leave a lasting impression.
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^That's what I was thinking too. Would certainly add some extra incentive for those athletes. ;)
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I just realized I used a lot of 'wood' sounding words between my use of wood and would. |
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mmm... countdowns.
whats the clock at now? anyone take a picture recently? |
according to the VANOC website, it should be at 791:
http://www.vancouver2010.com/images/.../countdown.jpg |
Vanoc achieves, tops 2007 goals
Organizers of 2010 Winter Games boast of sponsorships, venue completions Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun Published: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 VANCOUVER - With 2007 closing behind them, the organizers of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics said they had achieved or exceeded all of their goals, from corporate financial support to completing a number of key sporting venues. On Tuesday Vanoc released its first quarterly report of the next fiscal year, along with a look ahead for 2008. It said it had spent $63.3 million in the last quarter on construction-related bills, for an overall total of $427.9 million. It also says it has increased its construction contingency fund by $250,000 to $27.05 million, largely as a result of savings from changes in construction plans at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. On the sponsorship side, Vanoc says it exceeded its domestic sponsorship target this year of $65 million by more than half. It raised $102.5 million, putting it well on its way towards an overall goal of $760 million. Vanoc CEO John Furlong said it has raised 691 million in corporate sponsorships since Vancouver won the Games, representing 90.5 per cent of its target. Vanoc piled on more good news in its release, saying it has substantially completed five sporting venues this year, fulfilling its promise to have the sites finished two years before the Games actually start. Last week Vanoc marked the end of construction for the Whistler Sliding Centre, Whistler Olympic Park Nordic venues, and alpine runs at Whistler Creekside. It says it has also finished renovations to the Coliseum, site of figure skating and short-track speed skating, and Cypress Mountain, which will host snowboard and freestyle skiing. The next year will mark a number of milestones, Furlong said. Feb. 12 will mark the two-year countdown to the Games. Around that period Vanoc will put on the first of three annual "cultural Olympiads" featuring music, live arts and entertainment. It also expects the rest of the venues will be finished, including the Hillcrest curling venue, Richmond oval and UBC hockey arenas. |
Tickets.com picked to supply 2010 Olympic tickets
Vancouver Sun Published: Thursday, January 24, 2008 VANCOUVER -- Vancouver Olympic organizers, on Jan. 24, named Costa Mesa, Cal.-based Tickets.com as their official supplier of Canadian ticketing services for the 2010 Games. Tickets.com, which managed ticketing for the 1996 Atlanta and 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, will become an official sponsor to the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (Vanoc) in the official supplier category. Caley Denton, Vanoc's vice-president in charge of ticketing, added that Tickets.com's system was alwo the backbone for ticket distribution at the 200 Sydney and 2006 Torino Games. "The sale and distribution of tickets in Canada will be key to the success of the 2010 Winter Games," Denton said in a news release. "We have selected a ticketing provider that will help us offer a user-friendly, fair and equitable system for the distribution of tickets with excellence in customer service." Most importantly, Vanoc said Tickets.com has technology to develop an online ticket redistribution system, which will let spectators not using tickets to get them to people who want to get to events and help Vanoc combat ticket counterfeiting. Tickets for the 2010 Games will go on sale in October. |
^ Yay, not TicketMaster!
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First of the events announced, more coming....
Grouse Mountain staying open 24 hours to celebrate 2 year countdown to 2010 Monday, February 04 - 04:54:43 PM Mike Hanafin NORTH VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - To celebrate the 2-year countdown to the 2010 Olympics, Grouse Mountain will be staying open overnight this Saturday. They're offering overnight skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and ice skating, as all the lifts, and the chalet (including Theatre in the Sky) will remain open overnight. It will give die-hards a chance to watch the sunrise from the mountain--weather permitting of course. Food and beverage service will also be available all night. |
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http://www.marketwire.com/library/20080206-count512.jpg
Ottawa Counting Down to the Games 2010 Olympic Games countdown clock unveiled at nation's capital February 6, 2008 | VANOC News Release Sports and timing go hand-in-hand. Today in Ottawa, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) and the Government of Canada, a major partner of the 2010 Winter Games, unveiled the Vancouver 2010 Countdown Clock in Ottawa at the Capital Infocentre, located across from Parliament Hill. The timing for the unveiling couldn’t be better as Ottawa’s famed Winterlude, or Bal de Neige, celebrations are in full party mode. Just prior to the clock event, James Moore, Member of Parliament for the riding of Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, issued a statement in the House of Commons prior to Question Period declaring the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to be Canada’s Games, and inviting all Canadians to join in welcoming the world in 2010. “Let us all be inspired by the power of the Olympic and Paralympic Games – the power to promote friendship and respect, stir dreams and tell a story about our country and our people,” said Moore, who also serves as the Parliamentary Secretary for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics. Just two years before the Games officially begin in 2010, the announcement comes as a message of inspiration for all Canadians. Canada's Games For VANOC Chief Executive Officer, John Furlong, “The Olympic and Paralympic Games have the power to reach and inspire every Canadian, and more broadly, the power for us, as a country, to make a remarkable contribution to a better world. We need every Canadian to be part of telling our unique story and we’d like to thank the Government of Canada for providing, on behalf of all Canadians, tremendous support toward the success of the Games.” Going for the Games Canadian ice sledge hockey Paralympic gold medallist, Ray Grassi, was also at the Capital Infocentre to celebrate the two-year countdown – a celebration that included Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, National Capital Commission officials, athletes, spectators, media and representatives of VANOC. Grassi, of Windsor, Ontario, was glad to see the dedication of an Omega Countdown Clock in Ottawa. He had heard about the Omega Countdown Clock in Vancouver, and was elated to see 2010 Winter Games excitement celebrated outside British Columbia. ”It’s great to have [a Countdown Clock] in Ottawa, especially with all the tourists coming in, and for all the foreign diplomats there,” said Grassi. “It’s a good idea to have the visual reminder that the biggest stage is coming to Canada for the first time since [1988].” Vancouver 2010 Winter Games Declared Canada’s Games The Countdown to 2010 Begins in the Nation’s Capital February 6, 2008 | VANOC News Release OTTAWA, February 6, 2008 – Today, at a public event attended by an enthusiastic crowd, David Emerson, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics, and John Furlong, Vancouver 2010 CEO, unveiled the Vancouver 2010 Countdown Clock in Ottawa alongside Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The new clock is an enduring reminder to all who see it that in just two years, Canada will welcome the world. Earlier in the day, James Moore, Parliamentary Secretary for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics, set the tone for the celebrations with a statement in the House of Commons declaring the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games as Canada’s Games. “Let us all be inspired by the power of the Olympic and Paralympic Games – the power to promote friendship and respect, stir dreams and tell a story about our country and our people,” said Moore. The illuminated clock today signals 737 days until the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Games. The clock will count down the days, hours, minutes and seconds remaining until the beginning of the celebrations on February 12, 2010. The clock features a timepiece provided by Omega, the Official Timekeeper of the 2010 Games. Showcased opposite the Parliament buildings in the window of the National Capital Commission Infocentre on Wellington Street, the clock provides an opportunity for visitors and residents of the Nation’s capital to share in the excitement and anticipation leading up to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. At the Countdown Clock unveiling event, Minister Emerson noted, “In two years, the eyes of the world will turn towards Canada on the occasion of the 2010 Winter Games. This is a perfect time to re-affirm our commitment to make these Canada’s Games and to encourage all Canadians to get engaged as we prepare to host this once-in-a-generation event.” “The Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games have the power to reach and inspire every Canadian and provide the opportunity for Canadians to come together on a global stage to make a remarkable contribution to a better world,” said Furlong. “We need every Canadian to be part of telling our unique story and we’d like to thank the Government of Canada for providing, on behalf of all Canadians, tremendous support toward the success of the Games.” “Canada’s Capital Region is the place where we communicate and pay tribute to the achievements of Canadians across the country and honour important national events such as the upcoming Winter Olympics and Paralympics in 2010”, said Marie Lemay, Chief Executive Office of the NCC. “The National Capital Commission is honoured to collaborate with the organizers of the 21st Winter Games.” “With nearly two years from the opening of the 2010 Winter Games, the Olympic and Paralympic spirit and anticipation are spreading all across Canada,” said Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia. “This clock in our nation's capital is a reminder of all that we have achieved in bringing the Games to B.C. and Canada, as well as the legacies that will be shared by all for years to come.” The Government of Canada is a major and committed partner in delivering successful, well-managed Winter Games in 2010. Total federal investment in the 2010 Winter Games is $578M. Ottawa's countdown clock is somewhere here: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/51/11...f58b3598_o.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/122/3...9cbd0aed_b.jpg It would've been better if it was at a more prominent location...why the hell is it behind a window? |
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Huge public protest during the clock unveiling... =( |
For each Games, NBC creates an opening intro to introduce the Olympic nation and city to its viewers. It's only shown once just before the NBC Olympic ident before the opening ceremony, and it usually is something very special.
This was NBC's vid for Sydney (a must see!)....I'm not Australian, but after watching it i sure would like to be! Can't wait to see what they'll come up with Vancouver, BC and Canada. |
Richmond prepares to house the world
Entrepreneurs ready to capitalize on accommodation crunch in 2010 By Matthew Hoekstra - Richmond Review - February 08, 2008 It has four bedrooms, four bathrooms and 2,400 square feet of single-family home in the Odlin neighbourhood. It comes equipped with a barbecue, TV, microwave and all the amenities of an average Richmond home. And renting it during the 2010 Winter Games will cost you $33,600. Plus taxes. Welcome to Richmond: home of the Olympic oval and entrepreneurs ready to capitalize on the accommodation crunch expected to wash over venue cities. In two years, everyone from Olympic officials to athletes’ families to sports enthusiasts from around the world will crowd a city once known mostly for its fishing fleet and cranberry fields. But in 2010, the oval and its waterfront park will become the main attraction. The supporting cast will be the city’s 25 hotels (two more are being built) and myriad of other accommodation options, including at least nine bed-and-breakfasts, homes put up for rent and free home-stay offers. Regardless of cost, what’s clear is available beds will be in short supply—something the father of Olympic swimmer Brian Johns knows all too well. Like most parents of athletes, the greatest thrill for Lawrie Johns is being able to watch his 25-year-old son compete in the Olympics. But it also comes with frustrations, namely in the form of accessing accommodations and tickets. Johns, whose son has competed in the last two Summer Games, said during the Olympics hotel prices rise dramatically, and available rooms are hard to come by. In Beijing, China, host of the 2008 Summer Games, Johns said he managed to find an available hotel room—at $800 a night. But through a lucky connection, he and his wife found a less expensive option. “That one bedroom apartment, we think exists, it’s $300 a day—and that’s really cheap.” For families of Canadian Olympians, there are no special deals. No free tickets, no free accommodation. That’s why Johns is so supportive of home-stay programs, which connect homes with visiting families and coaches. Properly organized, said Johns, the program can give host families a cultural—or at least social—exchange with visitors, who get a free place to stay. It also provides piece of mind for athletes, who know their family has a place to stay. “The sacrifices (parents) make to get their kids to where they’re at is phenomenal,” said Johns, adding he hopes to open his Richmond home to athletes’ families in 2010. “I have so much respect for parents and families because I know what they’ve gone through, and it’s such a nice cultural exchange.” Richmond’s Jennifer Krempien, who has competed in four Paralympic Games in wheelchair basketball, said having loved ones at the competition makes the experience far richer. “They have been a part of the sweat, tears and often financially supporting the years of training and competition prior to the Games. It is amazing to look up in the stands and see your parents there celebrating with you— singing the anthem with the pride visible.” Finding appropriate accommodations in venue cities, however, isn’t easy. Some of the best have come in the form of a home-stay program. “My family has been lucky to find great accommodations over the past four Paralympic Games. For the Beijing Games, they are sharing an apartment with two other families very near the National Indoor Stadium. It will be great to know they are comfortable, near the excitement and safe.” Richmond’s Olympic Business Office is developing a home-stay program with Kwantlen University College, which already runs such a program for its international students. So far, the program is focused on providing beds for athletes’ families and coaches of the Canadian speed skating team. But that could expand to international speed skating teams. A booth at this weekend’s Richmond Winter Festival will offer information on the home-stay program and collect names from interested participants. Spokesperson Ted Townsend said the program will likely stay focused on matching visitors with free accommodation, but renting to other guests for a fee will also be encouraged. “There’s going to be a great demand. We would hope we can accommodate as many people as possible in Richmond during 2010,” he said. “What we want to do is meet the demand of people beyond the capacity of the hotels to fill.” Richmond’s hotels will be largely filled by groups the Vancouver Organizing Committee is responsible for, including the International Olympic Committee, national Olympic committees, international sport federations, sponsors, news media and support personnel. Of the more than 30,000 hotel rooms available in venue cities, Vanoc needs approximately 20,000. According to minutes of its January board meeting, Vanoc has secured almost 85 per cent of the rooms it needs. At Cambie Road’s Radisson President Hotel and Suites, Vanoc has secured 105 of the hotel’s 185 rooms. But being an airport property, up to 30 more rooms are likely to house airline crew. That leaves few available rooms, which tour operators are already eyeing, said general manager Kathryn Warren. That leaves few available rooms for visitors to the city. Warren, who is also president of Tourism Richmond, said many of the Radisson’s rooms will be occupied by media covering the Games—and that need was far greater than originally anticipated. Just how much the Radisson will charge for those remaining rooms isn’t known yet, said Warren. “That’s where the challenge lies for most of us. We, at this point of time, may not know what that rate should be,” she said, adding she hopes local hotels will be offering similar rates. Olympic organizers are working on an accommodation plan for spectators, but so far Vanoc hasn’t released any information about it. On its website, Vanoc states it won’t get involved with setting accommodation prices, but will work with tourism organizations to “encourage best practices and ensure fair market value.” Meanwhile, a number of websites have popped up listing property rentals during the 2010 Games. None are associated or sanctioned by VANOC. Listings on accessvacationgroup.com include properties catering to visitors of the Richmond oval. All properties listed carry a 21-day minimum, including the Odlin house, which at $1,600 a day, totals $33,600. A four-bedroom house on Blair Drive is listed at the same price, and a three-bedroom Terra Nova townhouse is going for $1,475 per day. Dave and Lesley Kemp run one of several bed-and-breakfasts in Richmond, the Picture Perfect Bed and Breakfast. Dave Kemp said he’s fielded inquiries about rates during the Games, but he has yet to set the price. Kemp did say he plans to avoid hiking his rates sky high, as he wants guests to return some day. “If somebody is going to turn around and say we’re going to triple our rates—I’m not going to do that.” Mayor Malcolm Brodie believes Richmond’s hotels will be filled and residents will invite visitors from around the world into their homes. He doesn’t think the accommodation crunch will come down to people sleeping in city parks. “No I don’t think that people will be sleeping on park benches,” he said. “For people who can’t find accommodations, they’ll go farther out.” |
^ holy crap.
Truckload of 2010 coins dumped Staff Reporter, The Province Published: Friday, February 08, 2008 Somebody just missed out on a really, really long free ride at the video arcade. A tractor-trailer lost control and went over an embankment on the Trans-Canada Highway near Kamloops Thursday, spilling a huge load of newly minted 2010 Olympic coins. Towing crews and police were still at the crash scene Friday afternoon, after a long night guarding the precious cargo from potential looters or unscrupulous numismatists. Winnipeg and bound for the Lower Mainland, will be recovered. The cash value was not disclosed, but it was a big shipment. "I think the scene was pretty well contained," said Kamloops RCMP spokeswoman Const. Randi Love, who said the truck crashed at about 7:40 p.m. two kilometres from the Savona lookout on Kamloops Lake. A crew of about a dozen people was loading the coins into bins Friday, while a towing company arranged to winch the big truck back up onto the road. Love said a driver and passenger in the trailer were sent to hospital for treatment of minor injuries. |
Was driving around Calgary today and saw "Boycott 2010" bumper stickers on cars with Alberta plates.
WTH is wrong with people.... |
^Idiots thats whats wrong with them.
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maybe it's because Vancouver will take away from Calgary's former Olympic glory. :D
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Wow... boycotting of 2010... I love this hate relationship between Vancouver to Canada.
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apparently the Premier is hosting a 2 Year Countdown Luncheon on Monday at the Hyatt and there's a big protest planned for the Art Gallery at 12 noon?
can you say riot police? |
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the media alone - i wonder what the numbers would be - on air people, behind the scenes crews - must be huge numbers - just NBC alone I heard that in Calgary 1988 some family rented their house out for the month to NBC for crews etc and made $10,000 for the month - a large sum in 1988 dollars |
as of 7 pm on Tuesday it'll be (365 x 2 x 24 x 60 x 60) = 63,072,000 seconds till the start of Opening Ceremonies
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NBC has spent US$820 million to acquire the 2010 Winter Games tv rights from the IOC. In addition to that, the network will be spending US$130 million to broadcast the Games themselves....compare that figure to the US$100 million they spent in Torino. There were also 2,000 on-site staff from NBC at Torino. And really, 2010 will be a lot more profitable for NBC than Torino...which had dismal tv ratings (compared to all the circus hoop la hoo going on and scandals with Salt Lake). The majority of the broadcasts will be live, rather than recorded like in Athens and Torino. NBC always has a outdoor broadcasting studio, where Bob Costas anchors the coverage. In Athens, the studio was a glass box right outside the Olympic Stadium. In Torino, it was another glass box in a plaza. I wonder where they'd set camp for Vancouver...perhaps at the big plaza at the new convention centre? And that's just for Olympic coverage....NBC's Today Show always has an outdoor studio as well. You may know that it is the network's morning show, and during the Olympics each broadcast is made entirely live from the Olympic city. The Today Show studio in Torino: http://www.seamannewsroom.com/newsre...ympics_LRG.jpg |
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lol, has anybody seen CTV Vancouver's new "Countdown to 2010" animation?
---------------- Anti-2010 vandals hit Ottawa Royal Bank By BOB MACKIN, 24 HOURS Anti-Olympics vandals have expanded their campaign against VANOC's official bank and torch relay co-sponsor. An anonymous message on no2010.com said "bricks found their way through the windows of the Elgin Street Royal Bank" in Ottawa on the night of Jan. 27. "The Olympics are set to happen in the year 2010, and we thus declare war on all the year represents and all who sponsor it!" A Vancouver 2010 countdown clock was unveiled yesterday afternoon across from Parliament Hill. RBC spokesman John Groves said the latest incidents were reported to police, but wouldn't discuss what measures the bank employs to keep customers and staff safe. The Ottawa attack came just over a month after four windows were smashed on Christmas Eve at a Cook Street Royal Bank in Victoria. Vancouver vandals broke windows Dec. 8 at Commercial and First and Dec. 9 at Hastings and Nanaimo. A no2010.com message about the latter attack, in the form of a phony news release, misappropriated Groves' name. |
The Premier and the Toursim Minister Stan Hagen (he's in charge of BC Place) are having a Countdown Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency tommorow at 12:30 and the no2010 people are having a huge rally at the Art Gallery at 12 noon.
http://www.no2010.com I normally don't have a problem with protestors but I found this quote on their site which I found most distasteful. Wishing death upon someone is just pure evil and really discredits these people when they put a statement like this on their site: "Vancouver -- VANOC chairman Jack Poole has had surgery to remove a tumour on his pancreas and [unfortunately] his doctors expect a full recovery, the Vancouver 2010 Olympics Organizing Committee said yesterday" That's pretty sick |
i understand the injustices the natives have suffered over the past few hundred years, but like come on...let it go. The native community is never going to make something out of themselves if they keep in holding on to the past....and certainly, these criminal actions are not helping them nor their image.
I read about something quite disturbing a few days ago....Stanley Park used to be a burial site for the local First Nations, and when white settlers arrived they dug out those bodies, crushed their bones, and used it for pavement in the park. |
Lloyd Robertson will be broadcasting CTV National News from Vancouver on Monday and Tuesday, and I have heard rumours that the CTV Studio at Burrard will be getting some renovations (perhaps a new set?) so it can accommodate Olympic coverage (being that it will be CTV's 2010 Broadcast Centre).
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Torino alive with Olympic legacy
Updated: Sun Feb. 10 2008 18:54:52 ctvbc.ca Two years ago, after Torino staged an almost flawless Games, the Olympic flame went out in the northern Italian city. At the time, the Turinese believed the Olympic Games would help Torino shake off the dust, revive its economy and rekindle its passion. And when CTV British Columbia's Mike Killeen visited the city two years later -- and two years before Vancouver will welcome the world -- he found that it seems to have worked. Turinese gather at local cafes in a city now brimming with self-esteem -- and a renewed sense of purpose. The president of the Torino Organizing Committee told Killen on that visit that the Olympics helped transform Torino -- just what its people needed. "What we expected was something which is not measurable, and I mean the mood of the city," said Valentino Castellani. "All of the other things, tourism, investment are important of course because they are part of the games, but what Torino needed at that time was a change in confidence in themselves, in ourselves." Torino Mayor Sergio Chiamporino put it more bluntly: "The Turinese are again proud to be Turinese. This is probably the most important legacy of the Olympic Games." Before the games, tourism was picking up, as people crowded to see the ancient legacies of biblical legend. But as the world's eyes -- and cameras -- descended on the city, they saw a modern metropolis. "Usually when you talk about Torino, people they think of fiat, juventus and maybe the holy shroud," said Paola Musolino, of Turismo Torino. "But after the games they saw that Torino is a great city, it has many monuments, buildings, and museums, so we started to have more and more tourists," said Musolino. And the facilities -- completed only days before the opening ceremonies -- found a new home, used for competitions or rented out for training. After all the cameras went home, the media village -- where CTV News stayed during the games -- was converted to student housing for a nearby university. Parts of the athletes' villages have also been converted to student and low-income housing. With the physical legacies from the games, and those that aren't measurable, this Olympic city seems destined to proper. It sounds just like what Vancouver needs (which we will get, as long as there isn't a terrorist attack). |
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^ and another thing that pisses me off is how they're a bunch of hypocrites. They complain about buildings and commercialism on what was once their land. Exactly one month later, they come up with proposals for giant billboards, condo developments...and of course, they're planning to redevelop their newly gained land at UBC into condos by bulldozing part of the park's forest.
anyhow, in celebration to the 2-year countdown, deasine has kindly made this banner for Skyscrapercity...it will be displayed throughout the day tomorrow: http://members.shaw.ca/clauf/t3.PNG |
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