Olympic security to cost $1-billion: federal government

[WBC]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

There will be 6 warships? Does Canada even *own* 6 warships?

That could totally over extend our navy!




I just love people like you. The hysteria makes the World a more entertaining place.

Well instead of providing pork for military we could have used $1 billion to build us the Evergreen line. But instead we will have the pleasure of watching the retarded military and police beat up on even more retarded APC protesters while 2000 "athletes" compete in sports nobody cares about. And then people wonder what is the root cause of the financial crisis.

[Canadian Mind]

Originally Posted by WBC

Well instead of providing pork for military we could have used $1 billion to build us the Evergreen line. But instead we will have the pleasure of watching the retarded military and police beat up on even more retarded APC protesters while 2000 "athletes" compete in sports nobody cares about. And then people wonder what is the root cause of the financial crisis.

Out of the military's chunk of the 1 billion, 80% of it would have gone into military personels pockets anywas as our day to day paycheque. the extra 20 % would be field pay, sea pay, separation pay, etc. which is all the extra little chunks of cash we get for going on operations or out into the field.

And how nice of you to think of cops and us as retarded. Ohwell.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by WBC

Well instead of providing pork for military we could have used $1 billion to build us the Evergreen line. But instead we will have the pleasure of watching the retarded military and police beat up on even more retarded APC protesters while 2000 "athletes" compete in sports nobody cares about. And then people wonder what is the root cause of the financial crisis.

I think you've lost quite a bit of credibility from these last few posts....

Canada is a terror target, lives are at stake. This isn't something we can or should cheap out on.


Canada is the second largest NATO force in Afghanistan with 2,500 troops on the ground, we have consistently been targeted by Al Qaeda and the Taliban. And Canada is one of two nations (Italy) on Al Qaeda's hit list yet to be attacked. Don't forget that we are America's largest trading partner, their largest oil supplier, a major electricity exporter, etc.

A year ago, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) reported that they were monitoring as many as 1,000 groups for terrorist activity.

Finally, two years ago there was a major terrorist attack foiled in Ontario. Twenty home-grown terrorists had managed to get their hands on three times the amount of explosives used at the Oklahoma Bombings. They had planned to blow up the downtown Toronto CSIS office and the CN Tower, and had also planned on storming into the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto and Parliament Hill in Ottawa with machine guns. They also planned on taking hostage the Cabinet members, and beheading our Prime Minister.

It sounds like something out of 24 doesn't it? It's all real.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/06/...rror/index.html



Not to mention that Canada has previously been attacked with the Air India bombings and the FLQ crisis.

I believe Vancouver is expecting 4,000 soldiers in the city come 2010.

[mr.x]

And yes, we do have a navy. :p

On the West Coast, at Esquimault, we have:
- 5 patrol frigates
- 1 destroyer
- 6 coast defence vessels
- 1 submarine
- 1 oil replenisher
- 1 sail boat
- 5 tugboats


Esquimalt

[WBC]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

I think you've lost quite a bit of credibility from these last few posts....

Canada is a terror target, lives are at stake. This isn't something we can or should cheap out on.


Canada is the second largest NATO force in Afghanistan with 2,500 troops on the ground, we have consistently been targeted by Al Qaeda and the Taliban. And Canada is one of two nations (Italy) on Al Qaeda's hit list yet to be attacked. Don't forget that we are America's largest trading partner, their largest oil supplier, a major electricity exporter, etc.

A year ago, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) reported that they were monitoring as many as 1,000 groups for terrorist activity.

Finally, two years ago there was a major terrorist attack foiled in Ontario. Twenty home-grown terrorists had managed to get their hands on three times the amount of explosives used at the Oklahoma Bombings. They had planned to blow up the downtown Toronto CSIS office and the CN Tower, and had also planned on storming into the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto and Parliament Hill in Ottawa with machine guns. They also planned on taking hostage the Cabinet members, and beheading our Prime Minister.

It sounds like something out of 24 doesn't it? It's all real.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/06/...rror/index.html



Not to mention that Canada has previously been attacked with the Air India bombings and the FLQ crisis.

I believe Vancouver is expecting 4,000 soldiers in the city come 2010.

You guys are completely missing the point. I am arguing that the Olympics that are guarded by military, battle ships and the rest of the shiny hardware that boys in their 20s get so excited about are not worth having. They are essentially a complete perversion of the message of peace and sportsmanship that they are supposed to be about. However, the Olympics seems to have left that path a while ago and now they are essentially a corporate event that is about spending taxpayers money on $1 billion dollar worth of condos, gigantic sports arenas that will never be filled, enormous amounts of money for security, and so on. So my argument is that instead of having this mess in our city for 2 weeks of "glory" we should have spend money on ourselves (transit, renovation of our community centers, schools, etc).

I am not going to even touch on how naive you are if you think that presence of military in the city of 2 million is safe or is going to improve safety or prevent any potential attacks.

[Canadian Mind]

Originally Posted by WBC

I am not going to even touch on how naive you are if you think that presence of military in the city of 2 million is safe or is going to improve safety or prevent any potential attacks.

Would you rather i fight off a suicide bomber with rocks and a stick, or rifles, state of the art serv. gear, etc.

The point of the jets is to intercept incoming aircraft, the point of the ships is to intercept any incoming boats (be them big ships or small little inflatables loaded with bombs), and the point of the guys on the ground is to spot and intercept terrorist attacks in the making and respond to intelligence of potential terrorist attacks. maning that if we get intel that some prick with a bomb on his chest is about to walk into the convention centre, boots are immediately on the ground doing the same things we've been doing in Afghanistan. If news comes in of a truck or car bomb, then we'll roll in the lav's with there 25mm cannon and/or the tanks with there 105/120mm cannon. car and truck bombs are big and body armour wont do much to protect us from that eplosion (which is why we bring in tanks, cause they are resistant to that sort fo thing).

That help clarify why you need a military presence at the olympics? Need I remind you of Munich?

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by WBC

You guys are completely missing the point. I am arguing that the Olympics that are guarded by military, battle ships and the rest of the shiny hardware that boys in their 20s get so excited about are not worth having. They are essentially a complete perversion of the message of peace and sportsmanship that they are supposed to be about. However, the Olympics seems to have left that path a while ago and now they are essentially a corporate event that is about spending taxpayers money on $1 billion dollar worth of condos, gigantic sports arenas that will never be filled, enormous amounts of money for security, and so on. So my argument is that instead of having this mess in our city for 2 weeks of "glory" we should have spend money on ourselves (transit, renovation of our community centers, schools, etc).

I am not going to even touch on how naive you are if you think that presence of military in the city of 2 million is safe or is going to improve safety or prevent any potential attacks.

Welcome to the World we live in. It would be nice if you would wake up to your surroundings, it's only been this way the past 60 years.

There are people we need protection from, extremists from abroad and at home (the innocent APC).

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by WBC

You guys are completely missing the point. I am arguing that the Olympics that are guarded by military, battle ships and the rest of the shiny hardware that boys in their 20s get so excited about are not worth having. They are essentially a complete perversion of the message of peace and sportsmanship that they are supposed to be about. However, the Olympics seems to have left that path a while ago and now they are essentially a corporate event that is about spending taxpayers money on $1 billion dollar worth of condos, gigantic sports arenas that will never be filled, enormous amounts of money for security, and so on. So my argument is that instead of having this mess in our city for 2 weeks of "glory" we should have spend money on ourselves (transit, renovation of our community centers, schools, etc).

I am not going to even touch on how naive you are if you think that presence of military in the city of 2 million is safe or is going to improve safety or prevent any potential attacks.

You have a deluded perception of the reality we live in.

[crazyjoeda]

So my argument is that instead of having this mess in our city for 2 weeks of "glory" we should have spend money on ourselves (transit, renovation of our community centers, schools, etc).

Thanks in large part to the Olympics we are getting that. The curling venue, thunderbird arena and the Richmond Oval are all just glorified community centres. The Canada Line and Convention Centre have been badly needed but nobody had the balls to make them a reality until we got the games. Vancouver has and will benefit from the Olympics in a big way. Some people argue that this is costing way to much but we have gotten a lot of federal money we wouldn't have otherwise gotten and in the long term hosting the Olympics will be very beneficial for BC. Keep it in perspective China spent $40 billion (not including Beijing's new infrastructure) .

[wrenegade]

The convention centre was already going ahead before the Olympics were awarded, but the improvements to the Sea-to-Sky and the Canada Line was not. Both of those things would have happened.....eventually, but the Olympics made them happen sooner. And given the choice between the Evergreen line and the Canada line, I'd choose the Canada line every day of the week.

And what gigantic sports venues are we building that won't ever be filled? Last time I checked GM place and BC place have already been built, and are occupied 300+ days of the year. When was the last time a Canucks game wasn't sold out, 2003?

[mr.x]

^ agreed. Vancouver is the most prepared Winter Games host city in history.

INDOOR VENUES ALREADY EXISTING:
- BC Place
- GM Place
- Pacific Coliseum

NEW INDOOR VENUES BUILT (AND POST-GAMES LEGACY):
- Thunderbird Winter Sports Centre at UBC (it replaced the old aging facility, seats 8,000 seats and will be downsized to 5,000 seats after 2010, and it will be far from being a white elephant. It has three other rinks, and it all rinks are booked 12 hours a day and even during weekends).
- Vancouver Olympic Centre at Hillcrest (it will replace the aging Riley Community Centre across the street. It seats 6,000, but it will be downsized to 500 after the Games. Half of the curling sheets will remain while the other half will be converted into an ice rink. The facility also includes community meeting spaces, a major indoor pool to replace Percy Norman next door, an outdoor pool, a new public library branch, a fitness gym, and a gymnasium)
- Richmond Oval (seats 8,000 seats, all seats will be removed after 2010. Facility will be converted into a major community centre for Richmond, the speed skating oval will be replaced with 2 ice rinks, basketball/volleyball/badminton/tennis fields, a rowing training centre, a sports medicine centre, a fitness gym).



So much for large gigantic sports venues going to waste.

[WBC]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

^ agreed. Vancouver is the most prepared Winter Games host city in history.

INDOOR VENUES ALREADY EXISTING:
- BC Place
- GM Place
- Pacific Coliseum

NEW INDOOR VENUES BUILT (AND POST-GAMES LEGACY):
- Thunderbird Winter Sports Centre at UBC (it replaced the old aging facility, seats 8,000 seats and will be downsized to 5,000 seats after 2010, and it will be far from being a white elephant. It has three other rinks, and it all rinks are booked 12 hours a day and even during weekends).
- Vancouver Olympic Centre at Hillcrest (it will replace the aging Riley Community Centre across the street. It seats 6,000, but it will be downsized to 500 after the Games. Half of the curling sheets will remain while the other half will be converted into an ice rink. The facility also includes community meeting spaces, a major indoor pool to replace Percy Norman next door, an outdoor pool, a new public library branch, a fitness gym, and a gymnasium)
- Richmond Oval (seats 8,000 seats, all seats will be removed after 2010. Facility will be converted into a major community centre for Richmond, the speed skating oval will be replaced with 2 ice rinks, basketball/volleyball/badminton/tennis fields, a rowing training centre, a sports medicine centre, a fitness gym).



So much for large gigantic sports venues going to waste.

So isn't that the equivalent of me building a house without any inside walls and with an ice skating ring inside it, so that I can host a really big, cool house warming party after which I will completely re-design and renovate the place into a useful home. Oh but yes, I forgot that I also pissed-off my slightly crazed distant neighbour that I have never ever had problem with by being a sidekick to a really big bully, so I will also need a massive security for my big house warming party in case that the distant neighbour decides to settle the score. Now by all means that is a rational approach devoid of delusions. It’s economical too...

I am only pleased that you guys are not running my personal finances and life in general...

[LeftCoaster]

I'm pleased that you have no decision making powers in running this province or city.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by WBC

So isn't that the equivalent of me building a house without any inside walls and with an ice skating ring inside it, so that I can host a really big, cool house warming party after which I will completely re-design and renovate the place into a useful home. Oh but yes, I forgot that I also pissed-off my slightly crazed distant neighbour that I have never ever had problem with by being a sidekick to a really big bully, so I will also need a massive security for my big house warming party in case that the distant neighbour decides to settle the score. Now by all means that is a rational approach devoid of delusions. It’s economical too...

I am only pleased that you guys are not running my personal finances and life in general...

We won the bid 6 years ago, it was quite clear even back then that the security cost would be much higher. The time to complain has come and gone.

And unless you want to cheapen out on security and risk having bombs go off when the entire world is watching, be my guest.

Finally, if you actually knew more about the venues rather than being an ignoramus you wouldn't be saying "a house without any inside walls and with an ice skating ring inside it, so that I can host a really big, cool house warming party after which I will completely re-design and renovate the place into a useful home".

The venues at Vancouver are designed for post-Games legacy usage well beyond any other previous Olympics. Richmond has been pondering on a new recreational facility for some time, Vancouver had plans to replace Riley Park Community Centre and Percy Norman Pool, and the ice rink facilities at UBC were half a century old in need of replacement.

[LeftCoaster]

^A rather nice way to get federal funding for local community centres if you ask me!

[SpongeG]

Olympic security test starts Wednesday


VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The skies over Vancouver and Whistler could be full of military aircraft starting Wednesday. That's when a full-scale Olympic security exercise will kick off. Exercise 'Pegasus Guardian' will involve the Canadian military, including Navy warships and several types of aircraft, including CF-18 jet fighters.

The RCMP and other security forces are also involved. The 10-day exercise is a warm up for further drills that will test responses to terrorism and other threats. RCMP say more than a thousand security personnel from over 100 different organizations across Canada are working together on this project.

Soldiers and police will conduct voluntary security checks on people attending Olympic test events in the coming days. Freedom of Information inquiries have found that CSIS considers domestic protestors to be the biggest threat to the Games.

http://www.news1130.com/news/local/more.jsp?content=20090202_193818_57380

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Olympic security test starts Wednesday


VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - The skies over Vancouver and Whistler could be full of military aircraft starting Wednesday. That's when a full-scale Olympic security exercise will kick off. Exercise 'Pegasus Guardian' will involve the Canadian military, including Navy warships and several types of aircraft, including CF-18 jet fighters.

The RCMP and other security forces are also involved. The 10-day exercise is a warm up for further drills that will test responses to terrorism and other threats. RCMP say more than a thousand security personnel from over 100 different organizations across Canada are working together on this project.

Soldiers and police will conduct voluntary security checks on people attending Olympic test events in the coming days. Freedom of Information inquiries have found that CSIS considers domestic protestors to be the biggest threat to the Games.

http://www.news1130.com/news/local/more.jsp?content=20090202_193818_57380

Oh goodness, that'll cause a stir with the tinfoil hatters who live in this Authoritarian society! Big brother is surveilling you! FROM THE AIR!

[Metro-One]

Awesome pics of the Navy, Esquimalt is a cool area to visit. Also i heard that the navy is expanding. Or was that just a broken promise from Harper, which even involved the gathering of an air craft carrier?

[Canadian Mind]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

Awesome pics of the Navy, Esquimalt is a cool area to visit. Also i heard that the navy is expanding. Or was that just a broken promise from Harper, which even involved the gathering of an air craft carrier?

Aircraft carrier? Are you on drugs man? One aircraft carrier could house all our naval personell.

Icebreaker were the only broken promise so far there.

[mr.x]

^ Harper's plan had been to buy hybrid carriers, for helicopters, similar to this one: