2010 Vancouver Olympic & Paralympic Super-Thread

[ckkelley]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

NBC's broadcasting logo for Vancouver 2010

NBC is showing a Beijing 2008 retrospective this Saturday (27th) at 8pm. Included is a "brief" look ahead to Vancouver 2010. Hopefully it will be telling enough; the angle/s NBC intends on using.

[Delirium]

2010 Winter Olympic Games Vancouver Accommodations Aboard Chartered Cruise Ship

GolfAhoy announces cruise ship stateroom alternative to hotel room accommodations in Vancouver during 2010 Winter Olympic Games. NCL will park the 2,240 passenger Norwegian Star at Vancouver's North Shore under charter arrangement, during the games. Pre and post Olympics golf vacation packages to spectacular Vancouver Island and post Olympic cruise to Pacific Mexican Riviera escorted by PGA Pro Earl Francis.

Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) January 8, 2009 -- Overnight hotel room inventory during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada are getting a boost from an unlikely source. Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) will park the 1,132 cabin, 91,740 Gross Tonnage 'Norwegian Star' passenger liner under a private charter arrangement at Vancouver's North Shore, directly across from Stanley Park, during the games.

Four night accommodation packages aboard the 2,240 passenger ship range from $2,010 for an inside cabin to $9,400 for the Owners Suite. Six night packages begin at $2,999. Rates are in US Dollars and are based on double occupancy. Third & fourth persons sharing a cabin each pay from $100 per night. Rates do not include service fees, port charges and taxes.

Benefits for Winter Games families staying on the 'Norwegian Star' are that meals aboard ship are inclusive as well as 24 hour complimentary in-room meal service and kids & teens 'Youth Staff' supervised activities. Nightly 'Baby Sitter' services at $5 per hour are also available.

Daily transfers from the ship to Vancouver's City Transit Hub with connecting access to all Olympic Venues plus Vancouver Airport transfers for arriving and departing 'Norwegian Star' GolfAhoy guests are included in package prices.

The 965 ft. long 'Norwegian Star' has been chartered by 'Newest Special Projects 2010 Limited Partnership', an Edmonton, Alberta travel company for the duration of the Winter Games.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2009/01/prweb1831694.htm

pic of the vessel

[metroXpress]

Originally Posted by mr.x2

they'd have to be pretty darn special design if they're going to make it out of wood/metal.

I heard that they are going to release the medal designs around the time of the one year countdown...

[raggedy13]

^I've been wondering about when we'll get to see those. I'm hoping they'll look pretty snazzy.

[metroXpress]

Originally Posted by raggedy13

^I've been wondering about when we'll get to see those. I'm hoping they'll look pretty snazzy.

Haven't read any articles about it yet...we'll have to wait and see.

[jlousa]

From Business in Vancouver

VANOC is hoping the sponsorship bug can return to pre-recession levels and be contagious for the four parties in talks. Two of them are Concord Pacific and Canadian Metropolitan Properties, the Plaza of Nations’ owner. VANOC wants to use their northeast False Creek lands for storage, staging and logistics.
VANOC will use Wesgroup’s East Fraserlands at the south foot of Boundary Road as a 480-bus depot. Sponsor Port Metro Vancouver’s property at the
south foot of No. 8 Road in Richmond, near the HBC logistics warehouse, will be the 3,500-vehicle Games fleet compound.
Sponsorship is $8.5 million shy of the $760 million goal for cash, goods and services.

[mr.x]

wow....VANOC probably broke the record for having the most sponsors for the Games. They even have Wonder Bread! WONDERBREAD!!!

[metroXpress]

I know about the WONDER BREAD sponsor...I just had Wonder Bread for my sandwich today!! Go Wonder Bread Go!!

[officedweller]

Originally Posted by Allen

I heard that they are going to release the medal designs around the time of the one year countdown...

Any word on the torch design?
I think it's being designed by Bombardier.

[mr.x]

^ yup, Bombardier is designing both the torch and cauldron.

[metroXpress]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Any word on the torch design?
I think it's being designed by Bombardier.

It is designed by Bombardier according to this following news release from VANOC:

Bombardier to help Canada’s Games shine bright in 2010
Jun 17, 2008
Plane and train manufacturer named Official Supporter of the 2010 Winter Games and designer and manufacturer of the torches and cauldrons

Vancouver, BC – What will the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic torches look like and how will the cauldron showcase the Olympic Flame at BC Place Stadium on February 12, 2010? While the answers will remain a surprise for months to come, Bombardier has received the honour of designing and manufacturing the iconic torches and cauldrons for the 2010 Winter Games.

A world-leader in the designing and manufacturing of planes and trains, Bombardier has joined the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) as an Official Supporter of the 2010 Winter Games and the first Signature Supporter of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays.

As part of their sponsorship, Bombardier will design and manufacture the torches for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays and two ceremony cauldrons. The lighting of the cauldron is one of the most anticipated and memorable moments of the Opening Ceremony and Bombardier will build two for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games – one at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver and the other at Celebration Plaza in Whistler. The cauldrons, which are in pre-development, will be unveiled to the world at the Opening Ceremony on February 12, 2010.

A multidisciplinary team from both Bombardier Aerospace and Bombardier Transportation has been collaborating with VANOC for the past six months to develop an original and innovative concept for the torch which was approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on June 4, 2008. The team includes engineers, industrial designers and specialists who will spend more than 24 months producing the torches and cauldrons for 2010.

“It is a very special honour for Bombardier to be an Official Supporter and produce the torches and the cauldrons for Canada’s Games in 2010. Our commitment to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games reflects our desire to help make this unique event a great success for Canada and for Vancouver,” said Laurent Beaudoin, Chairman of the Board, Bombardier Inc. “We are proud to bring our experience in developing innovative high-tech products to the design and production of the torches and cauldrons – two important symbols embodying the very essence of the Olympic and Paralympic spirit.”

“Bombardier’s story is one of great Canadian success, and we are delighted to welcome them to our team as an Official Supporter,” said John Furlong, VANOC chief executive officer. “Vancouver 2010’s torch and cauldron will be magnificent, technically stunning pieces, and we are confident they will inspire Canadians and the world – in 2010 and for generations to come.”

VANOC, in partnership with Bombardier will unveil the selected torch design in early 2009. Twelve-thousand Canadians will carry the torch over 35,000 kilometres – the longest single-country relay – bringing it through up to 1,000 communities in over 100 days.

In addition to partnering with VANOC, Bombardier has consistently shown its commitment towards Canadian teams. It is notably a sponsor of Alpine Canada Alpin and has shared its engineering and aerodynamic expertise with Canada’s bobsleigh team for the design of their equipment. “As a Canadian company, Bombardier is very proud to support and sponsor Canadian athletes and Canadian Teams that, just like us, compete and win against the best on the world stage,” added Mr. Beaudoin.

As part of the agreement, Bombardier receives exclusive rights in the aircraft manufacturer and total passenger transit systems vehicle manufacturer product category for the 2010 Winter Games. The company also receives sponsorship rights for the Canadian Olympic team for Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010 and London 2012.

About Bombardier
A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from commercial aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, systems and services, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, 2008, were $17.5 billion US, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. News and information are available at www.bombardier.com.

About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

VANOC's marketing program is focused on securing mutually rewarding partnerships with shared values to generate sufficient revenue to host successful Winter Games in 2010 and to leave a financial legacy for sport. VANOC’s Worldwide TOP Partners include Coca-Cola, Atos Origin, GE, McDonald’s, Omega, Panasonic, Samsung and Visa. VANOC's National Partners are Bell Canada, Hbc, RBC Financial Group, GM Canada, Petro-Canada and RONA.

VANOC’s Official Supporters include Air Canada, BC Hydro, Bombardier Inc, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, Canadian Pacific, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, Jet Set Sports, Ricoh Canada Inc., the Royal Canadian Mint and Teck Cominco Limited. VANOC’s Official Suppliers are 3M, Aggreko, Aquilini Investment Group, Birks, Britco, Canwest Publishing Inc., Dow Canada, EPCOR, Garrett Metal Detectors, General Mills, Haworth Canada, Millennium Development Corporation, Nortel, Purolator, Saputo, Sleep Country Canada, Sun Microsystems of Canada, The Globe and Mail, Tickets.com, TransCanada, Vancouver Airport Authority, Vincor Canada, Weston Bakeries and Workopolis.

The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay is presented by Coca-Cola and RBC Financial Group.

Contact
VANOC Communications
[email protected]

As for the design of the torch...don't know yet...but we will know it soon because the torch relay starts this OCTOBER!!!

[mr.x]

According to today's 24 Hours, it's a sure thing that VANOC will cut out massively from the "Look of the Games" budget which decorates the city....a lot of that Olympic feel will be lost, e.g. Olympic rings on Lions Gate?

With that said, if the market improves in 6 months the budget could be restored.

[Locked In]

^^^^ That's a shame. Hopefully, whatever is cut, funding for high profile items such as Rings on bridges is maintained - they'll be visible from all over the city and will really resonate on TV.

----------------------------------------

Some more good news...
From the Georgia Straight: http://www.straight.com/article-200612/organizer-expects-poverty-olympics-run-alongside-2010-games

Organizer expects Poverty Olympics to run alongside 2010 Games
By Pieta Woolley - February 9, 2009


Poverty Olympics organizer Wendy Pedersen believes the City of Vancouver and the International Olympic Committee will allow the street-theatre event to take place during the Olympic Games in February 2010.

One goal of the event, Pedersen told the Straight, is to internationally embarrass governments into addressing poverty.

“I can’t imagine them cracking down on the Poverty Olympics,” Pedersen said today (February 9) in a phone interview. “It would be like being sucker-punched. I can’t imagine they’d be so heartless, so inhumane. So I’m not going to worry about it, because I don’t believe people would be that mean.”

On February 8, about 500 people gathered at the Japanese Language School in the Downtown Eastside to watch the second annual Poverty Olympics.

A police — accompanied the “torch relay”, which wound its way through the neighbourhood. It was also accompanied by a small army of media, including the Vancouver Sun, BCIT journalism students, CKNW, and Channel M. The Wall Street Journal will also be covering the event, according to Pedersen.

On January 22, Vancouver city council passed a motion that could restrict citizens’ ability to protest the Olympics on both private and public property. Council approved 16 Vancouver charter amendments, including one that would allow the city to “remove illegal signs from real property with limited notice”.

Pedersen said she doesn’t understand the implications of the motion.

Indeed, B.C. Civil Liberties Association acting executive director David Eby wrote to council before the decision, noting the impact on activism is not defined:

The Olympics have a long history of repressed political dissent, whether considering incidents as recent as Beijing’s notorious “protest zones”; aggressive enforcement of generic copyright phrases and words like “With glowing hearts”, “Winter” or “Gold”; or the dominance of security agendas over social agendas in budgetary and logistical terms.

This context is best illustrated in the International Olympic Committee’s Olympic Charter at Rule 51, where the IOC demands limits from host cities on what it calls “advertising, demonstrations, propaganda.” In particular, Rule 51(3) reads unambiguously: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”

The Poverty Olympics sells T-shirts with an image of a torch, and the logo of the event is five handcuff rings arranged to look like the Olympic rings.

In other Olympic protests, similar expressions have led to Olympic trademark crackdowns.

“They better let us have the parade,” Pedersen said. “If they do something about us, maybe that will bring more attention. It would be a low blow to low-income people. I think they’re going to have to be open to some attention no matter what they do.”

Funding for the Poverty Olympics comes from Raise the Rates; the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives hosts its Web site; and the Carnegie Community Action Project, which organizes the event, is funded through VanCity and donations from unions and individuals.

Pedersen said the Carnegie Community Action Project is looking for more funding.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by Locked In

Pedersen said she doesn’t understand the implications of the motion.

Wow, is anyone surprised?

Pedersen said the Carnegie Community Action Project is looking for more funding.

More shocking news!

[Locked In]

CBC news posted a piece about the Olympic Fountain at David Lam Park, which will be used as a 20-storey projection screen during the Games. I'm not sure how to embed videos from news sites, so here is the link (should pop up in WMP):

http://www.cbc.ca/mrl3/8752/news/features/nixon-olympic-water090210.wmv

It's accessible in the Audio & Video section of their home page at the moment as well: http://www.cbc.ca/news/.

[djmk]

way cool. a water fountain as a projection screen!

my only concern, what happens if it gets really cold or its raining and everybody is already really wet?

[djmk]

and... on thursday we have one more year to go!

[raggedy13]

Sounds cool to me. Thanks for the video, Locked In.

Is it just me or does it seem like the newscast is talking Shatner-esque in that video?

[deasine]

As a treat, here's the banner that will not show up at SSC (because of added text and images policy), but I decided to share with everyone anyways.


Photo by Steve Leech, edited by myself, and hosted on my account.

Almost there: 367 Days Left!

[mr.x]

i Declare Open, The Games Of Vancouver, Celebrating The Xxi Olympic Winter Games!


Kai Mo!