Vancouver School Board votes against Olympic closure

[mr.x]

Hmmm...they probably voted no just for the sake of voting against what the government would probably have liked to see happen.

Thankfully, I'm no longer bound by the rulings of the Vancouver School Board.



According to today's 24 Hours:

A July 7, 2008 memo from City of Vancouver transportation engineer Christopher Darwent to Olympic transportation director Dale Bracewell, obtained by 24 hours under Freedom of Information, said "if the K-12 March break were to occur during Games time, a reduction in background traffic similar to the expected increase from the Olympic overlay [five per cent] may be realized."

Approximately 600,000 school-related trips are made on weekdays "which results in more than 300,000 vehicle driver and passenger trips throughout the region and up to 67,000 vehicle driver and passenger trips to/from Vancouver."

School's not out for Olympics

By Staff reporter, The Province
February 16, 2009 10:01 PM

Vancouver schools will be open during the 2010 Olympics.

The Vancouver School Board Monday night decided to keep the schools open, despite concerns that traffic and security problems will make it extremely difficult to get schoolkids to and from school during the 17-day Games.

Only trustee Ken Denike opposed the move, arguing unsuccessfully that the schools’ regular spring break should be moved to coincide with the Olympics.

The B.C. government has asked businesses and employees to schedule vacations or to work from home because of the expected bottlenecks caused by tens of thousands of Olympic visitors and security checkpoints that will slow or stop traffic movement during the Games.
© Copyright (c) The Province

http://www.theprovince.com/Travel/School+Olympics/1296070/story.html

[deasine]

AHA thank god I'm graduating this year =)

[Yume-sama]

Hmm, it's too bad really. It is a once in a lifetime experience for the people living in the city.

Oh well, I'm sure those with tickets will just skip out on school anyways.

[MistyMountainHop]

What about UBC (and other universities/colleges)?

[zivan56]

Not sure, but SFU will be closed (in terms of classes) Feb. 15–26, 2010...at least for students.

[SpongeG]

glad to see they didn't bow to the almighty games

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by marmorek

What about UBC (and other universities/colleges)?

UBC and SFU have decided two years ago to move and extend their reading breaks for the Games.

[mr.x]

On an average daily basis for 17 days, just for Vancouver:



On an average daily basis for 17 days, just for Vancouver:

- 30,000 people every night at BC Place for nightly medal ceremonies
- two or three hockey games at GM Place almost every single day (36,000-54,000 people per day)
- 9,000 media personnel in the Metro Vancouver area (excluding Whistler)
- 15,000 volunteers in the Metro Vancouver area (excluding Whistler)
- 2,500 athletes and officials just in Vancouver
- two or three hockey games at Thunderbird Arena almost every single day (16,000-24,000 people per day)
- two to three competitions at Richmond Oval daily (16,000-24,000 people per day)
- 12,000 people for most days up at Cypress
- two to three events daily at Hillcrest Olympic Centre (12,000-18,000 per day)
- two to three competitions at the Pacific Coliseum daily (32,000-48,000 people per day)
- thousands of security personnel
- thousands of hired workers
- 20,000 people daily at the Beatty Street and David Lam Park Live Sites
- tens of thousands more people at the many pedestrian only roads in Downtown (including Robson, Granville, etc.)
- no doubt that downtown will be flooded with vehicles heading towards the Lions Gate to Whistler
- thousands of additional buses and Olympic vehicles on the road

[nova9]

Schools won't close for Games

Kelly Sinoski
Vancouver Sun


Tuesday, February 17, 2009


Vancouver students won't be getting the two weeks off from their studies during the 2010 Olympic Games.

The Vancouver school board voted 8-1 Monday night to keep schools in session during the Games. Trustee Ken Denike cast the lone vote against the decision, suggesting secondary schools should be closed during the event.

Trustee Mike Lombardi said the decision was made to keep the schools open "so the teaching and learning could go on."

He said trustees also felt a school closure would disrupt families, who would have to find child care during that time and affect special needs students.

The school board will now work with other Metro Vancouver school districts, Vanoc, TransLink and the provincial government to ensure a good transportation network is in place so staff and students can get to school.

"The real challenge now for us is to roll up our sleeves with Vanoc and TransLink to come up with a transportation plan," Lombardi said.

West Vancouver is one of two districts -- along with Sea to Sky -- that has already decided to close schools for two weeks during the Olympics.

Delta, Richmond and Surrey schools will remain open, but New Westminster and Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows are still considering their options.

link to article: http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news...?id=19fbc00a-ce02-477c-a1b9-110614fde2c9

Damn, now I have to cancel my volunteer application.

Oh wells, now I better make a bid for ceremonies tickets come second lottery/release. Or should I just call in a sub and still volunteer? (haha, jk school board people.......if you're watching)

On another note, why are Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge schools even debating it? They're kinda far from it all anyway. Not like parents would be disrupted in terms of getting their kids to school

But all in all, my own Olympic experience aside, 2 weeks off in the middle of term would devastate the learning and the schedule for many of my students. And for my school, most students live in the area around it so they'd be expected to go although I'm sure many parents who have tickets will gladly pull their kids out to events anyways.

Sigh.

[wrenegade]

retards. (school board, not anyone here)

[argon007]

How about BCIT Downtown Campus or Burnaby Campus?

[usog]

Wanna bet the schools will have attendance issues during these two weeks? =P

[metroXpress]

Originally Posted by usog

Wanna bet the schools will have attendance issues during these two weeks? =P

This will happen because some will just stay home/or attend the games.