2010 Vancouver Olympic & Paralympic Super-Thread

[Stingray2004]

Vancouver Expected To Post Best Economic Growth Of Any Canadian City In 2010

By The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - The Olympic effect will give Vancouver's economy enough of a boost to make it the top economic performer among Canadian cities this year, according to a report Wednesday by the Conference Board of Canada.

The Conference Board forecast that Canada's third-largest city will see economic growth leap by 4.5 per cent this year, after shrinking 1.8 per cent in 2009.

In addition to the boost provided by the Olympic Winter Games, housing construction and consumer spending are forecast to rebound strongly in Vancouver, the think-tank said.

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/markets/headline_news/article.jsp?content=b272382321

[Stingray2004]

Hmmmm... Whistler/Blackcomb looks like it will continue to have a bright future (not that it won't) if Vail Resorts steps up to the plate:

VAIL, Colorado — With Intrawest Holdings set for auction in February, some ski industry analysts see reasons to suspect that Vail Resorts might have interest in the sale.
.....
Vail Resorts' spokeswoman Kelly Ladyga said the company has no comment on the subject of February's Intrawest auction.
....
Scott Bunce, chief executive officer of Epicenterspark Hospitality, a hotel and condo management company, pays attention to the lodging side of things within the ski industry. He suspects Vail Resorts' interest in Whistler Blackcomb is there — it would be a good investment, he said.
....
Whistler is Vail's largest competitor, he said. If Vail Resorts controlled both resorts, it could manage the marketing messages of the two and use one to promote the other, Bunce said.

There's also opportunity for cross-marketing, meaning Vail Resorts could market to its current real estate owners to convince them to buy in the Whistler market as well.
....
Jones said Intrawest's hotel component, similar to Vail Resorts' RockResorts hotel brand, fits very much into Vail Resorts' business model — just one more reason Jones could envision a Vail Resorts interest in the February auction.

“There's also the issue of money — (does Vail Resorts) have the money to go after Whistler and Blackcomb? — I suspect that they do,” Jones said.

http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20100126/NEWS/100129666/1078&ParentProfile=1062

[flight_from_kamakura]

great news, though vancouver actually the 8th largest city in canada.

more on venue prep today on the reuters wire:

VANCOUVER (Reuters) - Vancouver showcased its nearly completed Winter Olympic venues on Tuesday as officials turned their attention to the thorny issue of how to maintain competition ice in this perennially wet and humid city.

With the start of the Games less than a month away, Olympic ice makers are just starting the painstaking process of creating ice surfaces of the required texture and thickness at the city's Olympic speed skating and curling rinks.

Through past experience, Olympic "ice meisters" have a better handle on how to deal with problems like heat from television lights.

But the Pacific Coast city's traditionally soggy climate presents new hurdles, said Neil Houston, ice maker at the Vancouver Olympic Center, the venue for the curling tournaments.

The rink is the biggest Olympic curling venue yet, with seating for some 5,600 people -- a possible threat to the perfect competition ice as the throngs of bodies warm up the building

If it's raining, the water brought in on peoples' clothes will evaporate inside the building, possibly causing the ice to frost over if the rink's surface gets damp.

"The major challenge is that we haven't had 6,000 people and pouring rain," Houston told more than 100 foreign and local reporters on a tour of the curling venue, set in a leafy Vancouver suburb.

Frost on the ice could slow down speed skaters, said Mark Messer, ice maker at the Richmond Olympic Oval, which will host all the speed skating events.

"It may affect the (skaters') times," said Messer, who was involved in ice making at three previous Winter Olympics.

Vancouver's competition venues will officially open on February 4 for athletes to begin training on them, while the Olympic events begin on Feb 12.

Vancouver and surrounding suburbs are home to the venues for skating, hockey, curling, freestyle skiing and snowboarding.

All venues are on schedule, with most in the final lap of being fitted out with items like extra bleachers and lighting, said Jan Damnavits, Vancouver venue director.

The mountain resort community of Whistler, about 125 km (78 miles) north of Vancouver, will hosts Alpine and Nordic skiing events, plus bobsleigh and luge. Organizers plan to give reporters a look at those venues on Wednesday.

[Yume-sama]

Record Snow at Whistler Blackcomb

Whistler Blackcomb is celebrating a record 9.9 metres (32.5 feet) of snowfall to date this season. The award-winning resort, located two hours north of Vancouver, is Games-ready and set to welcome the world!

http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com

But, I bet the media won't stop obsessing about how Downtown Vancouver has flowers.

[Lover Fighter]

Originally Posted by flight_from_kamakura

great news, though vancouver actually the 8th largest city in canada.

oh no you didn't!

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Record Snow at Whistler Blackcomb


http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com

But, I bet the media won't stop obsessing about how Downtown Vancouver has flowers.

Too bad we won't hear much of that in the media.



I was by UBC Thunderbird Winter Sports Stadium today (site of the secondary ice hockey facility) and they're installing the VANOC look wraps around the rim of the roof.

[Yume-sama]

Has VANOC taken over GM Place yet? Do you suppose they'll be taking the "GM Place" logo off the building ?

[GeeCee]

The Canucks last home game is tonight. Not sure when the handover is, but I'm sure it'll happen by the end of the week, after which the GM Place logos will be covered up.

[mr.x]

This is the Cypress half-pipe on January 22 o_O




http://business.transworld.net/30852/features/the-games-must-go-on/

[sacrifice333]

Originally Posted by GeeCee

The Canucks last home game is tonight. Not sure when the handover is, but I'm sure it'll happen by the end of the week, after which the GM Place logos will be covered up.

The handover technically happened around the end of 2009 IIRC.

Probably waited on the logo front until Canucks complete their last home game... which is tonight.

[GeeCee]

I might be confusing handover with lockdown. The latter definitely has not occurred yet..

[mr.x]

Vancouver City Hall


http://2010vanfan.ca/page/2/

[SpongeG]

the viaducts hit lockdown on the 29th - this friday i think

the zip line is up it runs across the whole thing anyway

the info signs are popping up all over downtown

they have removed the picture wrap from the info booth that sits outside the VAG and made it into wood with a wood hitching post thing

[GeeCee]

Saw one of those info signs just outside Canada Place.. no info in it though, just advertising.

[SpongeG]

the one next top the VAG has a map and advertising on the one side

the map shows off all the olympic related venues and things to check out

very simple to read and nicely done

[SpongeG]

Science World is now SOCHI 2014 World - its been covered in Sochi 2014 banners and posters etc - looks okay

and Bridges has been taken over by the Swiss - lots of mountain gotas and climbers decorated on it now - pics to come...

[Yume-sama]

Smile, but not TOO much you freak!

Vancouver Olympics protocol guide gives workers advice on smiling and other tricky tasks

Vancouver is reminding 600 employees to put their best foot forward during the Olympics — and that includes matching socks.

A 100-page protocol guide leaked to the blog citycaucus.com gives staff direction on everything from wearing socks long enough to cover their legs when sitting, to using the “protocol smile”:

“A smile denotes warmth, openness and friendliness. Smile ‘gently’ and with sincerity. Be careful not to overdo it. False smiles can look artificial, and never-ending smiles may invite suspicion. A frown or a furrowed brow suggests anger or worry, even if your words are positive.”

And let’s not forget the can-do attitude that Vancouver expects to become synonymous with life on the West Coast:

"You never say, 'That's not my job.' There is nothing too demeaning, too demanding, or just plain beneath you. … If you are not comfortable opening car doors, holding umbrellas or pitching baggage, then you need to find another job."

Socks should match pants. Hair should be “tidy yet stylish.” Suit creases should be razor-sharp. Also important is never questioning the instructions of your “commander”:

“Protocol is whatever your boss says it is. To do your job, you must win and keep the complete confidence of [your colleagues]. You owe the commander absolute loyalty.”

As for shaking hands — extend right hand, knuckle facing up, hand straight and fingers slightly relaxed. No limp wrists or paltry finger touches — full hand only. And never, ever double-clasp.

Let’s not forget the importance of hand signals. The guide also features pictorial instructions on how to properly point (open hand, not one finger), indicate a stop (open hand again, in front of you this time), and a thumbs-up (rather self-explanatory, no?).

Vancouver made the whole guide public yesterday. Even if you’re not headed to the Olympics, it’s worth a read. You never know who you will offend if you offer a business card with your left hand. And heaven forbid your thumbs-up be misinterpreted.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs...e-on-smiling-and-other-tricky-tasks.aspx

The full 141 page guide:
http://vancouver.ca/mediaroom/pdf/CoVProtocalManual.pdf

You gotta find all this pre-Olympic stuff kind of funny.

[mr.x]

^ lolll...here come the leftist/anti-poverty activists and hippies with their "stick it to the man"/anti-fascism comments.

What you bolded is basic business behaviour.

[Yume-sama]

Yes, although, I am surprised they managed to fill 141 pages.

[GeeCee]

Funny how city hall keeps churning out this basic behavior kind of stuff lately..