Olympic Media Housing Rejected for Whistler

(ATR) Plans by Vancouver 2010 to use a cruise ship to house media covering events in Whistler have been rejected by the IOC Press Commission.

"It's back to the drawing boards for Vancouver," commission chairman Kevan Gosper tells Around the Rings in Beijing where he led a meeting of the panel Monday.

Vancouver media officials presented a plan to use a cruise ship berthed at Squamish, just past the midway point to Whistler from Vancouver, but still 30 minutes from the ski resort.

"It's a least 35 to 45 minutes away," says Gosper about the reasons the panel rejected Vancouver's plan.

"It's a remote location," he says of Squamish, 60 miles from Vancouver.

"And, frankly speaking, cruise ships are fine for visitors and corporates who are used to this form of hospitality. We don't think it's a suitable environment for working media," said Gosper.

VANOC vice president Renee Smith-Valade tells ATR that sustainability was one factor in choosing the cruise ship alternative. As many as 1000 or more beds could be needed for housing journalists reporting from Whistler in 2010.

"We see this as being a highly creative and sustainable option, among other options that we have explored and will continue to explore," says Smith-Valade.

She says the concept was first presented to the IOC Coordination Commission in June. That body then passed it off for review by the Press Commission, which came this week.

Gosper says it's the feeling of some members of the commission, all of whom represent major news organizations around the world, that it might be more desirable to house media in Vancouver than the Squamish cruise ship.

But he winces at the effect that would have on travel for the journalists, probably up to four hours a day for those making the round trip to Whistler. Commutes shorter than that were one of the criticisms of the Turin Olympics this year.

Finding another 1000 beds might not be a major challenge, given that Vancouver has 25,000 rooms and Whistler 6,000.

Cruise ships had been considered as an option for visitor and corporate hospitality in Vancouver, but are not currently in the plans.

Acknowledging the seriousness of the housing gap, Gosper says he plans to visit late next month for a look at how to solve the problem.

Smith-Valade says she welcomes Gosper's visit during which all aspects of Vancouver 2010 press operations will be reviewed by IOC experts.

Two members of the VANOC media operations took part in Monday's press commission meeting, Mary Fraser and newly-hired press operations manager Lucia Montanarella, a veteran of Sydney and Turin.

With reporting by Bob Mackin

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