Vancouver View -- Canada Sets Official Delegation for Olympics

Two Ministers among Canada Delegation to Beijing Olympics

Canadian foreign minister David Emerson and sport secretary Helena Guergis will represent Canada Secretary of state for the 2010 Games James Moore will be at home during the opening ceremony. (ATR/B.Mackin)in Beijing during the Olympics. But James Moore, the new secretary of state responsible for the 2010 Games, will stay home.

"We'll have strong representation there," Moore said.

"The focus of our government is on the athletes and the success they'll have there."

Emerson was Olympics minister before taking over the foreign portfolio in a June cabinet shakeup. He is the senior member of Canada's official delegation to the opening ceremony.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced in April that he would not attend the Games due to a schedule conflict.

A full list of the government's delegation is expected in the coming days.

Joseph Ruling Next Month

VANOC associate Tewanee Joseph will learn his fate August 12 on charges of mischief and uttering threats after an April 2007 incident on the Capilano Indian Reserve.

The trial of the Four Host First Nations CEO and his friend Bobby Bell ended July 7 in the North Vancouver Provincial Court.

Joseph has denied making threats against Donald Joe Mathias and his girlfriend Susan Soloman when he visited their house before dawn with Bell and three other men.

Mathias, an outspoken opponent of Squamish Nation participation in VANOC, bit Bell on the chest during a fight at party on the reserve. Joseph said he called Mathias a "coward" when he would not come out of the house.

Power Questions in Vancouver

Downtown Vancouver was paralyzed July 14 by a morning explosion and fire at an underground power station.

Businesses closed and office towers were emptied. A news conference for Beijing-bound B.C. athletes planned for the Vancouver Lookout at Harbour Centre was moved to Granville Square at the last minute because the tower was running on a diesel backup generator that later malfunctioned.

The Cathedral Square Substation handles almost a third of all downtown power and is next to the headquarters of provincial-owned B.C. Hydro, which lost power for the day.

Vancouver Briefs...

VANOC issues a call for aboriginal artists to help decorate all 15 venues. The deadline is Aug. 15 for First Nations, Inuit and Metis artists to submit portfolios. At its May 21 board meeting, VANOC dipped into the rainy-day fund for construction overruns and diverted $2 million to the aboriginal art program. The 2010 non-accredited media center will be located at Robson Square in Vancouver. (ATR)

Veteran public relations consultant Laura Ballance sells her interest Curve Communications to focus on the 2010 International Media Centre at Robson Square. Her new company, the Laura Ballance Media Group has been appointed the media relations service provider at the Games-time non-accredited media center. She will continue to represent the Pacific National Exhibition, Cloverdale Rodeo and Globe Foundation.

With reporting from Bob Mackin in Vancouver.

For general comments or questions, click here

Click here to see the latest Around the Rings Olympic Bid Power Index -- the only authoritative ranking of the 2016 bid cities.