Vancouver View -- Debut for Look of the 2010 Olympics

The look of the Vancouver Olympics is about to move beyond a trio of mascots. (Getty)Look What’s Coming

The look of the 2010 Games will be unveiled Sept. 17 when vice-president of ticket and consumer marketing Caley Denton speaks to the Vancouver Board of Trade.

Denton will also release details about ticket packages, which are likely to include five events over three days. The first phase of ticket orders for Canadians runs Oct. 3 to Nov. 7.

The look of the Games release Wednesday will include the overall graphics package as well as pictograms for each of the sports and venues such as the Olympic Village and Main Press Centre.

“These graphic design elements, set against the region's spectacular natural scenery, will define the visual identity of the 2010 Games,” says a news release from VANOC announcing the Denton speech.

Denton’s appearance coincides with the re-launch of the website www.vancouver2010.com.

VANOC Press Conference Policy Takes Detour

The timing of the speech by Denton is given as the excuse for VANOC to drop its customary press conference following meetings of the board of directors. VANOC says news about the meeting Wednesday morning will be handled via a press release so that media can attend the look of the Games unveiling.

A VANOC press official says Denton’s availability at the Board of Trade luncheon should “work well” for the Vancouver media.

No alternative briefing time has been arranged yet by VANOC to review the business conducted at the Wednesday board meeting. Media with questions are invited to contact VANOC media relations staff in lieu of the normal face-to-face with chairman Jack Poole or chief executive John Furlong.

In May 2006 the VANOC board instituted a policy to close board meetings to the press and the public. But in a bid to provide some transparency, VANOC promised that a press conference would follow each meeting, which has been the practice until this week.

The VANOC release notes that the press briefings will resume with the next boar meeting, set for November 19. That will coincide with the first World Press Briefing for the Vancouver Games, a three-day event that could draw a couple hundred international media to the city.

Usually board meetings of Olympic organizing committees are closed to the public. There were exceptions in Atlanta and Salt Lake City where limited access was granted to the meetings, which were then followed by press conferences.

Look What’s Costing $650,000

Vancouver City Council is expected to approve $650,000 for “corridors of colour” that will lead Olympic visitors to venues.

Crews plan to raise 6,000 banners beginning Jan. 4, 2010 on major streets and False Creek bridges to create a celebratory atmosphere in the Olympic city, according to a staff report for the Sept. 16 council meeting.

Some of the banners will be hung in the Downtown Eastside ghetto, known as a homeless haven. The proposed decoration routes include Hastings Street from Boundary Road to Burrard Street and Main Street from 33rd Avenue to Hastings.

While the banners and signage used at Turin in 2006 and Beijing this year helped to hide areas considered eyesores, “we won’t be doing that” said city councilor Suzanne Anton during an August interview in Beijing.

Sale or reuse of the banners could bring $150,000 or more for unspecified inner city projects, the report said. City hall’s $20 million Olympic Legacy Reserve Fund will cover the cost of the banners. Another $1.35 million from that account will be sought in the first quarter of 2009 for “celebratory lights, projections and other spectaculars.”

Rental Cars 2010

Procurement officers for the Canadian government met representatives of the rental car industry on Sept. 12 in Vancouver.

Public Works and Government Services Canada wanted to discuss the federal 2010 secretariat’s desire to rent cars, trucks and vans from January to March 2010.

Bill McNeice of Associated Canadian Care Rental Operators says his industry’s best chance at reaping Olympic rewards is via one or two-month corporate or government contracts, instead of visitors needing cars for a day or a week.

“There are not going to be an abundance of cars on the ground waiting for consumers,” McNeice said.

Rental cars could be a means for long-term Olympic visitors to avoid relying on Vancouver taxis, which are neither cheap nor plentiful.

The City of Vancouver has only 577 licensed cabs and Mayor Sam Sullivan, who vacates office later this fall, wants 820 by Games time. Taxi rates are $1.58 per kilometer plus a $2.70 surcharge. Suburban taxi services are prohibited from picking up fares in Vancouver.

All Aboard Spirit Train

The Canadian Pacific Railway 2010 Spirit Train national tour launches Sept. 21 in Port Moody, B.C.

The Vancouver suburb is historically significant for both CP and Canadian history. The first transcontinental train arrived there in 1885 to mark the completion of the national railroad.

Spirit Train stops include entertainment headlined by Vancouver blues/rock/swing guitarist Colin James, personal appearances by Olympians and Paralympians and the Vancouver 2010 mascots and interactive displays by VANOC sponsors 3M, Hain Celestial, Rona and GE.

Port Moody is the first of 10 community stops. The tour ends Oct. 18 in Montreal.

Aboriginal and environmental protesters have pledged to disrupt the Spirit Train at select The GE-built Spirit train is ready to roll for Vancouver 2010. (GE)stops, beginning with Port Moody.

Skaters to the Oval, but No Media Red

Red tape is keeping media out of the Richmond Oval for the first training session by speedskaters at the $178 million, publicly funded arena.

“When the skaters are in the building, we are at our maximum allowed capacity under the partial occupancy approval,” said City of Richmond spokesman Soon there will be a Yukon Day on the calendar of the Vancouver Olympics. (ATR/B.Mackin)Ted Townsend.

Skaters are scheduled to return for Oct. 18-20 world cup trials. The Oval’s fitness facilities are expected to be ready this fall. The grand opening is planned for February’s one-year countdown to the Games.

“It’s my desire to show off the building as much as possible, but I have to work with our construction team to respect their schedules,” Townsend said.

Coliseum Set for Olympic Tests

Tickets go on sale Sept. 20 for the 2009 ISU Four Continents figure skating championships. The best figure skaters from the Americas, Asia, Oceania and Africa will compete Feb. 2-8, 2009 at the Pacific Coliseum in the only pre-Games test event for figure skating.

Vancouver will host 120 skaters from 15 countries, vying for a share of the $250,000 purse.

Tickets went on-sale Sept. 13 for the Oct. 24-26 Samsung ISU Short-Track Speedskating World Cup at the Coliseum.

This first indoor test event for the 2010 Games features world champion Apolo Anton Ohno of Seattle among 150 skaters from 25 countries.

Yukon Day at Vancouver Olympics

A “Yukon Day” at the Vancouver Olympics will be one of the benefits for the Yukon Territory government after it pledged $166,667 to VANOC under the contributing province/territory program. Yukon Day at the Games will include performances by Yukon musicians at the daily medals ceremony. Yukon is one of Canada's three territories north of the 60th parallel and is best known as the site of the 1896 Klondike Gold Rush.

Transit for Ticketholders

Will a ticket to the Winter Olympics also be a ticket to ride?

During the Beijing 2008 Games, ticketholders rode subways and buses for free. That may not be the case for Vancouver 2010.

“We’re not quite there yet, on the local transportation,” admitted Dave Cobb, VANOC executive vice-president of revenue, marketing and communications.

“We’re hoping by the 3rd (of October) we will be, but we haven’t been able to finalize that. It’s more complicated than it may seem.”

VANOC’s operating budget includes $52.3 million for bus systems. TransLink, the provincial governor of transit and major roads in Metro Vancouver, is expected to provide shuttle buses between park and ride lots and the indoor venues in Vancouver and Richmond. Chartered motor coaches will handle trips to the outdoor venues in West Vancouver and Whistler.

“There will be an add-on charge from Vancouver to Whistler,” said ticketing and consumer marketing vice-president Caley Denton. “We expect it to be well under market value for a price.” Public parking will not exist at venue sites and some lanes on undisclosed major streets and highways will be restricted to vehicles carrying athletes, VIPs and media only.

With reporting from

Bob Mackin in Vancouver.

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