Vancouver View: Medals, Not Cash for 2010 Canada Legacy

Gold medal speedskater Cindy Classen at the Turin Olympics. (Getty Images)Medals, Not Money will Be Vancouver Legacy Says COC Exec

Medal success for Canadian athletes in 2010 and beyond -- not a windfall nest egg -- will be Vancouver 2010’s biggest legacy says the CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee.

“Unlike Calgary where we had a tremendous financial legacy, we’re probably not going to experience that here given the times that we’re going through,” Chris Rudge said May 4 at the Canadian Olympic team media summit in Vancouver.

Almost 200 Canadian athletes, coaches and support staff met for four days at a motivational, team-building and planning conference almost nine months before the Games.

Canada led all nations with 28 medals in world championship events last winter and hopes to use the $92.7 million Own the Podium high performance program to win the most medals at Vancouver 2010.

Canada HQ and Hudson's Bay

The downtown Vancouver Hudson’s Bay Co. store will be site of Canada Olympic House, the Canadian Olympic Committee’s exclusive athlete, family and sponsor gathering place.

The Bay store’s main floor will be used as the 2010 Games’ souvenir superstore. The HBC-created Canadian Olympic team uniform is tentatively set for an Oct. 1 unveiling.

Floating Hotel for 2010

An Edmonton company has chartered a 2,240-passenger cruise ship to help solve Olympic accommodation scarcity. The Norwegian Star will be berthed at a North Vancouver industrial dock across from Stanley Park from Feb. 10 to March 2, 2010. A three-night stay for two starts at $2,836 and includes room-service, meals, airport transfers and a shuttle to the SeaBus commuter ferry.

Supposedly 10 to 20 percent of the rooms have been reserved. “We’re going to be the largest hotel in Vancouver, 1,119 rooms,” said Newwest Travel president Dennis Laliberte.

B.C. Place Fallout

B.C. Olympics minister Colin Hansen is declining to address a damning investigation of B.C. Place Stadium.

“Just because it’s an Olympic venue that’s going to be used for 17 days next February does not mean I know everything about B.C. Place,” said Colin Hansen, who is running for re-election for the governing Liberal party in the May 12 provincial vote.

“It’s going to be a great venue. Issues around the operations of B.C. Place are not something I have been briefed on nor should I be.”

An April 9 report by independent workplace safety regulator WorkSafeBC said roof control workers lack training, instruction and supervision to ensure a safe workplace at the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies.

Bill Bennett, the cabinet minister responsible for B.C. Place, and VANOC CEO John Furlong did not respond to repeated interview requests.

"VANOC has every confidence that B.C. Place will serve as a safe, extraordinary venue leading up to and during the opening and closing ceremonies and nightly victory ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Games,” said VANOC vice-president of communications Renee Smith-Valade in a prepared The Hudson's Bay in downtown Vancouver will house the hospitality center for the Canadian team in 2010. (ATR/Panansonic:Lumix)statement.

Paralympic Ticket Sale

Tickets for the 2010 Winter Paralympics go on sale May 6 to Canadian residents only. Tickets, ranging from $13 to $148, will be sold first-come, first-served via vancouver2010.com. Visa is the only payment accepted.

The Paralympic Winter Games are March 12-21, 2010 in Vancouver and Whistler.

“We feel it's an exceptional value and probably one of the best in sports and entertainment in the world,” said ticketing and marketing vice-president Caley Denton. Denton said 250,000 tickets would be available overall, but declined to say how many would be on sale during the initial month-long phase. Another round of ticket sales is planned for this fall.

Foreign buyers must purchase through their respective national Paralympic committee.

False Creek Fence

A marine fence will be stretched under the Cambie Bridge for two months in 2010 to protect the Vancouver Olympic Village, according to the Vancouver 2010 Paralympian Matthew Hallat at the Turin Games in 2006. (Getty Images)Integrated Security Unit. The RCMP-led Games security squad disclosed its marine security plan at public meetings April 28 in Vancouver and April 29 in Richmond.

Aquabus operations manager Jody Collins said he was disappointed his 25-year-old Granville Island-based mini-ferry fleet was not invited.

Pride of Vancouver Charters proprietor James MacMillan said the fence would harm his business because the RCMP plan won’t let him pick-up or drop-off passengers at his fleet’s home Plaza of Nations dock across from the Olympic Village.

Other areas subject to closures include waters near the Vancouver Convention Centre and Richmond Olympic Oval. Howe Sound will also be patrolled by navy and coast guard vessels.

VANOC Director Lobbies for VANOC Sponsor

VANOC finance committee chairman Ken Dobell is lobbying the provincial government for a VANOC sponsor. Ken Dobell registered from March to December 2009 to represent Vancouver International Airport Authority, the 2010 Winter Olympics official airport. Dobell is also B.C. chairman of international public relations and lobbying firm Hill and Knowlton. H&K clients include VANOC sponsors Coca-Cola and Purolator Courier. Dobell said his VANOC duties won’t conflict with lobbying for the airport.

If an airport issue arose during a VANOC board or committee meeting, Dobell said “that would be something I’d look at at the time and consider whether I should excuse myself.”

Dobell pleaded guilty in March 2008 to unregistered lobbying. His contract with H&K is the only entry in the Sept. 1, 2007 to Aug. 31, 2008 VANOC ethics report that said Dobell gave “written assurances” to ensure no possibility of conflict of interest.

VANOC ethics commissioner Martin Taylor said he was asked for advice in June 2008, but “I have not been consulted since in this matter with VANOC.”

With reporting from Bob Mackin in Vancouverclick here. Your best source of news about the Olympics is HYPERLINK "http://www.aroundtherings.com" www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only.