Vancouver View: Podiums; Cruise Ship Refunds; Media Hotel Charges

Podiums Presented

Medal-winning athletes will stand atop podiums made from 18 types of wood, shaped as Vancouver Island.

The podiums were fabricated by VANOC sponsor Rona with the wood processed by a University of B.C. laboratory.

The materials were donated by communities, First Nations tribes and businesses around the host province.

VANOC CEO John Furlong and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell unveiled the podiums at a press conference Tuesday at the Main Media Center.

“The product that’s given life to our province, both social life, cultural life and economic life, is wood,” Campbell said.

Vancouver clothing retailer Aritzia provided the fashions for medal and flower presenters and athlete escorts, which debuted with the podium.

Furlong said 20 of the podiums would be sold at auction after the Games.

Cruise Ship Plans Sink

Refunds are promised for people who paid for rooms aboard the Norwegian Star at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Newwest, an Edmonton company that chartered the Norwegian Cruise Lines luxury ship, cancelled Feb. 2, citing low bookings and rising costs. The Star was supposed to sail from Los Angeles on Feb. 6 and arrive in Vancouver Feb. 10 to accommodate Games tourists until March 2 at the Kinder Morgan industrial dock in North Vancouver.

Tourism Vancouver vice-president Walt Judas said the number of Newwest guests impacted was “in the high hundreds.” He said Tourism Vancouver and its partners were working to find rooms, but some guests may have to stay in the suburbs.

“We’re confident they will be able find a place to stay but it’s going to require a lot of work,” Judas said. “The choice is up to them, the price points are going to be quite varied.”

Road Closures Rise This Week

The most drastic measures to force Vancouverites to park their cars at home are coming Feb. 4 and 5.

Curbside parking will be banned around the clock until March 1 on 650 city blocks to allow for the Olympic lane network. A day later, the Dunsmuir and Georgia viaducts will be closed to public traffic, blocking a key eastside route in downtown Vancouver.

“You should really now be thinking of getting on transit, walking or cycling,” Olympic transportation director Dale Bracewell warned Vancouverites.

Downtown traffic fell by just 4 percent on Jan. 29 when the goal was 20 percent. Ultimately, VANOC and city hall need 30 percent fewer vehicles downtown to make the Games transportation plan work.

Media Hotels Drop Advance Charges

Journalists staying in official media hotels won’t be subject to deposits of up to $100 a day against their credit cards for incidental expenses.

Association of International Sports Press President Gianni Merlo complained to VANOC last year about the deposits, calling them an unreasonable burden. Merlo pointed out that journalists would have been faced with charges as $3,000, exceeding some cardholders’ credit limits.

Now journalists will receive weekly statements after an agreement with the Hotel Association of Vancouver and Hotel Association of Whistler.

Haiti Fundraising Banners

The City of Vancouver hopes to sell 3,000 of its look of the Games banners for $100 each for Haiti earthquake relief.

The remaining 3,000 will be used to raise funds for Downtown Eastside programs.

The Games will be opened Feb. 12 by Canadian Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean, who was born in Haiti.

With reporting from Bob Mackin in Vancouver.