Vancouver View - Tickets Remain for 2010; Olympic Foes Allege Spying

The 1,000 tickets for sale for the men’s gold hockey game sold out quickly. (Getty Images) Thousands of tickets remain for dozens of events after a four-hour frenzy kicked off the second Canadian ticket phase on June 6.

The 1,000 tickets for the men’s gold medal hockey game were gone six minutes after the 10 a.m. online and telephone sale.

Hockey and curling preliminaries and nightly medal awards ceremonies comprise much of the remaining inventory. Seat location assignments begin in mid-August and tickets will be delivered in December by sponsor Purolator. A third sales window is planned this fall.

"We had so much traffic first thing in the morning, when we first flicked it on we were getting 1,300 hits per second which was unbelievable,” ticketing vice-presidentCaley Denton said. “We know people had to be a bit patient, but everything worked well."

The online sale, through official agent Tickets.com, was not foolproof. Some users complained they were returned to the virtual waiting room while making their purchase.

Olympics foes allege RCMP spying

Members of Vancouver’s Olympic Resistance Network accused the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP) Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit of spying and intimidation.

Chris Shaw, author of the Five Ring Circus: Myths and Realities of the Olympic Games, said Joint Intelligence Group plainclothes officers Cpl. Jeff Francis and Det. Doug Fell approached him around noon on June 3 near his Vancouver General Hospital laboratory. Shaw said he declined their invitation to meet privately, but challenged the cops to “hold public forums, invite the press.”

"They know who we are, they're watching us," Shaw said. "They're trying to get activists to talk to them."

A June 9 ORN news release claimed 14 similar incidents near workplaces and at protesters’ homes. RCMP Cpl. Jen Allan said police have the right to ask questions and gather information and will respect citizens’ constitutional rights.

“V2010 ISU seeks to either confirm or disregard individuals as potential threats to the safety and security of Canadians and visitors to Canada," she said.

Winter Olympics Get Summer Training

The United States’ Department of Homeland Security is holding its pre-Olympic exercise July 27-31 in Washington, D.C., Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

The Federal Emergency Management Administration-coordinated National Level Exercise is an annual, full-scale exercise. The 2009 version includes personnel from Canada, Australia, Mexico and United Kingdom and will focus exclusively on terrorism protection and prevention.

The exercise was announced June 4, but a 2007 DHS calendar indicated “NLE-09” would be “Olympics Prep.”

Representatives of Canadian Forces’ Joint Task Force Games and the RCMP Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit claimed they won’t be involved.

Inukshuks, Mascots, Seals and Lawyers, Oh My!

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals stepped-up an anti-seal hunting campaign June 8 by portraying the Vancouver 2010 mascots as bloodthirsty seal killers.

The OlympicShame2010.com website urges a boycott of Canadian maple syrup. A petition is intended to convince VANOC to lobby the Canadian government to end the annual slaughter of 200,000 seals on the Atlantic coast.

"Some organizations may use Vancouver 2010 and the Olympic spotlight as a vehicle to make themselves heard on issues unrelated to the Games,” said a statement from VANOC communications vice-president Renee Smith-Valade. “We simply have no jurisdiction in these areas and we decline any specific comment on this issue."

Science Day

Canada’s international trade minister Stockwell Day pledged $906,000 on June 5 to the $25.37 million renovation of Science World.

The silver geodesic dome legacy of Expo 86 will host Sochi 2014 during the Games. The B.C. government contributed $9.51 million last year. Community donations total $2.71 million.

President Bryan Tisdall said the federal funds would pay for a master plan and replacement of the exterior lights with energy-efficient LEDs.

“We want it to be Canada's international trade minister Stockwell Day pledged $906,000 to the renovation of Science World. shiny and sparkling during the Olympic Games,” Tisdall said.

Tisdall would not say how much Sochi 2014 is paying. Daytime admission will be free. Evenings will be invitation only.

Day explains 2010 security secrecy

Day, Canada’s former Public Safety minister, said the RCMP budget for securing the 2010 Games was kept secret for so long because officials wanted to get it right.

“You don’t want to put numbers out until you’re pretty sure you’ve got the right one,” Day said. “If you put a number out and it’s not right, it’s low and then you come back again and it’s higher, it’s not a good thing.”

Public disclosure documents show the RCMP and Public Safety Canada knew on July 6, 2007 that the Mounties needed at least $422.45 million. The original budget in the 2003-submitted Olympic bid was $158.6 million.

The documents also show November 2007 was the RCMP’s target to publish the joint federal/B.C. budget. The overall $815 million budget was finally released on Feb. 19, 2009 and included $445.81 million for the RCMP’s Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit.

Briefs…

…Toronto-based Vancouver 2010 clothing licensee Elevate Sport donated $5,437 from its merchandise royalties to Urban Native Youth Association on June 4. The group runs the Aboriginal Youth First sports and recreation program on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside…

…Global Sports Development will bring 60 underprivileged youths from the San Francisco Bay Area to enjoy the 2010 Games and learn about doping-free sports. The group will take round-trip bus transportation next February and stay at the Fraserview Baptist Church in Richmond. They will meet Olympians, see Games events and experience the city’s museums and the Cultural Olympiad...

(Prices reported in U.S. dollars unless noted. Exchange rate: USD$1=CAD$1.103)

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