'With Glowing Hearts' is 2010 Olympics slogan

[CielOnTap]

Making a reservation benefits from knowing where the accommodation is located. Vancouver, WA is getting lots of interest now when callers think they are calling Vancouver, BC operators.

Oops, wrong Vancouver
Thu Feb 4, 10:54 AM
By Teresa Carson

VANCOUVER, Washington (Reuters) - Sallie Reavey picked up the phone at her charming Briar Rose Inn and the caller asked about rooms in mid-February. "We have a nice selection of rooms for those dates," she replied, to which the caller gasped: "You still have rooms during the Olympics?"

Reavey had to tell him: wrong Vancouver.

The Briar Rose is in Vancouver, Washington, not Vancouver, British Columbia, the Canadian city that will host the 2010 Winter Olympics starting on February 12. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/100204/sports/csports_us_olympics_city

Rick Mercer could get a segment or half-hour special on such a story. But he'll be too busy hobnobbing with the athletes for humourous skits for his show.

[CielOnTap]

The list includes constantly changing timelines, ticket snafus — thousands of seats sold through online retailers weren’t legit, including more than 200 last week — and a volunteer pool that is only 15 per cent bilingual.

There have also been complaints over the fact that Canada’s Olympic Pavilion, a $10-million tent-like structure, was built by a U.S. firm using a contract only awarded 12 weeks before the Games are to begin on Friday; and B.C.’s Cowichan people crying foul over the official Olympic promotional gear sold by the Hudson’s Bay Company. The design of a $350 chunky, knit sweater sold by the retail giant was similar to those made by the First Nations communities, whose proposal for genuine garments was rejected for the line.

The biggest issue, perhaps, has been the ballooning operating budget, currently sitting at an estimated $1.76 billion, plus another $900 million for 15,000 security personnel. Those costs could rise based on any number of factors that could play out over the two-week Games, with some expecting a final tab of $6 billion.

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2010wintergames/Litany+Games+woes+just+part+putting+Olympics+experts/2534477/story.html
The 15% of volunteers being bilingual-does that mean English & French bilingual or English and another language bilingual? Other languages that volunteers know to speak, even a little, will help them to help visitors needing non-English/non-French language support. I will look forward to finding out if community groups in the Vancouver area are providing a language assistance booth in Vancouver or are among the volunteers for the events.

As for the $6 billion tag--let's hope it does not get past $2.5 billion, after the snow delivery trips are added to the tally.

Then there was a recent poll about Canadians and their perception of the Olympics being on budget:
Poll: Canadians think Olympics will go over budget
The Canadian Press
By Steve Mertl, The Canadian Press
Posted Sunday, February 7, 2010 9:36 AM ET

VANCOUVER - Most Canadians believe the Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games will finish in the red, according to a new Canadian Press Harris-Decima poll.

In a survey conducted last month, 84 per cent of those polled indicated the Games, which begin Friday, will go over budget.

The highest percentage was in British Columbia, where 90 per cent of respondents felt the Games will cost more than expected. http://www.ctvolympics.ca/about-vancouver/news/newsid=32385.html

Anderson said skepticism about the Games budget could be due to many things but it's probably anchored by persistent memories of the massive cost overruns for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

The entire Games ran in the red despite assurances from then-mayor Jean Drapeau that they could not lose money any more than a man could have a baby.

The city finally paid off the debt on the Olympic stadium - the most onerous symbol of the problems that plagued the Games - in 2006.

[CielOnTap]

The list includes constantly changing timelines, ticket snafus — thousands of seats sold through online retailers weren’t legit, including more than 200 last week — and a volunteer pool that is only 15 per cent bilingual.

There have also been complaints over the fact that Canada’s Olympic Pavilion, a $10-million tent-like structure, was built by a U.S. firm using a contract only awarded 12 weeks before the Games are to begin on Friday; and B.C.’s Cowichan people crying foul over the official Olympic promotional gear sold by the Hudson’s Bay Company. The design of a $350 chunky, knit sweater sold by the retail giant was similar to those made by the First Nations communities, whose proposal for genuine garments was rejected for the line.

The biggest issue, perhaps, has been the ballooning operating budget, currently sitting at an estimated $1.76 billion, plus another $900 million for 15,000 security personnel. Those costs could rise based on any number of factors that could play out over the two-week Games, with some expecting a final tab of $6 billion.

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2010wintergames/Litany+Games+woes+just+part+putting+Olympics+experts/2534477/story.html
The 15% of volunteers being bilingual-does that mean English & French bilingual or English and another language bilingual? Other languages that volunteers know to speak, even a little, will help them to help visitors needing non-English/non-French language support. I will look forward to finding out if community groups in the Vancouver area are providing a language assistance booth in Vancouver or are among the volunteers for the events.

As for the $6 billion tag--let's hope it does not get past $2.5 billion, after the snow delivery trips are added to the tally.

Then there was a recent poll about Canadians and their perception of the Olympics being on budget:
Poll: Canadians think Olympics will go over budget
The Canadian Press
By Steve Mertl, The Canadian Press
Posted Sunday, February 7, 2010 9:36 AM ET

VANCOUVER - Most Canadians believe the Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games will finish in the red, according to a new Canadian Press Harris-Decima poll.

In a survey conducted last month, 84 per cent of those polled indicated the Games, which begin Friday, will go over budget.

The highest percentage was in British Columbia, where 90 per cent of respondents felt the Games will cost more than expected. http://www.ctvolympics.ca/about-vancouver/news/newsid=32385.html

Anderson said skepticism about the Games budget could be due to many things but it's probably anchored by persistent memories of the massive cost overruns for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

The entire Games ran in the red despite assurances from then-mayor Jean Drapeau that they could not lose money any more than a man could have a baby.

The city finally paid off the debt on the Olympic stadium - the most onerous symbol of the problems that plagued the Games - in 2006.

[deja vu]

CielOnTap:
The highest percentage was in British Columbia, where 90 per cent of respondents felt the Games will cost more than expected

Probably due to the fact we know how many social programs were cut. How many have and will suffer so the games can happen. We know the price is too high for the show.


*******************************


The International Olympic Committee's executive board was told Monday that Vancouver will witness some protests but that they are expected to be smaller than originally anticipated.

In a half-hour briefing, John Furlong and Dave Cobb, the chief executive officer and the deputy CEO of the Vancouver Organizing Committee, ran through a series of updates on Cypress Mountain, transportation and the potential for disruptive public protests. "We told them that we expect some [protests]. We told them that the predictions of protests were much greater than they turned out to be as we made our way across the country with the torch," said Cobb.


http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2010 ... story.html


Of course they do. Especially when they have gone to a lot of trouble to silence them with dictator like practices.

[CielOnTap]

I noticed other Olympic related stories in the sidebar of the link you posted, deja vu. The Poverty Olympics team has a website and in the news article, a poverty torch.



http://www.vancouversun.com/Photos+Protesters+hold+alternate+relay+Poverty+Olympics/2534379/story.html

[CielOnTap]

An American writer's perspective on the Vancouver Olympics. Can Canadians see why he chose those 10 stories?

Some icebreakers at the Olympics
Here are 10 stories to watch during the Winter Games in Vancouver
By Philip Hersh
February 8, 2010

No gold on the home turf

Canada has not won a gold medal in its two home Olympics -- summer and winter. To avoid a repeat of that, the Canadian Olympic Committee started a funding program called Own the Podium before the 2006 Winter Games, and it produced an all-time-best performance of seven golds, 10 silvers and seven bronzes. (The country was third in total medals behind Germany, 29, and the United States, 25.) Daniel Johnson, an associate professor of economics at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, is among those who predict that Canada will win more medals than any other country. Twenty-seven, to be exact, just edging the United States and Norway. Johnson claims an accuracy rate of 94% over the last five Olympics.

A swan song for the NHL?

Will this be the last time the NHL owners allow a two-week break so the best players in the world can compete? If so, what better place than Canada to go out with a bang, even though the tournament is being played on the smaller NHL-size surface for the first time. It's all about economics and momentum. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman foreshadowed the future of the NHL's players in 2014 by telling reporters recently: "It's difficult for any business, any league, to shut down for two weeks with the attendant loss of attention and everything that flows from that." But the owners have the final say.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-olympics-10-storylines8-2010feb08,0,4391033.story

[Smitty]

Oh my gosh how so many will remember "--then-mayor Jean Drapeau --" & his so called words on that stadium or whatever since he wanted a baseball team. For how many yrs did the Montreal tax payers have to pay that debt till it was cleaned off?

The other night the present proposal for the olympics was mentioned. I do not know if it was 89 or 98% over the limit---true I am bad on words for at the time I was prepareing to a report as the Gun Club's annual meeting as H/Gun Director/instructor----knowing my printer has not worked for two yrs due to my cold den & not I cannot haul it all upstairs. So in this case I had to send it to a fellow h/gun shooter so he could print it for me in double form & here I am ONCE AGAIN in the same position. These volunteer jobs are hard to get someone to take your place.

True I have been against the Winter Olympics even before Canada & at Vancouver city area applied to win the magic money making approval, knowing that Cdn tax payers especially us B.C. Provincial residents & especially those in Vancouver area. Unfortunately a majority won, though I doubt if most of them realized the extreme costs once in Premier Campbells hands for he seeming is in dream world like Hollywood.

Mind you I would not be the type of person that would try to hault those carrying the so-called-Olympic flame all over Cdn.

[Smitty]

When I am addressing a gun board to m/c board down in the USA & if someone asks me where I am. I will NOT tell them the exact address or town (unless it is a business matter) but tell them I live in the Okanagan Valley of B.C. Cdn. Do not use the modern CA for that confuses them with the State of California to also when referring to California or CA I still address it as Calif.

So far it has worked with perfection for the past 6 yrs or more. I guess this is the confussing thin to Americans to fellow Cdns & Cdn did not take this into consideration. Fortunately we do not have a maze of Olympics here in Cdn., so my slight change from modern days is easy for American to YES even fellow Cdns to understand.

True sometimes I am addressing someone on the phone in the USA & some are amazed that I speak "--just like we do" & there I point out I am not French Cdn, which I am sure they have heard over the TV news, but from WESTERN CANADA & if they are asking I will tell them more like I did above.

[Smitty]

I ran across that thread of the giant of a Sikorsky helicopter & that is the one or possibly more that are being used to haul up trucked in snow from other places of B.C., so those things cost many a doller every hour. Keeps upping the costs & one has to wonder is this ANOTHER expense to B.C. Tax Payers or is it a cost to the ski slope as well.

I wish I was good with figures for there was a report on the assumed cost of the Winter Olympis being so darn much more.

So come Friday it all starts.

[CielOnTap]

Two days away and I have yet to check if the HDD unit's date needs adjusting again prior to programming it. I need to hustle and get the opening ceremonies on disk.

Smitty, Montreal had the experience of 30 years of bills to pay off Olympic dome a.k.a. "Owe" dome. 2006 was the last year.