Vancouver hands over athlete's village to Olympics

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) -- With 100 days to the opening of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, the athletes village was handed over to the Games organizers Wednesday.
The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Winter Games now begins preparing the 1,100 unit village to house 3,000 athletes.
The eight-acre site has waterfront views of the two stadiums that will host the opening ceremonies and hockey events. Beyond are the snowcapped mountains of Canada's pacific coast.
The steel, concrete and glass buildings surround a central courtyard open to Vancouver's picturesque waterfront.
Vancouver Olympic CEO John Furlong said the location of the village, with its views of water, mountains and downtown towers, will help inspire the athletes to the performance of their careers.
The village will have a bank, cafe, stores and a post office.
The $940 million village did not come without controversy, going millions of dollars over budget and requiring the city of Vancouver to come to its financial rescue after New-York-based hedge fund Fortress Investment Inc. pulled their backing when global economic crisis hit.
"This has not been an easy project," Furlong said.
After the Games the village will return to the city of Vancouver, which will try to sell the suites as condos to recoup its investment.
"I would be surprised if we're anything beyond a break-even," Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson said.
Of the 1,100 units available, 737 will be available as condos, with the remaining used as affordable housing and rental properties.
Robertson turned the village over to Furlong in a ceremony at the site.
Furlong said representatives of the 2014 Sochi, Russia and Rio de Janeiro 2016 Games have already visited the Vancouver village as they plan their own.
Organizers also announced this week that accommodations for more than 6,000 people working in and around the Whistler ski resort have been found. Whistler is the site of the alpine and sliding events, cross country, biathlon and ski jumping.
The International Olympic Committee said in a statement that the all of the venues for the Vancouver Games are now complete and they "will give athletes, spectators and TV viewers some spectacular backdrops as they compete and watch the world's best winter athletes go for gold next February."

Vancouver Olympics: Carbon neutral status for push

Twenty five partners of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games have joined forces to help make the Games carbon neutral.
The partners including corporate sponsors, governments and broadcasters have volunteered to offset some of their own carbon emissions related to the Games, such as emissions generated by delegations travelling to and from the region.
These partners will invest in a portfolio of B.C. clean energy technology projects, as well as international Gold Standard offset projects. The 2010 Legacy Portfolio is developed and managed by Vancouver based Offsetters, the Official Supplier of Carbon Offsets for the 2010 Games.
The energy efficiency and renewable energy projects will help offset a newly updated forecast of 268,000 tonnes of carbon emissions 118,000 tonnes from direct emissions and 150,000 tonnes from indirect emissions resulting from Games-time travel by participants and spectators.
This updated estimate, prepared by the Centre for Sustainability and Social Innovation at the University of British Columbia's Sauder School of Business, was released this morning.
A preliminary estimate prepared by the David Suzuki Foundation and reviewed by PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2007 suggested the Games would produce approximately 330,000 tonnes (110,000 direct, 220,000 indirect) of carbon emissions.
"We're excited to announce that 25 of our partners are helping us make the 2010 Winter Games carbon neutral and we expect more to join in the near future," Linda Coady, VANOC's vice-president of sustainability, said in a release. "What's more, athletes at the Games will be the first carbon neutral athletes in Olympic and Paralympic history the result of our partnership with Offsetters where the travel and accommodation of close to 7,000 athletes, coaches and officials will be offset as part of the Games' direct carbon footprint."
The first companies and governments participating in the 2010 Carbon Partner Program for voluntary offsets include: Acklands-Grainger, Afexa Life Sciences (COLD-FX), Aggreko, Atos Origin, Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC), BC Hydro, Bell, Bombardier, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, Canadian Pacific, Canwest Publishing Inc., City of Surrey, Coca-Cola, Hudson's Bay Company, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC), McDonald's, Panasonic, the Province of British Columbia, Royal Bank of Canada, Resort Municipality of Whistler, Ricoh Canada, Samsung, The Globe and Mail, and Visa.
In another Olympic first, Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay presenting partners Coca-Cola and RBC joined VANOC in offsetting all their emissions arising from the 45,000-km journey across Canada, as well as from their entire operations related to the Games.
"We're proud to be the first Official Carbon Offsetter in Olympic and Paralympic history and have the opportunity to showcase how British Columbia is playing a leadership role within Canada and internationally in the fast growing clean technology sector," said James Tansey, president of Offsetters, a leading BC-based carbon asset management company and supplier of high-quality carbon offsets. "We also invite spectators participating at the Games, along with members of the public, to help play a role in making the 2010 Winter Games carbon neutral by voluntarily offsetting emissions from their travel to and from the Games region."
Spectators can calculate their carbon footprint and purchase carbon credits online at www.offsetters.ca .
As part of the offset portfolio for the Games, Offsetters is working with B.C. clean technology companies to establish demonstration projects, such as: biomass gasification systems for renewable heat and power production, manufacturing of cellulosic ethanol (biofuel made from wood debris), proton exchange membrane hydrogen fuel cell technology, computer controlled hybrid fossil fuel and electric building heating systems, and reduced carbon footprint silviculture.

Italy to give Vancouver-bound athletes H1N1 shots, BRIEF-Olympics

Italy will vaccinate 350 athletes travelling to next year’s Winter Olympics in Vancouver against the H1N1 flu virus, the deputy health minister said on Friday.
“Obviously we don’t want the Italian delegation to be decimated, so we have decided to vaccinate them all,” Ferruccio Fazio told reporters.
(Reporting by Alberto Tundo; editing by Pritha Sarkar; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

VANCOUVER OLYMPICS SUPPLY FOR FREE LABOUR

VANCOUVER : It’s no secret that the $1.76-billion 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games face a potential crisis. More sponsors, advertisers and ticket buyers are required if the Games are to meet their revenue forecasts and their break-even mandate.
Now there is another need: A supply of free labour.
On Thursday, the Vancouver Organizing Committee "VANOC" called for private companies and governments to loan the Games their workers, so that it can fill some 1,500 new Olympics-related jobs.
Some have lofty titles: Broadcast Operations Coordinator; Cultural Olympiad Program Manager; Venue Transportation Manager.
These are important managerial positions, acknowledged Donna Wilson, VANOC executive vice president of human resources, during a conversation with reporters on Thursday afternoon. “Senior roles,” agreed VANOC’s deputy chief executive officer and executive vice-president, David Cobb.
There are also lesser functions: The committee is looking for spare truck drivers, housekeepers, a sports writer. A torch relay crew needs to be in place by September.
Mr. Cobb said that organizers received 30 inquiries within hours of the announcement being made on Thursday. The jobs list caused a stir in Vancouver office towers. Reaction was mixed. Some desk-bound types expressed interest; however, there was disappointment that Olympic Mascot did not appear on the VANOC job sheet.

VANOC board of directors meeting come up with major milestones in challenging economy

ANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010

VANOC board of directors’ meeting highlights major milestones in challenging economy

- Domestic sponsorship revenue target fully met

- Significant progress on major operational contracts

- Funding approval for venue finishing touches; venue program now complete

- Continued efforts required to deliver Games with a balanced budget

Vancouver 2010 Opening Ceremony “To Inspire the World”

Tickets for the Opening Ceremony and five sports (64 medal events!) of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games go on sale tomorrow – May 6, 2009 at 10:00 am (Pacific Time) on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games is an event of historic importance that presents Canada with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to tell a story that inspires a world audience of three billion. In recognition of this, the Honourable David Emerson, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver–Whistler Olympics, today announced that the Government of Canada will contribute $20 million of VANOC’s total $40-million Opening and Closing Ceremonies budget to ensure the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games exceeds expectations of Canadians from all parts of the country.

2010 Olympic Torch

The 2010 Olympic Torch, designed and manufactured by Bombardier in collaboration with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), is a symbol of the 2010 Winter Games, and will carry the Olympic Flame across Canada on its 45,000-kilometre journey. Twelve-thousand torchbearers will hold an Olympic Torch as they move through 1,020 communities across Canada. Over 90 per cent of the Canadian population will have an opportunity to see the beauty of the Olympic Torch and experience the warmth of the Olympic Flame.

About the 2010 Olympic Torch

Designer/Manufacturer: Bombardier/VANOC

Inspiration: Canada’s open land, vast potential and smooth, fluid lines left in the snow and ice from winter sports

Height: 37.125 inches / 94.5 centimetres

Weight: 2.8 pounds / 1.6 kilograms

Materials used: Stainless steel, aluminum and sheet moulding compound

Burn time: At least 12 to 15 minutes

Fuel used: Blend of Propane, Isobutane and Hydrocarbons

VANCOUVER 2010 – Olympic Torch Design Unveiled

12 February 2009

olympic.org

Following the unveiling of its Olympic Torch Relay route last year, the Vancouver 2010 Organising Committee (VANOC) took advantage of the one-year-to-go mark to unveil its Olympic Torch design, the torchbearer uniform and the first two torchbearers to be selected for the event. IOC President Jacques Rogge was also present, along with a number of other dignitaries at the unveiling event in Whistler – site of the skiing and sliding events for the 2010 Games.

Feature Story

"Canadians now have the opportunity to impact the performance of our athletes by contributing to the Own the Podium (OTP) campaign and crediting themselves with helping our athletes reach the podium in 2010," says Veronica Brenner, Olympian and OTP project manager for the Vancouver area. looking for details.