A funny thing happened on the way to the Games: the plans changed.
Six years ago today, Vancouver edged PyeongChang, South Korea 56-53 in an International Olympic Committee vote at Prague. Crowds at GM Place and Whistler Village Square erupted in celebration.
A deluxe, 460-page proposal was the foundation for Vancouver's 2010 Winter Olympics that open in just 225 days. Frank King, a Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation director and chief of the 1988 Games, told CBC that changes were inevitable. Calgary, he said, "promised a lot of things that didn't come true."
Vancouver's bid book said the Games would run Feb. 5-21, 2010 and the speedskating oval would be on Burnaby Mountain and Richmond would host the international broadcast centre.
Blackcomb and Whistler Creekside would split alpine skiing, while figure skaters would train at the Agrodome and short-track speedskaters on a nearby temporary rink.
Passenger ferries to Squamish would depart Bridgeport, Lonsdale Quay and downtown Vancouver. Trains would connect Creekside and Callaghan Valley, where an athletes' village was to go. The Vancouver Olympic Village was to cost $167 million.
John Furlong told the IOC July 2, 2003 the domestic torch relay would begin in the Arctic and the Feb. 12-28, 2010 Games would climax with gold medal hockey at B.C. Place Stadium.
The relay actually begins in Victoria. Hockey finals are at GM Place, speedskating in Richmond and the IBC at the expanded Vancouver Convention Centre. Buses, not ferries, will go to Squamish and beyond. The $1.1 billion, seaside Vancouver Olympic Village is just one of the costs that went sky-high.
BID VS. REALITY:
Operations budget:
BID: $1.354 billion REALITY: $1.76 billion
Pre-Games B.C. Place Stadium renovations:
BID: zero REALITY: $77.1 million (Includes VANOC $12.1 million and B.C. PavCo $65 million.)
BID: $175 million REALITY: $900 million
Biggest domestic sponsor:
BID: Telus REALITY: Bell
Not forecast in bid: Save Eagleridge Bluffs protests, retailers suing over Canada Line losses, increased homelessness and global recession.
Bob Mackin reports for Vancouver 24 hours
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Grumpy
2 years ago
Ah yes..........................
..........."Welcome to BC, the biggest Olympic lie in the world"
Taxpayers, start your engines.....er, I mean open your wallets, as Gordo and the Olympic clan are coming to town and they only party on another's dime!
WHAT
2 years ago
In the private world
Such blunders would be the result of lack of competence and foresight and people would get fired or the company's credit rating would be impacted. They are well compensated officials...what are they doing that is so important for BC, what! creating minimum wage service jobs for a party. Expo did very little, but it was a party. Party for those (i wouldn't call them elites, more like a group of like minded self serving people. They have gained power, handed down from generations and know we are seeing their lack of ability to actually manage and forecast. I think they need to take some more education, as they are telling those behind them nipping at their heels. The Kings and Queens still survive, but are fast turning into the jesters that once entertained them. LOL it's funny to watch. I look to people who base life on not who you now, but what you know and how you apply and forcast...the rest of jokers..
BC Boy
2 years ago
Eagleridge protests flamed out
The Eagleridge protests. What a joke that was. The Mayor of West Vancouver who posed partially nude for a calander got in on the act (She's good looking for a mature lady, too bad we didn't get to see anything more of her) and there was some guy on TV that obviously was acting for the camera when the cuffs went on him.
If you look at the finished project now, there isn't that much of an impact. There will be growth in about 10 to 12 years just as there has been since the orginal highway went through.
The protestors went to the United Nations at one point.
Problem is, they never did look towards the east or south east and see all of the rock cutted houses that have been placed in relatively the same biosphere.
and how many of the sad sacks here are wanting to get their paws on tickets so that they can re-sell them to make more money to be able to attend to the next protest??
G West
2 years ago
BC Boy
Off topic, irrelevant and unecessarily personal and offensive.
But hardly a surprise - there's no sustaining the weakness of what should be called Poole's folly.
Now, can we continue to discuss the fairy story that is the 2010 Olympics budget?
G West
2 years ago
Perhaps we could start here
@ The Olympic Village Fiasco....
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/developer-orders-construction-review-as-confidence-wanes-for-athletes-village/article1203037/
DPL
2 years ago
The VANOC crew were in way
The VANOC crew were in way over their heads the day Gordo gave them jobs. Wonder what jobs they will get after the circus? They won't get them from Gordo as he will be out of sight as the bills come in.
VivianLea Doubt
2 years ago
BC Boy
Kindly look up the word "calendar", as well as "biosphere" - it seems questionable that you might own a dictionary or thesaurus, but you can always Google it.
We enjoy literate postings here on the Tyee.
Jeffrey J.
2 years ago
Spectacular Boondoggle
Sadly, BC's efforts to become an Olympian tell us more about our elites and those in charge. The Campbell regime, like bully regimes everywhere, runs on posturing, fear and intimidation. The more coolaide they drink, the more they believe their own PR.
For an inside look as to how the Olympics really function, UBC Prof Dr. Chris Shaw's excellent work Five Ring Circus is a must read:
http://www.abcbookworld.com/view_author.php?id=9301
There is also growing unrest within BC's citizens against this Olympian boondoggle, located at 2010 Watch:
http://2010watch.com/
Of course, CanWestGlobal is an official sponser of this real estate driven scheme, so we'll see no news on this social issue coming from BC's media oligopoly.
As usual, great coverage Tyee on a very important topic.
BC Boy
2 years ago
Chris' Circus
Chris Shaw is another example of a fine BC Whine.