Good Cops

VPD did good.

BC Budget

Tomorrow should be an interesting day. The government will declare the Olympics a financial success and then make a number of cuts.

Nice party

Not too hard to do when you give every student in the surrounding area 2 weeks off wouldn't you think?

Oh, and don't forget all those civil servants who were paid to take their holidays and VOLUNTEER for the games - for which they will now be given two more weeks paid holidays to share with their families later in the year.

People are SO gullible!

And Steve, it's Ryan KESSLER...mind you, the Wikipedia entry's wrong too so maybe you can blame them!

bread

before circus

Get Ready for the Upcoming Budget

Gordon Campbell has ordered 100,000 condoms. That can't be a good sign.

MacKinnon's cartoon

Catch Bruce MacKinnon's cartoon here.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/toon.php

Do it today (Monday) as it will be different tomorrow.

Good point West

"Oh, and don't forget all those civil servants who were paid to take their holidays and VOLUNTEER for the games"

I agree thats a total crock. Which brings up the question - if they could take a couple of non vacation weeks of work and not be missed - then what do we need them for the rest of the year?
(I'm not Union bashing. I bet most of these employess were non Union, right?)

Do you have any hard numbers of how many this involved?

Pavillions or Booze Cans?

How many "pavillions" had beer/booze as the main focus of attention? Molson House, Heineken House, Irish Pavillion, Candahar, the vodka at Science World,the German Pavillion at the Rowing Club, among others. Not to mention dozens of hospitality suites, private boxes etc. The whole scene downtown wasn't very appealing to someone who doesn't like crowds or standing in long lines. It seemed to be aimed at the 18 to 25 demographic. (Sorry 19 to 25)

It could not have been better...

What a great article, and calling as you saw it which is a refreshing take to what normally pleases the crowd here. We had some issues no question, but we remedied the problems it seemed and got onto the Games which were marvelous.

So sorry for Frank and all the negative peeps, that didn't get to see the 'taking our city back' movement move anything except for negative opinion towards themselves. In a big way. Wahhh!

The whole ORN and Alissa what's-her-loser also failed to have any negligible impact on let's see - oh right - anything. And she's now worried about death threats too? Oh, the price of doing the right thing Alissa. Wow! Losers in the truest sense.

The ORN, and PIVOT really are the dregs of society and belong where they're at until they can empower themselves to do something - useful maybe - with their lives. Cause it's obvious they're not very good at this. Maybe they can all go to Russia now and organize successful protests there. And take their legal observers with them. That would be best.

Anyway, loved it all, and hope our athletes will do even better than they did here in Russia.

We should all be so very proud of our city, our Police, the countless volunteers - we looked great to the world, and you can be certain that many will return here to enjoy our city again.

And to have Sidney Crosby bring the house down in style was simply the best. Best. Olympics. Ever.

@happy

Best estimate I've heard is several hundred...but, and this bothers me more actually, there is strong evidence that certain members of the Public Affairs Bureau will also be getting extra pay for working 'overtime' to keep the websites and technical promo sites of the games running and glitch free.

My understanding is that this job assignment lasted a good deal longer than the games themselves.

As to who's responsible, I have an answer for that - the plan, the approvals, and the promotions came from the Premier's credenza - the emails were signed by Allan Seckel...you can check that out if you have access to the government intranet. Absolutely nothing to do with the unions!

I just hope everyone will remember that when the actual invoice arrives...this bit of fiscal mayhem came directly from the BCLIBERALS.

BTW, any thoughts on what seemed to me to be a pretty discursive, boring and poorly planned closing ceremonies?

Celebrate the Country's Success

I'm not sure your readers, writers or those who have commented quite understand the enormous and lasting beneficial impact the Olympics have had, and will continue to have on our country, British Columbia and the Lower Mainland in particular. Reading your newspaper is like being on another planet separate from what most Canadians and British Columbians have witnessed and now believe about the Games. Fundamentally your conclusions point to the negative view the Games should never have been held and that they were was a waste of time and money. What is most significant had that attitude prevailed our country would have missed the defining moments which all Canadians were witness to during these past 17 days. All apparently, except readers of the Tyee.

@Gwest

It's Kesler.
Carry on.

@depotwest

Why throw Pivot under the bus? They do good legal services work, and their red tent shelter concept was peaceable, makes a good point, provided a service, and doesn't hurt anybody -- that is awesome.

Steve was right

G West, it's Kesler, not Kessler, as you erroneously "corrected" Steve Burgess.

Unless, of course, the Canucks website, TSN, Sportsnet, Vancouver2010.com, NHL.com, and THE BACK OF KESLER'S JERSEY are all wrong and you're right.

http://tinyurl.com/ycntrhx

@West

IMO, since you asked, I thought the closing ceremony was about on par witb the opening ceremony. That is, it had some high points (Neil Young) and some pretty cheesy stuff too.

I thought the way they handled the torch misfire with LeMayDoan was brilliant...humor is always the best medicine

jon drake

Ah, yes. And that would be, oh, maybe even budget cuts, more schools closing, more hospitals closing, more health programs vanishing, more services for the poor vanishing, the plight and numbers of the homeless growing, several more years of the highest child poverty rate in the country, unaffordable housing, an astronomical debt that may take decades to pay off....

Emotive sycophancy to the excitement of the glandular moment may feel good, and may make you feel heroic and proudly nationalistic but it doesn't carry much weight or endurance.

Better yet, why not try and list, in meaningful prose, some concrete and valid enormous and lasting beneficial impacts that will be our Olympics legacy?

beneficial you say?

Beneficial impact?

What exactly is your status in this society jon drake?

You must belong to the privileged few who will benefit.

For the rest of us it was a costly mistake.

I may be wrong about Pivot....

Pivot has I believe in the past accused the police of things they did not do, but you're right, the tent protest was peaceful and made a point very effectively, the protest around the Canada Pavilion not so much.

And I realize I should also recognize that many will not see my point of view on this whole Olympics issue, and I really should respect peoples opinion to not be a fan, or to woe the possible costs afterwards, that's peoples right, and I apologize if I came across as someone who doesn't respect that right. I do.

To jon's point above though, when i found some of the POV's on this site just prior to the Olympics, I simply could not believe that people could think the way they were thinking. "Down with evil corporations" and all that. Well, many of the corporations that made this whole event possible didn't 'make us' get out and support the torch relay or any of the other events. We did it because we wanted to. In a big way.

And I am grateful to them for helping my friends and family - who are all across this great country of ours -share in this experience. So hats off to RBC, Coke and McDonalds. Thank You.

And I agree with jon, if people had followed the advice of what was being said here, they would have missed out on an amazing experience not only for the world, but as Canadians. That would have been unfortunate.

You're right koolmoedee you too yammer

Although there are many places where the same fella has his name spelled with two 'esses'.

My Bad. Let's hope he keeps the hot hands when he's playing in the country he supposedly 'hates'.

depot......The corporations

depot......The corporations "donate" monies paid to them by their customers, and ultimately by the whole society, through the "trickle down" of often inflated prices.

The bills and donations of businesses are not paid by the owners, but by the public, therefore the public has the right to know how their money is spent, exactly the same way as with taxes.

Ed Deak.

@ happy

Agree on Shakey - and KD was the high point of the starting thingee.

@Fiat Lux The market dictates prices

And I'm sure you can find out what it cost RBC or Coke for their Olympic sponsorships - I think the Coke one just got extended for 8 years, obviously because they believe they are doing well enough with it to continue the relationship.

Pretty good

All-in-all the Olympics went a lot better than I thought they would. The events were organized well, and the mood of the crowds was very positive and friendly. The city itself left a great impression on the visitors. There are things that could have been done better, but I had a great time and am glad we got the games.

depotwest

I'm glad you're really happy that you had a good time and that you are now sure I'm a loser.

I guess I'm the one responsible for child poverty and closed operating rooms, not you and the party crowd.

Thanks for clearing that up.

I look forward to reading your opinions on government policies here in the future if you decide to stick around and not head off to London right away for the next party at other's expense.

Frank I said you were negative - not a loser!

Which you might very well be, but I don't know that, and I enjoy reading your thoughts.

That's like Alissa-Van-De-Thorpe-a-Loser saying that the police are the ones who were violent, not the people throwing things through windows.

But yes, I guess you are responsible for anything bad that's happening, and if the Olympics hadn't taken place, none of your issues would be issues. We really should have listened to you.

And you forgot closed schools too, they certainly are due to the Olympics, as is the child poverty issue.

Well, maybe we won't have these Games here again then, but they sure were fun while they lasted, and made us all feel good for awhile. Good to know there are always those whose glass will be half full to keep the rest of us in line.

And i can't afford to go to London but I'll be as supportive of their Games if they are as well organized and delivered as these ones.

Olympic Games

If you believe now as then the Games were a mistake to have been held in Vancouver, then enumerating the benefits that have flowed from them would simply fall on deaf ears. This thinking is as closed to human progress as those who believed the earth was flat. In the end, the love of their own righteousness made it impossible for them to influence and change the very things they cared about. Good luck with that.

jon drake

"then enumerating the benefits that have flowed from them would simply fall on deaf ears"

Just as enumerating the problems that have been ignored for the past 9 years fell on deaf ears?

Because y'all were so in love with your own righteousness and sense of entitlement?

The difference of course is that your side won, the problems were ignored. Those of us who want a better society lost to those of you that don't.

@ GWest

Ah, all in moderation my friend, all in moderation as even Jamie Oliver believes is fine.

And Frank, I should have made it clear, I don't want to go to London, I live in the greatest city in the world. I don't need to go anywhere.

So yes, I'll stick around and make some noise when I need to.

And thank you Mr. Drake for trying to inject some realism into these peoples heads, though I doubt it will work as you've pointed out.

I see with Takuans post, the conspiracy theories continue, and where were those Sonic cannons that everyone was saying the police were going to defeat the protestors with?

And, jon drake, y'know

That little statement of yours works equally well turned on its head and parsed from the other point of view – including the rather unnecessary words about righteousness…because,….remember, before the Games Angus Reid said that only 50% of British Columbians thought the games would have a positive impact.

One thing I can guarantee - the smiles and high-fives are going to be short lived. The migraines and the bills payable...not so much.

So by all means enjoy...but don't forget the tab has to be paid.

And, we’re all likely to feel a little embarrassed by the Premier’s bizarre red-mittened Sydenham's chorea-like performance at the closing ceremonies last night.

Even Pee Wee seemed, by his body language, to be leaning away from THAT spectacle.

I was at the first demonstration.

There were about a thousand cameras there, many feeding live to world press. If we keep all those cameras I am sure the police will continue their new-found manners and respect for the law.

Come to think of it, why AREN'T all police carrying badge cameras, gun cameras and so on? Do they have something to hide? Further, why aren't police urine tested on a daily basis for steroids and illegal substances - as well as alcohol?

I *was* going to have a Coke

Now I am thinking about chocolate milk...hope that is still ok.

Now to John Greg:

"And that would be, oh, maybe even budget cuts, more schools closing, more hospitals closing, more health programs vanishing, more services for the poor vanishing, the plight and numbers of the homeless growing, several more years of the highest child poverty rate in the country, unaffordable housing, an astronomical debt that may take decades to pay off...."

Pretty harsh to lay all this at the feet of the Olympics, innit?

Take schools for instance. The city has changed its old catchment rules, kids have options about where to go. Hence, some institutions are attracting more and some are getting low enrollment, so low that they get closed. This is a demographics issue as much as a spending issue. Class size, not number of schools, is the relevant yardstick.

Ultimately you would like the powers that be spend more on the poor. This is a reasonable position, but there are some obvious caveats:

1) Where does the money come from? It comes from work, much of which is done by or for the dreaded corporations. I am not against priming their pump now and again, if (this is a big if) the businesses remain in the country.

2) How can you then argue from the perspective of tangible benefits? Should we not then have a dollars and cents argument about social support -- to forensically account for the tangible returns based on investment in, say, the mentally ill vs. the physically disabled? Euurrrggh! We should do it because it is "right" -- not a tangible concrete measure at all.

3) Olympic spending as a form of economic stimulus: if all of my tax money was going straight into a holding room at Jacques Rogge's summer villa, I'd be mad, but I think the vast percentage of it is going to stuff I can kind of defend, like salaries of locally engaged workers, who are then spending in local businesses whatever they aren't shelling out in taxes. A rule of construction is that labor and material costs are about even, so the Olympics is a massive income generator.

As for your just not liking sports, I have nothing to say.

Was Campbell Booed?

G West: I swear I heard a rumbling "BOOOOooo" just before the camera panned to a crazy looking Campbell, red mittens and all, waving the flag in a very wacky kind of a way. Too much Coke, or some other kind of pop.

Yammer

But studies show the current drop in enrollment is temporary and will reverse in a few years. Which means we should be taking a long-term view.

Also, kids are not widgets. There is a cost to making a kid ride a school bus for 2 to 4 hours a day because we close a local school in a rural area. But the impact on individual kids doesn't show up in the balance sheets which says its okay to close every third school if enrollment drops by a third.

As for work, we are paying our people less. Its a fact that our province is the only one where wages fell since 2001. Also, in spite of the Olympics BC has been hurt more than most provinces by a rise in unemployment.

And this is from a government that claims to be good at economic stewardship in spite of their record.

Olympic spending certainly is a form of stimulus but it was spent when we didn't need it. Its now when we need it and instead we're making cuts which will make things worse at a time when they're already bad.

Past Liberal policies have come home to roost and the picture isn't pretty.

@Kingarthur

You weren't imagining it.

His behaviour WAS bizarre and unique among the folks on the dais of power.

The next most bizarre thing about last night's spectacle was the way Furlong butchered the French language.

I haven't heard anything as bad at a public performance in this country for a generation - and given the fact that Canada's medal count would probably fall by about 50% without the contributions of athletes from Quebec I think it's worth mentioning and underlining.

Does anyone know if he's back to being CEO of the elite and private Arbutus Club after this?

Gordo looked hammered

I must say, it kind of made me like him for a second.

A fair, balanced assessment

As I read Burgess' article, I knew right away he would get raked over the coals by the usual Tyee left-wing suspects. I am not one of them.

I've been an strong critic of these Games from day 1. Still am. But Burgess is right, all things considered, it turned out to be a hugely successful street party. And it could have been way worse on so many fronts.

For me, this two week spending extravaganza (which include the Sea-to-Sky and Canada Line spending) was all about a hockey tournament, with other events serving as a side show leading up to the main event. Judging by the deafening silence and desolate streets of downtown in my BC city (not Vancouver) on Saturday between 12-noon and 3pm, I think my assessment is pretty accurate. Hockey, like it or not, is cultural identity, and it transcends just about everything, including the Olympics and corporate branding. When Crosby scored, the Canadian earth moved.

The true measure of success of this corporate branding bonanza we continue to call the 'Olympics' is far from being decided. Many bills still to roll in and be tallied. My calculations still tell me we as taxpayers lose when its all said and done, but I'm willing to sit back, wait for those bills and be proven wrong.

barney

Helluva a price for a hockey game, don't ya think?

Canadians ARE a little stupid when it comes to worshipping millionaires who play for mostly foreign corporations and compete in a league run by a sociopath like Bettman don't you think?

Nothing wrong with a party - but, asking what it cost and what we'll forgo in the future because of it is fair game - and not just left wing fair game.

Right on Frank

I've even dusted off my ole 'I am a part of the Socialist Hordes' buttons

defining moments...

I, too, am curious about those 'defining moments' jon drake is referring to. Would that include the death of the Georgian luger, to satisfy the vanity of having the 'best' track? Or would it be Canada's win of the hockey game,which seemed to bring out obnoxious nationalism of the sort we often criticise in our southern neighbours? Or maybe it was the obsessive media focus on the Indian team's lack of 'stylish' clothing to wear, when purportedly the games were about celebrating athletic achievement?

I write as a former corporate CEO, now a graduate student in tourism management, and a recovering addict - I no longer drink coke, though. It is important not to confuse expressions of national identity with the identity itself...the idea that cooperation, tolerance for differences, and goodwill between peoples (nations) will be necessary to build one (Canadian) nation. We have only begun the journey, but this is the essence of national identity for me; that I live in a country where the imaginings of many peoples form the hopes and dreams for, and the reality of the country. As to the disparaging 'except the readers of the Tyee' - perhaps this is one of the few places where the readers don't drink the kool-aid ...er, coke.

The long-term tourism benefits of the Olympics? Perhaps there will be some modest benefits, but tourism is changing dramatically. Gay tourism, eco-adventure tourism, and especially cultural tourism are the fastest-growing segments of the industry...which hardly bodes well for a province that has drastically cut funding to the arts and community cultural organizations of all kinds. Without question, the most compelling avenue to growth in tourism lies in the experience visitors have, and that experience is best created by vibrant, egalitarian, and prosperous communities. If we can achieve a modicum of that ethos, the world will do more than watch, it will flock to our doorstep. And yes, the money that was spent on the Olympics and that did not go towards building those communities is, in the end, an excessive and foolish marketing campaign to satify vanity..nationalism...ego...

Speaking of new respect

Did you guys catch Jack and Olivia at Gretsky's bar during the telecast of THE game yesterday?

They were sure having a ball and looked like it was actually heartfelt, not just a cheap political stunt
Kudos Mr layton. And Ms Chow too!

So happy

Now you are going to vote for Jack just because he watched a hockey game in a bar and cheered for the Canadian team. Right! That makes sense. I would have voted for jack just because he is better than Harper or Iggy. I guess for me the issues matter more than who the person cheers for at a game. Beam me up Scotty!

Love to hear that story VivianLea

And yes happy I did see Jack and Olivia - they looked happy and comfortable in their skins like the real people they actually seem to be - very different from the image plastic Pee Wee and spastic Campbell presented.

Kudos to them both. Wouldn't it have been something if the rightwing creeps who run this country virtually all the time had the 'courage' to give some of those free tickets to the opposition leaders in this province and this country so they could all participate in what these phony assholes call a great party for everyone?

Instead, they give free passes to muscle bound machine pols like Arnold and sports ‘personalities’ like Bill Good and Rick the Puffmaster Cluff - to mention just a couple off the top of my head.

If the NDP ever gets into power again in this province I hope to hell they won't behave like the bloodless zombies who are running BC into the ground now.

Takuan - the gold medal blues

$335 million per day....whew.

Some bill.

Some party.

Some headache.

not to worry

I've been taking names. When the bill comes due, all the games groupies are going to be lined up and are going to "donate" a kidney to pay for the party.

NIce Cops where the camera were

They weren't so nice when they felt the cameras weren't on them.

Wrong Skywalker

As usual. I didn't say I would vote for Jack. I said I respected him more as a real person now, not just another politician cashing in politically.
I refer you to West' previous comment (first paragraph) above. He says it better than I and I agree 100% about what he says about Campbell and Harper too!

And one minor issue I would like to bring up, not just you Skywalker, but all others too - theres lots of talk about how much this all cost. Theres no talk about the other side of the equation. Revenues. Ticket and merchandise sales, corporate sponserships, TV rights. Doesn't anybody but myself think you can't have a sensible discussion about this until those numbers are known?

Or am I the one missing something?

happy

Don't we already know most of the numbers such as tv rights and sponsorships?

And a lot of stuff like merchandise sales, hotel rooms etc is private-sector revenue, it isn't going to help the public's bottom line.

Olympics of the Streets

The title of this article has more meanings than the author may have intended.

Last night a group of drunken hockey fans crashed in New West. Two are dead; a few more are seriously injured.

I can think of at last four more people who died during these games in car accidents (two of them pedestrians)--all this with a security budget of 900 million!

Yes, the cops were nice downtown and handled tense situations as well as they could, but their priorities are wrong and so our ours as a society.

Frank

I believe (not positive) Vanoc gets a cut from the merchandise sales.
Likely there are other things also we experts don't know, thats why I say wait until we have some facts.
And don't forget Frank. Those things you point out as Private sector revenues. They come with taxes tagged on, that money goes to the Public purse. Lots. Just something to consider.

Great job

As a recent ex-pat to Calgary (!) I was actually kind of happy I'd be missing the big party. I just moved in December so I was in Vancouver for all the before-games coverage, and I have to say I was somewhat against them. I don't think my opinions on the cost, dealing with the homeless, etc. have changed, but watching it from here I highly enjoyed it.

It probably helped living in such a single-minded, patriotic city as Calgary, but I couldn't help but get into the "spirit of the games" (6 months ago I would have shuddered at the term!). Now that's it all over I truly believe this event was good for Canada and Canadians. I feel that it really did bring us together somewhat, and renewed our friendly status in the world.

And really, that last hockey game was simply awesome. Yes, I'd be saying that even if we lost.

happy

Believe me, I am ecstatic that you and Yammer admit that government revenues benefit from economic activity in BC. And I'm sure its only a matter of time before you guys admit the same logic applies to lumber and ferries.

Having said that, we also have to consider a lot of those merchandise sales will go to a domestic audience and will mean less spending in other areas of the domestic economy. Unless everyone has access to a money tree for Olympic related spending.

Just something to consider :)

I thought we had that revelation on Tyee

In a previous article the cost $6 Billion to $7 Billion and the benefits form the past year and the games $1.6 Billion. Everything from now on will be fudged to justify the cost and there never will be anything to prove it. It will be a debate about whether the growth is because of the olympics or would have happened anyway. I'm not waiting to be lied to again.

Frank

Slight thread hijack, but since you brought it up....about those ferries. IF we had built them in BC, what would those workers be doing right now? They'd be looking for a job.
Thats the way its always been in BC. Spend millions to ramp up a building program, then lay everybody off when its finished. Put it down to my rabid neocon genes Frank but I do have a problem with make work projects.
I'd be 100% in favor of money being spent by Victoria on a shipbuilding industry if it was sustainable. BCF on its own cannot do that.
How many ferries, steel or aluminum, have ever been sold outside of BC?
None.

Have to sign off now, Cheers

VISA

Visa says $109 million more than last year was spent during the Olympics by international visitors.

That's about 1/9 of the security budget so I doubt Hansen is revising his budget tonight.

Biggest non-covered story of the past two weeks - deception

That these suckers have created the impression that there is decent rapid transit in this city. For two weeks, by creating the impression that you couldn't drive your car into the centre of Vancouver and by spending about one million extra dollars a day on temporary transit solutions (like extra busses and a third sea bus for which there is NO BUDGET) the visitors here got the idea that there actually is a working and effective transit system which could replace cars and parking lots.

There isn't.

The extra million bucks per day is gone and the province, not to mention the city, is broke.

We still have a dysfunctional transportation system and the gas tax is still spinning money for Gordon Campbell's mittens.

everyone likes to party

and sometimes that means getting laid; it is waking up with the clap that is a problem you don't want to accept in the process.

happy

"but I do have a problem with make work projects."

I'd rather "make work" in BC than Germany. Currently its only the German shipbuilding industry we're helping to make sustainable. Even the Americans demand their ships be built in America.

And just think of all the benefits that would accrue to the government from building things in BC?

Adding it all up might make one start to imagine what it would be like if we milled our raw logs into lumber right here in BC like we used to too.

rise up!

The Olympics Street Protest celebrating life, culture, sports, and Canada was certainly the greatest protest in the history of Canada (war does not count), celebrated by a few million over the two weeks...

so successful was our protest that one could guarantee any Canadian, especially a Vancouverite, can travel to any country in the Snowy Hemisphere, and again be the beneficiary of good will in any country as a result of the publicity and street theatre of our joy and goodwill. Hopefully the actions of the fragmented, unorganized, violent protester fringe will not influence our international reputation as a good-natured people.

hmmm...

And all you accountants out there... you have absolutely no concept of the big picture, global influence of the Olympics in Vancouver... a few million dollars, or even a billion or two is, sorry to say, really quite inconsequential in the terms of financial scale for the city, province, or country over a few years.

Besides, Expo 86 was finally paid for last spring... and what is life without a running tab?!

Spending on the "moment"

Oh indeed,there was spending,reminds me of my youth,have a few bubbly pops and get carried away..."Drinks are on me"..."Bring another round,I`m buying"...

Then comes morning and buyers remorse and...And belt tightening for a month..How many people in a moment of "Canadian pride" bought a bunch of crap for thousands,bring on the credit card bills and drained savings..
And our economy suffers,people stay home,the big smoke is gone,Frank,I heard those visa numbers,even if those numbers were multiplied by three credit cards it adds up to squat.

Booze joints and brothels made money and a handful of stores,ask the owner of Olympic Pizza,his numbers were down...

And one more number to throw at you, how much money is the government out on it`s biggest cash cow?...Gasoline,Diesel fuel,the entire province glued to their television set.

Cheers

vcoyote

And what was the international cost of our "Own the podium" policy? Columnists and blogs all over the world found that odious.

Stanley cup run

I would also add this..

The BC economy,Alberta economy and or the Ontario economy would probably make as much money for the province as our Olympics..A Stanley cup run last 2 months,honking cars,car flags,Canuck jerseys,busy bars,liquor stores,pizza joints,big screen TVs.

Without the billion dollar security,without everything shut down,full employment,the big smoke..

And check out the pictures Norman Farrell has posted on his site { Nothern Insights} The USA playoff hockey game...Thousands of empty seats.

RE: Jon Drake

Wow, comparing people who don't agree with the olympics as similar to those who refused to believe the earth was round??? Strange, if you visit any university campus in BC, the overwhelming consensus from professors (you know, academics..?) is that these games are going to be extremely costly for tax payers, have only really benefitted big business and may harm our economy for many years to come (hello, Athens much??) But why Jon Drake, would we listen to people who study, teach and learn for a living when we can just read Gordon "I love Martinis" Campbell's latest press release?? And please don't tell me about the 'trickle down' effect, or I might vomit on my computer screen

Now don't get me wrong, as a former athlete I truly appreciate the athletisism of the games and the ability of the olympics to bring people together... but I think (and everyone else who has refuted your narrow minded claims) that they could have been done in a far more ethical fashion that benefited Vancouver businesses more instead of fattening the pay checks of the biggest corporations in the world.

At the livecity venue, there was obviously only coke products for sale, but when i bought a bottle of Dasani water, the vendor threw out the lid of the bottle. Why? I asked... Well aparantly they had been instructed to dispose of the lids so people couldn't reuse the bottles, thereby increasing profits. Greenest games ever eh? That would have been a small, simple thing to allow, and throughout the games added to probably millions of plastic bottles not even being reused once. What a load of CR*P. And don't even get me started on the Coke pavillion at live city... it was like we had accidently walked into a coca-cola concentration camp, where childhood obesity and the environmental problem of making bottles from a non-renewable resource were hidden by a mask of Canadian patriotism... I guess coke is just really lucky that their colours are the same as ours...

Good piece Steve

I would not pay face value for an Olympic event ticket (including hockey, although I would have gladly flipped them for profit, if the opportunity arose). However, I always expected and looked forward to the human energy in the streets, and as the script unfolded, with the good weather and gold medals, it became quite a party, unlike anything seen before. Mixed feelings about the unbridled patriotism - I don't that this is a great thing, as our leaders and media celebrities make it out to be - it was both exhilarating and disturbing.

As a fair weather bicyclist, I hoped to see things from our urban bike paths, but it didn't take long to discover that despite being told that these were "bike-friendly" games, they certainly were not. Some bike paths were closed or detoured, and others were not passable. Signage was erratic, and security flunkies and Vanoc volunteers were ordering cyclists to dismount in a lot of places - a minor complaint, given the large numbers of pedestrians, I suppose. The free bike parking areas were mostly empty of bikes, by the way.

I was also disappointed with LiveCity Yaletown which I got into on day 2, before the real crowds started to develop. The venue was far too small, with very uninspiring corporate pavilions taking up what should have been public space. And why the tight perimeter and security - why wasn't this a truly public space, open to the streets and seawall? Was there a greater security threat there compared to the madness down at Robson Square & Granville Street?

As for the 911 conspiracy kooks, they are easy to mock, but shouldn't we just pity them at this point? After all, they are probably otherwise normal folks who have tragically lost the ability of critical thought, replaced by an urgent need to believe. As you say, good week for them to wave their posters.

Lastly, I was in an outdoor crowd watching the finale on a big TV, and when the cameras showed Gordon Campbell waving the flag like a maniac, there was a lot of booing.....

$6 Billion Spectacle Not All Bad

Mr. Burgess article can be summed up thusly: when regimes launch state sponsored circuses and spectacles at huge cost to the treasury, many people have a great time. People enjoyed the Roman Forum after the Republic ended and Rome was ruled by elites. For a thousand year Europe was ruled by aristocrats, who put on circuses and spectacles for the peasants (in between wars). People had fun.

But that isn't in issue. Never has been. The concern by many, many Canadians about the corrupt Olympic process isn't that regular folks will drink beer. Of course they will. It's the loss of democratic process to unilaterally commit $6 billion of public money on a real estate development scheme, with sports as its motif. The IOC and VANOC aren't staffed with athletes, its staffed with developers.

And the more we have unilateral 'central planning' event like these, we will have less democracy.

One day, we'll forget what that arcane concept was all about. Just turn on the TV, pass the fast food, and it's all good. Who needs democracy anyway. It's inefficient, costs money, and brings out the naysayers and people who question state military apparatuses like CSIS, the CIA and Mossad, all of who are working tirelessly to protect us humble citizens from the bad scary people who are out to destroy 'freedom' and capitalism around the world. Some of these naysayers even question events like 9-11, which we all know was masterminded by an Arab man living in a cave. Good grief.

Long live the Olympics.

West

Three? Please elaborate then. Class, year of manufacture, yard of manufacture, and end user delivered to.

Thanks

@Jeffrey

Like it or not, our electeds decided to host the Winter Olympics. Of course it is a boon to developers. Of course it was centrally planned.

How else do you get massive public infrastructure products built? Not by autonomous neighborhood collectives, or whatever else you envision as being truly democratic.

Your democratic rights are not being trampled. You are in fact exercising them in this forum. You also have the right to lobby Parliament, to organize, to protest, to join a group with an alternative vision, to get yourself into a decisionmaking capacity, to support politicians with a view more aligned to yours....

In the meantime, guess what? Vancouver got federal money to get facilities that we are going to use for years, and to pay thousands of people millions of dollars with which to build it. It couldn't be less like 'bread and circuses.' You eat the bread, and the circus moves on. But Skytrain you're gonna use for decades. Recreation centres are going to help us have fun, provide meeting spaces, and stay in shape.

By all means oppose this. Democratically.

@Yammer

Lets discuss infrastructure shallwe...

The sliding center at Whistler,have ya got a bobsled?

A slowly sinking speed skating oval.

Sea to sky highway upgrade...Project cost $1 billion dollars...Maintainence contract on the sea to sky highway..$2.3 billion dollars, $100 million per year,every year for 25 years..or if you like,267.000.00 Dollars per day everyday for 25 years.

The Canada line skytrain,yea,we will have the skytrain for decades,it`s also going to lose $25 million dollars every year for 25 years,FACT!

$1 billion dollar convention center that will lose millions every year.

So the legacy of Olympic bills will be rolling in for decades,as a sporting event,fantastic,as a money maker,not!

As for tourism,that will suffer too, we have lost our little big city appeal,the travellers will go elsewhere..

As for investment from foreign countries..HA HA..

Olympic medal counts and contraversy cause country to country tension,also,the utter gouging of food prices at venues will be remembered..

$40 dollars for 2 hotdogs and 2 beers,that type of gouging will keep these tourists from coming back.
But go ahead,enjoy your fantasy world.

"Ignorance is bliss"

Do You believe in magic?

I didn’t vote for the Olympics because I felt that the money and resources would be better directed to other more pressing social problems in Vancouver. That said, once it was decided, I wanted it to be a success to showcase our wonderful city and country. And a success it clearly was – especially for a non-Olympics believer like myself.

However, something very magical and quite unexpected really did happen in Vancouver for these past two weeks – quite apart from all the sporting events. It seems that all Canadians – or at least it appeared so from this vantage point – really seemed to have crossed a critical threshold to become demonstrably and unabashedly proud of our country. Not even on Canada Day have I seen such an overt and unbridled display of swollen nationalism. You could not enter Vancouver without being adorned in some red and white plumage. People were draped in full size Canadian flags and banners and singing our national anthem at all hours of the day.

I went downtown with an out of town friend on Friday night. We took the bus and it was pure pandemonium; packed like a Mexican chicken bus with passengers aged 8 to 80 singing Oh Canada like we were headed off to summer camp. When we disgorged from the bus in front of the Wall Centre, it was already pedestrian gridlock, but everyone was so convivial and it wasn’t just alcohol inspired – although there was certainly no shortage. The police were out in full force, yet passersby were shaking their hands and congratulating them for their Olympian job of civilized and respectful crowd control. The music blaring, dancing in the streets, singing en masse, it was like a 60s love-in. Everyone we met from Colombia to Tajikistan was our new best friend wanting to join in the spirit and revelry.

There were so many times throughout the games and around town that I was simply moved to tears, by the beauty – in body, artistry and soul – that had been brought to life here.

Yes, I now believe the Olympic games were more than just an excuse to build a better highway up to Whistler, or extract money from the Feds to build the Canada Line, the Gateway Project, or even to support the “Own the Podium” program. No, whether it was planned or not, it appears these games were about something far more intangible – unity and pride. I’m not sure whether this new unified Canadian spirit will continue to exist outside of the Olympics’ bubble, but for 17 days in February 2010 I for one was so very happy and so very, very proud to be apart of it all … We see thee rising fair, dear land, The True North, strong and free… O Canada!

swollen nationalism...

seems an apt descriptive of the crowds after the gold medal hockey game, albeit I was only experiencing it second-hand.As I pointed out in my earlier post, it is important not to confuse the symbols of national identity with the identity itself - the flag and the anthem are the most obvious of these symbols in this instance.What do the flag and the anthem represent?
It seems clear that some people aspire to the glory of being millionaire hockey players - not surprising, I supppose - but how does this aspiration contribute to the development of the country? Does it promote good citizenship - say tolerance, equality, diversity - or is it an individualistic ideal? Few of us will ever become millionaire hockey players - and of course, no women - but we are all citizens of this nation and will live and work and contribute (or not) every day by our efforts, and it is our collective efforts that will define the country. (Politicians mostly excepted.)
The post above says it all, though "but for 17 days in February 2010 I for one was so very happy and so very, very proud to be apart of it all". Becoming a good citizen is a lifetime achievement, but most importantly perhaps, a "unified Canadian spirit" ought to include everybody, not the few.

Nice article but given the diverse array of action on the street

... it could have used a few more photos! ;-)

Finally the police didn't tazer, maim, gas or harm the public

Full ongrats to the Van. Police for behaving themselves and using common sense for a change. No airport foulups, no senior citizen gassing, no beating the public with sticks - be proud Vancouver, be proud Canada this was huge!!