Ever wonder where the International Olympic Committee is located?
Wonder no more. Here is an aerial photo of the famed Chateau de Vidy in Lausanne, Switzerland where the five rings are kept.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
If this election was Olympic, Campbell would deserve only silver medal
There’s no place like the best place on earth.
Where else can an Opposition leader promise the most open and accountable government and, after eight years as premier, fail on both counts?
Where else can the finance minister also be the pompom-wearing Olympics minister and say everything is fine while the world economy collapses?
Where else can a convention centre with a $495 million price tag and a scheduled summer 2008 opening end up costing $883.2 million, open on April 3, 2009, and then spring a leak before its first month is over?
Where else can a $175 million budget for securing the biggest winter festival on the planet balloon to $900 million?
Where else can the roof of the taxpayer-owned Olympic stadium be allowed to rip and collapse because nobody cares to turn on the snow-melting system in a snowstorm?
Where else can a provincial workplace safety investigator find two years after said disaster that workers are still not trained properly and, thus, are putting those on the worksite at risk?
Where else can a Crown corporation get approval to spend $365 million renovating said stadium before and after the Olympics without releasing to the taxpayers a detailed business plan or funding formula?
Where else can one of the wealthiest, healthiest corners of the planet also have thousands of homeless people, thousands of impoverished children and perhaps the most lawless, filthy ghetto in the developed world?
Where else can friends of the premier, having helped elect the party and premier, lobby the provincial government for contracts without filing a registration?
Where else can friends of the premier sell lobbying services to a foreign government, namely Washington State, on Olympics-related services with literature that claims they have special access to both the government and the Games’ organizing committee?
Where else can a document called the Multiparty Agreement state that the taxpayer-funded capital budget is only for Olympics competition, practice and support venues?
Where else can the Multiparty Agreement be ignored when the taxpayer-funded organizing committee cuts a deal with a gambling company to upgrade power supply at a facility that will be used for neither competition, practice nor support?
Where else can the details of such a deal be shielded from the public?
Where else can the organizing committee be allowed to hold no public board meetings, issue no minutes or even disclose the names of those attending board meetings?
Where else can a premier pretend to seek reconciliation with First Nations by cutting short-term, Olympics-related side deals and circumvent the treaty-making process struck to enable permanent settlements to 19th and 20th century land claims disputes?
Where else can provincial Crown corporations sponsor the organizing committee and hide the amount of taxpayers’ money spent on thousands and thousands of tickets – tickets the public wants to buy?
Where else can the provincial auditor-general, out of frustration, withhold an audit of Olympics costs for lack of government co-operation?
Where else can the provincial auditor-general accuse the government of overstating benefits and understating costs and risks of the Olympics?
Where else can the premier run a government that spends $29.5 million on government advertising, implements a gag law that restricts the freedom of speech of citizens and then spends even more taxpayers' dollars defending the ban in court?
Where else can that premier, a former three-term Vancouver mayor, seemingly abandon the public service ideals that spurred him to enter politics and become motivated by a self-serving golden goal? That golden goal being to win the premiership hat-trick so he can supplant W.A.C. Bennett in B.C. political lore, have the best seats at the Olympics and collect the most photos with world leaders and autographs of gold medal winners before announcing his retirement.
Where else, but British Columbia.
The Best Place on Earth.
Where else can an Opposition leader promise the most open and accountable government and, after eight years as premier, fail on both counts?
Where else can the finance minister also be the pompom-wearing Olympics minister and say everything is fine while the world economy collapses?
Where else can a convention centre with a $495 million price tag and a scheduled summer 2008 opening end up costing $883.2 million, open on April 3, 2009, and then spring a leak before its first month is over?
Where else can a $175 million budget for securing the biggest winter festival on the planet balloon to $900 million?
Where else can the roof of the taxpayer-owned Olympic stadium be allowed to rip and collapse because nobody cares to turn on the snow-melting system in a snowstorm?
Where else can a provincial workplace safety investigator find two years after said disaster that workers are still not trained properly and, thus, are putting those on the worksite at risk?
Where else can a Crown corporation get approval to spend $365 million renovating said stadium before and after the Olympics without releasing to the taxpayers a detailed business plan or funding formula?
Where else can one of the wealthiest, healthiest corners of the planet also have thousands of homeless people, thousands of impoverished children and perhaps the most lawless, filthy ghetto in the developed world?
Where else can friends of the premier, having helped elect the party and premier, lobby the provincial government for contracts without filing a registration?
Where else can friends of the premier sell lobbying services to a foreign government, namely Washington State, on Olympics-related services with literature that claims they have special access to both the government and the Games’ organizing committee?
Where else can a document called the Multiparty Agreement state that the taxpayer-funded capital budget is only for Olympics competition, practice and support venues?
Where else can the Multiparty Agreement be ignored when the taxpayer-funded organizing committee cuts a deal with a gambling company to upgrade power supply at a facility that will be used for neither competition, practice nor support?
Where else can the details of such a deal be shielded from the public?
Where else can the organizing committee be allowed to hold no public board meetings, issue no minutes or even disclose the names of those attending board meetings?
Where else can a premier pretend to seek reconciliation with First Nations by cutting short-term, Olympics-related side deals and circumvent the treaty-making process struck to enable permanent settlements to 19th and 20th century land claims disputes?
Where else can provincial Crown corporations sponsor the organizing committee and hide the amount of taxpayers’ money spent on thousands and thousands of tickets – tickets the public wants to buy?
Where else can the provincial auditor-general, out of frustration, withhold an audit of Olympics costs for lack of government co-operation?
Where else can the provincial auditor-general accuse the government of overstating benefits and understating costs and risks of the Olympics?
Where else can the premier run a government that spends $29.5 million on government advertising, implements a gag law that restricts the freedom of speech of citizens and then spends even more taxpayers' dollars defending the ban in court?
Where else can that premier, a former three-term Vancouver mayor, seemingly abandon the public service ideals that spurred him to enter politics and become motivated by a self-serving golden goal? That golden goal being to win the premiership hat-trick so he can supplant W.A.C. Bennett in B.C. political lore, have the best seats at the Olympics and collect the most photos with world leaders and autographs of gold medal winners before announcing his retirement.
Where else, but British Columbia.
The Best Place on Earth.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Olympic official, hockey head under scandal suspicion
The International Olympic Committee is no stranger to scandal. This one could harm VANOC.
Rene Fasel is the most powerful winter sports executive in the world. Not only is he president of the International Ice Hockey Federation and president of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations, but Fasel is the chairman of the coordination commission that monitors, advises and approves planning and organization of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
Zurich, Switzerland newspaper SonntagsZeitung reported May 10 that a company run by a childhood friend of Rene Fasel received more than $1 million from 2004 to 2008 from Infront Sports and Media, the International Ice Hockey Federation’s broadcast and marketing agency. Infront president Philippe Blatter is the nephew of FIFA president and IOC member Sepp Blatter.
An English translation of the German-language newspaper said Fasel’s friend since kindergarten, identified only as Y.S., is principal of a company called Proc AG which received payments on “business contracts, especially to national and international winter sport federations.”
IIHF president Fasel, an IOC member since 1995, is a 59-year-old Swiss dentist and former hockey referee. He denies any involvement in the alleged kickback scheme.
Fasel told reporters at the world hockey championship in Bern, Switzerland that he “helped a longtime friend with offering his services to Infront,” but denied receiving any commission or bonus.
A spokesman for the IOC said it is aware of the report, but deferred comment to the IIHF. IIHF is investigating the matter and may have more to say on Monday morning.
VANOC CEO John Furlong issued this prepared statement on May 10: "Rene Fasel has been a long time leader in the world of sport and has been a strong supporter and advisor to me and to our whole organizing committee as we prepare for the 2010 Winter Games. We understand that he supports a decision by the IIHF to investigate recent reports involving him and out of respect for that investigation will refrain from further comment."
Rene Fasel is the most powerful winter sports executive in the world. Not only is he president of the International Ice Hockey Federation and president of the Association of International Olympic Winter Sports Federations, but Fasel is the chairman of the coordination commission that monitors, advises and approves planning and organization of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
Zurich, Switzerland newspaper SonntagsZeitung reported May 10 that a company run by a childhood friend of Rene Fasel received more than $1 million from 2004 to 2008 from Infront Sports and Media, the International Ice Hockey Federation’s broadcast and marketing agency. Infront president Philippe Blatter is the nephew of FIFA president and IOC member Sepp Blatter.
An English translation of the German-language newspaper said Fasel’s friend since kindergarten, identified only as Y.S., is principal of a company called Proc AG which received payments on “business contracts, especially to national and international winter sport federations.”
IIHF president Fasel, an IOC member since 1995, is a 59-year-old Swiss dentist and former hockey referee. He denies any involvement in the alleged kickback scheme.
Fasel told reporters at the world hockey championship in Bern, Switzerland that he “helped a longtime friend with offering his services to Infront,” but denied receiving any commission or bonus.
A spokesman for the IOC said it is aware of the report, but deferred comment to the IIHF. IIHF is investigating the matter and may have more to say on Monday morning.
VANOC CEO John Furlong issued this prepared statement on May 10: "Rene Fasel has been a long time leader in the world of sport and has been a strong supporter and advisor to me and to our whole organizing committee as we prepare for the 2010 Winter Games. We understand that he supports a decision by the IIHF to investigate recent reports involving him and out of respect for that investigation will refrain from further comment."
Sunday, May 3, 2009
VANOC and feds sing from same choirbook on B.C. Place scandal
Hot potatoes. People in power with governments and government-funded agencies avoid them. Unless they're fried, dipped in gravy and cheese and called poutine.
Take the damning WorkSafeBC report that charged B.C. Pavilion Corporation with violating the British Columbia Workers' Compensation Act. An April 9 inspector's report found B.C. Place Stadium -- the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics' opening and closing ceremonies -- to be an unsafe workplace because the roof control workers are not properly trained.
I sought an interview with VANOC CEO John Furlong on April 28. B.C. Place, it can be argued, is the most important Games' venue because of the ceremonies. The ceremonies are traditionally the most-viewed event of the Olympics by the worldwide TV audience. If WorkSafeBC says it's an unsafe workplace for those employed by PavCo, then there are also safety implications for VANOC personnel that frequent the stadium.
More than a day later, I received this statement credited to VANOC vice-president of communications Renee Smith-Valade:
"VANOC has every confidence that B.C. Place will serve as a safe, extraordinary venue leading up to and during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and Nightly Victory ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Games. Questions around day-to-day operations and facility management should be directed to BC Place management team."
On May 1, I also sought an interview with federal Secretary of State for Sport Gary Lunn and/or Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore. The federal government is investing $20 million of tax dollars in the opening ceremony. Shouldn't Lunn and Moore be concerned if a workplace accident or illness occurs before or -- gasp! -- during the Olympics? What if the roof rips and collapses again, just like Jan. 5, 2007?
On May 3, Lunn's press secretary Michelle Yao emailed this quote from Lunn:
"The Government of Canada is confident that B.C. Place will serve as a safe venue for the successful delivery of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and Nightly Victory ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Games."
Yao added: For specific comment on WorkSafeBC's management and operations, please refer to the B.C. Place management team.
There you have it. VANOC and the federal government. Singing from the same choirbook. Praying nothing goes wrong at the Blunderdome.
Take the damning WorkSafeBC report that charged B.C. Pavilion Corporation with violating the British Columbia Workers' Compensation Act. An April 9 inspector's report found B.C. Place Stadium -- the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics' opening and closing ceremonies -- to be an unsafe workplace because the roof control workers are not properly trained.
I sought an interview with VANOC CEO John Furlong on April 28. B.C. Place, it can be argued, is the most important Games' venue because of the ceremonies. The ceremonies are traditionally the most-viewed event of the Olympics by the worldwide TV audience. If WorkSafeBC says it's an unsafe workplace for those employed by PavCo, then there are also safety implications for VANOC personnel that frequent the stadium.
More than a day later, I received this statement credited to VANOC vice-president of communications Renee Smith-Valade:
"VANOC has every confidence that B.C. Place will serve as a safe, extraordinary venue leading up to and during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and Nightly Victory ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Games. Questions around day-to-day operations and facility management should be directed to BC Place management team."
On May 1, I also sought an interview with federal Secretary of State for Sport Gary Lunn and/or Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore. The federal government is investing $20 million of tax dollars in the opening ceremony. Shouldn't Lunn and Moore be concerned if a workplace accident or illness occurs before or -- gasp! -- during the Olympics? What if the roof rips and collapses again, just like Jan. 5, 2007?
On May 3, Lunn's press secretary Michelle Yao emailed this quote from Lunn:
"The Government of Canada is confident that B.C. Place will serve as a safe venue for the successful delivery of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and Nightly Victory ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Games."
Yao added: For specific comment on WorkSafeBC's management and operations, please refer to the B.C. Place management team.
There you have it. VANOC and the federal government. Singing from the same choirbook. Praying nothing goes wrong at the Blunderdome.
Friday, May 1, 2009
EXCLUSIVE: guest list for 1-year Olympic countdown
The invitation says "Share the Moment on February 12th, 2009: You are invited to a special celebration of the one-year countdown to 2010."
The invitations were non-transferrable. If you didn't have one, you couldn't get in to the official countdown event. The only event of its type in Metro Vancouver. Guest registration was 3:30 p.m., doors closed and the pre-show began at 4:30 p.m.
The live countdown event began at 5 p.m. It climaxed at 6 p.m. which is the time the 2010 Winter Olympics' opening ceremony at B.C. Place Stadium will begin on Feb. 12, 2010.
Vancouver 24 hours' Freedom of Information request to the provincial government yielded the guest list for the 1,152 capacity event "plus 32 VIP seats, plus a separate bleacher for Olympians and hopefuls" according to a Feb. 6 email from Christine Little of the B.C. Winter Games Secretariat to Secretariat president Philip Steenkamp. VANOC employees were also welcome, if they showed their office access identity tags.
The exclusive, by invitation only event was in the west end of the massive Richmond Olympic Oval, which will hold 8,000 for speedskating competitions during the 2010 Games. Below is the list provided to 24 hours by the Ministry of Finance, which is responsible for the Olympics. (Note to other media: please credit Bob Mackin/2010 Gold Rush.)
VIPs:
Min. State for Sport Gary Lunn and Mrs. Lunn, HBC CEO Jeff Sherman, Chief Leonard George, IOC president Jacques Rogge and Mrs. Rogge, VANOC directors Peter Brown, Chris Rudge, VANOC chairman Jack Poole and Mrs. Poole, CEO John Furlong, IOC coordination commission Rene Fasel, IOC exec. dir. Gilbert Felli, IOC president's office Marina Barmia, Canadian Olympic Committee president Michael Chambers, Greek NOC president Minos Kyriakou, USOC president Larry Probst, Great Britain NOC president Colin Moynihan, Russian NOC president Leonid Tyagacheve and Mrs. Tyagechev, Mrs. Avtyakina, Mr. Karkulov, Russian Ski Federation general secretary Georgi Mnatsakanov.
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS:
Alberta: Ministers Cindy Ady and Linday Blackett, executive director Russ Tynan. Manitoba: Min. Eric Robinson and Carhterine Robinson, special assistant Matthew Williamson, director Rob Kennedy, assistant director Michael Benson, aboriginal consultant Lisa Meeches; Nova Scotia: Min. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, executive asst. Elmer Garger, senior director Games Tracey Williams; Ontario: Min. Margaret Best, sports policy advisor Clarecia Christie, director Janie Romoff; Quebec: Min. Michelle Courchesne, deputy min. information and communication Marie-CLaude Champoux, political attache Sebastien Lachaine; Yukon: Premier Dennis Fentie, asst. Sheila Clark.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND FIRST NATIONS:
Federal Winter Games Secretariat director general David Robinson, regional dept. liaison Jacquie Prokopanko, Michelle Yao, Min. of Canadian Heritage James Moore, regional exec. dir. Denny Gelinas, exec. dir. Denis Racine, dep. min. Judith LaRocque, asst. dep. min. Marie-Genevieve Mounier, asst. dep. min. Nicole Bourget, integrated federal services director Gail Stewart, Sport Canada dir. gen. Gilles Dery, Dept. Foreign Affairs dir. Steve Cote, Public Works reg. dir. gen. Alain Trepanier, Western Economic Diversification asst. dep. min. Gerry Salembier, Richmond MP Alice Wong, RCMP Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit Asst. Comm. Bud Mercer, Four Host First Nations directors Julie Baker, Ruth Dick, Allyson Fraser, Connie Wilson, Lil-wat chief Leonard Andrew, Musqueam chief Ernie Campbell, Tsleil-Waututh chief Leah George-Wilson, Squamish chief Bill Williams.
MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT:
Ed Fast (Abbotsord), Richard Harris (Cariboo-Prince George), Chuck Strahl (Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon), John Cummins (Richmond East), Nina Grewal (Fleetwood-Port Kells), Cathy McLeod (Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo), Ron Cannan (Kelowna-Lake Country), Jim Abbott (Kootenay-Columbia), Mark Warawa (Langley), James Lunney (Nanaimo-Alberni), Sukh Dhaliwal (Newton-North Delta), Andrew Saxton (North Vancouver), Stockwell Day (Okanagan-Coquihalla), Colin Mayes (Okanagan-Shuswap), Randy Kamp (Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission), Jay Hill (Prince George-Peace River), Russ Hiebert (South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale), Dona Cadman (Surrey North), John Duncan (Vancouver Island North), John Weston (West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea-to-Sky country).
MAYORS:
Coquitlam: Richard Stewart, New Westminster: Wayne Wright, North Vancouver District: Richard Walton, Surrey: Dianne Watts, Victoria: Dean Fortin, West Vancouver: Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Richmond: Malcolm Brodie; Vancouver: Gregor Robertson; Whistler: Ken Melamed.
Mayors
Ft. St. John: Bruce Lantz; Golden: Aman Virk; Invermere: Gerry Taft; Kamloops: Peter Milobar; Kelowna: Sharon Shepherd; Langley: Rick Green; Lillooet: Dennis Bontron; Merritt: Susan Roline; Nanaimo: John Ruttan; Nelson: John Dooley; Osoyoos: Stu Wells; Penticton: Dan Ashton; Port Alberni: Ken McRae; Port Hardy: Ben Parnham; Powell River: Stewart Alsgard; Prince George: Dan Rogers; Prince Rupert: Jack Mussallem; Queen Charlotte: Carol Kulesha; Quesnel: Mary Sjostrom; Revelstoke: David Raven; Salmon Arm: Marty Bootsma; Sechelt: Darren Inkster; Smithers: Cress Farrow; Squamish: Greg Gardner; Terrace: David Pernarowski; Tofino: John Fraser; Trail: Dieter Bogs; Vernon: Wayne Lippert; Williams Lake: Kerry Cook.
100 Mile House: Mitch Campsall; Abbotsford: George Peary; Burns Lake: Bernice Magee; Campbell River: Charlie Cornfield; Central Coast dir. Rhoda Bolton; Chilliwack: Sharon Gaetz; Courtenay: Greg Phelps; Coquitlam: Richard Stewart; Cranbrook: Scott Manjak; Creston: Ron Toyota; Dawson Creek: Mike Bernier; Duncan: Phil Kent; Fort Nelson: Bill Streeper.
CITY OF VANCOUVER:
Dir. Olympic transportation Dale Bracewell, Coun. David Cadman, Coun. George Chow, VPD chief JIm Chu, Coun. Heather Deal, dir. community relations Olympic and Paralympic operations Greg Eng, Coun. Geoff Meggs, managing director Cultural Services Sue Harvey, dir. Olympic and Paralympic ops. Paul Henderson, Coun. Raymond Louie, project manager Olympic and Paralympic ops Joe Martignago, Parks Board general manager Susan Mundick, Coun. Andrea Reimer, dep. city manager James Ridge, Coun. Tim Stevenson, Coun. Ellen Woodsworth, Coun. Suzanne Anton, asst. city mgr. Wendy Au, city mgr./VANOC board member Penny Ballem.
CITY OF RICHMOND:
Councillors: Linda Barnes, Derek Dang, Evelina Halsey-Brandt, Greg Halsey-Brandt, Sue Halsey-Brandt, Ken Johnston, Bill McNulty, Harold Steves; GM law and community safety Phylis Carlyle, GM Olympic office Jeff Day, chief admin. George Duncan, GM planning Joe Erceg, GM public works Robert Gonzalez, GM corporate services Mike Kirk, GM finance Andrew Nazareth, dir. Olympic office Kate Sparrow, sr. mgr. communications Ted Townsend, GM parks and recreation Cathy Volkering-Carlil, dir. Olympic legacies Gary Young, dir. major projects Greg Scott.
Richmond Olympic Oval board: Roger Barnes, Vic Farmer, Moray Keith, Stanley Kwok, Umendra Mital, Anna Nyarady, Michael O'Brien (chairman), Linda Sanderson, David Thom; Richmond Chamber of Commerce exec. dir. Craig Jones, president Leslie Mathieson.
Richmond Olympic Oval: general manager John Mills; Richmond School Board: supt. Bruce Beaistro; chair Linda MacPhail; Richmond Spirit Committee/Torch Relay Community Task Force chair Ed Gavsie; RIchmond Sports Council co-chair Jim Lamond; Tourism Richmond pres. Chris Browne, exec. dir. Tracy Lakeman.
DISTRICT OF WEST VANCOUVER:
Dir. Olympic services and projects Josie Chuback, chief administrator Grant McRadu, 2010 Leadership team Andrea Southcott, Richard Warke.and Rob Whittle.
RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER:
exec. dir. 2010 Games Jim Godrey, Coun. Grant Lamont, Coun. Ted Milner, Coun. Christopher Quinlan, strategic alliance mgr. John Rae, Coun. Tom Thompson, Coun. Eckhard Zeidler.
CITY OF SURREY:
Asst. city mgr. Dan Bottrill, mgr. parks and rec. Laurie Cavan; Coun. Linda Hepner, acting mgr. film and special events Dan Nielsen; Spirit of BC committee co-chair Bill Reid.
SPONSORS/PARTNERS/OTHERS
HBC exec Joe Ferraro, Tourism BC VP Raymond Chan, Tourism Vancouver VP Walt Judas, 3M corp. comm. Cathie Hastings, Marnie McKerlie, business development mgr. Barry Parkinson, Acer marketing director Gianpeiro Morbello, Acklands-Grainger Steve Ince, Leslie Murray, Aggreko dir. North American events Gary Meador, Air Canada dir. marketing Denis Vandal, Aquilini Investment Group dir. of development Michael Guenter, Atos Origin chief integrator Magnus Alvarsson, Barnescraig and Assoc. Games ambassador Tricia Smith, BC Hydro CEO Bob Elton, dir. 2010 initiatives Ann English, BC Lottery Corp. 2010 director Monica Bohm, Bell Canada VP Loring Phinney, Bell Web Solutions gen. mgr. communications Zahra Rajani, Birks VP Dan Kratchovil, Blake Cassels and Graydon Marvin Storrow, Bombardier dir. communications, Isabelle Rondeau, senior advisor Karina Ruffo Leduc; Britco dir. strategic planning Chris Garder.
Pemberton Medical Clinic Hugh Fisher, Canada Line Jane Bird, Canada Post mgr. stamp program Elia Anoia, sponsor and events officer Evelyn Carleton, dir. marketing and communications Catherine Riggins, Canada Wide Magazines Peter Legge, Canadian Pacific man. marketing and communications Monique Blough, Dan Winiski, Canwest VP Jamie Pitblado, CC Rennie Marketing Systems Angelica Yang, Century Plaza Hotel and Spa Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia, BC Pavilion Corp. CEO Warren Buckley, KidSport Canada CEO Sandra Stevenson, Sport BC CEO Paul Varian, ex-Vancouver mayor Philip Owen, Canadian Olympic Committee Dave Bedford, COC Kathrin Mertens, Lou Raganin.
Aboriginal Youth First coordinator Amy Johnson; B.C. Lions dir. corporate partnerships Phil Adams, Connor Adams, sr. mgr. marketing Terri Breker, head coach and GM Wally Buono, dir. communications Jamie Cartmell, VP business George Chayka, dir. operations Devon Guest, dir. community relations Jamie Taras, sr. mgr. ticket sales Justin McIntyre; Vancouver Whitecaps
Head coach Teitur Thordarson, asst. coach Todd Wawrousek, residency head coach Bart Choufour.
PREMIER'S ATHLETIC AWARDS:
Athletes: Ruky Abdulai, Blanca Adolf, Tyler Allison, Lauren Barwick, Derrick Bassi, Hirendra Bhartu, Khristina Blajkevitch, Thomas Brinknman, Victoria Chong, Marlene Cleutinx, Ryan Cochrane, Kristina Collins, Robert Couzens, Matt Crosby, Sam Danniels, Jasmyne DenHollander, Shaun Dhillon, Miranda Dick, James Dunaway, Dustyn Fisher, Jordan Fraser, Keith Gagnon, James Gemmell, Curtis Gerein, Wiktoria Glowczynski, Mithcell Grandberg, Shona Guerrero, Nikolai Haessig, Nigel Harman, Tarrah Harvey, Nicole Haywood, Jessica Hewitt, Peggy Hsien, Harry Jones, Sue Kim, Savannah King, Adrian Lee, Melody Liang, Daniel Longo, Michelle Lord, Stacie Louttit, Dorothy Ludwig, Ross MacDonald, Matt MacKenzie, Charlotte Mackie, Demetra Mantcheva, Shanice Marcelle, Alysson Marshall, Michael Mason, Tik Maynard, Maddison McCammon, Kathleen McDonald, Scott McGrandle, John McRoberts, Matthew Neumann, Toby Ng, Robbie Patterson, Gord Perrin, Jeffrey Phillips, Monica Pinette, Joninne Pinnell, Rebecca Pretious, Brenna Price, Conrad Pridy, Cory Rasmussen, Ryan Reid, Darrell Robinson, Jacqueline Roy, Michael Rusk, Richard Scammell, Helen Schettini, Jody Schuurman, Cassandra Shier, Jasvir Singh, Kerry Spearing, Hudson Stewart, Megan Tandy, Nick Taylor, Donovan Tildesley, Jackie Trautman, Katie Turney, Mathew Venner, Sabriana Versteeg, Jusleen Virk, Kevin Vos, Morgan Weller, Christopher Werrell, Elisha Williams, Katelynn Williams, Veronica Winter, Avital Yarosky.
AMATEUR SPORTS TEAMS (note: names were censored at source)
KidSport figure skating: 1 coach, 4 skaters
Phoenix Gymnastics: 99
Richmond City Galaxy: 1 manager, 1 coach, 5 players
Richmond Crashers U-7: 5 players, 3 coaches, 2 parents
Richmond Devils U-9: 1 coach, 2 asst. coaches, 12 players
Richmond Girls U-7: 1 coach, 6 players
Richmond Girls U12 Rangers: 1 coach, 1 player
Richmond Girls U16 Force: 1 coach, 9 players
Richmond Gladiators U9: 5 players, 3 fathers, 2 mothers, 1 coach
Richmond Hornets U7: 11 players, 1 coach
Richmond Madrid Selects: 6 players
Richmond Rangers U11: 1 manager, 5 players
Richmond Rangers U12: 1 manager, 1 coach, 20 family
Richmond Rapidas U18: 1 coach, 2 players
Richmond Rebels U15: 6 players, 1 manager
Richmond Red Hot Raiders U10: 1 coach, 2 players
Richmond Red Hot Selects: 7 players
Richmond Red Hot Selects and Richmond Madrid Selects: 1 coach
Richmond Red Rockets U7: 1 coach, 5 players
Richmond Soccer: 1 coach, 38 players
Richmond Soccer U10 Bullets: 13 players, 1 coach, 1 asst. coach
Richmond Soccer U12 Hornets: 11 players, 1 manager, 1 coach, 1 asst. coach
Richmond Soccer U8 Penguins: 1 coach, 3 players
Richmond Soccer Wolf Pack U-13: 1 manager, 1 coach, 1 asst. coach, 15 players
Richmond Stingers U-5: 1 coach, 33 players
Richmond Superstars U-8 Girls: 1 coach, 5 players, 9 family members of players
Richmond Terminators U-10: 7 players, 1 coach
Richmond U-18 soccer: 1 coach, 19 players
Richmond U-15 Strikers: 1 coach, 14 players
Richmond Vipers U10: 6 players 1 coach
Richmond Devils Tier I midget female hockey team: 1 coach, 1 asst. coach, 1 asst. coach/mgr., 16 players
Inner City lacrosse group: 1 parent/VP minor, 1 parent/pres., 1 parent/head ref., 1 parent equipment, 1 past pres., 1 secretary, 2 grandparents, 26 players
Strathcona Community Centre: 50 inner city youth
KidSport BC: 3 child participants; dir. Pete Quevillon
MEDIA (note: 24 hours was added later and attended):
AP: Jeremy Hainsworth; CP: Stephanie Levitz, Jonathon Hayward; CTV (no name); Fairchild radio Ivy Ng, TV Philip Yong, Shelley Huang; Global Chinese Press: Frank; Global TV: Simon Bonaface; Globe and Mail: Rod Mickleburgh, John Leehmann; Ming Pao: Eric Chan; Omni TV: Fiona Law, Jeff Bassi and cameraman; Sing Tao: Xim (Simon) Uchen, QiWen (Wendy) Li; Westca: QiWen (Wendy) Li, Bin (Robin) Wan; World Journal: Carol Shiao, Robert Chu;
CP: Julie Scott; CTV: Sarah Galashan; Fashion magazine: Rebecca Tay; Globe and Mail: Matt Sekeres; Nuvo magazine: Claudia Cusano; Reuters: Stephen Keating; TSN: Farhan Lalji; Sharp magazine: Carol Besler; Vancouver Sun: Ray Constantineau;
China: World Traveller: Lin Ying Xu, Jun Xue Zhang; Italy: Sky TV: Eleonora Cottarelli, Salvatore Di Fresco; Germany: ARD First German TV: Thorsten von Wege, Mass Abedi, plus camera and sound people; Focus: Fritz Schwab; Japan: Asahi newspaper: Keiji Kasaki, Toshihiro Kitagawa, Kyodo News: Mitsuko Volek, Yomiuri NY: Takafumi Okada, Staoshi Oga; Yomiuri: Shunjiro Endo; South Korea: Yonhap: Byong Guy Park, Yun Jung Haung, Tae Ho Kim, Jae Ho Lee; Spain: Lifetime: Josep Miguel Perez Perello; Switzerland: Keystone: Alexandra Way, SF1: TBD, Sportinformation: Jolanda Van der Graaf; United Kingdom: The Telegraph: Nick Smith; USA: Omega TV: Roger Bartley, Aaron Johnston, Rayn Kerbes.
The invitations were non-transferrable. If you didn't have one, you couldn't get in to the official countdown event. The only event of its type in Metro Vancouver. Guest registration was 3:30 p.m., doors closed and the pre-show began at 4:30 p.m.
The live countdown event began at 5 p.m. It climaxed at 6 p.m. which is the time the 2010 Winter Olympics' opening ceremony at B.C. Place Stadium will begin on Feb. 12, 2010.
Vancouver 24 hours' Freedom of Information request to the provincial government yielded the guest list for the 1,152 capacity event "plus 32 VIP seats, plus a separate bleacher for Olympians and hopefuls" according to a Feb. 6 email from Christine Little of the B.C. Winter Games Secretariat to Secretariat president Philip Steenkamp. VANOC employees were also welcome, if they showed their office access identity tags.
The exclusive, by invitation only event was in the west end of the massive Richmond Olympic Oval, which will hold 8,000 for speedskating competitions during the 2010 Games. Below is the list provided to 24 hours by the Ministry of Finance, which is responsible for the Olympics. (Note to other media: please credit Bob Mackin/2010 Gold Rush.)
VIPs:
Min. State for Sport Gary Lunn and Mrs. Lunn, HBC CEO Jeff Sherman, Chief Leonard George, IOC president Jacques Rogge and Mrs. Rogge, VANOC directors Peter Brown, Chris Rudge, VANOC chairman Jack Poole and Mrs. Poole, CEO John Furlong, IOC coordination commission Rene Fasel, IOC exec. dir. Gilbert Felli, IOC president's office Marina Barmia, Canadian Olympic Committee president Michael Chambers, Greek NOC president Minos Kyriakou, USOC president Larry Probst, Great Britain NOC president Colin Moynihan, Russian NOC president Leonid Tyagacheve and Mrs. Tyagechev, Mrs. Avtyakina, Mr. Karkulov, Russian Ski Federation general secretary Georgi Mnatsakanov.
PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS:
Alberta: Ministers Cindy Ady and Linday Blackett, executive director Russ Tynan. Manitoba: Min. Eric Robinson and Carhterine Robinson, special assistant Matthew Williamson, director Rob Kennedy, assistant director Michael Benson, aboriginal consultant Lisa Meeches; Nova Scotia: Min. Carolyn Bolivar-Getson, executive asst. Elmer Garger, senior director Games Tracey Williams; Ontario: Min. Margaret Best, sports policy advisor Clarecia Christie, director Janie Romoff; Quebec: Min. Michelle Courchesne, deputy min. information and communication Marie-CLaude Champoux, political attache Sebastien Lachaine; Yukon: Premier Dennis Fentie, asst. Sheila Clark.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND FIRST NATIONS:
Federal Winter Games Secretariat director general David Robinson, regional dept. liaison Jacquie Prokopanko, Michelle Yao, Min. of Canadian Heritage James Moore, regional exec. dir. Denny Gelinas, exec. dir. Denis Racine, dep. min. Judith LaRocque, asst. dep. min. Marie-Genevieve Mounier, asst. dep. min. Nicole Bourget, integrated federal services director Gail Stewart, Sport Canada dir. gen. Gilles Dery, Dept. Foreign Affairs dir. Steve Cote, Public Works reg. dir. gen. Alain Trepanier, Western Economic Diversification asst. dep. min. Gerry Salembier, Richmond MP Alice Wong, RCMP Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit Asst. Comm. Bud Mercer, Four Host First Nations directors Julie Baker, Ruth Dick, Allyson Fraser, Connie Wilson, Lil-wat chief Leonard Andrew, Musqueam chief Ernie Campbell, Tsleil-Waututh chief Leah George-Wilson, Squamish chief Bill Williams.
MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT:
Ed Fast (Abbotsord), Richard Harris (Cariboo-Prince George), Chuck Strahl (Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon), John Cummins (Richmond East), Nina Grewal (Fleetwood-Port Kells), Cathy McLeod (Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo), Ron Cannan (Kelowna-Lake Country), Jim Abbott (Kootenay-Columbia), Mark Warawa (Langley), James Lunney (Nanaimo-Alberni), Sukh Dhaliwal (Newton-North Delta), Andrew Saxton (North Vancouver), Stockwell Day (Okanagan-Coquihalla), Colin Mayes (Okanagan-Shuswap), Randy Kamp (Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge-Mission), Jay Hill (Prince George-Peace River), Russ Hiebert (South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale), Dona Cadman (Surrey North), John Duncan (Vancouver Island North), John Weston (West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea-to-Sky country).
MAYORS:
Coquitlam: Richard Stewart, New Westminster: Wayne Wright, North Vancouver District: Richard Walton, Surrey: Dianne Watts, Victoria: Dean Fortin, West Vancouver: Pamela Goldsmith-Jones, Richmond: Malcolm Brodie; Vancouver: Gregor Robertson; Whistler: Ken Melamed.
Mayors
Ft. St. John: Bruce Lantz; Golden: Aman Virk; Invermere: Gerry Taft; Kamloops: Peter Milobar; Kelowna: Sharon Shepherd; Langley: Rick Green; Lillooet: Dennis Bontron; Merritt: Susan Roline; Nanaimo: John Ruttan; Nelson: John Dooley; Osoyoos: Stu Wells; Penticton: Dan Ashton; Port Alberni: Ken McRae; Port Hardy: Ben Parnham; Powell River: Stewart Alsgard; Prince George: Dan Rogers; Prince Rupert: Jack Mussallem; Queen Charlotte: Carol Kulesha; Quesnel: Mary Sjostrom; Revelstoke: David Raven; Salmon Arm: Marty Bootsma; Sechelt: Darren Inkster; Smithers: Cress Farrow; Squamish: Greg Gardner; Terrace: David Pernarowski; Tofino: John Fraser; Trail: Dieter Bogs; Vernon: Wayne Lippert; Williams Lake: Kerry Cook.
100 Mile House: Mitch Campsall; Abbotsford: George Peary; Burns Lake: Bernice Magee; Campbell River: Charlie Cornfield; Central Coast dir. Rhoda Bolton; Chilliwack: Sharon Gaetz; Courtenay: Greg Phelps; Coquitlam: Richard Stewart; Cranbrook: Scott Manjak; Creston: Ron Toyota; Dawson Creek: Mike Bernier; Duncan: Phil Kent; Fort Nelson: Bill Streeper.
CITY OF VANCOUVER:
Dir. Olympic transportation Dale Bracewell, Coun. David Cadman, Coun. George Chow, VPD chief JIm Chu, Coun. Heather Deal, dir. community relations Olympic and Paralympic operations Greg Eng, Coun. Geoff Meggs, managing director Cultural Services Sue Harvey, dir. Olympic and Paralympic ops. Paul Henderson, Coun. Raymond Louie, project manager Olympic and Paralympic ops Joe Martignago, Parks Board general manager Susan Mundick, Coun. Andrea Reimer, dep. city manager James Ridge, Coun. Tim Stevenson, Coun. Ellen Woodsworth, Coun. Suzanne Anton, asst. city mgr. Wendy Au, city mgr./VANOC board member Penny Ballem.
CITY OF RICHMOND:
Councillors: Linda Barnes, Derek Dang, Evelina Halsey-Brandt, Greg Halsey-Brandt, Sue Halsey-Brandt, Ken Johnston, Bill McNulty, Harold Steves; GM law and community safety Phylis Carlyle, GM Olympic office Jeff Day, chief admin. George Duncan, GM planning Joe Erceg, GM public works Robert Gonzalez, GM corporate services Mike Kirk, GM finance Andrew Nazareth, dir. Olympic office Kate Sparrow, sr. mgr. communications Ted Townsend, GM parks and recreation Cathy Volkering-Carlil, dir. Olympic legacies Gary Young, dir. major projects Greg Scott.
Richmond Olympic Oval board: Roger Barnes, Vic Farmer, Moray Keith, Stanley Kwok, Umendra Mital, Anna Nyarady, Michael O'Brien (chairman), Linda Sanderson, David Thom; Richmond Chamber of Commerce exec. dir. Craig Jones, president Leslie Mathieson.
Richmond Olympic Oval: general manager John Mills; Richmond School Board: supt. Bruce Beaistro; chair Linda MacPhail; Richmond Spirit Committee/Torch Relay Community Task Force chair Ed Gavsie; RIchmond Sports Council co-chair Jim Lamond; Tourism Richmond pres. Chris Browne, exec. dir. Tracy Lakeman.
DISTRICT OF WEST VANCOUVER:
Dir. Olympic services and projects Josie Chuback, chief administrator Grant McRadu, 2010 Leadership team Andrea Southcott, Richard Warke.and Rob Whittle.
RESORT MUNICIPALITY OF WHISTLER:
exec. dir. 2010 Games Jim Godrey, Coun. Grant Lamont, Coun. Ted Milner, Coun. Christopher Quinlan, strategic alliance mgr. John Rae, Coun. Tom Thompson, Coun. Eckhard Zeidler.
CITY OF SURREY:
Asst. city mgr. Dan Bottrill, mgr. parks and rec. Laurie Cavan; Coun. Linda Hepner, acting mgr. film and special events Dan Nielsen; Spirit of BC committee co-chair Bill Reid.
SPONSORS/PARTNERS/OTHERS
HBC exec Joe Ferraro, Tourism BC VP Raymond Chan, Tourism Vancouver VP Walt Judas, 3M corp. comm. Cathie Hastings, Marnie McKerlie, business development mgr. Barry Parkinson, Acer marketing director Gianpeiro Morbello, Acklands-Grainger Steve Ince, Leslie Murray, Aggreko dir. North American events Gary Meador, Air Canada dir. marketing Denis Vandal, Aquilini Investment Group dir. of development Michael Guenter, Atos Origin chief integrator Magnus Alvarsson, Barnescraig and Assoc. Games ambassador Tricia Smith, BC Hydro CEO Bob Elton, dir. 2010 initiatives Ann English, BC Lottery Corp. 2010 director Monica Bohm, Bell Canada VP Loring Phinney, Bell Web Solutions gen. mgr. communications Zahra Rajani, Birks VP Dan Kratchovil, Blake Cassels and Graydon Marvin Storrow, Bombardier dir. communications, Isabelle Rondeau, senior advisor Karina Ruffo Leduc; Britco dir. strategic planning Chris Garder.
Pemberton Medical Clinic Hugh Fisher, Canada Line Jane Bird, Canada Post mgr. stamp program Elia Anoia, sponsor and events officer Evelyn Carleton, dir. marketing and communications Catherine Riggins, Canada Wide Magazines Peter Legge, Canadian Pacific man. marketing and communications Monique Blough, Dan Winiski, Canwest VP Jamie Pitblado, CC Rennie Marketing Systems Angelica Yang, Century Plaza Hotel and Spa Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia, BC Pavilion Corp. CEO Warren Buckley, KidSport Canada CEO Sandra Stevenson, Sport BC CEO Paul Varian, ex-Vancouver mayor Philip Owen, Canadian Olympic Committee Dave Bedford, COC Kathrin Mertens, Lou Raganin.
Aboriginal Youth First coordinator Amy Johnson; B.C. Lions dir. corporate partnerships Phil Adams, Connor Adams, sr. mgr. marketing Terri Breker, head coach and GM Wally Buono, dir. communications Jamie Cartmell, VP business George Chayka, dir. operations Devon Guest, dir. community relations Jamie Taras, sr. mgr. ticket sales Justin McIntyre; Vancouver Whitecaps
Head coach Teitur Thordarson, asst. coach Todd Wawrousek, residency head coach Bart Choufour.
PREMIER'S ATHLETIC AWARDS:
Athletes: Ruky Abdulai, Blanca Adolf, Tyler Allison, Lauren Barwick, Derrick Bassi, Hirendra Bhartu, Khristina Blajkevitch, Thomas Brinknman, Victoria Chong, Marlene Cleutinx, Ryan Cochrane, Kristina Collins, Robert Couzens, Matt Crosby, Sam Danniels, Jasmyne DenHollander, Shaun Dhillon, Miranda Dick, James Dunaway, Dustyn Fisher, Jordan Fraser, Keith Gagnon, James Gemmell, Curtis Gerein, Wiktoria Glowczynski, Mithcell Grandberg, Shona Guerrero, Nikolai Haessig, Nigel Harman, Tarrah Harvey, Nicole Haywood, Jessica Hewitt, Peggy Hsien, Harry Jones, Sue Kim, Savannah King, Adrian Lee, Melody Liang, Daniel Longo, Michelle Lord, Stacie Louttit, Dorothy Ludwig, Ross MacDonald, Matt MacKenzie, Charlotte Mackie, Demetra Mantcheva, Shanice Marcelle, Alysson Marshall, Michael Mason, Tik Maynard, Maddison McCammon, Kathleen McDonald, Scott McGrandle, John McRoberts, Matthew Neumann, Toby Ng, Robbie Patterson, Gord Perrin, Jeffrey Phillips, Monica Pinette, Joninne Pinnell, Rebecca Pretious, Brenna Price, Conrad Pridy, Cory Rasmussen, Ryan Reid, Darrell Robinson, Jacqueline Roy, Michael Rusk, Richard Scammell, Helen Schettini, Jody Schuurman, Cassandra Shier, Jasvir Singh, Kerry Spearing, Hudson Stewart, Megan Tandy, Nick Taylor, Donovan Tildesley, Jackie Trautman, Katie Turney, Mathew Venner, Sabriana Versteeg, Jusleen Virk, Kevin Vos, Morgan Weller, Christopher Werrell, Elisha Williams, Katelynn Williams, Veronica Winter, Avital Yarosky.
AMATEUR SPORTS TEAMS (note: names were censored at source)
KidSport figure skating: 1 coach, 4 skaters
Phoenix Gymnastics: 99
Richmond City Galaxy: 1 manager, 1 coach, 5 players
Richmond Crashers U-7: 5 players, 3 coaches, 2 parents
Richmond Devils U-9: 1 coach, 2 asst. coaches, 12 players
Richmond Girls U-7: 1 coach, 6 players
Richmond Girls U12 Rangers: 1 coach, 1 player
Richmond Girls U16 Force: 1 coach, 9 players
Richmond Gladiators U9: 5 players, 3 fathers, 2 mothers, 1 coach
Richmond Hornets U7: 11 players, 1 coach
Richmond Madrid Selects: 6 players
Richmond Rangers U11: 1 manager, 5 players
Richmond Rangers U12: 1 manager, 1 coach, 20 family
Richmond Rapidas U18: 1 coach, 2 players
Richmond Rebels U15: 6 players, 1 manager
Richmond Red Hot Raiders U10: 1 coach, 2 players
Richmond Red Hot Selects: 7 players
Richmond Red Hot Selects and Richmond Madrid Selects: 1 coach
Richmond Red Rockets U7: 1 coach, 5 players
Richmond Soccer: 1 coach, 38 players
Richmond Soccer U10 Bullets: 13 players, 1 coach, 1 asst. coach
Richmond Soccer U12 Hornets: 11 players, 1 manager, 1 coach, 1 asst. coach
Richmond Soccer U8 Penguins: 1 coach, 3 players
Richmond Soccer Wolf Pack U-13: 1 manager, 1 coach, 1 asst. coach, 15 players
Richmond Stingers U-5: 1 coach, 33 players
Richmond Superstars U-8 Girls: 1 coach, 5 players, 9 family members of players
Richmond Terminators U-10: 7 players, 1 coach
Richmond U-18 soccer: 1 coach, 19 players
Richmond U-15 Strikers: 1 coach, 14 players
Richmond Vipers U10: 6 players 1 coach
Richmond Devils Tier I midget female hockey team: 1 coach, 1 asst. coach, 1 asst. coach/mgr., 16 players
Inner City lacrosse group: 1 parent/VP minor, 1 parent/pres., 1 parent/head ref., 1 parent equipment, 1 past pres., 1 secretary, 2 grandparents, 26 players
Strathcona Community Centre: 50 inner city youth
KidSport BC: 3 child participants; dir. Pete Quevillon
MEDIA (note: 24 hours was added later and attended):
AP: Jeremy Hainsworth; CP: Stephanie Levitz, Jonathon Hayward; CTV (no name); Fairchild radio Ivy Ng, TV Philip Yong, Shelley Huang; Global Chinese Press: Frank; Global TV: Simon Bonaface; Globe and Mail: Rod Mickleburgh, John Leehmann; Ming Pao: Eric Chan; Omni TV: Fiona Law, Jeff Bassi and cameraman; Sing Tao: Xim (Simon) Uchen, QiWen (Wendy) Li; Westca: QiWen (Wendy) Li, Bin (Robin) Wan; World Journal: Carol Shiao, Robert Chu;
CP: Julie Scott; CTV: Sarah Galashan; Fashion magazine: Rebecca Tay; Globe and Mail: Matt Sekeres; Nuvo magazine: Claudia Cusano; Reuters: Stephen Keating; TSN: Farhan Lalji; Sharp magazine: Carol Besler; Vancouver Sun: Ray Constantineau;
China: World Traveller: Lin Ying Xu, Jun Xue Zhang; Italy: Sky TV: Eleonora Cottarelli, Salvatore Di Fresco; Germany: ARD First German TV: Thorsten von Wege, Mass Abedi, plus camera and sound people; Focus: Fritz Schwab; Japan: Asahi newspaper: Keiji Kasaki, Toshihiro Kitagawa, Kyodo News: Mitsuko Volek, Yomiuri NY: Takafumi Okada, Staoshi Oga; Yomiuri: Shunjiro Endo; South Korea: Yonhap: Byong Guy Park, Yun Jung Haung, Tae Ho Kim, Jae Ho Lee; Spain: Lifetime: Josep Miguel Perez Perello; Switzerland: Keystone: Alexandra Way, SF1: TBD, Sportinformation: Jolanda Van der Graaf; United Kingdom: The Telegraph: Nick Smith; USA: Omega TV: Roger Bartley, Aaron Johnston, Rayn Kerbes.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Update on the Vancouver 2010 Olympic blunderdome
NDP house leader Mike Farnworth said the priority of taxpayer-owned B.C. Pavilion Corporation should be to immediately fix the latest woes that plague B.C. Place Stadium. He also said management should be re-evaluated because, for the second time in 15 months, management is under fire for a lack of training and procedures. The stadium is also cited in a City of Vancouver electrical bylaw order after a March 10 incident.
This time it's WorkSafe BC, the provincial workplace safety regulator, which charged Pavco under section 115(2)(e) of the Workers Compensation Act. Without proper training and procedures, the workplace is unsafe.
Pavco president Warren Buckley did his best to stick up for those working under him at the dome. So much that he claims they are properly trained... but maybe not so well-trained that he would dispute the findings of the WorkSafe BC investigation.
Bill Bennett, the Liberal cabinet minister responsible for Pavco and the stadium, didn't respond to interview requests via his East Kootenay campaign office or his office at the Legislature.
So where is VANOC in all of this?
Silent and too scared to talk.
The Vancouver Olympic committee moves in this November, after the B.C. Lions' Canadian Football Season is over, and occupies the stadium until late March 2010. I repeatedly phoned and e-mailed vice-president of communications Renee Smith-Valade and media relations director Chris Brumwell on Tuesday seeking an interview with CEO John Furlong, venue manager Ron Cameron and/or ceremonies producer David Atkins. None were made available to answer questions.
B.C. Place Stadium is where the Games will begin Feb. 12, 2010 and end Feb. 28, 2010. Those two events will draw the biggest TV audiences and rake-in the biggest ticket take for the entire Games. It is the most important spectator venue of the Games. It may be argued that it is the most important building in the province for the time being. Certainly VANOC must value the stadium and be concerned about how it's being operated? If another disaster like Jan. 5, 2007 happens during the Olympics, British Columbia will be the Most Embarrassed Place on Earth.
Is it just me, or does it appear there is a collective finger-crossing among the powers that be, as they hope and pray beyond all hope that the roof won't come down because somebody screws up?
This time it's WorkSafe BC, the provincial workplace safety regulator, which charged Pavco under section 115(2)(e) of the Workers Compensation Act. Without proper training and procedures, the workplace is unsafe.
Pavco president Warren Buckley did his best to stick up for those working under him at the dome. So much that he claims they are properly trained... but maybe not so well-trained that he would dispute the findings of the WorkSafe BC investigation.
Bill Bennett, the Liberal cabinet minister responsible for Pavco and the stadium, didn't respond to interview requests via his East Kootenay campaign office or his office at the Legislature.
So where is VANOC in all of this?
Silent and too scared to talk.
The Vancouver Olympic committee moves in this November, after the B.C. Lions' Canadian Football Season is over, and occupies the stadium until late March 2010. I repeatedly phoned and e-mailed vice-president of communications Renee Smith-Valade and media relations director Chris Brumwell on Tuesday seeking an interview with CEO John Furlong, venue manager Ron Cameron and/or ceremonies producer David Atkins. None were made available to answer questions.
B.C. Place Stadium is where the Games will begin Feb. 12, 2010 and end Feb. 28, 2010. Those two events will draw the biggest TV audiences and rake-in the biggest ticket take for the entire Games. It is the most important spectator venue of the Games. It may be argued that it is the most important building in the province for the time being. Certainly VANOC must value the stadium and be concerned about how it's being operated? If another disaster like Jan. 5, 2007 happens during the Olympics, British Columbia will be the Most Embarrassed Place on Earth.
Is it just me, or does it appear there is a collective finger-crossing among the powers that be, as they hope and pray beyond all hope that the roof won't come down because somebody screws up?
Monday, April 27, 2009
Workers at risk in Vancouver's Olympic stadium
January 5 was the first Friday of 2007. Canada was winning the world junior hockey championship, live on TSN. B.C. Place Stadium operations manager Brian Griffin was under the big top.
Before the noon hour was over, the roof ripped under an avalanche of heavy, wet snow and ice and collapsed. Controlled deflation was the euphemism du jour. Kind of a wardrobe malfunction, but for a stadium. The images were seen around the world. International media noticed because it's the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies. You can still see eyewitness video on YouTube.
A week later, general manager Howard Crosley continued to deny snow was a factor.
A year later, he had to eat his words when Geiger Engineers and the stadium's Joint Health and Safety Committee confirmed what I reported from day one: the stadium's snow melting system was not employed on Jan. 5, 2007, despite several alarms that snow was piling up on the air-supported fabric roof.
The Joint Health and Safety Committee Investigation Report; B.C. Place Roof Deflation Incident of Jan. 5, 2007 said "a general 'blindness' and lack of understanding and training related to the roof support systems, operating within an environment where policies and procedures were full of holes, had allowed snow accumulation to go unnoticed. Poor or very little roof‐in crisis identification, assessment and training along with conflicting control room systems all came into play to cause the damage to the west triangle panel."
Geiger's Oct. 12, 2007 Roof Deflation Incident Investigation Engineer's Report said:
Operating staff should receive additional training in the behaviour of air-supported roofs structure under various loads and conditions; Instruction on the behaviour of the roof in response to various commands to the control system; and regular refresher courses should be given.
Fast forward to April 9, 2009, two years and three months after the incident... one year and three months after the reports were published...
A WorkSafe BC investigator found B.C. Place Stadium in violation of the Workers Compensation Act because "The employer has not provided the control room operators, responsible for the air supported roof, with adequate information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure the health and safety of those workers in carrying out their work and to ensure the health and safety of other workers in the workplace."
The investigator also found the Joint Health and Safety Committee defied the Act by not meeting in February, March and December 2008.
It's all in a nine-page report that arrived via a plain brown envelope.
This is the Olympic Stadium for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Will the roof fall again before or during the Olympics?
This is the property of the people of British Columbia, operated by the B.C. Pavilion Corporation whose chairman is David Podmore, friend of Premier Gordon Campbell and president of Concert Properties, whose chairman is VANOC chairman Jack Poole.
This is the building that is undergoing $365 million in renovations, apparently without a funding formula and business plan. I have sought it via Freedom of Information. I wonder if it exists? All we have, so far, are these three-and-a-half pages.
Will this be the west coast's version of Montreal 1976's Big Owe?
Before the noon hour was over, the roof ripped under an avalanche of heavy, wet snow and ice and collapsed. Controlled deflation was the euphemism du jour. Kind of a wardrobe malfunction, but for a stadium. The images were seen around the world. International media noticed because it's the site of the 2010 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies. You can still see eyewitness video on YouTube.
A week later, general manager Howard Crosley continued to deny snow was a factor.
A year later, he had to eat his words when Geiger Engineers and the stadium's Joint Health and Safety Committee confirmed what I reported from day one: the stadium's snow melting system was not employed on Jan. 5, 2007, despite several alarms that snow was piling up on the air-supported fabric roof.
The Joint Health and Safety Committee Investigation Report; B.C. Place Roof Deflation Incident of Jan. 5, 2007 said "a general 'blindness' and lack of understanding and training related to the roof support systems, operating within an environment where policies and procedures were full of holes, had allowed snow accumulation to go unnoticed. Poor or very little roof‐in crisis identification, assessment and training along with conflicting control room systems all came into play to cause the damage to the west triangle panel."
Geiger's Oct. 12, 2007 Roof Deflation Incident Investigation Engineer's Report said:
Operating staff should receive additional training in the behaviour of air-supported roofs structure under various loads and conditions; Instruction on the behaviour of the roof in response to various commands to the control system; and regular refresher courses should be given.
Fast forward to April 9, 2009, two years and three months after the incident... one year and three months after the reports were published...
A WorkSafe BC investigator found B.C. Place Stadium in violation of the Workers Compensation Act because "The employer has not provided the control room operators, responsible for the air supported roof, with adequate information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure the health and safety of those workers in carrying out their work and to ensure the health and safety of other workers in the workplace."
The investigator also found the Joint Health and Safety Committee defied the Act by not meeting in February, March and December 2008.
It's all in a nine-page report that arrived via a plain brown envelope.
This is the Olympic Stadium for the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Will the roof fall again before or during the Olympics?
This is the property of the people of British Columbia, operated by the B.C. Pavilion Corporation whose chairman is David Podmore, friend of Premier Gordon Campbell and president of Concert Properties, whose chairman is VANOC chairman Jack Poole.
This is the building that is undergoing $365 million in renovations, apparently without a funding formula and business plan. I have sought it via Freedom of Information. I wonder if it exists? All we have, so far, are these three-and-a-half pages.
Will this be the west coast's version of Montreal 1976's Big Owe?
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Private guards to cost more than Mounties at 2010 Games?
They're they go again. The RCMP announced almost $130 million in spending on private security guards and surveillance equipment on April 16 while they thought we were only paying attention to the British Columbia election campaign and Stanley Cup playoffs. Expect a deal with an American-led consortium for rent-a-cops to cost more than the RCMP's own estimate for staffing the airport-style venue checkpoints with Mounties!
Owe, Canada!
Owe, Canada!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
SkyTrain getting turnstiles, but no lifesaving barriers
SkyTrain is getting FareGates and SmartCards for $100 million in spring 2010, the federal and B.C. governments and TransLink announced on April 9.
I say it's AboutTime. Others might wonder WhatTook SoLong?
The 1986-opened rapid transit system has always operated on the honor system. As such, it's prone to fare evasion. How many tens of millions of dollars of missed revenue is anyone's guess. A transit police force was hired to levy outrageous fines and zap offenders.
Gregor Robertson made a $1 mistake and got a $173 ticket for going two zones on a one zone ticket. It was a minor controversy in last fall's mayoralty race until the Vancouver Olympic Village financing scandal exploded. Robertson paid his fine and is now mayor.
Many bigger and smaller rapid transit systems that already have turnstiles have also erected barriers on platforms to prevent passengers from slipping and falling or jumping onto tracks. At least 54 people have died on SkyTrain tracks. Ten of the deaths were ruled accidental, the rest were suicides.
Systems in Beijing, Hong Kong, Torino, London and Las Vegas have platform barriers. Some of them are floor to ceiling glass doors. They prevent death and serious injuries. They also offer new advertising sales opportunities. There are no platform barriers on the new Canada Line.
When a death happens on SkyTrain tracks, it generally means a three-hour service disruption while the body is removed, area sanitized and investigation completed. It inconveniences those who are rerouted or delayed. It traumatizes those who are eyewitnesses. It is a tragedy for the victim's family. The saddest part of it all? It's preventable.
The local cop-out is that SkyTrain cars have varying lengths and dimensions and may not be compatible with sliding platform doors. If humans can develop methods to safely travel to space and back or jam an encyclopedia on a computer chip smaller than your pink finger, surely an innovative, life-saving solution can be found for the DeathTrain.
In the meantime, SkyTrain CEO Doug Kelsey and Transportation minister Kevin Falcon live in denial with their heads buried in sand and fingers crossed tight, hoping and praying that nobody slips and falls or jumps on SkyTrain or Canada Line tracks during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Now that would ruin the VANOC transportation plan. Big time.
I say it's AboutTime. Others might wonder WhatTook SoLong?
The 1986-opened rapid transit system has always operated on the honor system. As such, it's prone to fare evasion. How many tens of millions of dollars of missed revenue is anyone's guess. A transit police force was hired to levy outrageous fines and zap offenders.
Gregor Robertson made a $1 mistake and got a $173 ticket for going two zones on a one zone ticket. It was a minor controversy in last fall's mayoralty race until the Vancouver Olympic Village financing scandal exploded. Robertson paid his fine and is now mayor.
Many bigger and smaller rapid transit systems that already have turnstiles have also erected barriers on platforms to prevent passengers from slipping and falling or jumping onto tracks. At least 54 people have died on SkyTrain tracks. Ten of the deaths were ruled accidental, the rest were suicides.
Systems in Beijing, Hong Kong, Torino, London and Las Vegas have platform barriers. Some of them are floor to ceiling glass doors. They prevent death and serious injuries. They also offer new advertising sales opportunities. There are no platform barriers on the new Canada Line.
When a death happens on SkyTrain tracks, it generally means a three-hour service disruption while the body is removed, area sanitized and investigation completed. It inconveniences those who are rerouted or delayed. It traumatizes those who are eyewitnesses. It is a tragedy for the victim's family. The saddest part of it all? It's preventable.
The local cop-out is that SkyTrain cars have varying lengths and dimensions and may not be compatible with sliding platform doors. If humans can develop methods to safely travel to space and back or jam an encyclopedia on a computer chip smaller than your pink finger, surely an innovative, life-saving solution can be found for the DeathTrain.
In the meantime, SkyTrain CEO Doug Kelsey and Transportation minister Kevin Falcon live in denial with their heads buried in sand and fingers crossed tight, hoping and praying that nobody slips and falls or jumps on SkyTrain or Canada Line tracks during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Now that would ruin the VANOC transportation plan. Big time.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Want Olympic tickets? Join the government
VANOC sold $94.7 million of tickets during last fall’s Canadian ticketing phase. More go on sale June 6. Just how many were available then or will be available in June is a closely guarded secret.
VANOC has deliberately put the focus on nabbing scalpers. But tens of thousands of tickets worth millions of dollars are being bought with your tax dollars for use by politicians and bureaucrats. Slowly, but surely, some of those governments are ‘fessing up on how many they’re buying.
City of Richmond disclosed at its April 5 meeting that it ordered 732 tickets for $196,990 and it assumes half the cost will be recovered through sales to the city’s 2010 partners, such as Tourism Richmond, Richmond Chamber of Commerce and the School Board.
City of Vancouver voted March 24 to spend $340,000 on 1,700 tickets, with the assumption that the net cost to taxpayers will be $217,000. In January, the city’s acting Freedom of Information clerk Chris Shin told me that she had 17 pages of Specialty Client Ticket Request documents and she wasn’t giving me any of them. She was kind enough to omit “nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah” from her letter.
Yes, that's the same City of Vancouver that Mayor Gregor Robertson rules. That's the same Mayor Gregor Robertson who promised openness and accountability when he was sworn in last December. "When the city uses your money, you have a right to know where it’s being spent, and what it’s being used for," he said.
Richmond and Vancouver claim they need to buy so many tickets so they can host 1,600 international and domestic dignitaries.
According to its May 26 Venue City Contribution Agreement, Surrey can buy 50 tickets to the opening ceremony and 50 tickets to the closing ceremony plus an average 60 tickets per day, including 10 to prime access events like hockey playoffs and figure skating. That’s a total of 1,120 tickets. Whistler is even more secretive. It dealt with ticket purchases at a closed-door meeting.
BC Hydro and ICBC, both Crown corporation sponsors of VANOC, won’t say how much they spent. But they did say how many they ordered after my FOI request.
BC Hydro got 1,520 tickets to 43 events. ICBC got 2,264 to 56 events. The costs were almost entirely censored, except for one entry that showed “icky-bicky” bought 134 tickets for Feb. 21, 2010 at a cost of $19,090.
My calculator says if ICBC spent $19,090 every day of the Games, the bill would be $324,530.
Appeals seeking full and complete disclosure from Vancouver, ICBC and BC Hydro have been filed with the Office of the Freedom and Information Commissioner in Victoria.
Meanwhile, Tourism British Columbia allowed all regular employees who were successful in buying tickets in last fall's public phase to apply for a six-month, no-interest loan of $500 to $4,000. Still no word from the Crown corporation on how many employees applied and how much dough was doled out.
VANOC has deliberately put the focus on nabbing scalpers. But tens of thousands of tickets worth millions of dollars are being bought with your tax dollars for use by politicians and bureaucrats. Slowly, but surely, some of those governments are ‘fessing up on how many they’re buying.
City of Richmond disclosed at its April 5 meeting that it ordered 732 tickets for $196,990 and it assumes half the cost will be recovered through sales to the city’s 2010 partners, such as Tourism Richmond, Richmond Chamber of Commerce and the School Board.
City of Vancouver voted March 24 to spend $340,000 on 1,700 tickets, with the assumption that the net cost to taxpayers will be $217,000. In January, the city’s acting Freedom of Information clerk Chris Shin told me that she had 17 pages of Specialty Client Ticket Request documents and she wasn’t giving me any of them. She was kind enough to omit “nyah, nyah, nyah, nyah” from her letter.
Yes, that's the same City of Vancouver that Mayor Gregor Robertson rules. That's the same Mayor Gregor Robertson who promised openness and accountability when he was sworn in last December. "When the city uses your money, you have a right to know where it’s being spent, and what it’s being used for," he said.
Richmond and Vancouver claim they need to buy so many tickets so they can host 1,600 international and domestic dignitaries.
According to its May 26 Venue City Contribution Agreement, Surrey can buy 50 tickets to the opening ceremony and 50 tickets to the closing ceremony plus an average 60 tickets per day, including 10 to prime access events like hockey playoffs and figure skating. That’s a total of 1,120 tickets. Whistler is even more secretive. It dealt with ticket purchases at a closed-door meeting.
BC Hydro and ICBC, both Crown corporation sponsors of VANOC, won’t say how much they spent. But they did say how many they ordered after my FOI request.
BC Hydro got 1,520 tickets to 43 events. ICBC got 2,264 to 56 events. The costs were almost entirely censored, except for one entry that showed “icky-bicky” bought 134 tickets for Feb. 21, 2010 at a cost of $19,090.
My calculator says if ICBC spent $19,090 every day of the Games, the bill would be $324,530.
Appeals seeking full and complete disclosure from Vancouver, ICBC and BC Hydro have been filed with the Office of the Freedom and Information Commissioner in Victoria.
Meanwhile, Tourism British Columbia allowed all regular employees who were successful in buying tickets in last fall's public phase to apply for a six-month, no-interest loan of $500 to $4,000. Still no word from the Crown corporation on how many employees applied and how much dough was doled out.
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