The story of how the 2010 Olympics came and went

A decade of political debate, protests and fevered anticipation. Two years of economic upheaval. Seventeen days of Olympic glitches and glory. The price? More than $6 billion. This is the story of how the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, came and went.

Canadians celebrated coast-to-coast-to-coast the record 14 gold medals won by their Olympians in Vancouver, Richmond, West Vancouver and Whistler. The politicians and sponsors who staged the event were quick to declare it a grand success. But was it?

Governments involved in the Games of the Great Recession were never forthcoming with all the costs, but were constantly selling the benefits. Vancouver, constantly striving to be “world class,” got new transportation, convention and recreation facilities. The massive spending diversion put a strain on hospitals, schools and courts.

The athletes of 82 nations who competed at the biggest, most expensive Winter Olympics in history didn’t all return home. Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died on opening day in a crash at the extreme Whistler Sliding Centre, sparking questions about whether Games officials really did all they could to ensure safety.

It was the most dynamic period in British Columbia history and the Olympics were at the foreground or background of every major government decision. The scandal, the controversy, the tragedy and the comedy. Broken promises, false expectations and Canada's greatest party.

Red Mittens & Red Ink: The Vancouver Olympics by Bob Mackin is a cautionary tale of what happens when a boom goes bust while preparing to welcome the world. All seen through the expert observations of a journalist who was along for the bumpy ride.

This is more than a story of the thrill of victory and agony of defeat. It is about fear and greed, unity and division, celebration and anguish, life and death.

It is red mittens and red ink.

Available NOW as an e-book from Smashwords.com for $8.99. Click here.

Almost no Olympic anniversary events... on stolen native land

If you're looking for hoopla to mark the second anniversary of the Feb. 12, 2010 opening of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, you'll be disappointed.

There are no provincially funded events for the second anniversary, according to Richelle Funk of the Community, Sport and Cultural Development ministry. The Olympic cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza will not be reactivated, according to the Vancouver Convention Centre's Jinny Wu.

Ex-Premier Gordon Campbell, now Canada's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, is speaking at the Vancouver Board of Trade lunch in the Vancouver Convention Centre on Feb. 10.

The B.C. Sports Hall of Fame at B.C. Place Stadium, the 2010 Games ceremonies venue, is hosting its Red Mitten Weekend on Feb. 11 and 12 with half-price admission and VANOC CEO John Furlong autographing his "Patriot Hearts" memoir from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Richmond Olympic Oval, Hillcrest Community Centre, Whistler Olympic Park and Whistler Sliding Centre are open to the public.

Is the lack of celebration a sign of Olympic fatigue in post-Stanley Cup riot Vancouver?

Luge slides back to 2010 Olympics venue

Felix Loch has mastered the Whistler Sliding Centre.

The German won the Olympic gold medal at the track during the 2010 Games and he was atop the podium again Dec. 9 during the second International Luge Federation world cup stop of the 2011-2012 season.

Loch’s combined time of 1:36.48 was 0.278 better than fellow German Johannes Ludwig. David Moller, the 2010 Olympics silver medallist, completed the German podium sweep.

“I like the fast track here, the start is good for me, it's not too steep. It's good for all Germans. The sled was today very fast,” Loch said. “The track became more safe, those nations that are not on the level of Germany, they are learning and getting better on this track.”

Calgary's Sam Edney was fifth in 1:37.061. Edney's seventh-place in the Olympics at Whistler was a best for a Canadian in men’s singles.

“Five Germans and a Canadian (among the last six) -- it's clear to me where they have that edge, at the start,” Edney said. “This has got to be the best track in the world. The feeling you get when you're sliding down you can't express it, the speed and that feeling of that adrenaline rush. Hearing the crowd as you're sliding down is one of the coolest things you can ever feel as you're sliding.”

Italy's Armin Zoggeler, the 2002 and 2006 Olympic champion and bronze medallist in 2010, was a disappointing 13th.

The first FIL world cup in Whistler was in 2009 when Moller won gold, Zoggeler silver and Loch bronze. Ludwig was fourth and Edney 12th.

* * * * *

In the men's doubles, 2010 Olympic champions Andreas and Wolfgang Linger of Austria won gold, beating countrymen Peter Penz and Georg Fischler by 0.244. Italians Christian Obsertotz and Patrick Gruber were third.

Linger and Linger established a doubles track record of 41.255 seconds. Penz and Fischler, however, are FIL leaders after two rounds of the nine-stop World Cup tour, which continues next weekend in Calgary. The Lingers are second.

Canada's Tristan Walker and Justin Smith were 10th.

* * * * *

No sliders from Georgia have competed in the first two rounds of the FIL world cup. But Georgia’s flag was displayed in memory of Nodar Kumaritashvili.

The 21-year-old died after crashing near the end of his last training run on Feb. 12, 2010, the opening day of the 2010 Winter Olympics. A small flag marks the spot where the tragedy happened.

A bigger flag is outside the track offices, near the Olympic podium.

The start area for women’s races continues to be used, as it was the day after Kumaritashvili’s crash. A safety audit ordered by the British Columbia Coroners Service was conducted by the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. The results are expected to be made public in the first quarter of 2012.

During the summer of 2010, concrete on curves 12 to 16 was modified with the blessing of FIL and the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation. More changes are coming.

Whistler Sliding Centre begins its second season of public skeleton rides on Dec. 16. On Dec. 22, it launches a public bobsled program. The two-hour courses are $149. The bobsled experience includes professional pilots. Retired Canadian legend Pierre Lueders, the 1998 Olympic champion and two-time world champion, will be among the guest pilots this winter.

* * * *

The official attendance wasn’t announced. In diplomatic terms, other things must have occupied the collective interest of Whistler locals and visitors. There were more athletes and reporters at the end of the track than there were fans.
Whistler is host of the 2013 world championships.

Three more years?

Since 2008, it has been the best and cheapest place in Vancouver to witness tragedy and comedy. The seats are new and comfy and there is even “free” wifi.

I’m talking about Vancouver city hall, at Cambie and 12th. Government is not supposed to be so entertaining. But that’s how it has been under Vision Vancouver's management.

In my 21-year career, no single government I have followed has dealt with so much upheaval in such a short amount of time. Governing an Olympic city before, during and after the Games has proven harder than Vision Vancouver ever imagined. On Nov. 19, it will be up to the voters to decide whether Mayor Gregor Robertson and his Vision Vancouver-dominated city council should be rewarded.

Robertson overcame an unpaid SkyTrain ticket and rode the Olympic Village financing scandal to victory in the 2008 election. His administration has been anything but the moderate, business-like one that was promised. At a time of global and local socio-economic upheaval demanding no-frills, cost-conscious government, Vision Vancouver has made bike lanes and chicken coops priorities. I haven’t seen any rogue roosters on the streets yet, but I found evidence that helmet and safety bylaws are not being properly enforced.

It all seemed to unwind for Vision Vancouver just before the Olympics, with the firing of chief electrician Ark Tsisserev for nothing more than cost-cutting. The original spin was that Tsisserev had retired or quit. Instead, his lawyer threatened a wrongful dismissal lawsuit and the city changed its tune. Ark floated away with a nice golden parachute.

Tsisserev had red-flagged concerns about safety at Olympic sites, including the Olympic Village. During the Games, a barrier collapsed at the City of Vancouver’s David Lam Park live site when the crowd surged. I found out later that city hall knew there were serious safety concerns because: A) none of the officials had not figured out the maximum capacity of the site and B) the emergency exits were locked and nobody knew where to find the key!

So 19 people were injured and nine hospitalized on Feb. 16, 2010 in the worst crowd control incident of the Olympics. There are at least two lawsuits against the city. One girl’s flesh was ripped from her leg in the melee.

After the Games, more chaos with city hall oversight and infrastructure.

It’s lucky nobody was killed in a demolition gone-wrong on Hornby Street or a hazardous materials incident on Nelson Street at the old B.C. Hydro building, now the Electra apartments and offices. Both incidents exposed city hall regulatory shortcomings. There were sinkholes in South Vancouver and downtown that affected major transportation routes and harmed businesses. There was a propane explosion at the Vancouver Christmas Market, on the day it was to open.

And then the ultimate tragedy -- the preventable deaths of three men before Christmas 2010 in an illegal rooming house on Pandora Street. Common sense says the city should have acted swiftly and decisively and condemned the building and found the men suitable accommodation elsewhere. But that did not happen. Inspector Carlene Robbins sued in the aftermath.

After the Games, Robertson went to New York City in spring 2010 to make him look like a statesman back home, but instead spent much of his time meeting with New York-based party supporters. Chief of staff Mike Magee held mysterious “hosting” functions at bars and restaurants in the Big Apple, but kept secret the identities of his guests.

Robertson was caught calling concerned citizens “fucking hacks” after a lengthy council meeting. Some of those “hacks” were members of his own party. Randy Helten got so angry at Vision Vancouver, he started his own party called Neighbourhoods for a Sustainable Vancouver.

The Mayor’s Office hired a spin doctor who in turn hired a blogger to attack other bloggers and the media. It was officially a contract for “conversation mining.”

Researcher Vivian Krause probed Vision Vancouver’s intricate web of campaign financing. Her fair questions about whether American interests are breaking Canadian laws and influencing Vancouver policy making have gone unanswered. Vision Vancouver bagman Joel Solomon lobbied deputy city manager Sadhu Johnston to find a spot for one of his coffee company investments.

Of course, that should have been the job for the Vancouver Economic Commission, but it was too busy trying to pad the results of its Olympic business promotion while hiding the real information from nosy journalists.

Journalists have been stymied, under Vision Vancouver, because of city manager Penny Ballem’s gag order for staff. Meanwhile, the city communications budget has skyrocketed and the Freedom of Information office gutted. The city has fought tooth and nail against those who have sought copies of important reports. It even decided to withhold key information about contracts and spending on the Stanley Cup fan zone until after the election!

Robertson promised in his swearing-in speech that transparency was a top priority. No ifs, ands or buts.

"That accountability must extend to every aspect of City Hall. When the city uses your money, you have a right to know where it’s being spent, and what it’s being used for. When leaders fall short of that standard, public confidence is shaken.

"Over the next three years, we will rebuild that confidence, and ensure transparency, accountability and public debate at City Hall.

"Politicians do not always live up to that responsibility, I know. But I also know that there were literally thousands of people voting last November for the very first time.

"My commitment to them, on behalf of every member of my team, is that I will not let you down on making City Hall more open and accountable."

What is the Mayor hiding? The election will come and go with not a single rioter or looter being charged in Vancouver, yet Robertson, city manager Penny Ballem, Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu and Deputy Chief Doug Le Pard have gone out of their way to protect their reputations amid criticism they failed the public on June 15. No fun city? No fault city.

Unelected, $300,000-a-year-plus Ballem was appointed a member of the VANOC board after her 2008 hiring and has used her power to spend $2.32 million on used VANOC furniture and computers and to sign a contract that keeps Olympic financial and board documents secret until 2025. She did so without council approval and denies conflict of interest. Shouldn’t citizens who employ her be the ultimate judge of that question?

The Mayor is supposed to be the number one cheerleader for business in the city, but the juice company he co-founded made a bee-line for Burnaby a year after the Olympics and quietly closed up its Downtown Eastside warehouse and office. Robertson claims he owns less than 10 percent of shares but was noncommital when I asked him the simple question: did you make any effort to persuade the majority shareholders to maintain a Vancouver presence?

The Olympic Village remains a story without end. When a municipal auditor general is finally appointed, this project must be the first he or she probes. Vision Vancouver inherited the mess from previous COPE and NPA dominated city councils and has continued to keep citizens in the dark about how much the real loss is.

On the eve of the election, lawyers for the Occupy Vancouver protesters were trying to thwart the city's bid to disband the anti-corporate greed tent village on the Vancouver Art Gallery's north plaza. (Y'know, where the B.C. government replaced the green grass with bark mulch after the Olympics.)

Robertson could have enforced bylaws to remove tents and structures in the days after the Oct. 15 rally. He could have followed the lead of Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn and sought a compromise that included issuing of permits to the protesters, so that they could exercise their right to freedom of speech and assembly while adhering to reasonable bylaws. McGinn served protesters coffee and his council voted to support the movement. Robertson claims he has visited the Occupy Vancouver site, but my repeated questions have turned up no proof of dates or times of any such visits.

Robertson didn’t and now his city hall’s failure to provide safe and ample homeless shelters to the city's weakest people is an issue for the defence lawyers.

The last three years have been a treasure trove of stories. Those of us in the media thrive on conflict and controversy.

Citizens of Vancouver who pay the bills probably don't share that sentiment. They want a responsible, compassionate and transparent government that upholds laws, protects and respects all citizens (and their rights) and, most of all, spends public money wisely.

Do they really want three more years of Vision Vancouver?

We'll find out on Nov. 19.

Three years later, more questions than answers

October 14 is an ominous day for the history of the City of Vancouver.

Vancouver city council voted unanimously in a closed-door meeting on that day in 2008 for a $100 million bailout of Olympic Village developer Millennium. Financier Fortress Credit Corporation, an arm of a Wall Street hedge fund, walked away from the deal in the wake of $65 million in cost overruns and the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy. Fortress exploited a loophole in the deal in which Vancouver city hall agreed to fund the project if Millennium faltered.



When Globe and Mail columnist Gary Mason broke the story on Nov. 6, 2008, it was the turning point in the civic election. Ex-NDP MLA Gregor Robertson and his Vision Vancouver party swept to power over Coun. Peter Ladner and the NPA. Robertson became the Olympic mayor and is seen in the photo above giving the key to the Olympic Village to Millennium owners/brothers Shahram Malekyazdi and Peter Malek at the public opening on May 15, 2010.

Not even a month after Robertson was sworn-in, he proclaimed after a Jan. 9, 2009 technical briefing that taxpayers were "on the hook" for the $1.1 billion athletes' village. Premier Gordon Campbell and his B.C. Liberals amended the Vancouver Charter to allow the city to borrow without a referendum. The village was refinanced and opened in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Post-Games sales were so dismal that Millennium Southeast False Creek Properties was petitioned into receivership on Nov. 17, 2010 because of a $740 million debt. Ernst and Young took over and rebranded Millennium Water as The Village on False Creek for its February 2011 relaunch. The controversy is bound to be on voters' minds as the Nov. 19 civic election approaches.

City manager Penny Ballem gleefully showed off a list of properties in an April 8, 2011 presentation that Millennium agreed to give the city. She claimed the city would recover between $56 million and $70 million but end up with a projected $48 million loss once all condos were sold in the next couple of years.

Lo and behold, filings from the Land Title Office that I obtained show that Ballem signed a form on Feb. 2, 2011 to discharge Millennium from a mortgage that was worth $1 billion on Sept. 14, 2010. See my Vancouver Courier story here.

A debenture signed Oct. 14, 2008 -- the same day as the $100 million secret bailout -- shows Millennium admits that it was really "on-the-hook" for $1 billion.

"The Grantors (Millennium Development, Millennium Properties, et al) jointly and severally make the agreements set out in this debenture and jointly and severally acknowledge themselves liable to and promise to pay to or to the order of the city, ON DEMAND, the principal sum of one billion ($1,000,000,000) dollars at such place as the city may designate by notice in writing to the grantors and to pay interest on the principal sum outstanding from time to time… at the rate of 20% per annum both before and after demand, default and judgement."

Millennium English Bay Properties was among the seven arms of Millennium listed as a grantor on the debenture. Millennium EBP is also a partner in the Alexandra condo tower under construction at Davie and Bidwell. It is to contain 49 rental suites, as per Mayor Gregor Robertson's controversial Short Term Incentives for Rental program intended to increase rental housing in the city. Here is a critical look at STIR by the West End Neighbours, who are opposed to Alexandra.

Neither Ballem nor Millennium's Malekyazdi responded to repeated requests for an interview.

The questions remain.

Could the City of Vancouver have negotiated for or seized more of Millennium's assets, so as to avoid leaving taxpayers with a loss on the Olympic Village?

Did Millennium's commitment to build politically motivated rental apartments in the Alexandra tower cause city hall to go soft on Millennium in the 2011 election year?

See the Land Title Office documents for yourself.

Premier Christy Clark plans to introduce an auditor general for municipalities. Here's hoping that the Olympic Village mess is the first matter examined by the watchdog.

BB1700884_2010-09-14_1billion

BB1742182 Release Van

Big Wow or the New Big Owe?

It is finally here. Sept. 30, 2011.

B.C. Place Stadium is reopening with a new retractable roof. The big top with the big cost. The first indoor Olympic stadium. The supporting cast includes a massive video screen that I call the “Titanic tube under the tarp.” Can’t forget the new Terry Fox Plaza with Doug Coupland’s simple, powerful four statues of the late, great Canadian crusader against cancer, forever heading west.

Those attending the B.C. Lions' Friday Night Football meeting with the Edmonton Eskimos or the Oct. 2 Vancouver Whitecaps’ Major League Soccer game against the Portland Timbers are advised to arrive early, with tickets in-hand. The stadium has new staff and systems that have not had a full-scale dress rehearsal. The margin of error is great, whether it’s toilets that haven’t been flushed since the Paralympics’ opening ceremony or the new 54,500 red and grey seats. Can’t forget the roof, which crews rushed to finish sealing amid this week’s early fall storms.

Executives of Stantec Architecture and Schlaich Bergermann and Partner engineering have told me that the stadium is safe for the public to enjoy, but it will not be 100 percent finished for several weeks. They believe the finer details of items not yet installed or functional will not be obvious to the untrained eye.

For more about the history of the stadium and its controversial rebirth, read my feature here from the Vancouver Courier.

The stadium is the source of great public discourse in British Columbia, especially because it's financed by taxpayers. Here are the five reasons for and against the $563 million investment.

Why B.C. Place Stadium is the Big Wow:

First of its kind. Never before has an air-supported dome been deflated, the structure been reinforced and a cable-stayed retractable fabric roof been built above. If it works, this could be touted worldwide as an engineering marvel.

Sustainability. Instead of demolishing and rebuilding elsewhere, the 1983-built shell was recycled and retrofitted. Air conditioning was not included in the original project, but the retractable roof and adjustable louvers will introduce fresh air and natural light.

Provincial playroom. No city that claims to be world class is without a sizable stadium. Vancouver is fortunate to have a stadium right smack-dab downtown, rather than the suburbs.

Urban flair/flare. When B.C. Place Stadium opened in 1983, it was the catalyst for the downtown Vancouver of today. Without it, the city would probably not have hosted Expo 86 or the 2010 Winter Olympics and neither would there be a forest of condominium and office towers downtown, connected to the suburbs via rapid transit. The province and the city are banking on the renovated stadium to spur local real estate tycoons, such as Francesco Aquilini and Terry Hui, to develop northeast False Creek.

Soccer magnet. The stadium was the leverage needed to get the Vancouver Whitecaps into Major League Soccer. It is a candidate to host the 2015 Women’s World Cup final and is big enough to compete with Seattle’s CenturyLink Field to host international matches, including visits by European giants like Manchester United and Barcelona. Canadians do not live on hockey alone and soccer is the most-played team sport in British Columbia.


Why B.C. Place Stadium is the New Big Owe:

First of its kind. Never before has an air-supported dome been deflated, the structure been reinforced and a cable-stayed retractable fabric roof been built above. If it doesn’t work, this could be touted worldwide as an engineering mistake, on-par with Montreal's 1976 Olympic Stadium.

Money pit. Even with the Whitecaps becoming the main tenant, with twice as many home dates as the B.C. Lions, B.C. Place will remain reliant on trade shows for revenue. Don’t be surprised if it keeps getting operational subsidies from government. The stadium has never been a money-maker on its own. As for the $563 million capital cost, the stadium opens without a naming rights sponsor (though Telus is still waiting in the wings) and without certainty of a commercial leaseholder (Edgewater Casino can move but city hall won’t let it expand, casting doubt over the deal).

No baseball. PavCo justified the retractable roof by encouraging summertime events. It also erected the second-largest videoboard in North America. The shoebox-style, centre-hung videoboard is so massive that it may fail a Major League Baseball inspection. That would mean no spring training visits from the boys of summer. PavCo opted for the massive screens because it felt the advertising generated year-round would far outweigh an annual weekend exhibition series.

Soccer knocker. B.C. Place’s renovation essentially killed the dream of Greg Kerfoot to build Whitecaps Waterfront Stadium north of Gastown on land coveted by the local real estate industry.

In the hole. The stadium itself is more transparent with bright new entries and of course with the new retractable roof. But there is no transparency for those who paid for it. The citizens of British Columbia. The business case was deemed a cabinet document when I requested it via Freedom of Information in 2009. The government pegged the budget at $365 million four months before the 2009 election campaign. Five months later, the price had ballooned to $563 million. We don’t know how much the Whitecaps and B.C. Lions are paying for rent or whether their wealthy owners were ever asked to invest in the project. Since 2001, the B.C. Liberal government has privatized BC Rail and certain functions of BC Hydro. Why does the government insist on holding onto a stadium that should instead be managed or owned by a private entity?

What do you think?

Comment below, Tweet @bobmackin or email me at the link in the right column.

Man of the people will be missed

That's a screen grab from the most-watched TV program in Canadian history, the Feb. 28, 2010 gold medal hockey game between the United States and Canada at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. (If you didn't save it, you can get your own DVD copy of CTV Olympics' Hockey Gold 2010).

Look closely. That's NDP leader Jack Layton and his wife Olivia Chow. They're wearing red and singing "O Canada."

Instead of being inside Vancouver's Rogers Arena (which was originally General Motors Place, but known as Canada Hockey Place during the Games), Layton and Chow were with the people to witness Sidney Crosby's golden goal at the climax of the Vancouver Games. Layton and Chow were with the people, at Gretzky's in downtown Toronto.

When you watch the DVD of the historic hockey game, you'll see Sid the Kid's great goal and you'll see Layton and Chow singing the national anthem.

On Aug. 22, 2011 it is the people of all political stripes and ways of life across Canada that are mourning the cancer death of Layton. The 61-year-old New Democratic Party leader guided his party to Official Opposition status in the 2011 federal election. Quite a feat for a party that the pundits thought was destined for third place. Quite a feat for a man who had already suffered cancer once.

Why was Layton so popular? Easy. He seemed like a trustworthy uncle to a nation. He's been called the best Prime Minister Canada never had.

On February 28, 2010, Canadians, including Layton, put aside their differences and wore red and white.

Today, think of wearing some orange, to remember Jack.

Cypress silver medalist dead

Jeret "Speedy" Peterson died of suicide on July 25 in Lambs Canyon, Utah, just three days after being arrested for allegedly drinking and driving. Peterson was born in 1981 in Boise, Idaho.

A report by KTVB said Peterson called police before the incident and told them where they could eventually find his body.

Peterson won silver in freestyle skiing's aerials competition at Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver on Feb. 25, 2010. Vancouver was Peterson's third Olympics. He almost never made it there after a battle with depression, drugs and drink.

On Feb. 24, 2006, four years and one day before his silver on Cypress, Peterson was sent home from the Turin Olympics after being involved in a drunken fight with his best friend in front of Italian police.

Here's what he had to say after earning second spot on the podium at the Vancouver Games:

On performing his signature move, the Hurricane, to take the silver:
"I'm ecstatic. I've had trouble landing it this year. This is the best day of my life. I can't tell you - to finally land the Hurricane in competition, especially in the Olympics. I'm not going to pick it apart."

On how much courage it took to get back to the Olympics after personal problems:
"I don't know if it takes any courage. It's knowing that there's a light at the end of the tunnel and you just have to keep trying different ways to find the light."
"I can't talk about it. It's been that bad. I'm lucky to be here."

UPDATE: More about Peterson's final days and how, no matter how much he tried, he could not overcome a series of ugly, disturbing incidents since his childhood in this story. See the Associated Press video report here.

Exclusive: Hansen wanted a run for the border

How did the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics torch relay take a detour into the United States?

On Feb. 9, 2010, Sarajevo 1984 skiing champion Phil Mahre carried the flame through the Peace Arch from Blaine, Wash., to Surrey, B.C.

A March 6, 2008 letter (obtained via Freedom of Information) from Olympics minister Colin Hansen to VANOC CEO John Furlong proposed "the spirit of the Games be spread even further" by including the State of Washington in the Olympic torch relay.

Exclusive: B.C. government wanted Olympic torch to go south

Talk of the Olympic torch going below the 49th parallel had been ongoing for more than a year between key Liberal insiders and the government of Washington. Here's a brief timeline of how it developed.

A May 29, 2007 memo by Mark Jiles of the Progressive Group to Mary Rose, director of 2010 Programs for the Washington government, said "We have had a number of conversations with the 2010 Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) around the idea of having the torch relay enter the State of Washington on its way to Vancouver… Jim Richard (sic), director of the 2010 Torch Relay is prepared to recommend that Washington State be included in the plan that he is preparing to bring to the Board of Directors in mid-2007."

A news release by B.C. and Washington after a June 8, 2007 joint cabinet meeting said: "The jurisdictions have also pursued shared economic, Olympic and tourism opportunities, seeking ways for Washington to participate in events leading up to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games."

The Progressive Group is the consultancy run by Liberal insider Patrick Kinsella. In its dealings with the Washington government, Progressive pledged to "facilitate opportunities for Washington State to develop important relationships" with Olympic decision-makers, including the arrangement of meetings with Hansen and his top staffers, plus Furlong and VANOC chairman Jack Poole. Kinsella ran the Liberals' 2005 election win. Jiles was Premier Gordon Campbell's constituency campaign manager. Kinsella also ran Christy Clark's successful Liberal leadership win in 2011.

The company's proposal to Washington said: "Progressive Group is located in the heart of downtown Vancouver, while at the same time has a presence in the Provincial capital of Victoria and a foot into the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee."

Exclusive: VANOC and winter in South Africa

From one port city popular with tourists to another. From the southwest corner of Canada to the southeast coast of Africa.

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics chief executive John Furlong took a break from his recent appointment as co-chairman of the Stanley Cup Riot Review for a previously scheduled engagement in Durban, South Africa to attend the International Olympic Committee’s 123rd session. Furlong was there to present the official report of the Vancouver Winter Olympics on July 7, exactly 494 days since the Games closed at B.C. Place Stadium.

The last, major act of VANOC -- in public view, at least -- finished just after 1:30 a.m. PDT, while most Vancouverites slept. More than 12 hours earlier, PyeongChang, South Korea's third consecutive bid for the Winter Games won the 2018 hosting rights.

“It seems fitting that with the arrival of a new Olympic region, PyeongChang, that it's time for us to say goodbye,” said Furlong, pictured above right with International Ice Hockey Federation president Rene Fasel. “We could feel all the emotions they were feeling throughout the day, having lived that experience ourselves.”

Furlong called the wind-up of VANOC “substantially complete."

“We’re very close to being no longer and by this time next year, we will, in fact, be no longer.”

Furlong summarized the main achievements of the Games to the IOC members at their first annual general meeting since the Feb. 9-11, 2010 session hosted at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver.

Furlong was joined by executive vice-president Terry Wright, chief financial officer John McLaughlin, marketing vice-president Andrea Shaw and legal vice-president Dorothy Byrne to deliver “With Glowing Hearts/Des plus brilliants exploits -- VANOC Official Games Report/Rapport Officiel des Jeux -- COVAN.” That report has not been published back home, but the IOC has released an abbreviated version called Staging the Olympic Winter Games.

"We had much heartbreak and happiness, lots of adversity and celebration, but somehow we managed to achieve the vision that we set out for ourselves,” Furlong said.

As an aside, Furlong told the IOC members that B.C. Place Stadium reopens “in October”. (Does he know something we don’t or is it still truly on track for the Sept. 30 B.C. Lions meeting with the Edmonton Eskimos?)

Oddly, VANOC's Staging the Games report was created Nov. 4, 2010 but withheld from the media last fall when only the post-Games financial report and sustainability report were published simultaneously on Dec. 17. Read the Staging the Games report below.


Statistics from Staging the Olympic Winter Games:

Accommodation
12,033 Olympic hotel rooms in Vancouver
2,959 Olympic hotel rooms in Whistler
151 Paralympic hotel rooms in Vancouver
544 Paralympic hotel rooms in Whistler
2,850 Whistler Olympic Village population
2,730 Vancouver Olympic Village population

Accreditation
96,428 pass-holders for the Olympics
26,931 pass-holders for the Paralympics
2,803 Olympic writers, photographers and non-rights holding broadcasters
483 Paralympic writers, photographers and non-rights holding broadcasters

B.C. Place Stadium
100,000 kilograms of gear suspended from the air-supported fabric roof
360 rigging points
1.8 kilometres of trussing

Media relations
645 news releases issued 2005-2009
330 issues notes/key messages documents created 2005-2009

Procurement
63 kilometres fence fabric
550 trailers
250 sea containers
39,000 minor signs
550 major signs
600 road signs
2,016 contracts
5,452 purchase orders
$1,585,006,424 value

Transportation
4,629 auto fleet
1,259 buses and vans
9,704,537 litres of fuel
25,851 vehicle access and/or parking passes
65 kilometres of Olympic lanes in Vancouver

Staging the Olympic Winter Games Knowledge Report

Village vexation and victory

It has been six months since Vancouver city hall's bombshell petitioning of Millennium Southeast False Creek Properties into receivership over a then-$740 million debt on the Olympic Village, which reopened May 15, 2010.

On May 18, court-appointed receiver Ernst and Young published its second update to the British Columbia Supreme Court.

Here are the highlights:

Residential resiliency and rage

Occupancy is 60 percent. Of the 737 market units, 528 are rented or sold. The 119 units in three market rental buildings are fully leased. But 104 of the city-owned 252 “affordable” units remain empty. E&Y estimates 767 of the 1,108 total units in the development will be occupied by July 31.

Marketer Bob Rennie’s campaign "has resulted in 124 sales or unconditional offers that have closed or are awaiting completion, having a gross sales value in excess of $86 million".

"This is an outstanding beginning to the marketing process, and substantially accelerates the receiver's timetable for populating," said the E&Y report.

E&Y said that it paid $57 million to city hall from the sales of strata units.

Fifty-seven is a significant number elsewhere in the report, which questions the credibility of lawsuits filed in March and April by owners of 57 units in five parcels.

E&Y points out that the B.C. Supreme Court filings don’t name SEFC Properties as a defendant, but only charge the City of Vancouver and the companies set up to sell the condo buildings with misleading disclosure statements and shoddy workmanship. The plaintiffs want refunds. The city and Salescos have fought back with defence statements. The report said the lawsuits have impacted public perception of the development.

E&Y takes issue with the videos of condominium chaose released by the buyers’ lawyer Bryan Baynham.

E&Y speculates the famous clip of water cascading through a pot light would have been shot in October 2010 "when a toilet overflowed while the unit's occupant was not at home, with the result that there was water damage to the unit on the floor below. The resulting damage was repaired shortly thereafter, prior to the receiver's appointment."

Another clip showing an exposed ceiling would have happened in late November 2010 when “the first cold weather of the season exposed the fact that the heating system had not been routinely maintained, and many units throughout the Village on False Creek experienced problems”.

E&Y admits there were 1,990 reported deficiency claims but only 193 were outstanding as of May 5. Of those remaining, 106 are cosmetic.

"Construction deficiencies are common in all real estate developments, but the completion of the deficiencies at the Village on False Creek was substantially in arrears when the Receiver was appointed.”

As if to further tarnish the suing residents, the E&Y court filings include an email exchange between a person, whose name has been censored, and E&Y’s Michelle Grant.

In a Jan. 13, 2011 email, with the subject “The hoops have been jumped through”, the disgruntled buyer takes issue with the deficiencies and the glacial speed of New Home Warranty.

"We need to come to terms by the end of the week or the media blitz I have planned will ensure zero sales until May...”

A separate email said the person "managed to re-connect with an old friend (name deleted) you may know him as he was NBC's London Bureau Correspondent for the last couple of years and has recently been called back to New York. We talked about the possibility of doing a Dateline on the Olympic Village and they would even contact my crew."

In yet another email, the person says: "What do you think will happen when taxpayers find out their money is being used to screw over my parents… do the right thing and void my parent's (sic) contract.”



Careful about commercial

The Village’s commercial offerings remain slim with only a TD Bank and the Legacy Liquor Store. Discussions continue with London Drugs and Overwaitea Food Group. While both have “expressed their confidence” in the Village, E&Y says “occupancy levels… will be critical to firming up their opening dates."

Overwaitea planned since 2007 to open an Urban Fare upscale grocery store in the Village, but now it may not. It was given a $900,000 tenant improvement allowance to design, build and outfit the space. No work was performed, but the company repaid the funds. E&Y maintains there are other grocers interested in the space allotted for Urban Fare.

London Drugs has been built-out and awaits installation of fixtures. Its opening, however, "remains dependent on the opening of an anchor grocer tenant."

A Terra Breads location will open by July 1 at Athletes Way and Manitoba Street near the seawall. The Daniel Group, which operates the Mill Marine Grill at Coal Harbour, has an agreement in principle to open the Village Kitchen restaurant and bistro in spring 2012 at the Creekside Community Recreation Centre. A proprietor of a medical office has made a conditional offer to occupy a spot next to the TD Bank this fall.

BrandLive, the company behind pavilions for Vancouver and Alberta during the 2010 Winter Olympics, was hired to make the Village a destination for community events. Tentatively scheduled are the following:

Teddy Bears Picnic (June 15, July 16, Aug. 20); Carnivale (June 16-19); Sunrise Yoga (Saturdays from June 18-Aug. 27); Village Famers Market (July 8, 15, 22, 29; Sept. 2, 9, 16, 23); Village Buskers Festival (July 8-9) and Summer Screen outdoor movies (Aug. 4, 11, 18, 25).

Bottom line

So, how much is this costing? Ernst and Young revealed that during the Nov. 17, 2010 to April 8, 2011 period, it racked up more than 5,000 hours of work and billed $1.67 million (excluding out of pocket and administrative expenses and HST).

Between Nov. 17 and April 30, it received $65.4 million cash, including $48.3 million from the sale of units, and disbursed $23.3 million.

In April, city hall forecast a $48 million loss on the Olympic Village after taking control of $45 million worth of Millennium Development properties to pay down the $757.9 million debt.

Will the ex-VP become an MP?

This time last year, there was a lot of buzz around VANOC CEO John Furlong and whether he would stay in the public eye and run for public office. It was one-way hype.

Furlong always issued an abrupt denial when asked. What's more, his leadership of the Vancouver Olympic committee was a tiring, nearly decade-long campaign fraught with politics and economics. He once said he would have done his job with a paper bag on his head if he could have. Despite his rousing speeches and sometimes feisty answers to relentless journalists, Furlong always seemed a tad reluctant to be in the public eye.

Different story for Taleeb Noormohamed. Noormohamed, 34, is a former VANOC vice-president of strategy and partnerships who worked closely with Furlong. That's Noormohamed with Furlong pictured above at the United Nations in October 2009. The charismatic, intelligent North Shore-raised Noormohamed was born in 1976 (after the Montreal Olympics) in Ottawa and he wants to go back to the nation's capital. This time as the Member of Parliament for North Vancouver.

Noormohamed is running for the Liberal Party in the May 2 election against incumbent Conservative Andrew Saxton. It was at a Noormohamed-hosted rally for Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff that the legendary Nardwuar the Human Serviette convinced Ignatieff to do the Hip Flip. One of the best moments of the campaign, I say.

I caught up with Noormohamed on election eve.

Q: Talk about the experience of running for office in this election.

"It's been a really good opportunity to hear the issues and talk to as many people as you can. I've knocked on thousands of doors, I would hazard to guess, I would say over 4,000 doors.

Q: What have you learned about yourself and the process?

Taleeb: "It's a process that requires you to really trust in people and you have to be willing to work extremely hard. I've been knocking on doors quite literally eight hours a day. This is a team sport and so many people are doing this with you and around you.

"It's a very humbling experience, you have to really be aware of how important elections are to people and how seriously people take them. I've heard people share some amazing and very sad challenges they're facing. It really does inspire you to do this and do better for people.

"If I win, I carry this responsibility that I do keep that dialogue going not just when it's election time."


Q: What are your thoughts on the Jack Layton surge and how the campaign has evolved?

Taleeb: "It's very easy to make whatever promise you want when there is almost no chance you're going to form government.

"Mr. Ignatieff has quite literally years of the Conservatives putting out negative media, negative press, leaving Jack fairly untouched. Part of the fundamental image of Ignatieff that was created was created by the very offensive, negative media work done by the Conservatives. At some point, what Mr. Ignatieff had to say got lost in the hype around Jack…

"Mr. Ignatieff got a much rougher ride than the others did. I was surprised that the media let Harper get away with the kind of campaign that he ran, where questions didn't get answered or Conservatives didn't show up for all-candidates meetings. People didn't scrutinize as closely just the fundamental disrespect Harper had for the media in this campaign."

Meanwhile, though Furlong did not become a candidate, he did endorse Gary Lunn, the Conservative running for re-election in Saanich and the Gulf Islands. See the photo below. Lunn was the junior sport minister before and during the Vancouver Olympics. Furlong appeared at the opening of Lunn's campaign office on April 3.

VANOC needed more taxpayers' money -- including at least $74.4 million directly from the federal government -- because of the Great Recession. The Conservatives have still not disclosed the final bill to taxpayers for the Vancouver Olympics, yet Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been campaigning across the country while wearing his Team Canada jacket. At least one political blog has noticed and it even posted a gallery of Harper modelling the jacket. The Canadian Olympic Committee did not respond to my query about whether Harper signed a commercial rights agreement to use the jacket in such a way.

On May 2, voters get to decide which party forms government and, ultimately, which leader can attach himself to the Olympic rings.

The Vancouver Olympics Cables: Day 4

From Feb. 15, 2010, as published April 28, 2011 by WikiLeaks

10VANCOUVER70 2010-02-15 22:10 2011-04-28 00:12 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Consulate Vancouver

UNCLAS VANCOUVER 000070

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR DS/TIA
STATE FOR DS/DSS/DO
STATE FOR DS/P/MECU
STATE FOR DS/DO/P
STATE FOR DS/ICI/CI
STATE FOR DS/T/ATA
STATE FOR DS/TIA/ITA
STATE FOR DS/TIA/PII
STATE FOR DS/TIA/CC
STATE FOR S/CT
STATE FOR CA/OCS/ACS/WHA
STATE FOR DS/IP/WHA
STATE FOR WHA/CAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC KOLY CASC CA PTER AMGT PINR OVIP
SUBJECT: Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics: Situation Report #5

¶1. (SBU) The following report provides security-related
information for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games as of noon
on February 15, 2010. Please visit the following link for
additional classified reporting:
https://nol.nctc.sgov.gov/ng/cgi-bin/nctcHome .cgi?event=Vancouver_2
¶010. The interagency USG Joint Operations Center can be contacted
on a 24-hour basis at 604-692-2509, ext 4013.

SECURITY ISSUES



Protests:



¶2. (SBU) February 14 Protest Activity - The 19th Annual Memorial
Women's March took place from noon to 4 p.m. yesterday. The march
began at the Carnegie Community Centre and proceeded through
Downtown Eastside. This event was not overtly anti-Olympics and
there were no reports of disruptive activity. Vancouver's 36th
Annual Chinese New Year Parade also took place yesterday with no
Olympics-related disruptions.



¶3. (SBU) Current Protest Activity - The second successive "2010
Autonomous Day of Action" is scheduled for today. As evidenced in
Saturday's demonstrations, small groups of anarchists may engage in
acts of vandalism and confrontations with local law enforcement.
An anti-homelessness rally called "No Empty Talk, No Empty Lots" is
scheduled for noon at Pigeon Park (at Carrall and East Hastings
Streets). An "Anti-War and Anti-Militarization Moving Spectacle"
will also take place at the Vancouver Art Gallery (Georgia Street
side) at 6 p.m.

¶4. (SBU) Anticipated Protest Activity - No demonstrations or
protests are scheduled from 16 through 19 February. The next
demonstration is scheduled to be a "Rally for National Housing" on
Saturday, 20 February at the Vancouver Art Gallery beginning at
noon. Diplomatic Security Updates will continue to monitor protest
activity and will provide updates as they become available.



Incidents:



¶5. (SBU) No significant incidents have occurred during this
reporting period.



Threats:



¶6. (SBU) At this time, there are no known specific, credible
terrorist threats against the Vancouver Olympics.



SECURITY OPERATIONS



¶7. (SBU) A vehicle in U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's motorcade
was involved in a minor accident on Sunday when a van in the
motorcade was rear ended by the motorcade vehicle behind it. Two

individuals in the van were taken to a local hospital as a
precaution and were later released. The Vice President's vehicle
was not involved in the accident.



¶8. (SBU) U.S. Vice President Joe Biden departed Vancouver this
morning en route to Washington, D.C.



PUBLIC AFFAIRS/PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

¶9. The Public Affairs desk received an initial inquiry about the
motorcade event from Global TV. We worked closely with White House
staffers to keep them apprised of that initial media call and
provided contingency planning advice in preparation of the news
becoming more widely circulated. We collaborated closely with the
JOC's SWO to keep all parties informed of news coverage, which
ultimately received wide publication in the United States and
lesser coverage in Canada (partly because the winning of Canada's
first Olympic gold medal eclipsed the motorcade accident in
Canadian media).

CONSULAR ISSUES

¶10. An AMCIT has been arrested and charged in relation to the
February 13th disturbance by the Black Bloc anti-V2010 group. ACS
staff report that subject will be transferred from Vancouver PD
custody to CBSA custody, with the expectation that he will be taken
to the Canada-U.S. border in the next couple days. Latest
information indicates that he will face two weapons charges at a
March 15th court date.

¶11. ACS staff has been in contact with the two distinguished
guests of the Vice-President who were involved in the February 14th

VPOTUS motorcade accident. Latest reports indicate that both were
treated at a local hospital and released.

POLITICAL/GENERAL ISSUES

¶12. Vice-President Biden hosted a reception in support of the USOC
at the home of the US Consul General. The event was attended by
approximately 70 guests and featured remarks by the Vice President
supporting US Olympic efforts and the work of the USOC. Following
the reception, Vice-President Biden attended the US-China women's
hockey game where the US defeated China 12-1.

¶13. Unseasonably warm weather conditions continue in the Vancouver
area.

¶14. In an event described by local media as "Our long national
nightmare is over," Canadian men's freestyle mogul skier Alexandre
Bilodeau won the country's first ever Olympic gold medal on
Canadian soil. A schedule and results of all competitions
throughout the Games can be found at
http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-schedule -results/.
CHICOLA

The Vancouver Olympics Cables: Day 3

From Feb. 14, 2010, as published April 28, 2011 by WikiLeaks

10VANCOUVER66 2010-02-14 21:09 2011-04-28 00:12 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Consulate Vancouver

UNCLAS VANCOUVER 000066

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR DS/TIA
STATE FOR DS/DSS/DO
STATE FOR DS/P/MECU
STATE FOR DS/DO/P
STATE FOR DS/ICI/CI
STATE FOR DS/T/ATA
STATE FOR DS/TIA/ITA
STATE FOR DS/TIA/PII
STATE FOR DS/TIA/CC
STATE FOR S/CT
STATE FOR CA/OCS/ACS/WHA
STATE FOR DS/IP/WHA
STATE FOR WHA/CAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC KOLY CASC CA PTER AMGT PINR OVIP
SUBJECT: Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics: Situation Report #4

¶1. (SBU) The following report provides security-related
information for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games as of noon
on February 14, 2010. Please visit the following link for
additional classified reporting:
https://nol.nctc.sgov.gov/ng/cgi-bin/nctcHome .cgi?event=Vancouver_2
¶010. The interagency USG Joint Operations Center can be contacted
on a 24-hour basis at 604-692-2509, ext 4013.



SECURITY ISSUES



Olympic Protests:



¶2. (SBU) February 13 Protest Activity - Approximately 250
individuals - many of them affiliated with so-called "Black Bloc"
anarchist groups - engaged in acts of vandalism during the "Heart
Attack" march, which was apparently part of a broader "2010
Autonomous Day of Action." One group threw red paint at the Hudson
Bay Company store at Granville and Robson Streets and smashed two
windows with a newspaper box. In a similar incident, the Toronto
Dominion Bank sustained damage to one of its street-level windows.
Newspaper boxes, rubbish bins, and caf???? furniture were also
dragged
into the street at various locations to obstruct traffic. Broken
windows and spray paint graffiti on cars and buses were reported at
other locations. Vancouver Police arrested at least seven for
attempted assault at West Georgia and Cardero Streets. The Lions
Gate Bridge was also temporarily closed to vehicular traffic due to
reports that protestors were moving in that direction. The bridge
was never affected and later reopened.

¶3. (SBU) Current Protest Activity - The 19th Annual Women's
March will take place from noon to 4 p.m. today. The march will
begin at the Carnegie Community Centre and proceed through Downtown
Eastside. This event is not Olympics-related, and anti-Olympics
protesters are discouraged from attending. Vancouver's 36th Annual
Chinese New Year Parade, expected to draw up to 20,000 people,
coincides with the march.



¶4. (SBU) Anticipated Protest Activity - Another "2010
Autonomous Day of Action" is scheduled for Monday, February 15. As
evidenced in Saturday's demonstrations, small groups of anarchists
may engage in acts of vandalism and confrontations with local law
enforcement. An "Anti-War and Anti-Militarization Moving
Spectacle" will take place at the Vancouver Art Gallery (Georgia
Street side) at 6 p.m.



Incidents:



¶5. (SBU) Subject Detained at Opening Ceremonies - An
individual who attempted to enter the International Olympic
Committee presidential box inside BC Place during Friday's Opening
Ceremonies using fake accreditation was detained. While the motive
is unclear, the subject is not a known activist and did not appear
to have malicious intent.



Threats:

¶6. (SBU) At this time, there are no known specific, credible
terrorist threats against the Vancouver Olympics.



¶7. (SBU/LES) Alleged threat to Olympics deemed non-credible -
According to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) information,
Vancouver police were notified that an inmate at Pinellas County
Jail, Florida, conversed with a prisoner of Arabic origin regarding
a possible terrorist attack on February 20 involving an aircraft
flown into the main area of the Olympics in Vancouver (NFI). The
FBI ascertained no individuals matching the alleged Arabic inmate
are presently incarcerated. This threat is considered non-credible.






SECURITY OPERATIONS



¶8. (SBU) U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to attend
several Olympic events in Vancouver today. The Vice President is
scheduled to depart Vancouver on Monday, February 15.





PUBLIC AFFAIRS/PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

¶9. Public affairs staff continued to assist White House
advance with setting up press interviews, with Vice President Biden
taping one interview with NBC Saturday evening, and another with
CBS on Sunday morning. The Globe and Mail's Jane Tabor has
requested an interview with Ambassador Jacobson for early next
week. No press inquiries on Olympic-specific topics.



CONSULAR ISSUES



¶10. There is no significant information or activity to report.

POLITICAL/GENERAL ISSUES



¶11. Vice-President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen
Harper held a bi-lateral meeting Saturday. They discussed issues
ranging from security to the economy and the upcoming G8 and G20
summits. (Will be reported septel).



¶12. Unseasonably warm weather conditions, fog, and heavy rain
continue to interfere with Olympic competitions. Olympic officials
have been forced to reschedule many outdoor events.



¶13. During a rainstorm on Cypress Mountain, American women's
freestyle mogul skier Hannah Kearney upset Canadian gold medal

hopeful Jenn Heil to unexpectedly take the first US gold medal of
the Games. Canadian efforts to win a gold medal on Canadian soil,
a feat never achieved in the Winter Olympics, has been a constant
feature of Canadian media coverage leading up to the 2010 Games. A
schedule and results of all competitions throughout the Games can
be found at http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-schedule -results/.







.
CHICOLA

The Vancouver Olympic Cables: Day 2

From Feb. 13, 2010, as published April 28, 2011 by WikiLeaks

10VANCOUVER64 2010-02-13 22:10 2011-04-28 00:12 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Consulate Vancouver

UNCLAS VANCOUVER 000064

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR DS/TIA
STATE FOR DS/DSS/DO
STATE FOR DS/P/MECU
STATE FOR DS/DO/P
STATE FOR DS/ICI/CI
STATE FOR DS/T/ATA
STATE FOR DS/TIA/ITA
STATE FOR DS/TIA/PII
STATE FOR DS/TIA/CC
STATE FOR S/CT
STATE FOR CA/OCS/ACS/WHA
STATE FOR DS/IP/WHA
STATE FOR WHA/CAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC KOLY CASC CA PTER AMGT PINR OVIP
SUBJECT: Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics: Situation Report #3

¶1. (SBU) The following report provides security-related
information for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games as of noon
on February 13, 2010. Please visit the following link for
additional classified reporting:
https://nol.nctc.sgov.gov/ng/cgi-bin/nctcHome .cgi?event=Vancouver_2
¶010. The interagency USG Joint Operations Center can be contacted
on a 24-hour basis at 604-692-2509, ext 4013.



SECURITY ISSUES



Olympic Protests:



¶2. (SBU) March to BC Place Mostly Peaceful - The "Take Back
Our City" march at 3 p.m. yesterday, February 12, drew an estimated
1,000 people before police stopped it near BC Place, the site of
the Opening Ceremonies. Several protesters threw small items and
police arrested a few demonstrators, but the march was mostly
peaceful and dispersed by 7:40 p.m.



¶3. (SBU) Current Protest Activity - Bands of protesters, some
affiliated with the "Heart Attack" march and the "2010 Autonomous
Day of Action," are reportedly circulating throughout the city,
some numbering up to 250. Reports of violence and property damage -
in the form smashing windows of retail stores, damaging cars, and
throwing objects at police officers - are being received. Police
escorts are accompanying several groups, and anti-riot police are
stationed at key locations in downtown Vancouver. The Vancouver
Police Department and Royal Canadian Mounted Police have made

several arrests.



¶4. (SBU) Anticipated Protest Activity - The 19th Annual
Women's March is scheduled from noon to 4 p.m. tomorrow, February
¶14. The march will begin at the Carnegie Community Centre and
proceed through the Downtown Eastside. Anti-Olympic protesters are
discouraged from attending.



Incidents:



¶5. (SBU) There are no incidents to report.



Threats:



¶6. (SBU) At this time, there are no known specific, credible
terrorist threats against the Vancouver Olympics.



SECURITY OPERATIONS



¶7. (SBU) U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived at Whistler
Mountain today and is attending several Olympic events.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS/PUBLIC DIPLOMACY



¶8. The presence of Vice President Biden was mentioned several times
during and after the Olympics' opening ceremony, and the Vice
President was briefly shown on-screen during the march-in of Team
USA on CTV. Prior to the opening ceremony, the VP's meet and greet
with Team USA athletes was covered by Getty, NBC and Associated
Press journalists, which post's public affairs staff worked to get
into the event.





CONSULAR ISSUES



¶9. There is no significant information or activity to report.



POLITICAL/GENERAL ISSUES



¶10. The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics officially opened with a 3
hour celebration at BC Place. During a dramatic display of lights
and music, athletes from around the world were greeted by tens of
thousands of energetic spectators, as well as international

leaders, and celebrities. The elaborate ceremonies placed a special
emphasis on the diversity of Canadian cultural history, especially
aboriginal.



¶11. Post Political/Economic Officer Beau Fancher observed
anti-Olympic protests in downtown Vancouver immediately prior to
Friday's Opening Ceremonies. An estimated 1,000 protesters, many
carrying banners and yelling slogans of various causes from
pro-environment, pro-aboriginal, to anti-capitalist, protested the
Opening Ceremonies. The march was met by massed police lines in a
sometimes tense, but otherwise peaceful demonstration. The
protesters were contained and unable to seriously impede access to
the Ceremonies. The protest was centered at the meeting point of a
main entrance to the Ceremonies and the provincial representative
Alberta House. Many of the protesters carried signs and banners
critical of the controversial development of Alberta oil reserves,
known as "tar-sands." A senior representative from the BC Civil
Liberties Association, a group that has been highly critical of
Vancouver Police Department's (VPD) planned handling of potential
protests, expressed praise for VPD's "measured" response to the
protesters at the Opening Ceremonies.



¶12. Following arrival in Vancouver, Vice President Biden and rest
of the Presidential Delegation attended an afternoon USOC hosted US
athletes' pep rally. The Vice President addressed approximately70
US athletes, wishing them well in their upcoming competitions and
taking the opportunity to speak with each team individually while
taking team photos. The Vice President and Dr. Biden then attended
the GOC hosted Heads of Delegation reception before proceeding to
the Opening Ceremonies. Vice President Biden and the rest of the
Presidential Delegation attended the Opening Ceremonies and stayed
through the entirety of the festivities. Competitions begin this

morning with the first medals awarded in the final round of men's
ski jumping. A schedule and results of all competitions throughout
the Games can be found at
http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-schedule -results/.
CHICOLA

The Vancouver Olympics Cables: Day 1

From Feb. 12, 2010, as published April 28, 2011 by WikiLeaks

10VANCOUVER62 2010-02-12 22:10 2011-04-28 00:12 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Consulate Vancouver

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR DS/TIA
STATE FOR DS/DSS/DO
STATE FOR DS/P/MECU
STATE FOR DS/DO/P
STATE FOR DS/ICI/CI
STATE FOR DS/T/ATA
STATE FOR DS/TIA/ITA
STATE FOR DS/TIA/PII
STATE FOR DS/TIA/CC
STATE FOR S/CT
STATE FOR CA/OCS/ACS/WHA
STATE FOR DS/IP/WHA
STATE FOR WHA/CAN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC KOLY CASC CA PTER AMGT PINR OVIP
SUBJECT: Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics: Situation Report #2

¶1. (SBU) The following report provides security-related
information for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games as of noon
on February 12, 2010. Please visit the following link for
additional classified reporting:
https://nol.nctc.sgov.gov/ng/cgi-bin/nctcHome .cgi?event=Vancouver_2
¶010. The interagency USG Joint Operations Center can be contacted
on a 24-hour basis at 604-692-2509, ext 4013.



SECURITY ISSUES



Olympic Protests:



¶2. (SBU) Minor Disruption of Olympic Torch Relay - As anticipated,
the Olympic Torch Relay encountered minor disruptions as it
circulated through urban Vancouver this morning. At one point, the
relay halted as a knot of activists blocked a downtown
thoroughfare, after which local security personnel and Olympics
officials re-routed it. As of this writing, protest activity has
been light, and there have been no arrests or incidents of property
damage or violence.



¶3. (SBU) Anticipated Protest Activity - The Opening Ceremonies
commences at 6 p.m. today at BC Place Stadium; anti-Olympic
factions - including umbrella organizations like No2010 and the
Olympics Resistance Network - are planning a 3 p.m. "Take Back Our
City" march from the Vancouver Art Gallery to the stadium.
Canadian officials expect between 1,000 and 1,500 protesters during
the rally.

Incidents:



¶4. (SBU) Suspicious Package at SeaBus Terminal Rendered Safe - A
suspicious package was identified Thursday evening in North
Vancouver at Lonsdale quay near the north shore SeaBus terminal.
SeaBus (water taxi) service between Vancouver and North Vancouver
was suspended while RCMP EOD personnel examined the package. There
was additional concern because the package was located near fuel
tanks. RCMP, utilizing a water cannon, neutralized the package and
determined it contained fishing rods and equipment. The SeaBus
terminal subsequently reopened.



¶5. (SBU) U.S. citizen deported from Canada - The Canadian Border
Security Agency deported AmCit Gregory Marks to the United States
after finding an inert hand grenade and pornographic literature in
his vehicle. Marks also possessed a typed paper outlining a
scenario for paragliding into the opening ceremonies of the
Vancouver Winter Olympics. The scenario describes launching from
Whistler with the goal of gaining notoriety. An FBI interview
determined Marks was emotionally disturbed and has no ties to
domestic militia groups.



Threats:



¶6. (SBU) At this time, there are no known specific, credible
terrorist threats against the Vancouver Olympics.


SECURITY OPERATIONS



¶7. (SBU) U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is wheels down in Vancouver
today, February 12, and is scheduled to stay at the Vancouver
Fairmont Hotel.



PUBLIC AFFAIRS/PUBLIC DIPLOMACY



¶8. Public Affairs staff was fully engaged today in attending to
media needs surrounding the opening ceremonies. PA staff from
Mission Canada worked with press staff from the Office of the Vice
President to manage press at the arrival of Air Force 2, the
athletes' meet-and-greet with the Vice President and Ambassador,
and the GOC reception for Heads of delegation. Call volume to the
Public Affairs telephone line in the OCO was light.



CONSULAR ISSUES



¶9. Whistler ACS reported that an alpine skier on the U.S. Olympic
Team was injured in a practice run at Whistler. She has been
evacuated by helicopter from Whistler. DS FLO reports the Amcit
probably had a concussion and was evacuated from Whistler most
likely as a preventative measure. ACS has no further information
about her situation at this time.

¶10. ACS reported the Consulate visit of an Amcit claiming USG
officials had promised her "Olympian" status. ACS spoke to her
mother who indicated that her daughter is not taking her
medication. RSO was able to confirm through CBP that the Amcit
has a return ticket to Ohio on 13 February. ACS will remain alert
to any further developments.



POLITICAL/GENERAL ISSUES



¶11. Celebratory atmosphere in Vancouver is increasing as the
Olympic flame makes it way around the city streets. The flame
crossed over the Lion's Gate Bridge a little before 0700 PST.
Shortly afterward, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
carried the flame through the Park, passing off to past Olympian
Sebastian Coe. The flame will continue a meandering movement
through the city until arriving at the Opening Ceremonies at BC
Place shortly after 2000 PST.



¶12. The only sad news on an otherwise festive day was the report
out of Whistler of the death of Georgian Luge athlete Nodar
Kumaritashvili. Kumaritashvili was on a practice run at the
Whistler Sliding Center when his sled veered out of control up the
side wall at the fastest part of the track. The athlete was thrown
from the sled into a pillar and died of his injuries a short time
later. It was estimated he was traveling at nearly 90 mph at the
time of the accident.



¶13. Vice President Biden and the rest of the Presidential
Delegation to the Opening Ceremonies arrived safely in Vancouver at

noon 2/12. They have a full program in the afternoon, including a
Meet and Greet with U.S. Olympic Athletes and attendance at the GOC
hosted Heads of Delegation reception. The final event is the
Opening Ceremonies, which are scheduled to begin at 1800 PST and
are estimated to last three hours. Preliminary round competition
started this morning in Whistler for the men's individual ski
jumping. Competitions begin in earnest tomorrow morning with the
first medals awarded in the final round of men's ski jumping. A
schedule and results of all competitions throughout the Games can
be found at http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-schedule -results/.
CHICOLA

Behold, the WikiLeaks Vancouver Olympics cables!

Links to the day-by-day reports from the United States consulate in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics. The U.S. State Department had a temporary Joint Operations Center at 1133 Melville Street as well as a temporary installation at Bellingham International Airport.

February 12, 2010

February 13, 2010

February 14, 2010

February 15, 2010

February 16, 2010

February 17, 2010

February 18, 2010

February 19, 2010

February 20, 2010


February 21, 2010

February 22, 2010

February 23, 2010

February 24, 2010

February 25, 2010

February 26, 2010


February 27, 2010

February 28, 2010

Does this mean we can call Ballem "Nickel"?

Penny Ballem is not just Vancouver's $313,577-a-year city manager, but she's also the star of a five-part series of technical briefings on the terminally troubled Olympic Village. Her nickname might as well be "Not for Attribution Senior City Staffer." I'm guessing she'll appear for a curtain call. Part six, anyone?

On April 12, Ballem conducted the post-briefing news conference after her not-for-attribution performance for the media in a second floor meeting room. Coun. Geoff Meggs was in the room, but Mayor Gregor Robertson was not. Robertson also was conveniently off in Burnaby on April 8 for a Metro Vancouver board meeting and didn't want to take a five-minute break to give a cursory comment on a speakerphone. Instead he left the duties to Meggs (who some have called the real mayor).

The April 12 meeting was called in reaction to Gary Mason's Globe and Mail column estimating the loss to taxpayers for the Village to be $230 million. Ballem insists it is just $48 million. She also downplayed Millennium's original $200 million deal for the land. She said it was "aspirational" but never assumed by the accountants. Now the land costs $27 million. Millennium put a $29 million deposit on the land, but the remaining $171 million isn't counted as a loss.

Or is the loss $199 million, if you take the $48 million writedown and add the $87 million for the community centre, Salt Building and parks along plus the $64 million for social housing?

Even if it's just $48 million, that's 48 billion pennies and 153 Ballems -- based on the city manager's annual pay. Sure the city has a billion-dollar Property Endowment Fund (which doesn't meet nor does it publish a list of assets and values), but that $48 million could have been used for better things if the Village had been managed properly by the succession of NPA, COPE and Vision Vancouver councils.

While the city claims to put its stock in auditor KPMG, is it not time for the BC NDP to dust off that letter former leader Carole James sent to Auditor General John Doyle in January 2009? She requested an investigation into the Village's financing. There could not be a better time than now.

The only thing that was truly achieved at the April 12 briefing was a defeat of the city hall communications department's nonsensical attempt to ban reporters from Tweeting and blogging during the briefing. They claimed media outlets complained when a certain reporter (me!) Tweeted during the April 8 briefing. I did so openly and without any restrictions. None of my colleagues objected April 12. Why would they? It's another way to report to readers. The only reason for city hall to attempt an embargo was to control the message.

Enjoy the notices of city hall technical briefings -- all five of 'em! -- and the financial information from the April 12 edition. Bonus content is a Feb. 18, 2009 statement from Mayor Gregor Robertson, patting his party on the back for cutting interest costs to $90 million.


April 12 technical briefing on the Olympic Village





Technical Briefings advisories: collect the whole set!

Statement From the Office of the Mayor