Ain't misbehavin' (just asking questions)

A tanned, yet tense, John Furlong addressed the Vancouver Board of Trade on Feb. 11, the eve of the first anniversary of the 2010 Winter Olympics' opening in Vancouver. It was the first major event in Vancouver of his book tour to promote his memoir, Patriot Hearts.

Furlong's credibility was under attack after revelations by CBC's Fifth Estate that he knew there were serious doubts about safety at the Whistler Sliding Centre in March 2009. Less than a year later, the opening day of the Vancouver Games was marred by the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili near the end of a training run.

After his speech at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Furlong spoke with media. I had to ask him about a key passage in his book where he mentions a secret deal with then Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov before the International Olympic Committee's 2010 host city election in 2003. Vancouver would share notes with and give Russians bidding for the 2012 Summer Games a tutorial. In exchange, Vancouver would get the six or seven Russian votes.

National Public Radio's Howard Berkes was intrigued. He wrote a story that indicates the Furlong/Storey/Luzhkov deal may constitute a breach of the IOC's own Code of Ethics, which says:

"No candidate may enter into any promise or undertaking to be performed, whatever the timing of such performance, for the direct or indirect benefit of a member, a group of members, an organization or a region."

I asked Furlong for his reaction:

“The Mayor of Moscow is not an IOC member, you can talk to anybody but IOC members, that's what we did."

He also denied there was a "promise".

“We agreed to assist each other and the Mayor of Moscow, in return for us giving a hand to help us organize a bid, he told us he would try to influence them helping us. Plain and simple, happens all the time.”

Storey lost a bid for a fifth four-year term with FIBT in a September meeting at Lake Placid, N.Y. Italy's Ivo Ferriani edged the Ottawa-based Storey by two votes for the presidency. Luzhkov, coincidentally, was fired by Russian president Dmitry Medvedev two weeks later.

I also was curious about Furlong's relationship with Catherine Bachand, his former executive assistant.

The book is dedicated "To Catherine and the Canadian spirit."

There is a glowing acknowledgement to her on the final page.

"This book, just like the Games, was a walk on thin ice for me. A thousand times along the way I might have given up. I am grateful beyond words that I did not and am thankful for the support, encouragement, compassion, love, deep loyalty and inspiration of my dearest friend Catherine Bachand -- demonstrated in a thousand ways. Hers is a patriot heart. Thank you so much!"

Twice-married Furlong, who is intensely private, made no other mention of Bachand anywhere else in the book and he did not wish to discuss their relationship, which he insists is a friendship.

Mackin: "The book is dedicated to Catherine and you thank her at the end, but don't mention her in the actual text. I just wonder why?"

Furlong: "I wrote the book, it was my choice. She was my best friend..."

Mackin: "Was there any issue among the board or management about your friendship with her. Was there ever any push-back?

Furlong: "Stop it. She was my best friend. Behave yourself, I've answered you. Behave yourself."

True patriot's love

Patriot Hearts: Inside the Olympics that Changed a Country is in stores now. The autobiography of VANOC CEO John Furlongwas written with Gary Mason.

Sadly, it's hardcover only. Furlong and publisher Douglas and McIntyre have missed a golden opportunity by neglecting to produce an e-book. The iPad and Kindle are changing the face of the publishing industry and VANOC claimed to be sustainable. But Furlong's memoir is constructed with dead trees, albeit Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper.

Few gold medal revelations are contained in the book. A secret deal with the Russians helped Vancouver win the 2010 Games. Late luger Nodar Kumaritashvili's family was to receive $150,000 in insurance payments. Furlong is no fan of the NDP's Carole James or Harry Bains.

But there are nuggets in every chapter.

Here are things that you probably never knew about Furlong.

Chariots of Fire is his favourite film. He’s seen it 20 times. He hasn't watched the Vancouver 2010 highlights video, which includes his speeches.

He suffers from migraine headaches. "Most days it's tolerable, some days it's terrible. But it is always there, a constant reminder of a heady time in my life when it all started" (during the 1978 Northern B.C. Winter Games).

Was Canada’s national squash champion on May 2, 1986 -- the day Expo 86 opened. Expo 86 closed Oct. 13, 1986, the day after his 36th birthday. He was born Oct. 12, 1950 in Clonmel, Ireland.

Mentor and VANOC chairman Jack Poole hosted FIFA president Sepp Blatter in 2002 at his Mission ranch. Blatter came by helicopter for a steak BBQ. "We didn't ask for Sepp's vote, but we were all smiles when he told us we could count on him."

Furlong was named VANOC employee number one and paid $300,000 a year.

Cirque du Soleil was in the running to produce the opening and closing ceremonies. Founder Guy Laliberte wanted the opening ceremony’s theme to be about water and the world water crisis. Cirque eventually withdrew its bid. "We were looking for a partner, not just a contractor."

If Furlong had his way, slam poet Shane Koyczan would not have performed “We Are More” at the opening ceremony. Why? No humility and no French.

Furlong wanted Wayne Gretzky to be transported from B.C. Place Stadium to Jack Poole Plaza for the outdoor cauldron lighting in the basket on a helicopter. Security officials were not amused. Gretzky went by pickup truck.

He was raised on prison grounds: His father John was chief of the Irish jail system. Mother was Maureen. Brothers Jim, Eamonn, Brian and Terry and younger sister Rosemary, who was his closest sibling. Cousin Siobhan Roice died in an Ulster Volunteer Force Protestant terrorist bombing that Furlong wrote was on May 14, 1974 in Dublin (but the correct date of the Black Friday bombing was May 17, 1974).

His kids are Maria, John, Damien, Emma and Molly, who danced in the closing ceremony.

Patriot Hearts, however, is dedicated “To Catherine and the Canadian spirit.”

Catherine is not mentioned again until the final page of the acknowledgements.

That’s where the twice-married Furlong thanks "my dearest friend Catherine Bachand" for the "support, encouragement, compassion, love, deep loyalty and inspiration."

"Hers is a patriot heart. Thank you so much."

Bachand (below) was a VANOC employee. Furlong's executive assistant who became the head of the VANOC/Canadian Olympic Committee transition team.



Furlong appears Feb. 12 (9:30 a.m.) at the VancouverAM.ca breakfast at the Vancouver Convention Centre, Chapters bookstore at Granville and Broadway (3 p.m.), Feb. 13 at the Whistler Public Library (3:30 p.m.) and Feb. 14 at Richmond Public Library's Brighouse branch (7:30 p.m.)