Exclusive: Liquor for lieutenants, suds for sergeants: booze is legal at B.C. RCMP HQ

It took longer than they wanted, but the Mounties finally got their can.

Bottle, tap and keg, too. 

Hops and grapes can legally flow at the RCMP’s new, billion-dollar British Columbia headquarters tucked amid Surrey’s Green Timbers forest (and its mighty redwood, the larch, the fir, the mighty Scots pine). 

RCMP's $1 billion new B.C. digs (Bird.ca)

In June 2012, I revealed how the federal force applied for a liquor licence for a private, on-site bar. The public reaction stemming from the blog post was no surprise. There had been too much bad publicity about cops and booze, from the justice-obstructing ex-Cpl. Benjamin “Monty” Robinson to the detachment-drinking, subordinate-seducing Sgt. Don Ray. 

Surrey City Council gave thumbs down to the full-time bar, but recommended the RCMP be eligible for special events permits only. In April 2013, the RCMP said it filed a new application directly to the provincial government. 

Last week, I confirmed that B.C.'s Liquor Control and Licensing Branch issued licence number 305469 to the Mounties on June 17. 

“The RCMP followed the same process as anyone else, and had to apply for a new licence because their new HQ is in a different community (i.e., from Vancouver to Surrey),” said an LCLB representative on the condition of anonymity. “Minors, other than professional entertainers, are not permitted within the licensed area(s) unless approved by the LCLB.”

The licence allows liquor service from noon to midnight for a maximum capacity of 535. The original application was for a maximum 1,198 from 11 a.m. to midnight, Sundays through Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. 

Spokesman Sgt. Rob Vermeulen claims the RCMP will use it sparingly. 

“The RCMP has made it clear that there will be no general usage or regular hours in the facility – it will only be used for pre-approved private special functions, such as formal Regimental Dinners, memorial services, levees, and veteran functions and other traditional events,” Vermeulen said. “In the absence of special events or functions, the facility will be used for general meetings, gatherings and ceremonies and alcohol will be prohibited during these instances.”

Vermeulen said liquor has been served just four times since June 17 at a Vancouver Vets Fall Dinner meeting, an Officers’ Cops Against Cancer fundraising dinner and two bartender training sessions. 

“The room has also been used 65 times for scheduled meetings, training sessions, town halls, etc. where a large room was required (no liquor service whatsoever),” Vermeulen said. “The room has also been used numerous times (unscheduled) by groups looking for a meeting room on an impromptu basis (again, no liquor service).”

Vermeulen said RCMP members’ dues fund the mess, not government. 

Const. Laughing Leadfoot

Meanwhile, the RCMP has confirmed that the cop found guilty of speeding through a North Vancouver speed trap was on-duty at the time of the Valentine's Day infraction. 

Const. Michael Milo Arbulic drove his personal vehicle 60 km-h above the posted 80 km-h speed limit on the Upper Levels Highway around 1 a.m. on Feb. 14. Police chased him for five kilometres and caught up with him in West Vancouver. He wasn’t ticketed nor was his car impounded, on-the-spot penalties for those found speeding 40 km-h above the limit. 

Judge Steven Merrick imposed a $483 excessive speed fine plus $210, what he would’ve been charged for the impound. Arbulic was a no-show in North Vancouver Provincial Court on Sept. 17; defence lawyer David Butcher appeared on his behalf but refused outside the court to say whether the RCMP paid the legal bill. 

Besides confirming Arbulic was in his own vehicle, Insp. Ed Boettcher told me that the RCMP did not pay his legal bill. “Members have options to contribute to a legal fund and access that fund when necessary,” Boettcher said. 

Arbulic, 38, is subject to a Code of Conduct investigation. “Internal discipline is subject to the Privacy Act and is only a matter of public record if it goes to a formal disciplinary hearing," Boettcher said.

Arbulic’s driving record includes speeding tickets from July 1998, January 2000 and July 2004. The latter was for excessive speed. Arbulic was one of several cops around B.C. recognized by BCAA, ICBC and the parents of Alexa Middlaer for citing a dozen or more drivers for impaired driving. 

Will the Gendarmes guzzle in Green Timbers?

The RCMP wants a liquor licence for its new billion-dollar-plus regional headquarters at 14200 Green Timbers Way in Surrey.

That's the grand edifice being built under a private/public partnership scheme by a giant French concern. Municipalities already under pressure to sign a 20-year deal to continue RCMP service are fearing the bill for Green Timbers. Burnaby, for example, estimates it could be dinged $1.5 million-a-year for the Surrey HQ. (Read my story in The Tyee here and my story from Business in Vancouver here)

This is the same RCMP whose Sgt. Don Ray got into trouble for drinking on the job. And it's the same RCMP whose Cpl. Benjamin "Monty" Robinson got in trouble for drinking off the job. Both are still employed by the force. Robinson was convicted March 23 of obstructing justice and the RCMP's top B.C. cop, Craig Callens, says he's trying his darnedest to fire Robinson. Ray was found to have had "nooners" in the lie detector suite and enjoyed wobbly pops on the job. His discipline included transfer from Alberta to B.C. He may even get to work in Surrey at the new headquarters.

"The intent of the proposed liquor primary license is to provide liquor service only to Commissioned Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, civilian members, public service employees (RCMP personnel), and their adult guests," the City of Surrey planning and development report says. "The proposed liquor primary license will operate like a private club for RCMP personnel. There will be approximately 2,700 employees at this location."

If the licence is granted as-is, hours would be 11 a.m. to midnight, Sundays through Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and the maximum permitted capacity would be just shy of 1,200.

The report says E Division already has a liquor primary licence at its officers' mess in the existing headquarters in Vancouver. The nearest off-campus bar in Surrey is Amber Jack's Taphouse, 1.2 kilometres away at 9850 King George Blvd.

"It should be noted that the person capacity requested on the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch application is 1,198 people, and that the seating capacity proposed is 561 seats. As the building is currently under construction, the total person capacity of 1,198 people is subject to final approval of the floor plans," says the report.

An unidentified area resident called Surrey city hall to express concern "about recent media publications of allegations of officers driving drunk, causing crashes and injuring civilians. This caller was concerned about providing a liquor establishment for the specific use of officers."

The report says RCMP mess establishments are insured and those who've had one-too-many can be supplied taxi chits.

Surrey city council decided June 25 not to hold a public hearing. Mayor Dianne Watts said she is not opposed to liquor being served at special occasions, such as formal regimental dinners, but not on a daily basis. So now the matter is referred to the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch, whose general manager is Karen Ayers. Her boss is liquor minister Rich Coleman, who just so happens to be an ex-RCMP officer. He was profiled in Vancouver Magazine in 2009, which included photos of Coleman in RCMP red serge and under a stetson.

What do you think? Should the City of Surrey allow the RCMP to have what would essentially be a sanctioned beer hall? Should the long arm of the law be allowed to bend an elbow at the workplace? You can let Ayers and Coleman know your thoughts.

For the time being, share your comments below.

RCMP Green Timbers liquor licence application

Were there really 928 cops at the Stanley Cup riot?

Documents released to me by the British Columbia Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General include an email on the morning after the Stanley Cup riot from a senior RCMP officer, claiming there were 700 police officers from various agencies in downtown Vancouver on June 15, 2011. Read the story here. The email was sent to the British Columbia government's deputy Solicitor General, to summarize the police operation on that horrible night.

This contradicts the official version contained in the provincial report by John Furlong and Doug Keefe (ghost-written by Stewart Muir), which said there were 446 police to start, but the numbers peaked at 928. The Vancouver Police review said 606 were VPD and 169 RCMP, most of the rest included 52 Abbotsford, 24 Delta, 20 each from New Westminster and the Transit Police, 16 Port Moody and 14 West Vancouver.

Asst. Comm. Craig Callens, author of the June 16, 2011 email to Clayton Pecknold, did not respond. Callens apparently forwarded my email query to communications officer Supt. Ray Bernoties, who distanced the RCMP from Callens's math by claiming Callens didn't include off-duty members or municipal cops. Bernoties also claimed Callens didn't intend to be exact and that the numbers in the VPD report should prevail.

But I never got answers to simple questions from Bernoties. Such as, did he actually read the Callens email that I obtained? As you can see below, Callens carefully accounted for the municipal officers (even though the individual force numbers were redacted). He even went so far as to show how suburban RCMP detachments sent reinforcements to the municipalities that were short their own members because officers had been dispatched to the riot. People in senior positions, such as Callens, don't make mistakes easily.

Other questions? What were the discrepancies (all figures, except for the total 700, were redacted)? How could a high ranking RCMP officer go wrong in such an important message to a top provincial official?

There is nothing in the Callens email to indicate his total of 700 officers was an estimate or inexact.

Is this a case of bad Mountie math or "move along, nothing to see here"?

I hope the Vancouver Police, RCMP and/or Solicitor General ministry will be transparent and publish a line-by-line list accounting for each and every set of "boots on the ground" to show exactly how many police were really on duty to quell the 2011 Stanley Cup riot.

Stanley Cup riot police numbers: the morning after

Exclusive: Vancouver cops feared Stanley Cup riot during Olympics

By now you've heard various apologists for the Vancouver Police Department's action or inaction on the night of Game 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. The spin is that a riot was inevitable -- whether the Canucks won or lost. I don't buy it. But let's say it was. Could the damage to property and people have been minimized? Certainly.

During the 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver was in an El Nino winter and the days were unseasonably warm and dry. The days were short -- the sun did rise and set on schedule. There were groups of cheering, red maple leafing-wearing drunk teenagers and twentysomethings roaming the city, late into the night. Some were pukers, some were pugilists. If you watched the CTV version of the Games, you didn't see this.

After crowds swamped downtown Vancouver on Feb. 19, 2010, the VPD was worried about a 1994 Stanley Cup-style riot breaking out during the 2010 Winter Olympics. It appealed for help from the RCMP. "The VPD has assessed this evening and has drawn heavy parallels to the atmosphere that spawned the Stanley Cup riots in 1994." To prove it, here is the briefing note I exclusively obtained.

Vancouver Cops feared Stanley Cup riot during Olympics

The big difference about Game 7 of the Stanley Cup on June 15, 2011? It was not a national security event. Perhaps if it had such resources, proper precautions would have been made and law-abiding Vancouverites would not feel so humiliated or let-down. For instance, the Duke of Connaught's Own at the Beatty Street Armoury were neither tasked to help nor did they see fit to assist the civil emergency unfolding across the street from their big, heavy green doors. (They were holding a Stanley Cup party.)

Another big difference is personnel. The VPD is led by Chief Jim Chu, who answers to Police Board Chairman/Mayor Gregor Robertson. Chu is under fire for confidently saying there would be no riot. Robertson is also criticized for inviting tens of thousands of people downtown, yet producing no evidence that city hall had a proper security and safety plan for the ad hoc Stanley Cup finals viewing events. They both have blamed anarchists, but shown no proof that the red, white and black A-in-a-circle crowd was responsible. The rioters and looters were predominantly wearing blue official licensed merchandise bearing a certain stylized white-C logo.

A Contemporary Classic

Charges galore on April 1, 2011 for Contemporary Security Canada and an assortment of senior executives and staff over an alleged lack of licenced and uniformed staff at the G8 and G20 summits in Ontario during June 2010.

CSC was paid $20 million by the RCMP in an expedited contract award, shortly after it wrapped a $97 million job at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

CSC spokesperson Lecia Stewart, who helped broker Aeroguard's involvement with the Los Angeles-headquarted Contemporary Group, downplayed the charges (because they're under a private security law, not the criminal code) and claimed the company was properly licensed. More on Stewart and her intriguing connections at another time.

CSC has a date in an Ottawa courtroom on April 29.

While I've been chasing any and all news on the Olympics, including what happened to your tax dollars because of those multi-million dollar contracts, Toronto Sun columnist Joe Warmington has been keeping tabs on the G8 and G20 mess. Here's Joe's latest.

Contemporary continues to have a Vancouver presence with contracts with B.C. Pavilion Corporation for the Vancouver Convention Centre and with the Strathcona Business Improvement Association on the edge of the Downtown Eastside ghetto. Contemporary CEO Damon Zumwalt did not return my phone call to his Northridge, Calif. home office.

Below is what the OPP released April 1. No fooling.

CSC File - List of Charges Against Corporation and Individuals
1822479 Ontario Corporation o/a Contemporary Security Canada, ULC Vancouver, B.C

7(1)(a) Unlawfully did hold out as being engaged in the business of selling the services of security guards while not being licensed under the provisions of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005. (3 counts)
Sec 31. Being a business entity engaged in the business of providing security guards, unlawfully did employ as a security guard a person who was not the holder of a licence issued under the provisions of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act. (1 count)
Regulation 362/07, section 8 Being a business entity engaged in the business of providing security guards, unlawfully did fail to ensure that employees wear a uniform. (2 counts)

OFFICIALS OF CSC-7
Stephen Vincent MIRABILE
President – Contemporary Security Canada, ULC
Vancouver, British Columbia
7(1)(a) Unlawfully did hold out as being engaged in the business of selling the services of security guards while not being licensed under the provisions of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005. (3 counts)

Jane Elizabeth GREENE
Vice-President – Contemporary Security Canada, ULC
Toronto, ON
7(1)(a) Unlawfully did hold out as being engaged in the business of selling the services of security guards while not being licensed under the provisions of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005. (3 counts)

Damon Ray ZUMWALT
Director – Contemporary Security Canada, ULC
Northridge, CA
7(1)(a) Unlawfully did hold out as being engaged in the business of selling the services of security guards while not being licensed under the provisions of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005. (3 counts)

James Hugh SERVICE
Secretary – Contemporary Security Canada, ULC
Glendale CA
7(1)(a) Unlawfully did hold out as being engaged in the business of selling the services of security guards while not being licensed under the provisions of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005. (3 counts)

Keith Jay GRANIRER
Treasurer – Contemporary Security Canada, ULC
Sherman Oaks CA
7(1)(a) Unlawfully did hold out as being engaged in the business of selling the services of security guards while not being licensed under the provisions of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005. (3 counts)

Mark Anthony CAMILLO
Director – Contemporary Security Canada, ULC
Clarksburg, Maryland
7(1)(a) Unlawfully did hold out as being engaged in the business of selling the services of security guards while not being licensed under the provisions of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005. (3 counts)

Paul Russell MOORE
Director – Contemporary Security Canada, ULC
Calgary AB
7(1)(a) Unlawfully did hold out as being engaged in the business of selling the services of security guards while not being licensed under the provisions of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005. (3 counts)

EMPLOYEES-3

Todd Eric SEVERSON
Project Director – Contemporary Security Canada, ULC
Darlinghurst, NSW, Australia
7(1)(b) Not being an employee of a licensee - unlawfully did hold out as being engaged in the business of selling the services of security guards while not being licensed under the provisions of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005.
(1 count)

Lorraine FOSTER
Division Manager – Contemporary Security Canada, ULC
Vancouver, B.C
7(1)(b) Not being an employee of a licensee - unlawfully did hold out as being engaged in the business of selling the services of security guards while not being licensed under the provisions of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005.
(1 count)

Alexandre HOULE
Compliance Manager – Contemporary Security Canada, ULC
Vancouver, British Columbia
7(1)(b) Not being an employee of a licensee - unlawfully did hold out as being engaged in the business of selling the services of security guards while not being licensed under the provisions of the Private Security and Investigative Services Act, 2005.
(1 count)

Flashback: Feb. 13, 2010

Olympic city streets strangled by protests
Bob Mackin, QMI Agency

VANCOUVER: Rain postponed downhill skiing on Saturday, but not freestyle protesting.

A march on the eve of Valentine’s Day dubbed 2010 Heart Attack drew 200 people who, according to a poster, wanted to “block the arteries of capitalism.” Windows were broken at the Bay store which is the site of the Olympic Superstore and Canada Olympic House. More skirmishes happened a block away from the heavily secured Westin Bayshore where International Olympic Committee members are staying.

Traffic, including public transit buses and VANOC vehicles, was blocked and then rerouted. Protesters splintered into smaller groups. More than 50 people chanting “no Olympics on stolen native land” were surrounded by an estimated 100
Vancouver Police officers in riot gear on Robson Street near hotels hosting the Slovakian and Japanese Olympic committees. Local cops were joined by at least 80 RCMP members. Together they prevented the throng from advancing eastward toward Thurlow where the infamous June 14, 1994 Stanley Cup riot started after the Vancouver Canucks lost to the New York Rangers.

Robson Street traffic returned to normal near noon. Vancouver Police later reported seven arrests.

“We are totally in support of people having peaceful demonstrations,” said IOC spokesman Mark Adams. “Violence we will not accept."

Alissa Westergard-Thorpe of the Olympic Resistance Network claimed police agitated protesters and didn’t pay attention to the vandalism.

“The people that were arrested weren’t involved in the minor amounts of property damage,” Westergard-Thorpe said. “It serves their interest to imply that they’re powerless and to allow people to commit property damage.”

Among the protesters were Thomas Malenfant and David Cunningham of the radical Anti-Poverty Committee. Cunningham was arrested for jumping onstage at the unveiling of the Olympic countdown clock at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Feb. 12, 2007.

The protest came the morning after 2,000 people marched through downtown Vancouver and blocked a street outside the opening ceremony at B.C. Place Stadium. Two Vancouver Police officers were injured by flying objects. One man was arrested for assault.

Civil libertarian and University of B.C. Prof. Michael Byers said Vancouver Police “exercised commendable restraint” on Friday. “It was a good day for democracy,” he said.

A coalition of citizens’ groups opposes the Games because they say it has caused homelessness, poverty, environmental degradation and public debt. The annual march in memory of murdered and missing women is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in the Downtown Eastside.

WikiLeaks rewinds to the 1-year countdown to Vancouver 2010

Just 25 minutes after the precise moment the one-year countdown to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics passed, a memo was sent from the United States Consulate in Vancouver providing an overview of preparations for the Games. The Guardian published the memo on Dec. 21.

The key passage in Consul General Phillip Chicola's memo deals with information that the RCMP was struggling to balance its Olympic security duties with the responsibility of enforcing drug laws. The memo specifically mentions marijuana investigations, but Metro Vancouver is the setting for a battle among gangs to control cocaine and crystal meth trafficking. Late 2008 and early 2009 was an especially deadly period.

The RCMP denies the Olympics compromised drug investigations, but it isn't denying that officers were seconded to the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit.

Thursday, 12 February 2009, 18:25
C O N F I D E N T I A L VANCOUVER 000031
STATE FOR DS/P/MECU, DS/DSS/DO, DS/IP/WHA
STATE FOR WHA/CAN
EO 12958 DECL: 2/11/2019
TAGS CA, PGOV, KOLY, ASEC, ECON
SUBJECT: VANCOUVER 2010 OLYMPICS FEELING THE ECONOMIC PINCH IN
PREPARATIONS, SECURITY
CLASSIFIED BY: G. Kathleen Hill, Political/Economic Chief, US Consulate Vancouver, State. REASON: 1.4 (b), (d)

Summary
US diplomats discuss the financial strain the 2010 Winter Olympics put on its host city. It says there are signs the Vancouver security strategy is feeling the pinch of "economic and personnel shortages", but the Canadians are "sensitive to the issues of sovereignty".

Read related story
1. (U) Summary: The global economic crisis and modern demands of post 9/11 security are proving to be huge challenges for the organizers of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The competition and special events venues are complete and already hosting test events, but the financial crisis surrounding the Olympic Village has consumed local politicians and media (and was probably the determining factor in the recent Vancouver Mayoral election). Finances are also looming large over the Games' security. Original estimates of C$175 million have now ballooned to a figure somewhere between C$400 million and C$1 billion. While the Province and the Government of Canada (GOC) continue to negotiate who pays what, other costs, in the form of police and military resources, are beginning to be born across the region. The impact may reach far beyond the Games, with significant reductions in policing activity and investigations nationwide. Because of the economic downturn, the Vancouver Olympics Committee (VANOC) has already announced modest changes to save money, but is still promising to stage spectacular Games - within available financial resources. End Summary.

Ready to Compete, But Not to Sleep

2. (U) Vancouver is set to host the Winter Olympics in February 2010. Optimism over the event remains strong, as evidenced by the recent phase one ticket sales for Canadians only, which sold out completely in just a few hours and left many subscribers with only a small portion of requested tickets. However the global economic crisis is creating headaches not envisioned when the city bid and won the right to host the Games. Controversies abound over the "true" costs of the Games. The Olympics were used by Vancouver and British Columbia to jump start planned but expensive infrastructure projects such as the C$600 million upgrade of the Sea-to-Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler and the new C$2 billion Canada Line rapid transit system. Critics like to lump these costs in with the more direct Olympics costs, emphasizing an overwhelming burden placed on the BC">BC and Canadian taxpayer.

3. (U) Amidst the criticism, VANOC has shown remarkable financial astuteness, beginning serious revisions of the Games' operating budget in spring 2008, well before the serious specter of a global financial crisis became evident. All competition venues, one of the main areas of responsibility for VANOC, are completed or will be completed on time and within budget. VANOC recently announced a revision to the budget, increasing the final price tag on operating the Games by C$127 million to a total of C$1.76 billion. According to VANOC's Executive Vice President, David Guscott, the Organizing Committee has obtained enough corporate sponsorship and ticket and souvenir sales to bring it within sight of this budget, lacking only about C$30 million to reach its goal. But it has had to make sacrifices to keep on target, such as decreasing hiring and making changes in operational plans, including eliminating a nightly medal awards ceremony in downtown Whistler that has that community's residents feeling betrayed. Despite the financial challenges, VANOC's revenue from ticket sales and corporate sponsorship remains on target and the organization appears weQ placed to meet its obligations.

4. (U) The same cannot be said for the C$700 million-plus Olympic Village, a key element of the Games and a major responsibility of the City of Vancouver. The Village is being developed by a private corporation on prime waterfront land provided by the city. It's slated to become a mixed use residential/commercial area after the Games with high, middle and low-income housing. The developer ran into problems in September, when more than C$100 million in cost overruns threatened to stop the project. Then Mayor Sam Sullivan and the City Council held a series of closed door meetings where they developed a plan for the city to provide guarantees so a loan could be obtained to cover the increases. The secretiveness of the financial arrangements became a major factor in the December city elections, which saw Sullivan's coalition lose the mayoral seat and all but one city council position. In addition, the controversy caused the city manager, a senior deputy and the chief financial officer to lose their jobs. In December, just after the elections, the primary financial backer of the project, U.S. company Fortress Investment Group, announced it would not deliver the final C$458 million in capital to complete the project due to financial losses from the sub-prime mortgage crisis. The new mayor, Gregor Robertson, found himself in the same hot seat, dealing with the possible collapse of the project. In the end, he sought, and was granted, special provincial legislative authority for the city to seek loans to cover completion of the project. Olympic critics have had a field day with the problems, promoting stories of taxpayer losses in the billions, and a combination of substantive factors led Moody's and Standard & Poor to place the City of Vancouver on credit-watch status. Real estate analysts have been more optimistic, asserting that the city could make a considerable profit on the deal down the road and highlighting the fact that it is the last undeveloped piece of waterfront property in downtown and very desirable. The city paid only C$50 million for the land through its Property Endowment Fund, a longterm investment fund estimated to be worth almost C$3 billion. Even if the development makes only half of the originally estimated profit, the fund could cover the immediate loss without affecting the city operation's budget and, as a longterm investment, it could still be a win for the city. VANOC's Guscott was confident the city would meet its part of the deal, presenting a completed, functioning Village on time. In VANOC's view the project has been caught in an unfortunate cross between municipal elections and the downturn in the economy, with the financial problems severely overblown.

Security - But at What Price?

5. (U) Perhaps the biggest loss will be taken by the province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada (GOC) which will bear the brunt of cost overruns in the security of the games. The Integrated Security Unit (ISU) was set up to manage the Games' security. It is headed by the RCMP, with representative from all major police, intelligence and defense entities. Original estimates on Olympics security were in the C$175 million range. But now no one is willing to give a number. The provincial Finance Minister, Colin Hansen, will only say it's somewhere between C$400 million and C$1 billion. Hansen admits he was surprised at the estimates coming out of Ottawa for overall security. A special committee was established early on to determine B.C.'s and the GOC's shares of incremental costs above basic policing. The ballooning nature of the security structure and programs has left the committee bogged down in "endless line-by-line micro-analysis," according to Hansen. Consequently the Province offered up a final, comprehensive plan on who pays what which is in Ottawa for approval. Realistically, as the ISU tests and refines its plans, the costs continue to be fluid and the final numbers will not be known until after the Games are completed. BC">BC originally estimated its overall Games' costs, including infrastructure, venues and security, at approximately C$600 million. Minister Hansen announced on February 9 that the new security numbers will force the province well over that mark. With 2009 a provincial election year in BC">BC, the cost of Games' security is becoming a major issue for the ruling BC">BC Liberals, who are hoping a reasonable agreement with the GOC will soften the financial blow.

6. (C) Beyond monetary costs, the Olympics are beginning to create critical resource costs. Law enforcement representatives working at the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver are reporting that more and more of their contacts are being pulled to work on Olympics security issues. A DEA agent was told by one of his RCMP counterparts that by September all regional drug agents could be working on Olympics, with no investigations ongoing until March 2010. Already the RCMP has all but stopped marijuana-related investigations. RCMP is also undergoing severe belt tightening with new, stricter enforcement of overtime rules. To highlight the Canadian constraints, an RCMP officer told us that the Italians put 30,000 Carabinieri in Turin for the 2006 Winter Games and the RCMP has less than 30,000 officers in all of Canada.

Big Business, But no Room at the Inn

7. (U) The 2010 Olympics are presenting significant financial opportunities for area residents and businesses. In addition to the massive infrastructure and construction projects, VANOC is procuring millions of dollars in services and support for the Games. And Canadians are not the only recipients of these contracts. U.S. firms have managed to win several major contracts thus far to provide everything from tents and portable toilets to tickeQprinting, dining services and flags for the games.

8. (U) One big concern for many in the tourist industry, and for those of us working the Games for the USG, is the question of accommodations. The International Olympics Committee requires a host city to provide between 20,000 and 25,000 rooms for just the Olympic "family" alone (sponsors, officials, etc). This leaves little room for the spectators who come to watch the Games and the visiting dignitaries. IOC rules give only five rooms to the National Olympic Committees (NOCs) for official delegations from participating countries. If delegations, and their support and security, are more than five people, it is incumbent on the delegation to find its own additional accommodations. Consulate General Vancouver has already secured accommodations for the agencies participating in the Olympics Coordination Office and the Joint Operations Center but would like to make an urgent plea for notification as soon as possible of the composition of the official delegations to the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic Games. (The Paralympics are much smaller and accommodations will be more readily available.) Accommodations are scarce to non-existent now and the sooner we know the make-up of delegations, the more likely we will be able to provide suitable rooms within reasonable distance of the major venues.

9. (SBU) Comment: It should be noted that in every meeting we have with Olympics officials the first question is "Who is heading your Opening Ceremonies delegation?" Although the official invitation comes from the NOC, in this case the U.S. Olympic Committee, to the VIP, most Canadians involved are hoping that President Obama and his family will attend the Games. The President is immensely popular in Canada and given the Games' proximity to the U.S. there are high expectations that the President and his family will make an appearance.

10. (C) Proximity is also on our minds as we look at overall Olympic security. With the Olympics being held within 30 miles of the U.S. border there are already numerous areas where security is a shared responsibility, such as our pre-existing shared responsibilities over airspace through Northcom. The Canadians are doing an excellent job in developing their security strategy, but we are starting to see some small signs that they are feeling the pinch of economic and personnel shortages. They are sensitive to the issues of sovereignty and we have been reminded repeatedly that they are responsible for the overall security of the Games. Our Olympics Coordination Office and Olympics Security Coordinator are working very closely with VANOC and the ISU and closely monitoring developments with an eye toward any possible further assistance we can provide should the needs arise. End Comment.

CHICOLA

Do you measure a handful with a cup, ruler or scale?

What is the universally accepted measurement of a handful?

Apparently VANOC thinks I know, but I can’t find it in my handy-dandy Imperial to Metric and back again iPhone app.

You see, there are seven police officers and four military members who have been “sent home” from the 2010 Winter Olympics. (My B.S. monitor says that’s a euphemism for “fired.”)

The Vancouver Police Department is investigating two of the cops. A third, Sgt. Suzanne Denise Marie Martel of Ottawa, was charged with shoplifting from a Burnaby retail establishment. She is no longer part of the force and must return April 8 for a court date.

On Feb. 10, Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit chief Bud Mercer and Rear Adm. Tyrone Pile of Joint Task Force Games said the Olympic experience ended early for some of their people.

Mercer said 14 went home for medical and compassionate reasons, while two were dispatched for violating “internal conduct.” Pile said 50 of the military members were gone, but did not indicate how many violated the military code of service.

VANOC, on the other hand, is measuring its rate of attrition as a “handful.” I asked how many people in the workforce have left their duties for whatever reason. Death in the family, illness, injury, misconduct, etc. This is what I got as a response:

“Our volunteer numbers have been great,” wrote communications director Chris Brumwell. “We’ve really only seen a handful of our 19,000 Olympic volunteers leave the team through attrition. The majority are overwhelmingly enthusiastic and in some cases we’ve seen volunteers show up for extra shifts.”

Still waiting to find out if a handful means two, 20 or 200.