Historic Chinatown building to host Olympic gold greats

The gold rush drew Guangdong, China-born pioneer Yip Sang to British Columbia in 1881.

Next February, the 120-year-old "house that Yip built" in Vancouver's Chinatown will be the home away from home for golden greats of Olympics-past.

Chinatown patriarch Yip built a small import/export, retail and labour agency empire at 51 East Pender before he died in 1927. The Wing Sang building included stores, a classroom and even an opium factory. It is slated to reopen in October as real estate marketing whiz Bob Rennie's office and gallery.

Rennie is providing Wing Sang, rent-free, for the World Olympians Association to use as its reunion centre during the 2010 Winter Olympics. Rennie's restoration has been a four-year labour of love. When asked how much it's costing, he rolls his eyes, smiles and says, "way more than I ever expected."

"It doesn’t make business sense, it makes cultural sense," said Rennie, who was raised in east Vancouver and believes the building could be the catalyst for the rebirth of Chinatown.

At night it's distinguished by a Martin Creed-designed neon sign (as photographed by Scott Massey) that reads: Everything is going to be alright. That is also Rennie's philosophy for the 2010 Games and the Downtown Eastside, a troubled community in transition.

The WOA reunion centre is the only known Olympic hospitality event coming to Chinatown. The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is expected to be a draw for those wanting to take a break from the Games. The Sam Kee building, the world's narrowest, is just down the street.

Summertime brings the weekend night market to Chinatown. The rest of the year, it's almost empty at night, even when the Vancouver Canucks are at home a few blocks away in General Motors Place. Chinese shopping malls in Richmond and Coquitlam are bigger, glitzier draws for recent immigrants from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Almost one in five people in Metro Vancouver are ethnic Chinese.

“We are so delighted Bob has offered this to be our home away from home," said WOA vice-president and five-time Canadian Olympian Charmaine Crooks. "It speaks to powerful contributions of community leaders like him that are making to the athletes.”

Crooks, a Los Angeles 1984 track silver medalist and VANOC director, said it’s a location “where we can really engage the community.”

She envisions the third-floor classroom as a venue for special events, like forums to discuss women in sports and themed days devoted to youth and media.

Visa is sponsoring the opening gala. Paralympians will be invited, too.

"The Olympics are about celebrating sport, culture and diversity," Crooks said. "In this facilty we have a powerful combination of all those."

One flu into the VANOC nest

Turns out I was wrong today. Perhaps just premature.

Concord Pacific was not the newest VANOC sponsor. Instead it was Alda Pharmaceuticals which markets hand sanitizer and other products to kill germs. The public company, traded on the TSX Venture Exchange, signed on in the $3 million to $15 million official supplier category, but hasn't reported the precise nature of its deal.

Regardless, expect to see thousands of litres of T36 Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer throughout Vancouver 2010 venues. VANOC and Alda are hoping a little dab'll do ya in the effort to keep H1N1 from ruining 2010.

For Alda, it's an aggressive step forward and a bid to establish a brand by attaching it to the five rings. Like bottled water, most consumers think all hand sanitizer is the same. For VANOC, it's another way to replace the goods, services and dollars missing after Johnson & Johnson declined to extend its contract past the Beijing Games. J&J's product mix included hand sanitizer.

Anyway, I'll have another chance in the next week. Deputy CEO Dave Cobb says one more sponsor deal is waiting in the wings.

Which also reminds me, Helijet president Danny Sitnam told me in the spring that his company was talking with VANOC. Helijet, in its early days, was a sponsor of the Victoria 1994 Commonwealth Games. It even featured mascot Klee Wyck the orca on some of its equipment.

So, let's see if it's Concord Pacific or Helijet.

Will #61 have an asterisk?

VANOC is poised to announce its 61st sponsor after the July 15 closed-door board meeting in its city hall-owned, east Vancouver headquarters. Like record-breaking New York Yankees' home run-hitter Roger Maris, a snowflake-shaped asterisk could be in play.

A VANOC news release said it is a company, that's about all we know. Many months ago I confirmed that developer Concord Pacific was in talks with VANOC. Concord vice-president of sales Grant Murray said so. When I asked VANOC deputy CEO Dave Cobb, he declined to talk about the negotiations.

Concord has land that VANOC needs in the vicinity of B.C. Place Stadium and GM Place. VANOC needs space for storage, staging, security and transportation. Concord is a real estate developer and cash is tight during a recession because building has slowed down. That's one of the reasons why Concord is renting space to Hockey Canada, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan for pavilions on its northeast False Creek property for Games-time. It's a privately owned live site, in competition with the City of Vancouver's.

So, could VANOC's newest sponsor be a straight in-kind deal involving no cash?

Concord would be the third major developer on the sponsor roster. Aquilini Investment Group, which owns the Vancouver Canucks and GM Place, and Millennium, developer of the troubled Vancouver Olympic Village, are also sponsors. Canadian Metropolitan Properties, which owns the Plaza of Nations, is in talks with VANOC, according to vice-president Daisen Gee-Wing. Gee-Wing, however, said the deal on the table is a straight client-supplier deal with no sponsorship involved.

Uncapping Bud

Mickey the Mini Queen, meet Chief Bud.

On June 5, RCMP Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit chief operating officer Bud Mercer was in Ottawa to become an Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces.

The career achievement award was for “outstanding commitment and achievements in policing.” Mercer was among 13 RCMP employees so recognized. Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean, who will declare the 2010 Winter Olympics open on Feb. 12, pinned the medal to Mercer’s red serge.

Mercer was inducted to the order as “Asst. Comm. Gary R. (Bud) Mercer.”

Mercer is in charge of a $491.9 million RCMP-led security force for the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Vancouver. Bud's budget is the biggest slice of the $900 million federal Olympic security pie.

Mercer took over in 2007 from Bob Harriman who apparently neither quit nor was fired. A fuss about the budget -- originally $175 million -- was not the reason why Harriman couldn't complete his mission. Nosiree. Nothing to see here. Move along.

So who is Gary Russell Mercer, the soft-spoken cop with a piercing stare and sometimes dry wit who prefers to wear a finely tailored suit when under the media eye?

Mercer’s rise to top Olympic cop came after working his way through the ranks of the RCMP in B.C. His career is Forrest Gump-like, in that he was party to some of the most controversial policing operations in British Columbia history. He joined the Mounties in 1976 and has worked from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Very little about Mercer is contained on the V2010 ISU website, but a lot about Mercer can be found on the Internet by searching for just 10 minutes.

I discovered he held the rank of Corporal on Sept. 23, 1996 when he was witness number 41 on day 44 of the Gustafsen Lake trial.

Fifteen people were charged and convicted after the month-long, summer 1995 Gustafsen Lake Standoff near 100 Mile House in the B.C. Interior. Shuswap natives rebelled after a rancher denied them access to land for their traditional sun dance ritual.

Notes taken by court observers indicate he was, at the time, a 20-year veteran of the force who was on the emergency response team since 1984. He also had 15 years experience as a dog master, in charge of a five-person dog team in the Fraser Valley.

Mercer was called to Gustafsen Lake as an ERT member and arrived Sept. 10, 1995. He stood guard while comrades laid explosives on a road for the planned explosion of a truck the next day.

As a Sergeant, he was witness number 117 on Feb. 9, 2000 at the Ted Hughes inquiry into RCMP conduct at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit of Nov. 24-25, 1997.

Mercer was part of the police operation at the University of British Columbia campus outside the Museum of Anthropology where Prime Minister Jean Chretien hosted leaders from around the Pacific Rim. Students gathered en masse to protest the presence of Indonesian dictator Suharto and Chinese president Jiang Zemin on their campus. Mercer participated in the arrest of student activist Jonathan Oppenheim and joined Sgt. Hugh Stewart in the infamous pepper-spraying of students.

Hughes found police did not give students ample time to clear before unleashing the spray. Hughes also said the weapon employed by "Sgt. Pepper" and Mercer was unreasonable. (Stewart, by the way, was part of the security detail at the 2001 Summit of the Americas in Quebec City and came out of retirement to act as a senior planner in the formation of V2010 ISU.)

During the summer of 2000, Mercer became a player in the War in the Woods. Then an Inspector, Mercer was accused in September 2000 by Friends of Elaho Valley anti-logging protester Dennis Zarelli of aggravated assault. Zarelli claimed Mercer used a pruning rod to cut ropes supporting a platform that held protesters 50 metres above the forest floor near Squamish.

A Justice of the Peace approved the private prosecution, but it backfired. The charges against Mercer were stayed because of video evidence. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Sunni Stromberg-Stein cited Zarelli for obstruction of justice on Dec. 12, 2006.

On July 26, 2007, the B.C. government and Squamish Nation announced the old-growth Elaho Valley was saved from logging.

On Oct. 24, 2007, Mercer -- then-Deputy Criminal Operations Officer in B.C. -- was announced as the new chief operating officer of V2010 ISU. He was picked by a federal and provincial committee, the RCMP and VANOC.

Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!

Coca-Cola is recruiting meet and greeters and drink pourers for its David Lam Park live site pavilion. At least that's where it's supposed to be. City of Vancouver says the contract hasn't been finalized.

An open hiring call for self-motivated, outgoing individuals is planned for July 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Inventa's 210-1401 West 8th Ave. Vancouver office. The pay's not bad: $13 to $16 an hour.

Contemporary Security Canada, the satellite of U.S.-based security giant Contemporary Group, has the $97.419 million venue screening security contract. It's looking for screening officers, portal supervisors, venue managers and X-ray operators. Pay rates for the rent-a-cops aren't listed on the website, but an email link for resumes is.

Ohno! Surrey three-peat not happening

Canada's national short-track speedskating team is on the ice this weekend in the Pacific Coliseum where it hopes to own the podium during February's Winter Olympics.

A year ago, the United States team was in the area, on ice at the South Surrey Arena for a second year. When I talked to Apolo Anton Ohno, he anticipated one more pre-Games camp in the summer of 2009. It's not going to happen. Oh, no.

U.S. Speedskating spokesperson Peri Kinder tells me "the short-track team has no plans to travel to Vancouver during the summer."

No reason given, but there is a cost for transportation, accommodation, meals and facility rental and there is a recession.

Another dent in the City of Surrey's bid to leverage its $2.5 million sponsorship of VANOC. As it is, the $10 million Games Preparation Centre is five months late and VANOC had to look elsewhere for ceremonies performer rehearsals.

Anti-monarchists like Mickey the Mini Queen (better than the real thing)

The June 27 announcement that Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean would open the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver was greeted by some Canadians with disappointment.

Queen Elizabeth II, critics said, would bring greater international attention. I say "London Liz" is yesterday's news. Jean is an immigrant success story. Obviously Prime Minister Stephen Harper thinks she represents the Canada of today and tomorrow. The fact she's a francophone Quebecer helps. The Vancouver Games have come under too much criticism for not being French enough.

Citizens for a Canadian Republic, however, will be glad to see "Mickey the Mini Queen" do the honors.

"A good decision, given the tradition in the last two decades in Canada and Australia to have the governor general do Olympic openings," said Tom Freda, national director of Citizens for a Canadian Republic. "Having the Queen officiate would be regressive and controversial. However, royal visits are one of the few times Canadians discuss the monarchy -- and when they do, support for ending it jumps. We'll have an opportunity to do that in November when Prince Charles and Camilla visit."

A new Strategic Counsel poll found 65% of respondents were in favor of phasing out the monarchy in Canada.

Cypress: commemorate the chaos

Cypress Mountain is trying to live up to the "when you have lemons, make lemonade" maxim.

Going on sale July 7 is the Cypress 2010 Commemorative Season Pass.

It commemorates the West Vancouver day resort's hosting of 2010 Winter Olympic snowboarding and freestyle skiing. It also commemorates a season of chaos and disruption for regulars.

The lodge lot and lot 1 will be closed all season. Lot 3 joins the list Jan. 4. Expect construction zones in the alpine area from the start of the season, along with "highly impacted or closed" Eagle Express Chair terrain and Rainbow ski run. "Regular services on the mountain will be subject to relocation, change and restrictions."

The alpine and nordic ski areas will be closed Feb. 1-March 8 for the Games. Public skiing and snowboarding resumes March 9 with lot 3 reopening March 15. The Cypress pass offers discounted or free access to other resorts in B.C. and Washington state during the Games.

An adult nordic pass is $174 for B.C. residents. It's $259 for alpine or $299 for the unlimited pass that also includes nordic sports. The first 1,500 to buy online get a pair of tickets to one of the 2010 Games' nightly medals award ceremonies/concerts at B.C. Place Stadium. A grand prize of a pair of tickets to the opening ceremony is also up for grabs.

Oddly, there are no tickets available via the early bird bonus or the contest for any of the actual Olympic events taking place at Cypress. According to Cypress' sales and marketing director Jeffrey Koeman, that's because "this is the offer that VANOC came up with for us to use in conjunction with our season pass offer."

Cypress, like Whistler and Blackcomb owner Intrawest, has a "make-whole" deal with VANOC for compensation if Games' operations cause a drop in business.

No B.S. about BCS

There are two BCSs in North American sport.

Don't get me started about the silliness that is United States college football's Bowl Championship Series. It's a series of unrelated bowl games, not the true playoff that it should be. President Obama won't make medical insurance a right of Americans before 2012, but by golly, he's going to reform the Bowl Championship Series.

Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton is another ball of wax. Expect to see the likes of Edmonton's Pierre Lueders, Summerland's Justin Kripps, Calgary's Jeff Pain and Melissa Hollingsworth somewhere on a podium in Whistler in February. (Neat fact: Kripps was born in Hawaii and Pain in Alaska).

The north of the border BCS has partnered with Ludus Tours of Austin, Texas to market 2010 Winter Olympics hotel, hospitality, tour and airport transfer packages to fans, friends and family of the sledders and face-first sliders. Ludus has similar relationships with U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton and the Jamaican Bobsled Team, but it's the first Ludus deal with a home team for Canada's Games.

"It was very important for us to offer accommodations and hospitality assistance to Canadian athletes and their support groups," said Ludus' COO Ann Lanari.

Air Canada shows off 2010 Olympic design in Seattle

Seattle-area plane spotters got the first peek at the Vancouver 2010 decorations on an Air Canada Boeing 777. The Olympic-themed livery features the psychedelic, blue and green look of the Games with stylized athletes in action. The ski jumper, however, will appear to be going backwards when the jet is in flight. Oops. Check it out here.

Delta Airlines was a sponsor of both the Atlanta 1996 and Salt Lake 2002 Games and featured bolder, simpler graphics on its jets. Air China planes showed the Beijing 2008 Games' five mascots in sport mode. Vancouver is flying fancy.

But there is a bigger story in the air. It seems Air Canada is temporarily renting space at one of its Vancouver International Airport hangars to the Department of National Defence. Defence Construction Canada is looking for a company to do $1.5 million of work by Oct. 1. Few details are included in the procurement document. Air Canada has not returned my phone calls or emails. Joint Task Force Games in Victoria and NORAD in Winnipeg are equally dumbfounded.

There must be someone in the federal government who can talk about how part of YVR will be turned into an air force base for the 2010 Winter Olympics, just like it was for World War II.

The procurement document was published June 25.