WikiLeaks goes to the Olympics

Among the 251,287 United States Department of State diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks are numerous about the Olympic Games. You will see them first on WikiLeaks, but I will endeavor to reproduce many of them on this blog and offer analysis.

The Olympics used to be solely about sport, but are now more about politics, economics and security.

Here is how the U.S. Embassy in Brasillia, Brazil analyzed the 2016 Rio de Janeiro bid committee's win in Copenhagen, where the International Olympic Committee rejected bids by Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago.

REFERENCE ID: 09BRASILIA1439 CREATED: 2009-12-24 13:01 RELEASED: 2010-12-02 09:09 CLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL ORIGIN: Embassy Brasilia

VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBR #1439/01 3581308
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 241307Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0212
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA
C O N F I D E N T I A L BRASILIA 001439

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/12/24
TAGS: PREL BR KOLY ASEC PGOV
SUBJECT: 2016 Rio Olympics - The Future is Now

REF: BRASILIA 347; BRASILIA 278

CLASSIFIED BY: Lisa Kubiske, Charge d'Affaires a.i.; REASON: 1.4(D)

¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Brazilians greeted the October 1 announcement that the 2016 Summer Olympics were awarded to Rio de Janeiro with an outpouring of national pride, a party on Copacabana beach and a sense of relief that the country is gaining some long overdue recognition as a regional and international leader. Politically, the GOB is looking to capitalize on hosting the games to solidify Brazil's image as the leader of South America and as an emerging global player. Internally, the IOC decision is being portrayed as a validation of President Lula's administration. The GOB understands that it faces critical challenges in preparing for the 2016 Games and has shown greater openness in such areas as information sharing to cooperation with the USG as a result - even going so far as to admit there could be a possibility of terrorist threats. The Lula government has taken care to associate Lula's chosen candidate to succeed him in 2011, Dilma Rousseff, with the IOC decision and expects the euphoria engendered by Rio's selection to translate into higher poll numbers for Rouseff. There remain, however, significant problems, that could impact the success of the Games , especially in terms of addressing security concerns. The Brazilian leadership remains highly sensitive to perceptions of USG interference and has not begun preparations for international coordination. In addition to preparing for the commercial opportunities the games will afford U.S. businesses, the USG should look to leverage Brazilian interest in an Olympic success to progress in bilateral cooperation in such areas as security and information exchanges. END SUMMARY.

¶2. (SBU) Amid the celebrations of the October 1 selection of Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016 Olympics there runs a strong current of relief among Brazilian leaders. President Lula described the feeling as "the end of the street dog complex," the idea that Brazil somehow does not deserve the status of an important country. Ministry of External Relations (MRE) Coordinator for Sporting Cooperation Vera Alvarez noted that being the first South American country chosen to host the Games was seen as evidence that the world (or at least the IOC) recognized Brazilian primacy on the continent and regional leadership. Alvarez also echoed a view expressed commonly in the Brazilian press: Rio's competitors had been Chicago (the United States), Madrid (the EU) and Tokyo (the Pacific Rim), and its victory must therefore reflect Brazil's perceived comparative success in dealing with the global financial crisis. "The IOC appreciated that we were the first to emerge from the crisis," she said.

¶3. (SBU) Asked what Brazil's goals for hosting the Games were, Alvarez repeated President Lula's assertion that these would be the "games of South America" and said that the GOB was planning to open its borders to its neighbors to encourage attendance by sports fans from all over the continent. Presidential Chief of Staff and likely presidential candidate Dilma Rousseff said the Games will provide opportunities for a younger generation of Brazilians and said the government would make numbers of tickets available to the youth of South America. Alvarez likened the effect of hosting the Games on Rio to that of the arrival of the Portuguese court in 1808, when Rio went from coastal town to the capital of an empire. She then went on to promise that the 2016 games would be the "greenest" Olympics yet and would improve Brazil's international image with their success.

¶4. (C) Though Brazil has some experience with major events such as the Pan Am Games, the Olympics will be an unprecedented challenge. The great question mark concerning Rio's selection has been the security situation, a question brought to the fore on October 17 as a gunfight between drug gangs resulted in the shooting down of a police helicopter (Ref c). MRE contacts have been defensive on security issues, telling Mission Brazil members (often without being asked) that the IOC clearly did not consider Rio's security situation inadequate. Apart from the standard MRE response, however, GOB officials have shown an understanding that security will be a serious concern for the Games. MRE political military advisor Marcos Pinta Gama suggested that the pending General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) could be followed by another arrangement to share security information for the Olympics. Alvarez went so far as to admit that terrorists could target Brazil because of the Olympics, a highly unusual statement from a government that officially believes terrorism in Brazil does not exist. The SENASP (the National Secretariat for Public Security, Ministry of Justice) has been put in charge of security for the Olympics and will be coordinating the GOB's overall on-the-ground security efforts. Rio authorities, meanwhile, expressed confidence in the impact the Favela Pacification Plan (Ref d) will have on the city's overall security. The Plan - which involves evicting drug traffickers, establishing a sustained police presence, and providing basic services to favela residents - envisions the "pacification" of over 100 favela communities by 2016 (Ref e). Internal Politics

¶5. (SBU) Even before the selection of Rio, the Lula government was hard at work to turn the decision to political advantage. Lula's chosen candidate to succeed him, Chief of Staff Dilma Rousseff, was at his side in Copenhagen for the selection, an appearance which Sport Minister Orlando Silva declared "will help Dilma's candidacy." Lula's highly visible role in lobbying for the Games is portrayed domestically as international validation of his administration and recognition of Lula as a key world player. Indeed, the reality is that much of the actual planning and preparation for Rio's bid was done by the Rio state and municipal governments. However, Rio authorities counted on Lula coming in over the top and providing the international prestige needed to win. In a recent meeting, Rio governor Cabral explained to Consul General in colorful detail Lula's tireless lobbying efforts in Copenhagen. According to Silva "The opposition will just have to swallow Lula's leadership." By claiming credit for Rio's victory, Lula seeks to bolster his already high approval ratings and then use his popularity to build support for Dilma Rousseff in the October 2010 Presidential election. As a first step, the Administration has announced a special Olympic Program for Acceleration of Growth (PAC) under Rousseff's leadership. One of Lula's signature initiatives, the PAC is a plan to use government resources to leverage private sector investment in infrastructure ( ref a). While PAC implementation has been extremely slow, the program has a positive image among Brazilians, and by putting Rousseff in the lead, Lula helps build her up as the candidate to prepare Rio for the Games.

Comment

¶6. (C) Being awarded the Olympics is seen as a major victory for Brazil in what Brazilians see as a struggle for the recognition they deserve. "We are finished being the country of the future and are the country of the present," Rousseff stated. The risk is that the GOB may choose to rest on its laurels and not get started on the work of planning the Games - Games that Lula has already dubbed a great success. Despite Rousseff's affirmation that "we have learned from the Pan Am Games," coordination for the 2014 World Cup, especially on security, lags. Attempts by Embassy personnel to establish contact with the Ministry of Sport have been refused. The GOB has articulated a vision for the Games - an Olympiad based on South American culture, openness to youth and environmentally friendly that played well in terms of domestic politics as well as appealing to the IOC. At this point, however, though state and municipal planning is moving ahead steadily, there has been little practical planning at the federal level for implementation of this grand vision. NOTE: Rio's challenges in building infrastructure and paying for the Games will be reported septel. For example, to make events more accessible to the South American public, Lula has said the GOB will distribute free tickets to the working classes and the youth of the continent. MRE admitted that there had been no thought given to how this would impact on ticket revenue projections or security, or to how the potential flow of youthful spectators across Brazil's borders would be managed. Rio also faces a host of challenges building infrastructure and paying for the Games. Lula has similarly decreed that Brazil will win more medals at the Rio Games than in the past, but there is no program in place to enhance the development of elite athletes.

¶7. (C) Brazil has shown it can host large-scale events such as the 2007 Pan Am Games, but the Olympics will present a different kind of challenge. While rejoicing in Rio's victory, the current GOB, with less than a year to go in office, seems to be taking a relaxed approach to preparation. The UK Embassy reports they have had less contact with the GOB on the Olympics than we have, even though they are eager to share lessons learned from initial planning for London 2012. While the very weak Ministry of Sport currently has the nominal lead on coordinating Olympic preparations, Mission anticipates the next Administration may organize preparations differently, perhaps through the Ministry of Planning or Casa Civil, or even establish a new agency specifically to coordinate Olympics infrastructure and security planning and logistics. Although the police and military have begun planning, the reality may well be that serious efforts await the next government, which will take office January 2011.

¶8. (C) Articulating the big picture goals and leaving details to the last minute may be a typically Brazilian approach, but could lead to problems. The delays we expect from the GOB in planning and executing the preparatory works for a successful World Cup and Olympic Games will almost certainly place greater onus on the USG to ensure that necessary standards are met. Mission Brazil has already begun coordinating among USG agencies in Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro, and has begun forward planning for the significant increases in personnel, facilities, and resources that managing U.S. involvement in the Games will require. Given the high degree of interest in the Olympics among Brazilians and the high value Brazil places on conducting a successful Games, there are already opportunities for the USG to pursue cooperation toward the Games, and to use such cooperation to further broader USG objectives in Brazil, including increased cooperation and Brazilian expertise on counterterrorism activities. As we look ahead, taking advantage of the Games to work security issues should be a priority, as should cooperation on cybercrime and broader information security (see ref B for additional areas for potential cooperation). We should also look to build in offers for dialogue on preparations for major sporting events as part of all high-level contacts with the Brazilians. KUBISKE

Sorry Edmonton, no Expo for you.

Brace yourself. It's coming and it won't be pretty.

I'm talking about the report on how much the Government of Canada spent on the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

The Province of British Columbia and City of Vancouver have reported on how much taxpayers' dollars they spent on the Games. Ottawa has been a laggard. It disclosed the G8 and G20 summits cost almost $860 million when it made a massive Friday dump of documents in the House of Commons on Nov. 5. Those events took place in Ontario in June. The Olympics were in February and Paralympics in March. Why are the Tories sitting on the numbers? What do they have to hide?

Dumb question...

Opposition parties that pander to voters in populous Ontario screamed bloody murder at G8 and G20 costs before the riot-marred Toronto summit happened. Here's what Liberal leader Michael "Iffy" Ignatieff wrote to Auditor-General Sheila Fraser. NDP Public Safety critic Don Davies also complained. Those same opposition parties have been silent on the Olympics. Seems their leaders are too afraid to question an event that delivered Canada a record 14 gold medals, including Sidney Crosby’s golden goal heard from coast-to-coast-to-coast.

They should be ashamed. They are abrogating their duties to citizens. Patriotism is about more than waving a flag and cheering at the national winter pastime.

Why am I so sure that the costs of the 2010 Winter Games will be a shock to taxpayers?

On Nov. 22, Heritage Minister James Moore wrote to Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel to tell him that Ottawa would not fund a bid for Expo 2017. Without the $706 million needed from the federal government, the $2.3 billion exposition won’t happen.

“This amount doesn’t take into account the full costs of security for this three month event nor the full costs of the Federal Government's obligations to host an event of this size,” Moore wrote. “Costs for the Federal Government for this project could easily eclipse $1 billion, and that is a financial risk we are not prepared to take at this time.”

Mandel was understandably upset. You might say he went ballistic.

Surely if the Vancouver Olympics were as successful as the spin doctors want us to believe, then why wouldn’t Edmonton’s Expo be a wise investment? (Say this with your tongue planted in your cheek, if you know what I mean).

Moore’s ministry led the $1.25 billion federal commitment to the 2010 Winter Games. That was the total pre-Games price tag for federal taxpayers. Moore’s ministry will eventually have to deliver the bad news to Canadians.

The recession-rocked Vancouver 2010 Games were the 21st century’s answer to Montreal 1976. Hope you enjoyed the party. You paid dearly for it.


If you have any doubt about the federal government's reluctance to talk about how much it spent on the 2010 Winter Olympics, read the following.

It's why I award the federal Conservatives a gold medal in the uniquely Canadian sport of freestyle, long-track evasiveness. Spokesthingys for both Heritage Minister Moore and Junior Sport Minister Gary Lunn were equally unhelpful in fulfilling my most recent request.

Enjoy this email string.

From: "Bob Mackin" [Bob.Mackin@sunmedia.ca]
 
Sent: 11/17/2010 10:37 AM EST
 
To: Vanessa Schneider
 
Subject: media request

Hello,

Is Minister Lunn  available today for a short phone interview to talk about the delay in publication of the post-Games financial report by VANOC and to discuss when the post-Games report on federal investments in the Olympics and Paralympics will be published?

Sincerely,

Bob Mackin



From vanessa.schneider@pch.gc.ca
Subject: Re: media request
Date: November 17, 2010 7:47:26 AM PST
To: Bob Mackin

Hi Bob,


I understand that you have also contacted the department in this regard. They will provide the answers to your questions.


Thanks!

Vanessa



Vanessa Schneider 

Directrice des communications/Director of Communications

Cabinet de l'Honorable Gary Lunn/Office of the Honourable Gary Lunn


From: "Bob Mackin"
Date: November 17, 2010 7:48:19 AM PST
To: vanessa.schneider@pch.gc.ca
Subject: RE: media request

Minister Lunn is the elected official who provides oversight. I am only interested in speaking with him, unless a deputy minister or David Robinson is available for an interview.


      

bob.mackin@sunmedia.ca



From: "Bob Mackin"
Date: November 17, 2010 7:36:18 AM PST
To: 
codie.taylor@pch.gc.ca
Subject: media request

Hello,
Is Minister Moore available today for a short phone interview to talk about the delay in publication of the post-Games financial report by VANOC and to discuss when the post-Games report on federal investments in the Olympics and Paralympics will be published?

Sincerely,
Bob Mackin


From: codie.taylor@pch.gc.ca
Subject: Re: media request
Date: November 17, 2010 7:45:05 AM PST
To: Bob Mackin
Cc: jean-luc.benoit@pch.gc.ca

Hi Bob,


I understand that you have also contacted the department in this regard.
 They will provide the answers to your questions.


Thanks,



Codie Taylor

Press Secretary / Attachée de presse

Office of the Hon. James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official
Languages /
Cabinet de l’hon. James Moore, Ministre du Patrimoine canadien et des
Langues officielles
Ministère du Patrimoine canadien | Department of Canadian Heritage
Gatineau, Canada K1A 0M5

codie.taylor@pch.gc.ca
Téléphone | Telephone 819-997-7788
Télécopieur | Facsimile 819-994-1267

Gouvernement du Canada | Government of Canada







From: "Bob Mackin"
Date: November 17, 2010 7:49:15 AM PST
To: codie.taylor@pch.gc.ca
Subject: RE: media request

Minister Moore is the elected official who provides oversight. I am only interested in speaking with him, unless a deputy minister or David Robinson is available for an interview.



      

bob.mackin@sunmedia.ca



What prompted my recent attempts to interview Ministers Moore and Lunn? The woefully inadequate response from their Ministry's communications office.

From: genevieve.myre@pch.gc.ca on behalf of media@pch.gc.ca
Sent: Fri 22-Oct-10 3:06 PM
To: Bob Mackin
Cc: media@pch.gc.ca
Subject: Media call regarding final report on Olympic and Paralympic

Good afternoon,

The answer to your inquiry is attached below. Please confirm receipt of this email.

Thank you
Geneviève Myre
____________________

The Federal Secretariat's Final Report will be an overall synopsis of the Government of Canada's involvement in the Games.
The report is in its final stages of development and will be posted to the Canadian Heritage website in due time.
The attached Fact Sheet lists the Government of Canada's financial contributions to the 2010 Winter Games.


Service des relations avec les médias | Media Relations Service
Direction générale des communications | Communications Branch
Ministère du Patrimoine canadien | Department of Canadian Heritage
Gatineau, Québec CANADA K1A 0M5
media@pch.gc.ca
Téléphone | Telephone 819 994-9101
Sans frais | Toll-Free 1 866 569-6155 (au Canada seulement | In Canada Only)
Télécopieur | Facsimile 819 994-1444
Téléimprimeur (sans frais) 1 888 997-3123 | Teletypewriter (toll-free) 1 888 997-3123
Gouvernement du Canada | Government of Canada


From Bob Mackin on behalf of Bob Mackin
Date 22/10/2010 10:09 PM
To genevieve.myre@pch.gc.ca
Subject RE: Media call regarding final report on Olympic and Paralympic

Could you please define "due time?"

Does "due time" mean next week, next month, next year? If you can only give me a ballpark estimate (for example: end of October, mid-November or first week of December), then that would be reasonable.

I would prefer if you could attach an estimate to "due time." Otherwise, the reader/taxpayer does not know what "due time" means.


From: genevieve.myre@pch.gc.ca
Date: October 26, 2010 12:26:16 PM PDT
To: "Bob Mackin"
Subject: RE: Media call regarding final report on Olympic and Paralympic


Good afternoon,

The answer to your inquiry is attached below. Please confirm receipt of this email.

Thank you
Geneviève Myre
__________________

The Final Report is a compilation of material from over 30 federal departments and agencies and is a large undertaking.
The Government of Canada wants to ensure the report is accurate and complete before posting it. Therefore, no specific deadline has been set. We will contact you when the report is available.

With Glowing Hearts, they'll take out the trash

In the news business, we call Friday "Take Out the Trash Day".

Governments have a nasty habit of releasing information that's destined to be unpopular or controversial on a Friday.

Government propaganda departments think that a Friday news release or news conference means unflattering information has little time to be digested and debated before the diversion of the weekend when news demand goes down.

Dubious and dastardly? Absolutely.

It's a common tactic that was explored by National Public Radio in 2005. It's employed by the British Columbia government under Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell.

B.C. Place Stadium's $365 million renovations were announced Jan. 9, 2009 in a news release. That was a Friday. So was Oct. 23, 2009 when the price was hiked to $458 million.

March 26, 2010 was when the government announced the province's biggest casino would be built west of B.C. Place Stadium. If you guessed that was a Friday, then jackpot!

Premier Gordon Campbell and finance minister Colin Hansen announced the Harmonized Sales Tax on Friday, July 23, 2009. The public uproar over the lack of public consultation was slow to begin, but did it ever snowball!

In Ottawa on Friday, Nov. 5, 2010, the federal Conservative minority government unleashed hundreds of documents showing the $860 million cost of the G8 and G20 summits in Ontario.

The latest to employ the "Take Out the Trash" strategy is VANOC.

The Vancouver Olympic committee held a post-board meeting media teleconference Nov. 17, 2010 (which was a Wednesday). Chairman Rusty Goepel, CEO John Furlong and CFO John McLaughlin (see above photo) refused to answer any substantial questions about dollars or numbers. That's because they delayed the release of the post-Games financial report yet again. Remember, this is an agent of the government whose fiscal year ended July 31.

So mark Dec. 17 on your calendar. Guess which day of the week that is?

Yep, it's a Friday.

VANOC was battered by a recession after pretending a recession of any magnitude would not happen. Now it's going way beyond overtime to clean up the books and trying to claim that they're just double-checking numbers and letting auditors audit. Truth be told, it's a bigger job than they anticipated and the costs much greater. By comparison, Salt Lake 2002 issued a financial report in June 2002.

Not only is Dec. 17 a Friday, but it's the last important business Friday of 2010.

They could have decided to "Take Out the Trash" on Christmas Eve or New Year's Eve, but that would have entailed one of the few remaining VANOC staffers to actual work.

Nov. 14: Expensive Stadium Day in Canada

What do B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver, Rogers Centre in Toronto and the Olympic Stadium in Montreal have in common?

They are all expensive, taxpayer-funded stadiums that have hosted Grey Cups and Nov. 14 is a key date in their histories.

By the time its public debt was retired in 2006, Montreal's "Big Owe" cost $1.47 billion. The French-designed retractable roof never worked. The tower that was key to the design wasn't finished when the Summer Olympics opened July 17, 1976. The Quebec government finally gave up in 1987 and shut the lid. The Montreal Expos moved after the 2004 season to Washington, D.C. The Montreal Alouettes only venture indoors for playoff games and it's closed during winters for fear of the roof collapsing under snow.

On Nov. 14, 1975, the Quebec government seized control of the financing and construction of the Olympic Stadium and created the Regie des installations Olympique. Montreal's Olympics became synonymous with corruption and cost overruns. It's a big reason why the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics had lukewarm support from British Columbians (until Canada started winning gold medals in February 2010).

Because of the grand faux pas in Montreal, Vancouver's B.C. Place Stadium became Canada's first successful indoor stadium. It employed an air-supported fabric roof design. On Nov. 14, 1982, the fans were turned on as Premier Bill Bennett witnessed his "bubble" come to life. On March 8, 1983, Queen Elizabeth II invited the world to visit for Expo 86, but the $126 million building's official opening was June 19, 1983.

The roof was deflated on May 4, 2010 and a $458 million retractable system is under construction. A fall 2011 reopening is anticipated. The first and only event confirmed under "Campbell's Crown" is the Nov. 27, 2011 Grey Cup.

Toronto's SkyDome one-upped Vancouver with its $580 million, white, egg-shaped retractable roof beneath the landmark CN Tower that opened June 3, 1989. In 1985, Ontario Premier Bill Davis projected a $130 million cost.

On Nov. 14, 1991, Ontario's NDP government privatized the stadium in a deal with eight companies for $110 million cash and $270 million in debentures. Rogers Communications eventually paid the bargain basement price of $25 million in 2004 for the home of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The 1976 Olympics opened and closed at Olympic Stadium. B.C. Place was the Olympic stadium for the 2010 Games. Rogers Centre is where the 2015 Pan American Games will begin and end.

They can run, but they can't hide!

Or, more correctly, VANOC can move out of its City of Vancouver-owned headquarters at 3585 Graveley St., reappear 8.1 kilometres west in a downtown Vancouver heritage building, refuse to tell an inquisitive reporter the address while said reporter successfully learns the address.

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games has moved to 450-375 Water Street. Chief financial officer John McLaughlin and one other full-time employee, thought to be finance manager Gemma Bayley, are working in The Landing offices of Twentyten Group. It's a marketing agency opened last spring by Andrea Shaw, the ex-vice-president of marketing for VANOC.

Funny that VANOC's final act will take place in The Landing; Premier Gordon Campbell always said the Olympics would be a launch not a landing.

How long the "McLaughlin Group" will be in Gastown is undetermined.

"We will have people doing VANOC work for as long as it takes to complete everything and wind the corporation up," McLaughlin said via email. "That time frame cannot be specifically estimated as it depends as much on others as it does on us."

VANOC is expected to hold its last, major board meeting this month and publish a post-Games financial report sometime before the end of the year. It hasn't published any financial report since last December, despite requirements under the Multiparty Agreement of 2002 and a May 2007 pledge by VANOC to be transparent and accountable. Mediated talks with charter bus contractor Gameday Management Group are Nov. 8-10 over what Gameday says is a $10 million dispute.

For those keeping score at home, the Twentyten Group offices are one floor down from where the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation was headquartered in 2003 when the International Olympic Committee voted Vancouver to host the 2010 Games. The bid corporation became the organizing committee, which hosted the Feb. 12-28, 2010 Winter Olympics and March 12-21, 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, Richmond and Whistler.

The Landing is owned by the McLean Group, headed by well-known BC Liberal backer and CN Rail chairman David McLean. Among the tenants at The Landing are aforementioned Canadian National and McLean Group, Intrawest Leisure and Travel Group and Intrawest Resort Club Group, Hyphen Communications and the Vancouver Whitecaps.

VANOC was at its old headquarters on borrowed time. The lease was to expire May 31, but last January VANOC cleverly negotiated a five-month extension to Oct. 31. It agreed to sell used furniture and IT equipment originally worth $9.1 million to the City of Vancouver, its landlord, for $2.32 million. The $310,000 portion of IT equipment was a line item in a June 22 capital report to council, but the remaining $2 million-plus and $50,000 free rent was kept secret until I broke the story on Oct. 29. You can read the Freedom of Information documents I received here.

What did Mayor Gregor Robertson have to say?

"My understanding is it's a staff level decision, that procurement especially was within the jurisdiction of our staff, it wasn't a council decision," Robertson said Nov. 1. "It looked like a good deal on the face of it, keeping furniture in use. We didn't handle the details of that, we delegate issues like that to staff for decision. It looks like a good one in terms of the savings."

Rewind to Dec. 8, 2008 when Robertson took the oath of office and delivered a swearing-in speech that included this promise:

"As your city government we will lead with a bold vision. We will set clear targets, measure success, and be accountable for our actions.

"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."

Robertson's first full day in office was Dec. 9, 2008, when he was a guest at the last VANOC board meeting of 2008. I can't tell you what went on behind those closed doors. VANOC board meetings have always been closed to the public and no minutes are published. I can only presume that Robertson drank the VANOC Powerade (that Coca-Cola product) and came under the five-ring spell.

Y'know, the one where public money is spent and the public is the last to know about it?

Five-ring disappearing act continues

There are even more signs of Vancouver's fading Olympic glow after the mid-October removal of the Omega Countdown Clock from the Vancouver Art Gallery's north plaza.

VANOC, or what's left of it, is packing up and moving out of Campus 2010 (above). Graham Construction is already on-site to convert the two civic-owned office buildings into the new home of the Vancouver Police Department. The city paid $24 million in 2005 to buy the complex after VANOC begged city hall for help.

VANOC, I was surprised to learn, got a five-month rent holiday. It secretly sold the City of Vancouver its head office furniture and various pieces of IT equipment for $2.3 million in a Jan. 31, 2010 contract that came after a Jan. 8, 2010 in-camera report to city council.

The whole package, VANOC claimed, was originally worth $9 million. Not a bad deal to get such a discount, but what about announcing the transaction to the taxpayers? I scoured council agendas and minutes and saw no reference to what's essentially another bailout for cash-strapped VANOC. City manager Penny Ballem (who doubles as a VANOC director) didn't respond with any comment.

The future consideration in this trade was a five-month lease extension for free. VANOC was originally supposed to hit the road May 31, but instead doesn't have to disappear until Hallow'een.

Abracadabra, VANOC will magically reappear somewhere in downtown Vancouver on Nov. 1. The notoriously secretive organization won't tell me where it's going.

"In fact, there are very few people now communicating with VANOC as almost all of the accounts have been closed," said vice-president of communications Renee Smith-Valade. "John (McLaughlin, chief financial officer) and his team are ensuring that those who need to know how to reach VANOC are aware."


My guess? Somewhere paid for with your tax dollars. I'll report it when I know it because you have a right to know.

Meanwhile on Cypress Mountain. Yes, the troublesome snowboarding and freestyle skiing venue thanks to El Nino.

The snow cannons are poised for freezing temperatures to make snow and get the 2010-2011 season underway. But it'll be without a snowboarding halfpipe. The site of American Shaun White's gold medal performance for the ages is gone. So is the daredevil jump at the climax of the snowboardcross and skicross course. That's where North Shore boarder Maelle Ricker was the first Canadian woman to win gold on home snow. She did so in the shadow of a set of green Olympic rings perched on Black Mountain.

Guess what? They're not there anymore. But you won't have to look far. They're now across from the Cypress lodge's front door, closer to Mount Strachan where no Olympic events took place (below). Sure, it'll be more accessible for tourists with cameras, but the rings would have been better left on the former field of play.

In case you're wondering, the piles of straw are not left over from the Olympics. They are part of a Hollywood North film shoot called Final Destination 5. There are, however, small quantities of straw still visible around Cypress that are remnants of the 1,000 bales imported from Oregon and Washington before the Games. Before the Games, VANOC staff at Cypress witnessed mice scurry out of the delivery trucks!

Don't mess with Texas

Cowtown Charters of Fort Worth, Texas is one of the "myriad" companies owed money for providing people and vehicles to Vancouver's Olympic Bus Network. President Bill Pippin says his company is owed $135,000, but can't be paid until VANOC pays its bus systems contractor Gameday Management. That doesn't look like it'll happen any time soon, because the sides are at an impasse in talks to reconcile accounts.

First, the Aug. 6, 2010, Statement from Terry Wright, Executive Vice President, Services and Operations, VANOC re: payment for 2010 Games Bus Services

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) provides the following information in response to assertions and allegations that have been made through correspondence and to the media relating to bus services at the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Until now, we have trusted that our contractor, Gameday Management Group Canada Inc. would resolve claims with its contracted companies for the provision of buses and drivers. However, it seems apparent that the bus industry believes that unpaid invoices are VANOC’s responsibility, therefore we must respond.

In summary, we regret that bus suppliers have encountered financial hardship however their disappointment, frustration and payment demand should not be directed to VANOC.

We trust the following outlines and clarifies our position and we would respectfully request all those with outstanding bus services claims’ cooperation in directing their further communications to Gameday.

**VANOC declines comment on the quality of Games time bus service except to note that the suggestion that the transportation system was an unqualified success is a superficial analysis without knowledge of all of the facts.

Pre-Games Background:

VANOC engaged Gameday to procure and manage the 2010 Games bus system. Gameday’s responsibility was to assist with system design, to contract with bus companies for buses and drivers, allocate buses to Games transportation systems and manage the commissioning of the buses, the dispatch of buses to allocated routes, the scheduling of drivers and the decommissioning of the buses following the service period. Gameday was not acting on VANOC’s behalf but rather assumed the full outsourcing of these Games operations. In return, VANOC committed to paying Gameday a significant management fee. When Gameday entered into a contract with a third party bus provider, it was obligated to advise VANOC of the total cost associated with the services procured, and VANOC approved installment payments to Gameday that would keep Gameday whole for the costs of approved third party services.

During the period prior to the Games, Gameday informed VANOC of the costs associated with all of their contracted services. VANOC’s contractual entitlement to Gameday was established by the provision of this information by Gameday and its approval for payment by VANOC.

Post Games Background:

Following the Games, the process commenced of reconciling VANOC’s final payment obligations to Gameday with Gameday’s final payment obligations to their bus suppliers. Gameday’s claimed costs in relation to their bus provider contracts far exceeded what had been approved by VANOC, and VANOC determined that most of the increased costs were due to billing errors, unapproved and/or un-communicated charges and charges that VANOC had specifically disapproved. VANOC communicated to Gameday that Gameday would be responsible (out of their considerable management fee) for satisfying committed payments to bus providers that had not been approved by and/or communicated to VANOC.

VANOC Paid All Undisputed/Approved Claims to Canadian and US Bus Companies:

VANOC was not and is not a party to the individual bus provider contracts and accepts no responsibility for Gameday’s supplier arrangements to the extent they were not approved by VANOC as part of its contractual arrangement with Gameday. Nonetheless, VANOC has worked tirelessly with Gameday over the past several months to resolve as many billing discrepancies as possible. In addition to the absence of change orders or approval documentation, a lack of detailed Gameday records (or any records in some instances) have made this a very complicated and frustrating process, but VANOC has considered all Gameday claims in good faith. In many cases, VANOC has paid amounts to Gameday or directly to bus providers (as directed by Gameday) despite the absence of any change order or other evidence that payment for the applicable services were approved by VANOC or that such services were even delivered by Gameday.
VANOC has paid ALL undisputed amounts relating to the provision of services by Canadian and US bus companies to Gameday.

The suggestion that VANOC continues to hold back funds in relation to undisputed accounts is simply false. VANOC had also paid 87.5% of the value of each approved contract sum by January 2010. Importantly, to our knowledge, Gameday only paid 75% of the contract sums to the bus suppliers prior to the Games meaning that 50% of the amount of the bus supplier holdback was in Gameday’s possession prior to the Games. A considerable amount of the US supplier money is also being held by Canada
Revenue Agency in respect of non-resident witholding taxes. VANOC doesn’t know if Gameday has forwarded to the bus suppliers the 12.5% payment that it has been holding since January, nor whether they have forwarded to the bus suppliers the more recent payment by VANOC of the undisputed balance for the bus supplier services. If Gameday has continued to hold these funds pending resolution of its dispute with VANOC, the delay and prejudice and considerable inconvenience
that bus suppliers have been experiencing is clearly attributable to Gameday.

All Outstanding Bus Service Claims Are With Gameday, Not VANOC:

Throughout the period of Gameday’s services, VANOC was advised that only three US-based bus suppliers had been engaged. We have since learned that large portions of the fleets delivered by the three identified carriers were sourced from myriad subcontractors. To the extent any such subcontractor has not been paid, it should look to the company that engaged it for payment, and that entity should in turn look to Gameday to satisfy its claim. VANOC accepts no responsibility to engage in payment discussions with companies with which it has no contractual relationship (and which in many cases were not even known to VANOC until a claim for payment was raised).

Finally, Gameday is capable of satisfying all supplier claims from the management fee committed by VANOC, the majority of which has been paid. Again, we regret that bus suppliers have encountered financial hardship however their disappointment, frustration and payment demand should be directed to Gameday.

Below is Pippin's reaction to a statement issued Aug. 6 by VANOC executive vice-president Terry Wright:

It seems VANOC wants to pretend that the Games did not exist. I was there and personally witnessed the mistreatment and poor management of VANOC. VANOC seems to believe their performance was un-blemished. This is quite wrong.

All the stories are about the money and ignore the other blatant failings of VANOC which caused the need for more transportation. It seems now they are pretending this did not happen. I provided one of those last minute bus additions. I saw the untrained short time college students they hired who had no knowledge of transportation they put in charge at all levels of supervision. These people were ignorant of transportation and basically just stood around. This one critical mistake caused the bus service to under perform.

They would not allow Gameday to bring in seasoned bus people. Oh, that’s right keep the money in Canada. International Trailways put an all call out for help (unpaid) from their organization for volunteers to help fix the problems caused by these untrained workers.

Bus owners and dispatchers rushed to Canada to save the event. Save the event they did despite the incompetence of VANOC (Gameday runs these events all the time).
It seems if they are boxing up or throwing away evidence of their poor performance.

The phone system provided to the drivers did not allow calls outside of network and the cell phone rates made it prohibitive for them to use their own phones effectively making them prisoners. I provided cell phones to my supervisors that allowed me to communicate with them. I spoke with them many times after 7 pm PST to hear of their plight. They always were waiting for VANOC to provide their bus needs for the next day which caused the dispatchers to be late providing schedule times for the drivers. Many had to stay awake waiting for a call that came as little as 30 minutes before their shift transportation. Some had to stand to board a bus 2 hours before their shift and wait (standing) 2 hours after their shift to get back to their domicile. This was because VANOC did not care about safety instead cutting back on transportation to save money.

Canadian hours of service are basically a mirror to US standards with some minor variations. RCMP obviously was instructed to ignore the event and all the violations. Not one of my buses or drivers were stopped and inspected for violations throughout the events.

Shuttle service had to be increased because the drivers did not have enough hours of service to complete their runs (maybe this is some of the extra expense).

No food was provided for the early shift. If you came to work early you got a breakfast coupon and no where to spend it. By the time you got off duty it was almost dinner but not quite. Same situation in reverse at night. No one promised great food but sometimes there was no food. One bottle of water per shift was all VANOC would allow. My contract calls for my drivers to be fed and sheltered each day from the time they left their home base until the time they returned. No food was provided when they had a day off. Most were trapped in their hotel room without any means to find food. Later on some shuttles were provided to allow the drivers to buy food in bulk (maybe some more of the extra expense).

Some of the staging areas were better than others. I had to provide microwaves and refrigerators so my people could eat. International Trailways started providing extra food and water they paid for out of their own pockets. The drivers could not afford to buy food because the prices were boosted to gouge the foreigners. My drivers were told if they deviated from their appointed routes to find food or water or for any other reason they would be apprehended by the RCMP.

As they did throughout the games and are still doing now they are pretending their performance was flawless when in fact they caused all the problems that required extra equipment. They now seem to be saying there is no record of any extra buses ordered during this event.

My contract called for 90% of my funds to be held in escrow. The article you sent clearly admits to this not happening. I am told my contract is a mirror of all upstream of me. VANOC does not mention that the Paralympics bus contracts were not secured until after the Olympics were over.

Where is this money? Tony Vitrano at Gameday is now saying that VANOC wants to only pay for days the buses were in service. This is not what my contract stipulates. No bus owner in their right mind would send buses that far away without a secure revenue stream. There would not have been an Olympics if Bus owners had any inkling how irresponsible VANOC would be in their administration from before the event until this day.

Can anyone believe that a contract could be written that basically states that company “A” will provide uncertain and unlimited services for a fixed price? Of course not! VANOC had a budget for transportation and hired Gameday to provide a certain amount of equipment. Let’s see the contract between VANOC and Gameday. I am told the extra buses ordered have been reimbursed.

What specifically is VANOC talking about that would justify holding back 12.5%? Does Gameday allege they were asked to provide more services than VANOC will acknowledge?  The big mistake everyone made was trying to make up for all of VANOC’s shortcomings. We do this in the bus business. It is called customer service. Most times we do not even get a thank you. In this instance we are being told not only were the efforts not appreciated but actually in some ways did not happen. Basically a swift kick in the butt!

My company sent 13 coaches with 26 drivers 2,400 miles one way to help make the Olympics a success. Gameday has nothing to gain as this is what they do. If bus companies found out that Gameday was acting not in good faith Gameday would be out of business. VANOC is out of business. An easy conclusion can be drawn. Gameday has nothing to gain here except moving on to the next event. VANOC keeps all they steal from the bus companies and gets put back in the general treasury.

A bigger question would be why VANOC paid for the sorry quality of all the food they provided. Oh, sorry they were Canadian companies. VANOC is a public company. Let them prove what they say by showing payments made to Gameday. That would be a little too real wouldn’t it? Could it be possible that there was a 12.5% failure rate that caused money to be withheld to that extreme? Absurd also!  Let the public entity be specific publicly about what the short falls are.

And then there is the CRA. How can they justify keeping our money? Oh, that’s right it stays in the Canadian coffers. We were allowed to file a waiver for moneys paid after the waiver was accepted. Why was the waiver not extended to cover the entire event? Why did VANOC not counsel Gameday that this would be an issue? Oh, that’s right the money stays in Canada. My bus company brings about 2,000 tourists to Canada where they stay for at least a week. Do you know how many of these companies that are unpaid bring tourists to Canada each year? Maybe we should set up our tours to stay in the states?

We jumped through hoops day after day for 4 months prior to the games to send help to Canada to make these games in North America a success. From the beginning they were under staffed, disorganized and under planned making it up as the went.

There were lots of people involved that tried to help but they were ignored. They tried to tell them the problems they would encounter but were ignored. They continued to help up to the point many organizations are in jeopardy including International Trailways, Gameday and many small to medium size bus companies. I guess they think those $500,000 buses don’t have to be paid for. Oh, let’s just keep the money in Canada and scr’ the yanks.

Were you an Olympic Bus Network driver, mechanic or dispatcher? Did you work in depot catering? Tell me your story. Email 2010goldrush@gmail.com

Patrick Kinsella: The B.C. Liberals GoodFella

Guess who's back in the news?

Just in time for a good ol' gambling scandal, none other than Patrick Kinsella.

Kinsella (top) ran the B.C. Liberals' campaigns in 2001 and 2005, donated $76,864 to the party between 2005 and 2009, and was intricately involved in the BC Rail privatization scandal, which is also known as Regina vs. Basi, Basi and Virk.

Expect Kinsella to be on the witness stand to answer questions about the appearance that he worked for both Crown corporation BC Rail and its successful suitor Canadian National Railway. Expect defence lawyer Michael Bolton to ask Kinsella about his activities over the last decade.

According to the blog of political commentator Alexis G. Tsakumis, Kinsella was spotted dining July 21 at a Keg restaurant in South Surrey with none other than Rich Coleman, B.C.'s minister of housing and social development who is also in charge of gambling and liquor. That's the same Coleman (pictured above at a podium) who skipped out of a July 15 press conference early because he apparently found something else to do to avoid the probing questions of reporters at the launch of PlayNow.com...

Yes, that's the same "North America first" government-run online casino called PlayNow that was shut down after six hours because of a privacy breach. What were the odds of that happening?

A Coleman staffer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said "the minister has advised this was a personal dinner." As for Kinsella, he did not respond to a phone message I left with his receptionist.

Kinsella runs a "government relations" (read: lobbying) company called the Progressive Group. After years of denying he was a lobbyist (and evading a lobbying-related RCMP investigation because of a legal loophole), he finally signed-up when a new law came into effect April 1, 2010. Lo-and-behold, the Progressive registration shows that he was lobbying during those years that he said he wasn't.

Kinsella's clients include Great Canadian Gaming, Pacific Western Brewing, Mark Anthony Group and Exel Logistics. For those keeping score at home, the respective entities are in the business of gambling, drinking, drinking and industrial delivery. His Lobbyist Registry entries list Coleman as the "target contact" for three of the four companies above and the intended outcomes are either "Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy or decision" or "Awarding, amendment or termination of a contract, grant or financial benefit."

Oh, it's certainly possible that Kinsella didn't mutter a word about his clients or their goals with Coleman when they broke bread at the Keg. Maybe they spent a few hours mulling the merits of the Keg's Lobster Summer special menu, which expires Aug. 22?

So why, you ask, does Kinsella deserve to be on a blog about the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics?

Kinsella lobbied the B.C. government on behalf of the State of Washington's Olympic office. The contract documents, obtained by Public Eye's Sean Holman, show Progressive pledged to arrange meetings between government decision-makers and businesspeople in Washington and senior officials in the B.C. government and Vancouver Olympic organizing committee.

Kinsella and his sidekick Mark Jiles even told Washington that:

"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 (VANOC). The Progressive Group is the only public affairs, Olympic affairs and sports marketing firm in B.C." 

Progressive client Orca Creative Group of Woodinville, Wash. scored lucrative gigs through the B.C. Olympic Games Secretariat to design the B.C. Canada Pavilion in Beijing in 2008 and the B.C. Showcase at Robson Square and Four Host First Nations pavilion in 2010.

Great Canadian Gaming was the beneficiary of a controversial VANOC contract to upgrade the power supply at Hastings Park. The project was awarded Oct. 5, 2007 and Wespac got the gig.

The work was necessary for lights and TV cameras at figure skating and short-track speedskating at the Pacific Coliseum. Great Canadian had the money and a plan to overhaul the antiquated Hastings Racecourse electrical system for several years. Then an offer it couldn't refuse came along in 2007 from VANOC. The two parties split the $1.24 million bill.

The Multiparty Agreement of 2002's Annex L listed the competition, training and support facilities that would receive taxpayers' funds. Only the Pacific Coliseum and a then-envisioned temporary arena would get funding. The race track was closed at Games-time and should not have qualified for a dime from VANOC.

Kinsella is a longtime insider with Great Canadian, whose board of directors includes Sen. Larry Campbell. Campbell was Vancouver's populist left-wing mayor when city council approved a casino in 2004 for Hastings Racecourse, despite strong opposition from neighbours.

Kinsella was the co-winner of the 2009 B.C. Horse Racing Industry Top Owner award with stable partner Glen Todd, another well-known friend of the Liberal Party. Todd donated $105,052 between 2005 and 2009.

Todd has an off-track betting parlour called The Derby Bar and Grill connected to the headquarters of his Pacific Customs Brokers on the South Surrey side of the 49th parallel. PCB scored the lucrative VANOC contract for customs clearance and freight forwarding. There were 82 nations entered in the Vancouver Games and PCB was there to ensure the equipment and supplies of athletes, officials and sponsors got in and out of Canada. VANOC never published the value of the contract.

Page 93 of the 2003-published Vancouver 2010 Bid Book listed "freight forwarding and customs brokering" as a tier III category that needed filling. German giant DB Schenker was the official freight and customs sponsor of Athens 2004, Turin 2006 and Beijing 2008. Schenker clients for Vancouver 2010 included NBC and the German Olympic team. For some reason never fully or properly explained, VANOC didn't do a sponsorship deal with Schenker or any of its global competitors. It paid PCB to do the work in a contract dated July 7, 2008.

IOC liberates VANOC ticket numbers from virtual wait room

We know that Simon Ammann of Switzerland won the first gold medal of the Games Feb. 13 in ski jumping on the normal hill with a top distance of 108 metres.

We know that Canada's Sidney Crosby scored the winning 3-2 goal 7:40 into sudden-death overtime to beat the United States, end the Olympic competition and give the host nation a record 14th gold medal on Feb. 28.

We know the United States had the most medals overall with 37. We know Norwegian cross-country skier Marit Bjorgen's three gold, one silver and one bronze was the biggest individual medal haul of Vancouver 2010.

Now we're beginning to know more about the financial state of VANOC, the Games organizing committee which incorrectly assumed in its own business plan that a recession would not happen through the Games.

Until now, VANOC has kept secret how many tickets were sold and for how much. For those of us seeking that information, it's been like an extended stay in the dreaded VANOC/Tickets.com virtual waiting room.

The International Olympic Committee's Vancouver 2010 marketing report was quietly published July 6 and it revealed 1.49 million of 1.54 million available tickets were sold for a total $257 million. That's about $3.4 million shy of the VANOC forecast, but not including tickets for the Paralympics or Cultural Olympiad.

Even on the last day of the Games, VANOC claimed "1.6 million tickets available for the 2010 Winter Games."

VANOC chief financial officer John McLaughlin denied he knew ticket sales information when he was interviewed July 9 (about the British Columbia government's $50 million direct bailout), but he reluctantly agreed July 20 that the IOC numbers are accurate.

VANOC is operating under what amounts to a financial information blackout. Its last financial report release was Dec. 21, 2009 and it decided -- without telling the media -- that it would not release another until late fall 2010 after the audit of its results for the year ending July 31, 2010.

Because of that, VANOC is violating the agreement that defined the responsibilities of the organizing committee and funding governments before the bid was won. The 2002 Multiparty Agreement's sections 4.4 and 26 said the organizing committee would issue reports after each quarter. No exceptions.

Interesting that the pact was made in 2002. That was also the year of the Salt Lake Games. In June 2002 -- just three months after the Olympic flame was extinguished in Utah -- the Salt Lake Organizing Committee's financial information was published in the IOC's own Marketing Matters newsletter.

SLOC earned US$183 million when it sold 1,525,118 of the 1,605,524 tickets available to the Games.

Where Vancouver beat Salt Lake clearly was in the category of potential TV audience. In 2002 it was 2.1 billion. Even Turin 2006 estimated 3.1 billion people had access to television coverage of the Games. By 2010, it ballooned to 3.8 billion. During the Games, IOC marketing director Timo Lumme said: "From a global perspective we would expect that around 3.5 billion people -- over half the population of the world -- will have watched some coverage of the Games."

That 3.5 billion figure has since been constantly quoted by Premier Gordon Campbell -- the one with the red mittens. The Vancouver 2010 Marketing Report discloses a more modest 1.8 billion actual viewership.

The key word is actual.

By comparison, the Beijing 2008 Summer Games had a potential reach of 4.3 billion with an actual audience estimated at 3.5 billion, according to IOC spokesman Benjamin Seeley.

"The measurement (estimation) of actual audience reach has been adopted since Beijing 2008, while previously it was measured (estimated) as Cumulative Global Audience (in billions) and cumulative global viewing hours (in billions)," Seeley said. "The reason being we think it is a more realistic and informative approach to measure actual audience with average minute rating (AMR).

"These figures are TV only, as currently we aren't able to measure Internet and television separately on a global basis."

Let the wine and cheese begin!

The most exclusive party in Canada during the 2010 Winter Olympics may have been the one at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver before the Feb. 12 opening ceremony. The bill for the bash was $32,161.50.

It cost $14,000 to rent and set-up the Pacific Ballroom, $8,500 for food, $2,500 for the host bar and wines, $100 for a children's buffet, $1,750 for "reception food - placed - media," $900 for coffee break refreshments, plus service charges and applicable taxes.

The event was an opportunity for Canadian politicians to grip and grin with people more famous than them. A photographer paid $25,000 was at the ready to snap shots like the one above, which features lil' Gary Lunn, Canada's Minister of State for Sport and action movie star and former steroid-using bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Republican governor of California. Of course, it was all about international diplomacy and strengthening trade ties.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was among the guests. Guests put down their wine glasses and cheese plates briefly for a moment of silence for Nodar Kumaritashvili, the 21-year-old luger who died earlier on the opening day of the 21st Winter Olympics while training at the Whistler Sliding Centre.

So, while we wait for Lunn, Canadian Heritage minister James Moore or even Treasury Board president Stockwell Day to tell us exactly how much Ottawa spent on the Olympics, do enjoy reading the menu, agenda and guest list for the Governor General and Prime Minister's shindig.

Canadian Reception
Pacific Ballroom
Feb. 12, 2010

Passed Canapes:

Cold
Hot smoked wild Fraser River salmon on bannock bread
Salt Spring Island goat cheese en croute
Beet cured Queen Charlotte Halibut, organic Barnston Island micro green
Phillo basquet with roasted organic vegetables

Hot
Petit Quebec tourtière
Howe Sound dungeness crab cake
Nova Scotia lobster tartelette
Chinatown crispy wonton prawn, sweet chili dipping sauce

Food Stations (very small offering)
Wild mushroom risotto (vegetarian) with Chiliwack (sic) free range pheasant
Gulf Island lamb 'lollipop' with a mustard and honey crust
Albeta beef tenderloin on a brioche
Digby scallop, citrus beurre blanc

Cheeses Station
Selection of Canadian cheeses
La "Corbeille du Boulanger"

Sweet station
Mini Nanaimo bars
Petit four
Assorted macaroons
Chocolate dipped strawberries


RECEPTION FOR VISITING HEADS OF STATE/GOVERNMENT
PRIOR TO OPENING CEREMONY
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2010
PACIFIC BALLROOM, FAIRMONT HOTEL VANCOUVER

15:15 ARRIVAL of Canadian dignitaries.

15:35 ARRIVAL of Official Party (Governor General and Prime Minister).

15:45 ARRIVAL of international dignitaries.

16:05 INTRODUCTION of the media by the Master of Ceremonies.

16:10 FORMAL REMARKS by the Master of Ceremonies.

16:11 INTRODCUTION of the official party to the stage by the Master of Ceremonies.

16:12 INTRODUCTION of the Prime Minister by the Master of Ceremonies.

16:13 REMARKS made by the Prime Minister.

16:16 THANKING of the first speaker and introduction of the Governor General by the Master of Ceremonies.

16:17 REMARKS made by the Governor General.

16:20 CONCLUSION of formal portion of reception by the Master of Ceremonies.

17:15 ANNOUNCEMENT by the Master of Ceremonies regarding departures for B.C Place for the Opening Ceremony.

Reception on the occasion of the Opening of the XXI Olympic Games
Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
February 12, 2009

GUEST LIST

HOSTS :

Leurs Excellences la très honorable Michaëlle Jean, C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D.
Gouverneure générale du Canada
et monsieur Jean-Daniel Lafond

The Right Honourable Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada
and Mrs. Laureen Harper

HEADS OF STATE / GOVERNMENT

CZECH REPUBLIC
His Excellency Jan Fischer
Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
and Mrs. Daniela Fischerová

ESTONIA
His Excellency Toomas Hendrik Ilves
President of the Republic of Estonia
and Mrs. Evelin Ilves

GEORGIA
His Excellency Mikheil Saakashvili
President of Georgia
and Mr. Levan Vashalomidze

LATVIA
His Excellency Valdis Zatlers
President of the Republic of Latvia
and Mrs. Lilita Zatlere

MONACO
His Serene Highness Prince Albert II
Principality of Monaco
and Ms. Charlene Wittstock

NETHERLANDS
Mr. Jan Peter Balkenende
Prime Minister of the Netherlands
and Mr. Henk M. Brons

RUSSIA
His Excellency Alexander Zhukov
Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation
and Ms. Ekaterina Zhukova

SWITZERLAND
Her Excellency Doris Leuthard
President of the Swiss Confederation (Switzerland)
and Madame Sandra Läuchli

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The Honourable Joe Biden
Vice President of the United States of America
and Dr. Jill Biden

OTHER DIGNITARIES

His Royal Highness
Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat
(HRH Crown Prince Frederik)
and HRH Crown Princess Mary

His Royal Highness
Prince of the Netherlands, Prince of Oranje
(HRH Prince Willem-Alexander)
and HRH Princess Máxima

His Royal Highnesses
The Crown Prince of Norway
(HRH Crown Prince Haakon)

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal

The Honourable William McKeeva Bush
Premier of the Cayman Islands
and Ms. Kerry Bush

Monsieur Pascal Couchepin
Grand Témoin de la Francophonie
et Monsieur Alexandre Fasel

Son Excellence monsieur Abdou Diouf
Secrétaire général de la Francophonie
et Son Excellence Ousmane Pave

The Honorable Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor of the State of California
and Ms. Maria Shriver
(+ Christopher Schwarzenegger will be in an adjoining room with other children)

The Honorable Chris Gregoire
Governor of the State of Washington
and Mr. Mike Gregoire

International Olympic Committee - IOC

Comte Jacques Rogge
Président du COI - IOC President
et Madame Anne Rogge

Mr. Richard W. Pound, O.C., O.Q.
Canadian IOC Member
and Ms. Julie Keith

Ms. Rebecca Scott (TBC)
Canadian IOC Member
and Mr. Justin Wadsworth (TBC)

Canadian Olympic Committee

Mr. Michael Chambers
Canadian Olympic Committee President
and Ms. Joan Chambers

Monsieur Marcel Aubut
Président du Comité olympique canadien / Canadian Olympic Committee President

VANOC

Mr. John Furlong
and Mrs. Darlene Poole

Mr. Ruston E.T. (Rusty) Goepel
and Ms. Lindy Goepel

Monsieur Jacques Gauthier
et madame Manon Girardin

OTHER CANADIAN DIGNITARIES

The Honourable Chuck Strahl, P.C., M.P.
and Ms. Deb Strahl

The Honourable Stockwell Day, P.C., M.P.
and Mrs. Valorie Day

The Honourable James Moore, P.C., M.P.
and Dr. James Moore

The Honourable Gary Lunn, P.C., M.P.

The Honourable Peter G. MacKay, P.C., M.P.
and Ms. Jana Juginovic (fiancée)

The Honourable Rona Ambrose, P.C., M.P.
and Ms. Colleen Chapchuk (mother)

The Honourable Peter Van Loan, P.C., M.P.
and Ms. Cheryl Carson

The Honourable Jim Prentice, P.C., M.P.
and Mrs. Karen Prentice

Mr. Michael Ignatieff
Leader of the Official Opposition
and Ms. Zsuzsanna Zsohar

Ms. Alice Wong, M.P. 
(M.P. for Richmond)

Mr. John Weston, M.P. 
(MP West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country)
and Mrs. Donna Weston

His Honour the Honourable Steven L. Point, O.B.C.
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia
and Her Honour Mrs. Gwendolyn Point

L'honorable Jean Charest
Premier ministre du Québec
et madame Michèle Dionne

The Honourable Darrell Dexter
Premier of Nova Scotia

The Honourable Gordon Campbell, M.L.A.
Premier of British Columbia
and Mrs. Nancy Campbell

The Honourable Robert Ghiz
Premier of Prince Edward Island
and Dr. Kate Ellis Ghiz

The Honourable Ed Stelmach
Premier of Alberta
and Mrs. Marie Stelmach

The Honourable Floyd Roland
Premier of the Northwest Territories

The Honourable Dennis Fentie
Premier of the Yukon

The Honourable Eva Aariak
Premier of Nunavut

His Worship Gregor Robertson
Mayor of Vancouver
and Mrs. Amy Robertson
(+ Tara, Satchel and Jinagh Robertson - will be in an adjoining room with other children)

His Worship Ken Melamed
Mayor of Whistler
and Ms. Uschi Scherer

His Worship Malcolm Brodie
Mayor of Richmond
and Mrs. Christine A. Brodie

Chief Leonard Andrew (TBC)
Chief of Lil'wat Nation
and Mrs. Florence Andrew

Chief Ernest Campell (TBC)
Chief of the Musqueam Nation
and guest

Chief Bill Williams
Chief of the Squamish Nation
and Ms. Julie Baker

Chief Justin George
Chief of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation
and Mrs. Heidi George

Chief Shawn Atleo
National Chief of the Assembly of the First Nations
and Mrs. Nancy Atleo

National Chief Betty Ann Lavallée, C.D., Q.J. (Ret'd)
National Chief, Congress of Aboriginal Peoples
and Ms. Jessica Bolduc

Ms. Mary Simon
National Inuit Leader and President of ITK 
and Mr. Whit Fraser

Mr. Clément Chartier
Métis National Council President

Ms. Jeannette Corbiere Lavell
President, Native Women's Association of Canada 
and Ms. Merle Greene

The Honourable Nancy Greene Raine, Senator
Canada's Olympic Ambassador for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games
and Mr. Alan E. Raine