Canucklehead a Torchbearer?

I LOVE the Olympics – as I guess this site will attest to. Anyway, as a result, I entered every contest I could find in order to become a torchbearer. I mean, what an once-in-a-lifetime experience! The bad news? Well, I never heard back from 90% of them. The good news? Well, that leaves 10%!! I’ve just submitted an essay is one contest and heard that I’m in consideration for another. Anyway, obviously I’m really excited. As a result, I sat down with my four-year-old son about the possibility of me carrying the Olympic torch, and the Vancouver 2010 games as a whole:

(written shortly after conversation by memory)

Canucklehead (ME): So, daddy might carry the Olympic torch – what do you think I will have to do?

Canucklehead Jr. (CJ): Well, I think you will have to run, make sure the fire does not go out and don’t let anyone steal it.

ME: Do you think people might try to steal it?

CJ: Yes, they might think that it is a Star Wars Lifesaver (sic) or maybe that it is a danger to run with fire.

ME: Would you like to run with the torch?

CJ: No, I wouldn’t run with fire because it is not safety.

ME: Do you know where daddy is taking the torch?

CJ: To Canada?

ME: Yes, to Canada. The Olympics are in Canada next year, in Vancouver.

CJ: Vancouver that plays hockey?

ME: Yes, they have a hockey team, don’t they? Daddy is going to help a bunch of people bring the torch there.

CJ: The fire will go out in a year. That’s a long time!

ME: No, no. Everyone will make sure that the fire does not go out.

CJ: Even in the rain?

ME: I thought I was going to ask the questions? Yes, even in the rain – we will use an umbrella.

CJ: The fire will burn the umbrella.

ME: No, I’ll be careful. I think the fire is special and can stay lit in the rain. Anyway, do you want to go to the Olympics?

CJ: I can run pretty fast.

ME: You sure can. But I meant to watch the Olympics, not be in them.

CJ: Okay, can we go play Lego now?

ME: Ummmmm, OK.

Wow – can you feel the excitement? Anyway, wish me luck.

GO CANADA!

Hockey 2010: Is It Ours To Lose?

Most hockey fans — even those proudly bearing flags of other countries — would have to admit that Canada is the favourite to win men’s Olympic hockey gold in 2010. This country still produces more National Hockey League (NHL) players than any other, making the team’s depth enviable. However, it is the push for redemption after a seventh place finish in Turin, Italy in 2006, and the whole matter of Vancouver home ice advantage that seem to bolster team Canada’s chances.

Yet, it’s important to keep in mind just how disappointing the 2006 performance was. The whole team seemed to lack cohesion — normally dynamic players looked lethargic, especially in the offensive zone where few of them looked like they had a clue how to generate quality scoring chances on the wider ice surface. They failed to score even a single goal in two games during the group stage, and then were shut out by Russia a third time in the quarterfinals. And remember, the 2002 team, as well as it performed, actually broke a 50-year gold medal drought, a long wait for a country with such a passion for the sport and supposedly its best athletes.

It’s certainly not like Steve Yzerman and the brain trust responsible for managing the 2010 entry can kick back and examine the new medal designs while picking players’ names out of a hat. Along with the matter of who will be the coach (Mike Babcock perhaps?), what could be more important than choosing the right players? How does one choose the right mix of size versus skill and speed, or youth versus veteran presence? Here’s a positional scouting assessment that considers a number of players in contention, and indicates just how difficult the roster choices are. Note: All players’ ages are listed as of February 2010.

Centre

The management teams of the other countries must drool when they look at the plethora of options Canada has to choose from at the centre ice position. Sidney Crosby, 22, might have made a difference had he been named to the team in 2006, but his inexperience made it a fair decision not to include him. This time he’ll have been to a Stanley Cup final and will be the primary offensive threat. His game also seems adaptable to playing the wing. Joe Thornton, 30, struggled in Turin, but has been consistently one of the best Canadian passers in the game and brings size, a physical presence and premier faceoff skills. Vincent Lecavalier, 29, has suffered through a horrible season for Tampa, but accumulated 200 points over the previous two seasons.

A trio of players that dominated the 2005 World Junior Championships is poised to dominate. Ryan Getzlaf, 24, is literally a huge part of the youth movement that will bolster Canada’s chances. Mike Richards, 25, is also a physical, two-way centre. Jeff Carter, 25, will likely finish 2008-09 as the top Canadian goal-scorer. His style of play, weak faceoff percentage and right-handed shot also make him a prime candidate to fit in on the wing.

Marc Savard, 32, is often forgotten when Canada’s best players are mentioned. Yet he has been one of the NHL’s best playmakers over the past five seasons, and has dramatically improved his defensive play while leading the Bruins to the top of the league. Put a question mark next to the name of Joe Sakic, 40. Team captain in 2006, he may retire from the game due to his injured back. But if the B.C. native returns for one more season, his experience and leadership skills would be difficult to forego.

There are other centres that will receive consideration but will have to really impress to make the team. Manitoban Jonathan Toews, 21, is establishing himself as a leader, shootout wizard and potential 40-goal scorer. It seems that he is simply too young to make it, but he is highly regarded around the league. Eric Staal, 25, Derek Roy, 26, Jason Spezza, 26, Paul Stastny, 24, and Mike Ribiero, 30, will be watched, but remain long shots.

Left wing

Rick Nash, 25, first established himself as a great scorer, but has kept rounding out the other areas of his game. Simon Gagne, 29, seems to have fully recovered from his concussions and would bring some needed speed to the team. Patrick Marleau, 30, can play centre but has moved to Thornton’s wing this year in San Jose. Mike Cammalleri, 27, is enjoying a career season in Calgary, but still needs to work on his defensive and physical play.

Ray Whitney, 37, is considered an unsung journeyman, but his consistency is remarkable. Ryan Smyth, 33, has been hindered by injuries and has not been as productive in Colorado, but has loads of international experience. Brendan Morrow, 30, will have missed nearly the entire 2008-09 season, but had established himself as a gritty leader who can score, hit and check. Newfoundlander Ryane Clowe, 27, is also establishing himself in that mould.

Right wing

Jarome Iginla, 32, will be one of the first players named to the team and is the likely captain if Sakic and Niedermayer step aside. He scored twice in the 2002 gold medal game. Dany Heatley, 29, is a back-to-back 50-goal scorer and can play either wing. He flourished on a line with Getzlaf and Nash at the 2008 world championships, earning MVP honours.

Martin St. Louis, 34, has been the main bright spot for the brutal Lightning this season. He is still a great skater and point producer. Shane Doan, 33, would be an ideal fourth liner with his size, strength and two-way abilities. Corey Perry, 24, could play a similar role as a checker and agitator. Devin Setoguchi, 23, and Brad Boyes, 27, and Patrick Sharp, 28, can also score, but aren’t likely to be in the mix.

Defence

Scott Niedermayer, 36, had to withdraw prior to the 2006 games due to injury, hurting Canada’s transition game and power play. Providing he doesn’t retire, one of the best defencemen ever should anchor the back end. In 2010, it will be Mike Green, 24, that will run the power play. Despite missing 14 NHL games, he may still score 30 goals and win the Norris trophy.

Dion Phaneuf, 24, seems to have taken a step back this season, producing fewer points and becoming more erratic defensively. His physical play alone makes him a contender. Dan Boyle, 33, was a member of the “taxi squad” in 2006. He is a great passer and is smart in his own zone. Chris Pronger, 35, still averages 27 minutes of ice time per game, but is close to being surpassed by a player like Shea Weber, 24, who is comparable in size. Jay Bouwmeester, 26, has the size and speed to excel internationally, but there is a concern that he isn’t pressure-tested.

Winnipegger Duncan Keith, 26, may be the most underrated blue liner in the game. He was becoming dominant even before Toews and Kane made the Blackhawks a playoff contender. He logs a lot of ice time, and is poised to post his second consecutive season with an incredible plus/minus rating of +30 — Nicklas Lidstrom-like numbers.

Sheldon Souray, 33, has a great shot, but is inconsistent otherwise. Unheralded Dennis Wideman, 26, has had a breakout season, but does benefit from playing alongside Zdeno Chara. Ed Jovanovski, 33, Brent Burns, 24, Brian Campbell, 30, and Kevin Bieksa, 28, are also on the cusp, but are each lacking an element to complete their game. Veteran Rob Blake, 40, and Winnipeg’s Cam Barker, 23, are likely too old and young respectively.

Goal

The upcoming NHL playoffs should be the key to determining whether it will be Martin Brodeur, 37, or Roberto Luongo, 30, that will be pencilled in as the starting keeper in 2010. It’s gold medal and Cup-winner Brodeur’s job to lose, but a quick exit by New Jersey coupled with a long run by the Canucks could tip the balance.

Cam Ward, 25, should get the nod as the third net minder. The Conn Smythe winner and 2008 world championship starter is completing his finest NHL regular season and is more proven than other young candidates Marc-Andre Fleury, Steve Mason and Carey Price. Marty Turco and Jean-Sebastian Giguere would not be bad choices, but they have experienced poor seasons, and Ward would represent more a view to Hockey Canada’s future.

Players from the 2006 team not under consideration

Though he won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2004, Brad Richards, 29, is overrated. His offensive production continues to drop, and he is poor defensively. Kris Draper, 38, could arguably still play a role, but has slowed down and has been surpassed by Mike Richards as the most potent two-way checking centre. Todd Bertuzzi, 35, was a mistaken choice last time around. He was not effective on the larger surface, and his history may have been a distraction. It certainly would be with the games in Vancouver. The play of Adam Foote, 38, Wade Redden, 32, and Robyn Regehr, 29, has regressed in the last four years.

Looking to 2010

Top 2006 teams Sweden and Russia look to have improved their line-ups, and the surprising silver medallist Finns will return with most of their 2006 roster intact. The United States will ice a young, fast-skating underdog team, and the Czech Republic cannot be discounted with a solid mix of veterans and youth. Even Slovakia, which finished ahead of Canada in 2006, is competitive with Hossa, Gaborik and Chara.

As if hockey fans need another reason to be anticipating Vancouver 2010, Gary Bettman has been spreading the word that he believes continued NHL player participation in the Olympics is detrimental to the league’s interests. It’s very possible that the best players in the world won’t be taking the ice in 2014.

All About the Games in BC

It may still be almost a year away, but really the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games are just around the corner.

All too well aware of the fast rate of the Games' approach, Whistler and Vancouver are breathlessly prepping their venues. Some are ready; others are still massive construction sites. All, we are assured, will be ready by the Games' opening on Feb. 12, 2010.

Last season I had the fun of touring the skiing venues -- what an experience! We started with the athletes' Olympic Village at False Creek in southeast Vancouver. A former sawmill on the city's grimy waterfront, the area is being transformed into a 1,100-unit, eco-friendly residence that will house 2,500 athletes -- including competitors in snowboarding and freestyle skiing.

The 13-storey building stepping up gradually from the ocean will be bordered by a boardwalk; Kayaks will be tethered out front!

When the Games close, a developer will be selling the units for $1-million-plus. Construction of the site has a reported price tag of around $1 billion. (All prices Canadian, duh!)

Next we toured Cypress Mountain, host to freestyle skiing's moguls, aerials and skier cross, along with snowboarding's halfpipe, parallel giant slalom and snowboard cross competitions.

The mountain, which offers a brilliant view of Vancouver and the ocean beyond, is undergoing a monstrous upgrade thanks to the Olympics. More than $25 million has been invested in improvement, including nine new runs on east-facing Black Mountain, a new hi-speed quad chairlift opening this season, and a new base lodge.

For the 2010 event, organizers are investing $15.8 million, which includes a hi-tech snowmaking system to keep the athletes on snow.

Travelling north on the Sea to Sky Highway toward Whistler, we were slowed by road improvements. Having first been on the highway almost 20 years ago – you can see a LOT of work has already been done … looking good!

For $600 million, the winding road that's perched between mountain and sea is being widened between Horseshoe Bay and Whistler.

It's hoped the project will ease traffic congestion for people heading to Whistler's events, including cross-country skiing, bobsleigh, luge and alpine skiing. There are also plans to move event goers from Vancouver to Whistler by public transit instead of cars during the Games.

About 15 minutes south of Whistler we entered Callaghan Valley -- a vast flatland amid the peaks that's full of deep snow and towering trees. It will host cross-country skiing, biathlon and ski jumping.

For $115 million, this site will be transformed into 14 km of competition trails, plus 25 km of recreational trails, two ski jumps, a lodge and three stadiums.

Directly above Whistler Village on the lower slope of Blackcomb Mountain we toured the $99-million Sliding Centre, housing bobsleigh, skeleton and luge. This 1,450-metre refrigerated sliding track has 16 corners; sleighs will reach speeds up to 130 km/h. Scheduled for completion by March 2008, it'll be one of only 15 in the world.

As a skier, the most interesting tour was of Whistler's Dave Murray Downhill -- the track for the alpine speed events such as downhill and super-G. Whistler Mountain has contoured, graded and landscaped the course over the past two summers, all to get it up to FIS standards.

The Games' first test event will take place here in February '08 with the World Cup ski races. By August '09, a finish area will be constructed at Timing Flats, just above Whistler Creekside development at Whistler's south end.

During the Games, Creekside's base will be used exclusively for wax cabins, an athletes' lounge and security checkpoints. An open-air gondola called a cabriolet will be built to carry spectators and race officials from Creekside to Timing flats. Creekside's reconfiguring is costing approximately $26 million.

This is going to be good …. expensive of course, but good.

Carbon Copycats!

Vancouver Olympic organizers say they've come up with a plan to neutralize carbon emissions from the 2010 Games.

Their goal is to offset the emissions created by the 27-day Olympic and Paralympic Games plus travel by participants and spectators.

To do so, organizers are looking at signing sponsorship agreements with companies that would, among other things, invest in green technologies and programs.

Organizers say their emissions might actually be lower than the 300,000-tonne estimate set by the David Suzuki Foundation in 2007.

They say that's due to state-of-the-art technologies used in the design of Games venues that conserve as much energy as possible.

The announcement came as world and sport leaders are meeting in Vancouver to discuss the role sport can play in environmental change.

A Short History of the Modern Olympics

The first modern Olympic Games were held in the summer of 1894. The organizers added skating to the Summer Games in 1908 (ice rinks could be kept cold even in the hottest weather) – but eventually decided that winter sports were perhaps best left to the winter. The first Olympic Winter Games were held in 1924, in Chamonix, France.
The first gold medal at the first Olympic Winter Games went to speed skater Charles Jewtraw of the United States, but Finnish speed skater A. Clas Thunberg was the overall star. He earned medals in all five speed skating events: three gold, one silver and one bronze. The Canadian ice hockey team won all five of their matches, outscoring their opponents 110 to 3.
In that first Olympic Winter Games, 16 nations participated, bringing 258 athletes (11 women, 247 men) to compete in 16 events.
During the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, many more athletes – approximately 2,500 – will compete in seven sports and over 90 separate medal events.

IOC Feeling Torched?

After a year of embarrassing protests leading up to the Beijing Games, Olympic leaders called Thursday for an end to international torch relays starting next year in Vancouver.

The torch relay turned into a convenient platform for protesters to denounce China's human rights record. Some of the biggest protests were in London, Paris and San Francisco. In San Francisco, officials were forced to reroute the parade path to avoid confrontations.

The International Olympic Committee announced the change at its three-day meetings in Denver, but said it doesn't require an adjustment of the contracts for host cities. There was no requirement for cities to take the relays internationally, but in recent years, the cities would request such a tour.

Gilbert Felli, the IOC's executive director for the Olympic Games, said the IOC started recognizing risks during the relay before the Athens Games.

"However, at the time, Beijing had already started its planning for the international torch relay, and we had accepted to do it accordingly," Felli said. "We have seen on the debrief of the torch relay that the risk was there, and it is why the IOC has decided not to do it."

The IOC executive board also received updates on the Vancouver, London and Sochi Games and didn't report any major problems.

There were no further meetings Thursday to discuss the flap over revenue sharing between the IOC and U.S. Olympic Committee. IOC president Jacques Rogge will address the issue Friday in his press conference but is not expected to announce any agreement.

Bob Ctvrtlik, a key negotiator on the USOC side along with new chairman Larry Probst, described the talks as "three steps forward, two steps back."

"Hopefully, and I'm cautiously optimistic, we'll come to a resolution to this, whether it be tomorrow or very soon," Ctvrtlik said.

Vancouver To Scale Back Public Parties

I for one am outraged that Vancouver is pouring out the beer to make more room for champagne!

Vancouver is scaling back plans for public parties during the 2010 Games while leaving their budget to wine and dine politicians and corporate executives untouched.

City council voted Tuesday to cut $5 million from their $23-million budget for public entertainment sites, citing trouble raising sponsorship money.

Economic challenges and competition from other so-called live sites also means the city won't rule out shutting down the smaller of the two planned sites to stay within the new $18-million budget.

"Our goal should be to have a huge success with whatever we're doing and not get it so diluted down since we have to have two (sites) versus one," said city manager Penny Ballem.

The free public parties are being planned for a downtown park and an old bus lot, and will include live entertainment and television coverage of sports events for 12 hours a day during the Games.

The federal government is contributing $10 million to the site and the city share is $5 million.

The remaining $3 million will come from three sponsors the city has already attracted, any others they can sign up and food and merchandise sales.

Live Nation, the company that produced the Pemberton music festival last summer, is being offered the contract to produce the events, along with U.S.-based Five Currents.

Public event sites are also being planned by provincial governments, corporate sponsors, sports associations and cultural groups.

Ballem said the Olympic organizing committee has raised concerns that all of the groups are over-extending themselves in Vancouver's tight downtown core.

"There is more work that needs to be done with (the organizing committee) around what do we think is sufficient for the downtown," she said.

While city officials say they haven't been able to attract as much funding as they'd hoped for the public events, they see potential for attracting future funding to Vancouver through corporate hospitality programs during the Games.

The city will spend $2 million on a hospitality program for visiting politicians and corporate executives during the Games.

"We think that this is very much the business of the city in terms of some hosting capacity," said Dave Rudberg, the city's outgoing director of Olympic operations.

The plan includes buying as many as 1,700 tickets to give away to mayors of other municipalities or businesses leaders, which raised the ire of some city councillors at Tuesday's meeting.

"I think this is an inappropriate use of our funding," said Councillor Ellen Woodsworth, whose concerns were echoed by her colleague David Cadman.

He suggested it was wrong for taxpayers to foot the bill for hosting dignitaries and business leaders when many people couldn't buy tickets themselves.

Some of the tickets purchased by the city from Olympic organizers would be resold to third parties. Officials pledged Tuesday to create criteria for who would or would not get the free tickets as well as develop an accounting mechanism to keep track.

The city says it's hoping other government agencies will chip in for the hospitality programs, which also include events for International Olympic Committee officials and their spouses.

Officials are also looking at running a "protocol" headquarters during the Games at a downtown Vancouver community centre.

That's on top of a planned $1.5-million "Vancouver House" to promote the city to the public and to dignitaries.

The city has budgeted $20 million for the Games, not including funds coming from the provincial and federal governments.

I say let the big-wigs take care of themselves and spend the money letting the people of Vancouver and tourists alike enjoy the games! Forget the wining and dining – we need beer and big screens!

What's That Whistling Sound?

More than 100 centimetres of snow brought a resurgence of skiers and snowboarders to Whistler Blackcomb during the March school break, but the late-season bonanza came too late for some staff already laid off due to weak demand.

Meanwhile, the resort is already worrying about next season as it tries to convince visitors not to abandon it in the year it hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"It's what we call Olympic aversion," said Jeff McDonald, spokesman for Tourism Whistler. "It's a recognized phenomenon in the periods immediately before and immediately after these major events, that people feel there are reasons not to come, in this case, to Whistler.

"We have been working hard to counter Olympic aversion, and it is part of our marketing and communications strategies."

It's evident in casual lift conversations. There is the Thunder Bay mom saying she and her family are visiting this year, since the Olympics mean they can't come next year; the store owners already fretting about next year's sales; the promotional material already urging people to visit during the Olympic year.

Dave Milley, owner of Whistler Village Sports, with six stores in Whistler, has drastically reduced his merchandise orders in the expectation there will be fewer buyers for the skis, snowboards, back country equipment and other regular items on his shelves.

"Our forecasting for orders for next year is down quite a bit," he said. "We are forecasting our ski sales and our boot sales will be down 40 to 50 per cent, and that's how we are buying.

"We have placed orders already for quite a bit less, and some of our competitors, in talking to them; they say they have placed less as well.

"I would say our overall buying for next year is somewhere between 30 to 40 per cent less than last year."

Milley said many regular customers have indicated they don't plan to buy season passes next year, the same response the resort got to an e-mail sent to season-pass and Edge Card holders.

"It is a concern," said Dave Brownlie, president and chief operating officer of Whistler Blackcomb. "If you look at the history of Olympic venues, during the year of the Olympics people tend to stay away. They think it will be busy, and they won't be able to afford it."

Brownlie said the resort is trying to counter that perception. It plans to canvass season-pass and Edge Card holders again in mid-April.

He said that while resort rooms will be quite full during the Olympics, space will open up during the Paralympics. During the Games, the mountain will be 90-per-cent open. However, visitors who want to go to the resort for the day to ski or board will have to take a bus because they won't be allowed to drive.

"We are working hard to get people here," Brownlie said. "That's why we got those cards out, that's why we are trying to get the message out."

There are signs at the base of the mountains reminding people that Whistler Blackcomb will remain open during the Olympics, and cards stacked on merchants' counters that read: "The Truth about 2010."

The "Olympic aversion" phenomenon follows a difficult year that included a double whammy of late-arriving snow and a global economic crisis.

The resort laid off 100 of its 1,200 instructors before the March break because there wasn't enough demand for lessons. "In other areas, we are just managing our labour to the volume," said Brownlie.

"Given the economic challenges, we are being more diligent in terms of understanding the number of people we need going forward, and making sure we manage our labour effectively as the season winds down."

Milley said some businesses are geared to merchandise sales and services for general sports enthusiasts and corporate guests who will fill the village during the Olympics, but they won't be buying big-ticket items.

"It was a shame the whole thing kind of came crashing down on us this year, and now we face next year," he said. "Already there are empty spaces showing up around Whistler, some restaurants are closed now or leaving.

"Figuring out how we are going to make a profit next year will be a big challenge for us."

Cash Grab for B.C. Billions

As construction crews across Vancouver embark on their final sprint to the finish to complete the housing and venues in anticipation of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, behind the scenes, small businesses across Canada are making their own preparations to make a grab for some of the billions of dollars pouring into southern British Columbia.

While international brands such as Coca-Cola Co., McDonald's Corp. and Panasonic use the Olympics as a global pedestal to showcase new products and services, small businesses in Vancouver and throughout the rest of Canada are hoping the Winter Games will prove to be not only a golden opportunity to drive revenue, but will also offer a respite from the global economic slowdown.

Although the Vancouver Organizing Committee has already selected most of its official partners for the Games in 2010, the Olympics provide a stage unlike any other for small businesses to tap into a massive and diverse audience they wouldn't otherwise be able to access.

Indeed, much like elite athletes who must begin training well in advance of the Olympiad, some businesses have been preparing for 2010 with the start of the games circled on their calendars for more than a year.

For Betsy Cooper, the run-up to the games started one day in 2006 when she quit her job as a public relations executive in Toronto, packed all of her belongings - and her mother - into the car and drove west to launch her own PR firm, B-Co Communications.

"Really, with 2010 around the corner I thought what a great opportunity," she said. "It was a pretty obvious that if the Olympics are coming to Vancouver, companies are going to have to start focusing on this market, because the world's eyes are going to be here. Whether they're the Olympic sponsor or their competitor or maybe it's a small business in B.C. that wants to make their mark. "

Some of her business comes through outsourcing deals she has arranged with Toronto-based PR firms, which has allowed her to find work with companies such as General Motors Corp., 3M Co. and Molson Coors Brewing Co. But the crown jewel of her client roster is Korath Wright, a 23-year-old snowboarding star who grew up in Canada and now competes for the Bahamas.

Although Mr. Wright has been ranked as high as 13th in the world in the half pipe event, comparisons with the Jamaican bobsledding team that competed at the Calgary Olympics in 1988 (and subsequently inspired the John Candy movie Cool Runnings) are unavoidable, Ms. Cooper said.

"He's pretty honoured to be put in a category with people who had a movie made after them, but at the same time he's a legitimate contender," she said. "He's a pretty great half-pipe snowboarder."

Two provinces away in Regina, the six men and women - and a dog named Molly - who make up the staff of Laurie Artiss Ltd., better known as The Pin People, have been feverishly designing hundreds of tiny lapel pins in honour of the games.

"It's very difficult for us to try to predict what pins are going to be successful," said company vice-president Chris Pasterfield. "We try to take advantage of what we think will be popular pins in terms of the sports and the venues landmarks, things like that, but we can't predict what pin will all of a sudden grab the public's fancy."

At the Salt Lake City Olympic Games in 2002, the most popular pin featured a bowl of Jell-O, made by The Pin People. At Winnipeg's Pan American Games in 1999, it was a guitar-themed pin that became a favourite for collectors. For the Vancouver Games, the company is creating pins that honour the various sports, venues, mascots and countdown days associated with 2010.

The Pin People began creating Olympics pins at the Calgary Games in 1988 and haven't looked back.

"In the 20 years that have passed, there are certainly things that have changed in terms of licensing," Mr. Pasterfield said. "The industry has really grown in terms of graphic standards and graphic controls in order to ensure that everything is adhered to properly."

Some of the pins designed by The Pin People are currently on sale through the Vancouver Olympics' official online store, built and run by Vancouver's ElasticPath Software.

Although ElasticPath has also built e-commerce platforms for big brands such as Groupe Aeroplan Inc. and Avis Group Holdings Inc., the Olympics have provided the company with a rare opportunity to showcase their expertise to a truly international audience.

"It's been great," said Matt Dion, the company's vice-president of marketing. "E-commerce is a real hot space, even in this economy, and with something like the Olympics, it adds to that list of high-profile customers and gets our name out there even more."

Working for the Olympics, under the watchful eye of the VANOC, means having to work quickly. After ElasticPath landed the contract to build the site that would sell all of the official merchandise licensed for the Games, its engineers had less than two months to create a platform to house the site and get it online. As a result, Vancouver's online store went live earlier than any other Olympics in history.

Thanks in part to the Olympics deal, the company's head count is growing closer to 120 and its executives are now fielding calls from other businesses looking to have ElasticPath build their online marketplaces.

If anyone is VANOC is reading this … hit me with a comment below and I’ll tell you where to mail the cheques!

Vancouver's Housing Legacy in Question

Commitments by organizers of the Vancouver Olympics for a "housing legacy" are falling dramatically behind, the NDP says, and it wants the federal government to take action.

New Democrat MP Libby Davies is calling on the Conservative government to adopt recommendations from a recent United Nations housing report that raises concerns about the Olympics' potentially negative impact on the homeless.

"On the heels of international criticisms, the government must commit to a real housing plan that will actually deliver the affordable housing units that are so desperately needed in this country," said Davies.

The UN report criticizes Canada for its inaction on affordable housing. It warns that big events like the Olympics can trigger speculation and rapidly increasing housing prices, and lead to forced evictions to make way for infrastructure and other preparations.

The Vancouver MP, who's drafted a private-member's bill that would create a national housing strategy, said everyone deserves "a secure, affordable, adequate place to live."

Big Brother Arrives in Vancouver

Vancouver city officials are hoping to tap into $2.5 million in government funding to beef up surveillance during the 2010 Winter Olympics with street cameras.

City council will consider a report next week that recommends accepting the funds from the province and the RCMP-led Olympic security unit.

If approved by council, the money will be used to purchase and install more closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and bring existing cameras onto the same grid in a refurbished command centre.

In addition to the command centre, the provincial grant of $435,161 will provide about 10 new portable cameras for Vancouver, said Kevin Wallinger, the director of emergency management for the city.

He wasn't sure how many cameras would be bought with the $2.16 million being allocated by the RCMP out of its $900-million Olympic security budget.

Back in 2006, when city police began looking at expanding CCTV in Vancouver, the cost of one single camera was about $20,000 to install and maintain.

Civil rights groups have expressed concern over the use of the cameras during the Games, saying they'll remain post-Games and allow for far more intrusive policing.

There's also debate about whether the cameras actually help prevent or catch criminals; a massive 2005 study in the U.K., where there's more than four million closed-circuit cameras, found mixed results.

Privacy advocates point to that exact scenario happening in Athens after the 2004 Summer Games, where the 300 cameras installed were kept in widespread use until a court ruled they could only be used for traffic.

"Our hope is that Vancouver-area residents will not wind up surrounded by surveillance systems they neither want nor need. This would be an unfortunate legacy of the 2010 Games,'' B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner David Loukidelis said last month at a conference on privacy and security during the Olympics.

Wallinger said there is absolutely no intention to leave all of the cameras up.

"Any of the camera deployments for 2010, it is fully intended that those are temporary installations for 2010,'' he said in an interview.

"There is no intent to leave permanent cameras up that are installed for 2010.''

Wallinger said he has already contacted civil liberties groups about the request for funding going before council and they'll be at the table as the city and police decide how best to use the cameras during the Games.

They will also comply with a set of guidelines on CCTV use developed by the privacy commissioner in 2001.

While he pledged that any cameras put up for the Olympics would be temporary, Wallinger said a decision has yet to be made about what exactly would then happen to the cameras themselves afterwards.

"We're still just looking at getting the funding right now,'' he said.

"Potentially the cameras are leased or purchased or redeployed elsewhere or sold-off.''

He said the temporary surveillance cameras the city mounts for the annual Celebration of Lights fireworks festival are put into storage.

The city is hoping the new cameras will be in place in time for the festival this summer as a test-run.

Areas in the city that will see more cameras during the Games include the cruise ship terminals, city parks being used as entertainment sites and the downtown bar and club district.

Vancouver police have been looking at installing more surveillance cameras in that neighbourhood for the last few years to combat rising violence.

The provincial funding Vancouver will receive for the cameras was part of the $1 million announced last fall for a pilot program to use closed-circuit TV cameras in high-crime areas of Vancouver, suburban Surrey and Kelowna.

Vancouver 2010: Traffic Update

Thinking of coming to Vancouver in 2010 – leave your car at home. I mean, it’s not like you’ll be able to actually drive it anyway!

Virtually every major street in the downtown core and those that feed it cars and pedestrians will be under some sort of restriction or even closure during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Georgia, Hastings, Pender, Burrard, Howe, Seymour and Broadway will include Olympic lanes around the clock; open only to those vehicles permitted by VANOC.

Parking restrictions will exist on Burrard, Granville, Cambie and Main streets.

No-go, red security zones will surround B.C. Place, GM Place, the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts and the entire Southeast False Creek Olympic Village. The Vancouver Convention Centre will also be a red, no-go security zone.

Granville Mall, Robson, Beatty and Hamilton streets will be designated noon to midnight pedestrian corridors. The David Lam Park and EasyPark live sites have been designated official venues and have a pedestrian corridor, too, via Yaletown. Maps show the Olympic lanes stopping at the Lions Gate and Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows bridges, but there will be various optimized signals and traffic control staff to ease the flow across Burrard Inlet.

A similar strategy is being employed in Whistler on Hwy. 99.

Langara College, BCIT, SFU and Capilano University will be the main departure hubs. The south foot of No. 8 Road in Richmond is the main fleet parking lot.

The south foot of Boundary Road is a fleet depot.

VANOC declared 65 installations as venues. The full list wasn't provided, but non-spectator venues include the Games' warehouse in Delta's Tilbury Industrial Park.

So, what does this mean to be you might ask? My experience with Vancouver is that is not that driver friendly at the best of time – during the Olympics it is going to be downright brutal! See you in 2010 – pack comfortable shoes!

Canadian Curlers Face Long and Uphill Battle to Vancouver

Got more than a few minutes and some patience? It'll take a while to tell you how Canada's curling teams for the 2010 Olympics will be decided.

You still might by hazy on the process even after an explanation and good luck finding someone who can clarify it for you. The top skips in the land can't do it.

"I cannot explain it in seven sentences or less," said reigning Olympic gold medallist Brad Gushue. "I don't think the average person can understand it. It's far too complicated."

Canada is a safe bet for two Olympic curling medals in Vancouver next February. Since the sport made its Olympic debut in 1998, Canada is 6-for-6 in medals won.

In fairness, most people don't know how the country's biathletes and bobsledders qualify for the Olympics. But those sports aren't on television for nine days straight and watched by legions of avid followers.

When asked at the Tim Hortons Brier on Tuesday, Calgarian Mervin Nelson wasn't clear on how teams get to the trials Dec. 6 to 13 in Edmonton.

"Not for sure," he said. "I know who is in the running. It's tournaments and who wins the most money and that's about it."

One men's team and one women's team will represent Canada at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Eight men's and eight women's teams will play off for that right at the Roar of the Rings in Edmonton.

That's the easy part. You could stop there to keep it simple.

If you insist on knowing more, Alberta's Kevin Martin, Ontario's Glenn Howard and Manitoba's Jennifer Jones have already qualified for trials by either winning three "majors" or earning enough points to put them at the top of the Canadian standings at various points since 2006.

Two more men's teams and three more women's teams will be decided by May 1 to fill half the field at trials. Shannon Kleibrink's Calgary rink is close to gaining one of the women's berths and could do so based on results at the upcoming Canada Cup and Players' Championship next month.

So by May 1, half the Roar of the Rings field will be filled. The other half comes out of a pre-trials event Nov 10-15 in Prince George, B.C., where 12 men's teams battle for the four remaining berths and a dozen women's squads will do the same in a triple knockout format.

Alberta's Randy Ferbey and Kevin Koe, Saskatchewan's Pat Simmons, Manitoba's Jeff Stoughton and Kerry Burtnyk, and Ontario's Wayne Middaugh have qualified for the men's pre-trials.

Kleibrink, B.C.'s Kelly Scott, Alberta's Cheryl Bernard and Saskatchewan's Sherry Anderson, Stefanie Lawton and Amber Holland and Ontario's Sherry Middaugh have qualified for the women's pre-trials.

This year's men's and women's national championship winners, and the Canada Cup and Players' Championship winners, all get into the pre-trials. The field will be completed with the top men's and women's teams in the Canadian rankings since 2006 of those not already qualified.

"Whether this is the right system or the wrong system I'm not sure," New Brunswick skip Russ Howard said. "I have a difficult time explaining it to people and the unfortunate part is people keep asking me."

The Canadian Curling Association director of event operations is one of the few who can give a succinct explanation of the process.

"Basically over the four-year period leading into the Olympics the players are able to acquire points for certain competitions," Warren Hansen said. "At the end of the four-year period, the 16 teams with the highest number of points that have been acquired will make it into trials and depending on if you're No. 1 or No. 16 will depend on how many points you've acquired."

It's difficult to engage curling fans in the process of determining who gets to trials because it's so complicated, but Hanson says have patience, because all will be revealed soon.

"Hang in there until the first of May and we'll know at that point exactly who will be playing in the trials and the pre-trials and the process from there becomes pretty simple," he said.

The CCA decided to reduce the trials from 20 teams - 10 men's and 10 women's - to eight aside. Adding a pre-trials event was a compromise with the athletes, Hanson said.

A main difference heading into 2010 from previous Olympics is that simply winning this Brier doesn't guarantee a berth in the final eight at trials, although it puts the champion in the mix to get there.

While some curlers object to the fact this year's Brier winner isn't guaranteed a spot in the final eight, Martin feels a team's performance over the long haul should carry the most weight.

"You don't want it to be one win," he explained. "You want the consistent guys going to the Olympics."

The current system rewards teams who play a lot of events every year to keep their ranking high. For teams in Atlantic Canada, that usually means flying somewhere else in the country to play in big-money events.

"In eastern Canada we play five or six weekends a year," Russ Howard said. "We don't have a snowball's chance in hell.

"For my team, it's like the Leafs winning the Stanley Cup."

As a leafs fan, I can only assume this means that the team is a lock.