Environment

Vancouver Olympics on the clock

by clorenz1 | February 12, 2007 at 01:05 pm

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Photos

2010 Countdown Clock presentation at the VAG

see larger image

uploaded by Robert Scales

Today was supposed to be the day the clock starts ticking in Vancouver, BC. A ceremony was set to start the official countdown, the venue was chosen, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and the protesters were ready. It is sounding like the event did not go as planned for the city. I had seen posters for the planned resistance protest which would take place along side the official celebration.

With a budget that just keeps growing, the enthusiasm is hard to wrap your head around. Tax payers are looking at well over a billion dollars for the two week long games, and this city needs many things non-olympic related to say the least.

We have unconfirmed reports that the stage was rushed during the ceremony. What is going on downtown?

Monday is three years to the day of the start of Winter Games. To mark the day, the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) is unveiling a giant countdown clock at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

The timepiece will wind down to the opening ceremony on Feb. 12, 2010.

"For people, [the clock] will really remind them the entire city is on show and it's for all of us to make it a success," said John Furlong, head of VANOC.

Since the Olympics were awarded to Vancouver in 2003,
over 800 units of low-income housing have been lost
from the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood due to
conversions. More property speculation in the coming
years, weak intervention on the part of civic
government and inadequate funding for new social
housing in the province have essentially created a
whitewash around what was purported to be the most
well planned and sustainable Olympics ever. Another
800 units were also lost in the few years preceding
the bid being awarded as well.

Unfortunately, it's the same old story unfolding.

Global capital meets local greed. Real estate and
tourism interests trump the needs of the long term
low-income community which has called this
neighbourhood home for decades. Academics no longer
engaging in questions related to the public interest.
Non-profits worried about funding streams, unwilling
to be critical of governments.