Winter2010Rentals.com

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games: By the numbers

2010-03-01T09:56:00.000-08:00

Vancouver, BC ― After 17 days of thrilling athletic competitions, amazing displays of sportsmanship and magical moments when lifelong dreams were finally realized on the podium, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games will draw to their official close tonight.

In looking back and celebrating the impact of Canada’s Games and the future of the Olympic Winter Games, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) would like to share some of the initial statistics available.

By the numbers: The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

February 12 to 28, 2010

17 days of thrilling competition and athletic accomplishments
15 sport disciplines
9 competition venues
3 Olympic training facilities
86 medal competitions
86 Victory Ceremonies (16 in-venue medal presentations, 25 at BC Place and 45 at Whistler Medals Plaza)
615 medals awarded
1,055 athlete bouquets presented
82 participating National Olympic Committees (NOCs)
6,500 athletes and team officials in total
2,632 registered athletes
50,000 workforce members for the Games, including paid, contractor and volunteers
Of that total, 18,500 were volunteers; 6,500 volunteers will also work during the Paralympic Winter Games
25,000 workforce uniforms distributed
96,409 people accredited for the Games
10,800 media representatives: 7,000 rights holding broadcasters, 2,800 press reporters and photographers and non-rights holding broadcasters, as well as 1,000 host Olympic Broadcast Service (OBSV) personnel
3.5 billion worldwide television viewers are estimated to have tuned into the Games
Olympic rights holding broadcasters have offered Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games coverage on more than 300 TV stations and on more than 100 websites worldwide
47 per cent more global television coverage of the Games than for the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games
This represents approximately 24,000 hours of coverage
50,000 hours of total broadcast hours of the Games across all media platforms around the world
6,000 hours of coverage worldwide on mobile platforms
As of Day 15, 33.1 million Canadians (99 per cent) have watched coverage
27.7 million cumulative audience or CUME (meaning 82.7 per cent of Canadians) experienced the Games on February 27 through the platforms of Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium.
1,500 appearances by the Vancouver 2010 mascots: Quatchi, Miga and Sumi by the end of the Games
20,567 deliveries made to Olympic venues
1.6 million tickets available for the 2010 Winter Games
More than 3.3 million pairs of Vancouver 2010 Red Mittens sold
$500-million target for gross retail sales of Vancouver 2010 branded merchandise met by end of Games
2.2 million people engaged to date by the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Oympiad, which will continue for three more weeks
More than 4,000 artists at 600 events, over 60 days in 60 venues are taking part in the Cultural Olympiad
More than 12,500 volunteer hours clocked for Olympic Closing Ceremony. The thousands of volunteer performers range in age from 10 to 68
More than 450 racks of costumes, 3,600 metres of elastic, 4,100 pairs of shoes, 18 kilograms of glitter, 10,000 green sequins, 200 giant spheres and balloons, as well as 20 zygote balls were used in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies
275 million visitors in total to www.vancouver2010.com, shattering the previous record of 105 million set during the Beijing 2008 Games
78 million total unique visitors to the site
A record of 9,185,306 unique visits in a single day ― set on February 24. The previous record set during the 2008 Summer Games was 8,797,614 on August 11, 2008
Vancouver2010.com was visited 85 million times this month from within Canada and reached more than 70 per cent of Canadians with Internet access and over 50 per cent of the total Canadian population
19.1 per cent of North Americans with Internet access visited the website this month
4.6 per cent of people worldwide with Internet access visited the site this month
14,000 followers on Twitter.com/2010Tweets
More than 1.25 million downloads recorded for the official mobile spectator guide, which for 10 days of the Games was the No. 1 free app in Canada
1.1 million Facebook fans, nearly four times the total amount for Beijing at the conclusion of the 2008 Games

Want to See an Event in Person? No tickets?!

2010-02-13T14:49:00.000-08:00

It's not too late!

You have several options... first - beg your friend that spent many hours on at least one of the three previous ticket occasions attempting to secure their Olympic memories if you can join them! Two - check out a non-official ticket selling venue such as eBay or Craigslist.

Three - visit Vancouver2010.com and look at the following three options; Fan-to-Fan Marketplace, yes they're above face value, but they're genuine and guaranteed; Official Auctions, if you do the math the tickets are normally priced similar or even at cheaper prices than the Fan-to-Fan Marketplace prices; Day Of Ticket Releases, if there's time these will be online... but your better bet may be to show up early at the venue and keep your fingers crossed!

Hope you enjoy 2010!

It's come down to this... 0 days!

2010-02-12T10:15:00.001-08:00

[sap]

Nearly seven years of preparation, countless hours of planning, hundreds of helicopter loads of snow and tonight the world gathers together to celebrate sport at the highest level.

Some 97 countries will be participating in the 21st Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver & Whistler. Some delegations will be no greater than a single athlete and flag bearer, some groups will have hundreds of competitors! But they will all strive to do their best and to make us proud.

Now is the time to join in the celebration of sport, to put our differences behind us, and to enjoy the an example of shining moments for the people of this place we call earth.

[/end sap]

Create your own Vectorial!

2010-02-10T05:46:00.000-08:00

What's a Vectorial?! It's those crazy lights over the head of False Creek from the Downtown side on the Kits side that light up the night sky!

photo by Susan Gittins on flickr.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/susangittins/

Check it out and you can even create your own light show for all of Vancouver to see!

iPhone Apps for Vancouver 2010

2010-02-10T04:02:00.000-08:00

It seems nowadays everyone has an iPhone app and that there truly is "an app for that!" The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games are no exception to that rule.

Vancouver 2010 :: This free app is the official Vancouver 2010 application put out by VANOC and is a location-aware schedule detailing more than 2,000 sport and cultural events taking place over the Olympic Games in Vancouver.

This FREE app is a location-aware schedule detailing more than 2,000 sport and cultural events taking place over 17 days between February 12 and 28, 2010.
Updated throughout the Games, the schedule adjusts to your time zone and works even without a data connection. Plan your Olympic experience by creating a personalized itinerary using Favourites. The app also includes real-time results for every sport as well as headlines, photos and twitter streams.

CTV Olympics :: The free app from the official Canadian broadcaster of the Olympic Winter Games is jam-packed with all sorts of useful features. Articles, athlete bios, photos, scheduling, blogging, and more. All features may not be available to those outside of Canada.

We cover up-to-the-minute headlines and news on every sport at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Stunning photo galleries with hundreds of spectacular photos, in-depth Canadian and International athlete profiles, venue information and the upcoming event schedule for the Games.

NBC Olympics :: The free app from the official US broadcaster of the Olympic Winter Games is stuffed with all sorts of useful features. Video, Articles, athlete bios, photos, scheduling, social media tie-ins, push notifications and more. All features may not be available to those outside of the United States. This app also requires the latest iPhone OS.

Experience the best of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games with the NBC Olympics app. Follow all the action with live real-time updates on every event from Vancouver. Check out NBC Olympics video clips and highlights, news stories for every sport, results & schedules, and updated medal counts. Plus, you can follow your favorite nations, sports and athletes on Facebook and Twitter -- all from your phone.

SportLogik :: Don't know the rules of all those winter Olympic games?! This app will tell you all the rules and regulations so you're in the know!

If you plan on watching the Winter Olympics and are not sure of the difference between Luge and Skeleton and maybe Curling is a total mystery, or you are having a friendly disagreement about the year the US Olympic Hockey team won the Olympic gold medal, we have the answers. For those more foreign sports, such as Australian Rules Football that you want to talk to your Aussie mates about, or its Cricket you want to talk over with all your Cricket following friends, we can help with these foreign relations problems as well.

Bonus :: Lonely Planet Guide to Vancouver :: This app, which would normally cost up to $15.99 to purchase, is free in honour of Vancouver 2010. It gives you a location-aware rundown of sights to see in Vancouver... when you're not cheering on your country

Get a bird’s eye view of ‘Vansterdam’ with Vancouver Travel Guide: The Sights. As this spectacular city gears up for the games there’s no better time to have all of its sights at your fingertips. From UBC Thunderbird Arena and the Pacific Coliseum, to the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Capilano Salmon Hatchery, we’ve listed over 70 things-to-see and where to see them. Zoom in on our location-aware maps to discover exactly where your next ‘must see spot’ is. Also included are our ‘landscape low-downs’ on just what makes this famously cool city, so hot right now.

Google Streetview on Whistler Mountains

2010-02-09T15:37:00.000-08:00

The crazy video from the Google team shows you a whole new "street" view...

Here's one example of the Dave Murray Downhill, home of the 2010 Downhill Alpine events. More specific links on the Google Blog.

BBC Winter Olympics Ad

2010-02-09T11:13:00.001-08:00

Whistler Tour

2010-02-09T03:01:00.000-08:00

2010 Ticket Update! More Available Soon...

2010-02-08T08:28:00.000-08:00

As VANOC finalizes the seating arrangements for media in the various Winter Olympic Venues they are coming up with an extra 50-200 seats on average.

This includes in-demand events and "it" items such as the Men's Gold Medal Ice Hockey game!

The catch this time is that they're won't be any official time that the tickets become available. Throughout this week, no exact time or date given, the available tickets will be posted, probably a sport or even match at a time.

The trick to getting your hands on these precious few tickets? Twitter. Or rather following, very closely I might add, the official tweeter of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games @2010Tweets, and have that mouse ready for some fast clicking.

Tip :: Make sure you're ticket account on Vancouver2010.com is ready to go prior to spotting those precious tweets to ensure you minimize time waste.

CTV Olympic's I Believe

2010-02-08T04:13:00.000-08:00

City of Vancouver Tour

2010-02-06T04:27:00.000-08:00

Video :: Athetes Village Tour

2010-02-05T14:26:00.001-08:00

Cruise Ship Hotel Cancelled -- Alternative Options Still Available!!!

2010-02-03T09:07:00.000-08:00

With only 9 days until the Opening Ceremonies more than 1000 guests are out-of-luck as Newwest Projects have cancelled the hiring of the Norwegian Cruise Line that they were renting out to 2010 visitors.

Refunds have apparently been issued, but that doesn't help the fact that more than 1000 guests are now having to scramble to find occupancy in an already tight market.

Fortunately, there are still many alternative options that can be explored such as staying in the homes or condos of private owners willing to vacate for the games.

For more than 100 listings including some large homes capable of housing up to 10 guests visit our listings page.

Great New Pictures from Canada Place

2010-01-29T04:02:00.000-08:00

Canada Place, home to the International Media Centre, has installed new "lighting", if you can call it that, putting images and colours associated with the Olympics along the iconic sails that make up the roof of the convention centre.

See all the pictures here.

The City of Vancouver

2010-01-28T04:03:00.000-08:00

“Vancouver City” music video is an artistic collaboration between Innerlife Project and TimeLapseHD. Linda Ganzini’s beautiful and haunting vocals blend with the unique musical style of Serge Chubinski-Orlov who produced and wrote Vancouver City. For more information and music downloads go to www.innerlifeproject.com
These time lapses are shot with a 12 mega pixel digital single lens reflex cameras. Original resolution is 6 times better then HD (high definition). The images have been resized for HD and are much better quality then shown here on YouTube. Video clips are for sale. For more information contact us at TimeLapseHD@hotmail.com. Thanks and enjoy!

You Gotta Be Here

2010-01-27T13:13:00.000-08:00

30-second You Gotta Be Here Ad...

If you want to be here, visit our property rental listings to pin-point exactly where you'll stay...

90-second You Gotta Be Here Ad...

For Our Country, For Our City...

2010-01-23T05:01:00.000-08:00

Here's a great promotional video from CTV, the Canadian broadcast home of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games...

2010 Promo Videos...

2010-01-22T12:31:00.000-08:00

With approx three weeks to go until the Vancouver 2010 games the world is getting excited!

Here's a few promo videos. One from Australia, Germany, and China...

It's not too late to secure your 2010 accommodation. Click here for more than one hundred listings!

Vancouver Olympic Line Streetcar Service Starts Tomorrow

2010-01-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

Running through the Athletes village with stops at the Canada Line and Granville Island, Vancouverites and our visitors, will have a chance to ride a brand-new-to-us form of transportation, the streetcar.

The actual cars are on loan from Brussels, Belgium, but the city has plans to increase streetcar transit options greatly in the coming years. One evidence of the future plans includes the sidewalk in the central meridian of Pacific Avenue, that will one day be home to another streetcar line.

Still Opportunities to Come to Vancouver 2010...

2010-01-19T11:04:00.000-08:00

There's still nearly 25 days prior to the Vancouver 2010 Opening Ceremonies.

One can still find reasonably priced accommodation in both Vancouver and Whistler.

Plenty of free or nearly free events happening in Vancouver and Whistler.

Many events still have availability at original prices directly from VANOC, especially if you're willing to sit in a partially obstructed view seat (10-50% view obstruction).

Virtually every event has significant availability through the official Vancouver 2010 Fan-to-Fan Marketplace.

What are you waiting for... this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Viewing Whistler Downhill Events for Less

2010-01-05T15:48:00.000-08:00

Didn't get your tickets to Vancouver 2010 Downhill Events in Whistler? Have a place to stay?

Just buy a lift ticket and then follow the Whistler Blackcomb Map to free viewing areas.

Hockey Canada Announces 2010 Roster

2009-12-30T10:59:00.001-08:00

With some 44 days remaining until the 2010 Opening Ceremonies Hockey Canada has released the line-up for the 2010 Team Canada Ice Hockey Team.

Click here for the complete list.

Anybody Buying Tickets? Anybody Selling Tickets?

2009-12-21T17:28:00.001-08:00

VANOC has just launched their official Fan-to-Fan Marketplace for 2010 tickets.

If you have some extra tickets that you won't be able to use or if you didn't get the tickets you want this Fan-to-Fan Marketplace is your only way to gaurantee that your ticket purchases are 100% legitimate.

Legitimacy is handled in the following manner. Only tickets bought from VANOC can be listed there. Secondly, once tickets are sold, the original tickets become null and void and the purchaser picks up a new set of tickets, with a new barcode, from a VANOC Ticket Outlet.

Sellers are allowed to list tickets for any price they choose, so long as it is not less than face value. Both sellers and purchasers pay a 10% fee to VANOC.

To see what's available and at what prices you will have to create a ticketing account and sign in. Once you've searched a particular event be sure to scroll down until you see the Fan-to-Fan Marketplace section.

Vancouver2010 Tickets

My Tickets Arrived...

2009-12-16T09:42:00.000-08:00

Well today was a pretty exciting day for me... I received a special package in the mail from COVAN (the French spelling of VANOC)!

The package was my Olympic Tickets for the Vancouver 2010 games as well as an Official Spectator Guide will all sorts of fun facts, schedules, maps, and more!

Here's a picture of the package...

I'll update you on more details from the Official Spectator Guide over the coming weeks...

Vancouver 2010 Video Game Style...

2009-12-16T05:01:00.000-08:00

Made by SEGA available for XBOX360, PS3, and Games for Windows.

Whistler Victory Ceremony Performers Announced!

2009-12-15T14:07:00.000-08:00

VANOC has just released the list of performers for the Whistler Victory Ceremonies and it's going to be quite the party in Whistler this February!

Some highlights include The Fray, Usher, One Republic, and Feist!

Click here to see all the announced acts.

2 Months to Go!

2009-12-15T12:07:00.001-08:00

As of today, there are only 59 days until the Opening Ceremonies marking the start of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Check our forum out for up-to-date news and info on the Vancouver Games as well as accommodation options for Vancouver, Whistler, and their surrounding communities.

2 New 2010 Ticketing Opportunities @ 10AM

2009-12-11T09:14:00.000-08:00

VANOC has just released two more amazing Olympic opportunities for 2010...

1) Figure Skating Training Sessions
Watch the world's best figure skating athletes practice at the Pacific Coliseum before they go head-to-head in competition. Tickets are only $30*, while supplies last.

Date / Time / Training Session

Feb 13 07:00–13:00 Pairs/Men
Feb 15 07:00–13:00 Men/Pairs
Feb 18 07:00–13:00 Men/Ice Dance
Feb 20 07:00–13:00 Ladies/Ice Dance
Feb 21 07:00–12:00 Ice Dance/Ladies
Feb 22 07:00–13:00 Ice Dance/Ladies
Feb 24 07:00–12:10 Ladies

Please note: use of training time is at the discretion of the athletes and their coaching staff. Athlete appearances are not guaranteed.

2) Paralympic Closing Ceremony
This unique, large-scale celebration will celebrate the world's greatest Paralympic athletes while capturing the spirit and personality of Whistler, British Columbia and Canada. The Paralympic Closing Ceremony will take place on March 21, 2010 at Whistler Medals Plaza, a beautiful outdoor venue in the heart of Whistler. Tickets are only $60*, while supplies last.

Purchase these online TODAY, starting at 10AM PST from Vancouver2010.com/tickets.

Vancouver 2010 Victory Ceremony Acts Announced!

2009-12-08T12:19:00.000-08:00

Big names will be coming to Vancouver for the 2010 Victory Ceremonies including some of the biggest Canadian acts as well as many major International stars including Nelly Furtado, Loverboy, The Bare Naked Ladies, and INXS to name a few.

Click here to see all the victory ceremony acts.

NBC's 2010 Promo

2009-12-05T10:30:00.000-08:00

The Look of 2010

2009-12-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

Book Your Olympic Bus Network Tix

2009-11-30T07:48:00.000-08:00

Today officially marks the start of the booking window for your Olympic Bus Network Tickets.

If you are or will be in the Metro Vancouver area during the 2010 Games and have tickets for events at Cypress or in Whistler then you can start to book your travel on the Olympic Bus Network.

It is highly advisable that you book this ASAP as there will NOT be parking at Olympic Venues.

Click here to read more.

Robotic Lighting to Electrify 2010 Sky

2009-11-25T13:04:00.000-08:00

During the 2010 Olympics the cities of Vancouver & Whistler will be host to a whole number of Cultural festivities including a Robotic Lighting Display over the mouth of False Creek.

The night sky, which at that time of the year starts shortly after 5PM, will be lit up by 10,000 watt lights that should be viewable from as far away as 15 kilometers!

Read more here.

Final Ticket Phase On Now

2009-11-15T16:57:00.000-08:00

The final ticket phase started yesterday at 10AM PST. As of the entry of this blog post there are still many tickets available including some medal qualification rounds in both Curling & Ice Hockey!

Make sure you secure your chance to officially be a part of the Games.

Vancouver2010.com

Vancouver 2010 Employee & Volunteer Uniforms

2009-11-12T23:08:00.000-08:00

The Hudson's Bay Company, modernized as "HBC", has designed the outfits that you'll be seeing a whole lot of come February 2010 in Vancouver & Whistler.

Check this video out:

More info here.

Olympic Ticket Prices

2009-11-10T09:53:00.000-08:00

Sounds like there's some misinformation regarding ticket prices for the 2010 games in Vancouver so we'd like to dispel some of that.

Ticket prices start as low as $22CDN!

For Vancouver victory ceremonies at BC Place stadium, the same location of the Opening & Closing ceremonies, all tickets are only $22!

For sport events you can find tickets for as low as $25CDN!

For a complete list of ticket prices click here.

Please note, in this 3rd and final round of ticket sales all price categories may not be available.

Vancouver Convention Centre Aerial Video

2009-11-09T15:38:00.001-08:00

Here's a neat video of the Vancouver Convention Centre that will house the accredited media for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games:

Olympic Ticket Site Fails Miserably

2009-11-07T15:01:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately the 2010 website suffered some epic failures today resulting in barely any tickets being sold and the entire opening being postponed for one week by VANOC and Tickets.com.

Read more here.

You're next 'last' chance starts November 14 @ 10AM PST. ;)

Your Last Chance for Olympic Tix Starts Tomorrow at 10AM

2009-11-06T17:45:00.000-08:00

Your Last Chance for Olympic Tix Starts Tomorrow at 10AM PST!

According to Vancouver2010.com there will be lots of great opportunities:

More than 100,000 tickets to all city events including gold medal hockey, curling, Opening and Closing and nightly Victory Ceremonies events will be available to the Canadian public on a first-come, first served basis. Paralympic tickets for high-demand events such as the Opening Ceremony, ice sledge hockey and alpine skiing will also be available.

Read more here.

Final Phase of Olympic & Paralympic Tickets Goes on Sale on Saturday

2009-11-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

The third and final phase of Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games tickets will go on sale to Canadian residents this Saturday, November 7 at 10:00 am*.

What will be available? More than 100,000 tickets to Olympic sport and ceremony events in city venues, plus thousands of great seats to cheer on our Paralympic athletes in ice sledge hockey, alpine skiing and more!

Step 1: Select your sports and choose your events.

Step 2: Buy your tickets at vancouver2010.com/tickets

Step 3: Experience the 2010 Winter Games in person this February!

Important:
• In order to ensure access to the Vancouver 2010 ticketing website, previously registered customers are advised to sign in to their ticketing account before 12:00 pm Thursday, November 5 to ensure their username, address and password are up to date and functional.
• If you haven't requested or purchased Olympic or Paralympic tickets in earlier phases, save yourself time by registering your ticketing account before 12:00 pm this Thursday.
• In recognition of Visa's longstanding support of the Olympic and Paralympic Games we proudly accept only Visa.

For more info, click here.

100 days to go...

2009-11-04T13:05:00.000-08:00

today marks a major countdown milestone as there are now only 100 days until the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games!

Vancouver 2010 Torch Relay Begins!

2009-10-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

The first torchbearers, former Canadian speed skater Catriona Le May Doan (R) and her compatriot tri-athlete Simon Whitfield, light the Olympic Torch following its arrival in Victoria, British Columbia, October 30, 2009.
Photograph by: Reuters, Reuters

What started in 1998 as the selection of Vancouver by the Canadian Olympic Committee as it's preferred city, turned in the International Olympic Committee endorsing Vancouver as the host for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in July of 2003, has now reached the final countdown, notably marked by the Olympic Torch Relay.

In less than 105 days Vancouver and Whistler will host the world starting with the lighting of the Olypmic Flame at the Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver at BC Place Stadium with some 60,000+ attendees!

You can follow all the Olympic Torch Relay details at Vancouver2010.com.

Olympic Flame will be lit Tomorrow!

2009-10-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, October 22, 2009 the Olympic Flame will be lit marking the start of the final countdown to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Over the next week or so the flame will make it's way to the start of the 45,000km torch relay race that you will be able to follow at home, in real-time, from October 30, 2009 through to February 12, 2010 when the torch will arrive back in Vancouver for the Vancouver 2010 Opening Ceremonies at BC Place Stadium.

Photo from VancouverSun.com, taken during rehearsals in Greece.

To follow all the details of the 2010 Torch Relay visit the interactive map on Vancouver2010.com.

Vancouver 2010 has also launched other features of their new, game-time website that will host everything you need to know in 2010 including schedule details, sport results, and more.

2010 Theme Song "One Dream" by Sarah McLachlan

2009-09-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

150 Days until the Opening Ceremonies!

2009-09-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

In only 150 days, or 5 months, the world will be watching.

Make sure you find your accommodation beforehand in our FREE forums.

IOC - Best of Us - Ad 1

2009-09-12T15:19:00.000-07:00

NBC's Today Show :: Six Months to 2010

2009-08-22T08:02:00.000-07:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

YVR's New Observation Lounge

2009-08-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

Canada Line :: Video Tour

2009-08-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of the Canada Line.

Canada Line Opens Today

2009-08-17T12:26:00.001-07:00

In 30 minutes the official, inaugural rides of the Canada Line will begin.

This $2B rapid transit project, not officially tied to the Vancouver 2010 Games bid or budget, will modernize transportation along the North-South corridor from Richmond, Vancouver International Airport, and the City Center.

Congrats Vancouver.

Picture from News1130.com of Dignitaries riding the train earlier today.

2010 Team Canada Sweaters Leaked

2009-08-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

Check out more images here.

Six Months to Go!

2009-08-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

In only 6 months the world will officially be watching the 2010 Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver's BC Place Stadium.

Read more here.

Vancouver World's Most Livable City?

2009-08-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a little Conde Nast Traveller video on Vancouver.

Coming to Vancouver through YVR...

2009-07-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

If you're coming to Vancouver by air you'll get to experience Vancouver International Airport or YVR as it's known.

YVR has spent millions of dollars over the last ten years expanding, renovating, and enhancing itself.

As we approach 2010 the airport really is in a great state and will be a wonderfully, welcoming port of entry for visitors.

Check out this video explaining a bit of the architecture used in the terminal.

Last Chance for Olympic Tickets is in Less than 24 hours!

2009-06-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, Saturday, June 6, 2009 at 10AM Pacific Standard Time, Canadians will likely have their final chance at tickets for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

More than 150,000 tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tickets are expected to sell out quickly.

To get yours please visit vancouver2010.com and have your VISA ready!

If you are not a resident of Canada please contact your local Olympic Committee to attain tickets.

Less than a week until your next ticket opportunity...

2009-05-31T08:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 6th, 2009 is likely your last major opportunity to purchase standalone tickets to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver & Whistler, Canada.

More than 150,000 tickets will be available for purchase including tickets to every major event. Opening Ceremonies, Gold Medal Hockey Games, Speed Skating, Nightly Medal Ceremonies and more!

Tickets will go on sale at 10AM PST. Don't be late!

Visit vancouver2010.com for more info.

150,000 more tickets available on June 6

2009-05-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

This is one day you don't want to sleep in on! June 6th, 2009.

If you're a Canadian resident this is your second chance to secure tickets to the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver and Whistler.

There's even going to be some tickets for both the "sold out" Opening Ceremony and Gold Medal Hockey Games!

Click here to read more.

Paralympic Tickets Still Available

2009-05-15T11:41:00.000-07:00

There is still 2010 Paralympic ticket availability on Vancouver2010.com!

Tickets start as low as about $15, so get them while they last!

These athletes are in many ways much more impressive than the athletes which participate in the Olympic games.

100th Official Member

2009-05-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

Winter2010Rentals has garnered it's 100th member.

You can also become a member without charge and post your FREE listings for either a condo or home you have or the accommodation you need. It's all 100% FREE.

Visit our homepage to learn more or you can go straight to our listings forum.

Vanoc Venue Video

2009-05-13T20:36:00.001-07:00

Paralympic Tickets on Sale TODAY!

2009-05-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

In one hour tickets go on sale for the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games!

Get your tickets at Vancouver2010.com

Paralympic Tickets Available Tomorrow :: 10AM PST

2009-05-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, May 6 at 10AM PST is you're first chance to get tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

The tickets are much more reasonable than for the Olympic Games with athletes that are just as impressive.

Get your tickets here.

7-days Until Paralympic Tickets Available

2009-04-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

In just seven days tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games will be available!

Paralympic athletes are the true heroes of the Olympic Games if you ask me. And if you don't believe me just watch this video from Canada's Rick Mercer:

For more Paralympic ticket info click here.

Cultural Olympiad Announcements & Tickets

2009-04-28T08:59:00.000-07:00

The first 20 projects of the 2010 Cultural Olympiad have been announced and tickets are available!

Read all about these exciting events here.

One More Chance for 2010 Tickets...

2009-04-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

There will certainly be opportunities to purchase tickets from scalpers during the 2010 Olympic games though this practice, despite being legal in British Columbia, is highly frowned upon by the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee.

So June 6th is theoretically the last official day to get 2010 tickets directly from VANOC. Tickets will be available at 10AM PST on a first-come, first-served basis.

Phase 2: June 6, 2009

Tickets remaining after Phase 1 will go on sale to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis. Canadian residents who missed the initial request period can purchase tickets directly through vancouver2010.com or by calling the Vancouver 2010 Ticketing Call Centre at 1-800-TICKETS (1-800-842-5387).

To purchase tickets you can try calling the numbers above or visiting vancouver2010.com on June 6th, 2009.

New Translink Website

2009-04-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

For the 2010 Olympic Games all attendees are going to be encouraged to use public transportation to get to and from events. The Greater Vancouver Regional District's (GVRD) transportaton authority, Translink, has updated their website.

Click here for more info.

Olympic Video Games

2009-04-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

Check out this Mario game for Nintendo Wii and DS (developed by Sega).

For more info visitolympicvideogames.com.

Vintage Vancouver 2010 Bid Video

2009-04-15T14:31:00.000-07:00

So maybe it's a stretch to call 7 years ago "vintage" but it's still a ways back in history.

This was the original Vancouver 2010 Olympic bid video.

Vancouver 2010 Ceremonies Preview

2009-04-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

David Atkins Enterprises out of Australia has been tasked with producing the ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Here's a short video highlighting some of the ceremonies he's put on in the past:

VANOC Paralympic Games Video

2009-04-08T06:13:00.000-07:00

Torch Relay - Official VANOC Video

2009-04-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

More Olympic Tix Available!

2009-04-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

Despite earlier news reports suggesting that the tickets for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games had been completely sold out a new press release from VANOC is telling us that we need to mark a big red X on June 6th!

Additional tix will be available on a first come, first served basis at 10AM PST.

Read more here.

RBC & Coca Cola - Carry the Torch

2009-03-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

Every wished you were a part of a historic event lie the Olympic Torch Relay? Well RBC and Coke are offering you that opportunity.

Here's their commercials.

Short Version:

Long Version:

Coca Cola Version:

Classic Canadiana - Petro Canada Olympic Glasses

2009-03-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

In 1988 Petro Canada sold Olympic Glasses to help raise support for Canada's Olympic athletes. They're at it again and here's their new commercial:

Cultural Olympiad Animation Promo

2009-03-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

Let's face it... not everyone will have tickets to the official Olympic Winter Games, but what we are abe to attend, without too much difficulty, are the cultural festivities that are tied to the games.

Here's a Cultural Olympiad Promo Video:

Summa Donna Vancouver 2010

2009-03-27T13:25:00.000-07:00

If there's one thing Vancouver is known for it is certainly NOT for partying.

Yes we had considerable excitement in 1994 when the Vancouver Canucks made it to game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals versus the New York Rangers, but other than that, we're actually pretty boring. I mean take a look at the scenery... we're too busy chilling at the beach, mountain biking down the coastal mountains, golfing year round, and dodging rain drops to do too much partying.

Yet the IOC has somehow gotten a different perspective than "No Fun City" as is often touted. So they've encouraged VANOC to tone down the partying side of the 17-day Vancouver 2010 Olympics, especially considering the current global economic climate.

Read there full article here.

p.s. Simma Donna refers to Simmer Down Now, an SNL sketch.

New 2010 Map!

2009-03-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

In order to help you to find what you want to find we've created a new Google Map that lists all of the competition venues, celebration sites, media centres, athletes' villages, and more!

We're going to be added many more "Olympic Locations" to the map as time goes on so check back often.

View the map here.

City to Host Transportation Plan Open House

2009-03-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

The City of Vancouver recently released its Host City Olympic transportation plan for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, which includes locations of Olympic lanes, parking restrictions, pedestrian corridors and more within Vancouver.

The City will be holding an open house on March 30, 2009 - with information booths and staff available - to answer any questions that residents and businesses might have about the plan, including details on how the downtown pedestrian corridors will function during the 2010 Winter Games.

Monday, March 30, 2009
4 - 7 pm

Main floor Promenade
Vancouver Public Library – Central Branch
350 West Georgia Street

More information on temporary changes to the City’s road network during the 2010 Winter Games is also available on the City’s Host City website at Vancouver.ca.

Keeping Rental Dreams Realistic

2009-03-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

With less than one year to go until the Vancouver Whistler 2010 Winter Olympic Games there is still time to rent your place, but there is one major caveat; Be Realistic!

The world has changed a lot in the last twelve months since many would be short-term Olympic landlords saw the dollar signs in their eyes. Global credit markets have seized. Global real estate prices have plummeted. Global stock exchanges have crumbled. Olympic sponsors have vanished. Olympic rental asking prices have remained stable.

Hmmm... what's wrong with this picture?! Well, it's all wrong, but the one part that hasn't changed is the one part that must if you want any hope in renting your place for 2010. Neither the team at Winter2010Rentals.com, nor anyone else is going to pay $500 per night to stay in your cramped basement suite in Abbotsford to enjoy the games, we're not going to spend $50,000 per month to stay in your 2 bedroom condo in East Vancouver, and we're certainly not going to fork over $15,000 per week to stay in a one bedroom condo in Whistler Village.

We suggest you start by lowering your sights somewhat, and from there make sure it's clear that you have set an "asking" price where the negotiations can start. You may get your entire asking price and more, or you might get somewhat less, but make sure you remain flexible so you're not left out in the cold.

To post your accommodation for free please visit our rental forums.

[If you have already posted your listing on our website, consider adjusting your pricing to better reflect the current market conditions.]

Vote for your Top 10 Canadian Olympic Moments

2009-03-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

The Royal Canadian Mint and Canada's Olympic Broadcasting Media Consortium are asking you to vote for your top 10 Canadian Olympic Moments.

If you had to choose the most outstanding achievement of a Canadian winter Olympian, what would it be? What is your favourite goosebump-raising, spine-tingling Olympic memory? Is it Cindy Klassen’s five medals at the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games? Or maybe it’s a throwback to Grenoble 1968 when Nancy Greene won gold and silver in alpine skiing?

The Top 10 Canadian Olympic Winter Moments finalists, as selected by an independent voting panel are (in chronological order):
•Nancy Greene — gold medal and silver medal, alpine skiing, Grenoble 1968
•Gaétan Boucher — two gold medals and one bronze medal, speed skating, Sarajevo 1984
•Marc Gagnon — gold medal, short track speed skating, Salt Lake 2002
•Catriona Le May Doan — gold medal, speed skating, Salt Lake 2002
•Men's Hockey Team — gold medal, Salt Lake 2002
•Women's Hockey Team — gold medal, Salt Lake 2002
•Jamie Salé and David Pelletier — gold medal, figure skating, Salt Lake 2002
•Beckie Scott — gold medal, cross-country skiing, Salt Lake 2002
•Cindy Klassen — one gold medal, two silver medals and two bronze medals, speed skating, Torino 2006
•Clara Hughes — gold medal, speed skating, Torino 2006

Read more and place your vote by visiting here.

1st image: Marc Gagnon (Getty Images), 2nd image: Nancy Drew (Getty Images)

Celebrate the Possible

2009-02-09T11:45:00.000-08:00

Vancouver's Athletes Village Claims First Victim

2009-01-16T09:03:00.000-08:00

The Vancouver city official in charge of overseeing the Athletes Village has resigned, reports suggest.

Jody Andrew's departure has been abrupt and there is no word yet of who is in line to replace him.

Read more on his departure here.

More information on the beleaguered Olympic Village here.

First 2009 Olympic Wramp-Up Sporting Events in Whistler

2009-01-15T07:47:00.000-08:00

Millions of European Nordic-sports fans are expected to tune in daily to the happenings at the Whistler Olympic Park where the first 3 of 16 sporting events that will happen this year are taking place this week.

The events will be cross-country skiing (January 16–18), Nordic combined (January 16–17) and ski jumping (January 23–25).

Over 700 volunteers and workers will take part in making this an event to remember.

Read more here.

2010 Vancouver Athletes Village Commentary

2009-01-13T07:08:00.000-08:00

Photo by eyesplash mikul

We feel it necessary to comment on the myriad of articles hitting the presses in ever increasing numbers over the past while, most of which seem to be painting a very dire picture of what could happen with the Vancouver Athletes Village.

First off, when the plan was formulated, no one could have fathomed that a global credit crisis of the magnitude we are all seeing would have come to fruition.

Secondly, no one would have thought that the Vancouver real estate market would have slowed down as quickly as it has.

That being said, the numbers being referenced for potential liability for the City of Vancouver, should the proverbial excrement really hit the fan are completely sensationalized and the reporting of them is at best irresponsible. So to make a little better sense of the numbers please consider the following:

$1B - total approx. cost of the Olympic Village
$200M - approx. value of the 250 condos already pre-sold with 20% deposits
10% - approx. drop in real estate prices from the peak value in May 2008
Millennium Group of Companies had to put up other properties as security for the South East False Creek Lands the Olympic Village is being constructed on (SEFC valued at $150M)

You may have seen numbers of anywhere from $800M to $1B being what the city could be liable for.

Yes... if the condos being built can not be sold for as little as $1, then the city would be on the hook for a large chunck of change, likely in the neighbourhood of $800M. Though the city would gain the property securitized from the Mellinnium Group of Companies and the liklihood of the condos not being marketable at any price is nil.

So if we assume that the prices for the condos end up being 20% less than previous projections, on average, we can assume that there is a max potential shortfall of approximately $200M between the City of Vancouver and Millenium Group of Companies. A far cry from the $1B numbers being thrown around by juvenile reporters. (I might point out that it seems that most of the sensationalist articles are coming from the CanWest news service that did not win the bid to broadcast the Olympics... hmmm.)

My understanding is that this shortfall would primarily fall on Mellinnium Groups shoulders, though in all liklihood the city would be out at least $50-100M.

That being said a fantastic new neighbourhood will be born... so will the city really lose anything?

2010 Torch Relay Videos

2009-01-13T06:53:00.000-08:00

Here are two videos regarding the 2010 torch relay.

The first is a commercial from RBC encouraging Torch Relay volunteers:

The second is from VANOC:

CTV/Rogers Unveils 2010 Broadcast Team

2009-01-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

CTV/Rogers unveiled their broadcast team for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games today. More than 140 people will make up the team headed by Brian Williams, formerly of the CBC.

The hosts & reporters are many well known English & French language personalities.

For the complete story and list of persons doing what please click here.

Believe in 2010 Athletes

2009-01-07T10:34:00.000-08:00

The Rogers-CTV Globemedia consortium has just launched an advertising campaign inspiring Canadians to believe in our 2010 athletes.

The BELIEVE ads, which are airing on CTV now, are narrated by veteran actor Donald Sutherland and are set to the music of Howard Shore -- the Oscar-winning composer who wrote the music for the acclaimed Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

You can read more about the campaign and watch the commercials here.

With Glowing Hearts

2008-12-11T11:01:00.000-08:00

Version Francais:

Ticket Update

2008-12-10T08:46:00.001-08:00

Well, it's now December 10, 2008 and the tickets that have been allocated to those who applied are supposed to have been processed and billed with email notification coming today.

We have to be honest here and say that we have not yet seen a charge on our Visa, nor has the available balance decreased in relation to a charge that's pending.

We've still got our fingers crossed and we'll have to wait and see.

We'll keep you updated as we learn more.

Additional tickets are scheduled to be made available starting December 12.

MukMuk becomes an official 2010 Mascot

2008-12-10T06:48:00.001-08:00

2010 Ticketing Update

2008-11-26T10:30:00.000-08:00

Some of the dates for the ticketing process have been updated by VANOC.

The key dates as we see them are:

December 1 - credit cards charged on or after this date
December 10 - email notification of ticket allotment
December 12 - additional tickets available for purchase

Read more here.

Massive 2010 Road Closures Expected

2008-11-26T06:34:00.000-08:00

Read more here.

Vancouver 2010 Torch Route Announced

2008-11-21T13:23:00.000-08:00

It will take 100 days and travel nearly 45,000 kilometers as it criss-crosses across Canada. The relay will start in Victoria, travel through the Queen Charlotte Islands before visiting each and every territory and province of Canada.

Read more here.

Johnson & Johnson Passes on IOC Renewal

2008-11-18T22:16:00.000-08:00

The current financial meltdown continues to claim casualties, the most recent is one of the top-level IOC sponsors, Johnson & Johnson.

Read more here.

Ticket Requests Set Records

2008-11-13T14:39:00.001-08:00

It's no surprise that Canadians are passionate about winter sport, afterall some folks from other countries aren't even aware that Canada has a summer (as short as it may be in some parts of the country). But the desire for Olympic sport has far surpassed expectations.

In the period from October 3 through November 7 nearly $350M worth of tickets were applied for. 120 of 170 events will have there ticket purchases determined through lottery.

A couple highlights:

Total value of tickets requested by Canadian residents from October 3 to November 7: $345 million
- Value of tickets requested on November 7 alone: $135 million
An estimated 120 of 170 sessions will be allocated by lottery
The Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as all figure skating, short track speed skating, speed skating and men's ice hockey (from quarter-finals onward) are among the sessions that will go to lottery
More than 140,000 tickets were requested for the men’s gold medal hockey game
More than 84,000 tickets were requested for the Opening Ceremony
More than 27,000 tickets were requested for the men’s halfpipe snowboard session

Read more here.

Last Day to Complete Your 2010 Ticket Application

2008-11-07T07:32:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day to complete your ticket application for the 2010 Olympics prior to the lottery period.

There will still be an opportunity for events that have tickets remaining, but all or most of the hot tickets will be gone after this period.

To see all of the posts we have made about tickets click here.

To read entire articles on tickets, what's available, and how the process seems to be going click here.

Happy Ticketing!!!

Athletes village to get $100-million loan

2008-11-06T10:22:00.000-08:00

The city of Vancouver is providing up to $100M to the developer of Millennium Water, what the world will know as the Athlete's Village during the 2010 Olympics.

The funds will be a loan to help cover cost overruns and other shortfalls.

Read more here.

BC Proclaims Paralympic School Week

2008-11-05T16:29:00.000-08:00

Paralympic School Week, Nov. 3-9, is a new and innovative program that will bring the spirit and the values of the Paralympic Movement to classrooms across Canada. The Vancouver 2010 Education Program aims to unite all 365 school districts across the country in this unique opportunity for K-12 students to learn about the Paralympic Movement which explores the significance of human interdependence, equity and fairness. The week also provides an opportunity to recognize and celebrate wide-ranging examples of the achievements and successes of people with disabilities engaged in sport, culture or sustainability.

Read the entire press release here.

Swap for 2010

2008-10-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

Not everyone is excited that the world is coming to Vancouver & Whistler in 2010 for the Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games, but there are of course plenty of options.

You can rent your place out for 2010 and book yourself into a hotel somewhere else... maybe a tropical locale OR you can make it easier and explore the exciting world of house swapping.

There are plenty of people interested in swapping there world-wide homes for yours during 2010. This is a great way to get all the comforts of home in a win/win relationship with another exchanger.

You can post your swap listing in our 100% FREE forums here.

2010 Cultural Olympiad

2008-10-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow VANOC is set to announce the full line-up for the 2010 cultural olympiad which will run from February 1 through March 21.

Over those 7 weeks many world-class cultural performances will descend on Vancouver & Whistler in addition to the thousands of world-class athletes.

Previously announced performances include Ronnie Burkett's Billy Twinkle: Requiem for a Golden Boy and Montreal Danse's On the Ice of Labrador Feb. 1-8 and March 3-7 respectively at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

Read more in our forums where we'll update as news is available.