Whistler Olympic Athletes' Village to be "Alpine Escape"

The Olympic Athletes' Village in Whistler was unveiled to the media on August 20th. The 40-hectare site, located six kilometers south of Whistler Village, is expected to house 2,850 Olympic and 1,000 Paralympic athletes, officials and coaches. With terraced streets separating the condos and apartments, the accommodations will have a homey, village feel. Each room has Internet connectivity, comfortable beds, and two washrooms. The site is anchored by the Whistler Athletes Center, a 5,500-square-foot high-performance fitness centre.

After the Games, the village becomes Cheakamus Crossing, with nearly 97 percent of the 220 apartments townhouses and condos already sold as affordable housing to area employees.

NBC's Today Show, Live from Grouse Mountain

NBC's Today Show will broadcast live from Grouse Mountain's Peak Chalet during the 2010 Games. The Today Show is America's most watched morning news program and features anchors Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Al Roker and Ann Curry. It will be the four anchors' second time broadcasting from an international Olympics, Beijing being the first. Grouse Mountain will be open 24 hours a day during the Games, and the program will air live from 4am to 8am.

Biking the Stanley Park Seawall

Volunteering at Tourism Vancouver, you never know what your shift will bring. Last week, it was all about Victoria. This week, it was all about bike-riding around Stanley Park. I had so many inquiries about that today, I'm sure the bike rental business down at Denman Street experienced a major spike. I really enjoy recommending biking the Stanley Park seawall because as a visitor you really get a feel for the vibe of the city.....the bikers, the joggers, all the people walking their dogs. I swear downtown Vancouver has the highest density of people walking their dogs of any major city in the world!

I spoke to one lady who had just finished jogging the seawall. She jogged to the 6km mark and, not knowing that it only an additional 3km to get back to the starting point, jogged back! That's 12 kilometers, and she had barely broken a sweat! Impressive!

Stanley Park is an absolute oasis of things to do. There are the world-famous totem poles, Painter's Circle (displaying local art), the Nine O'Clock Gun, swimming at relatively secluded Third Beach, and for the kids.....the Vancouver Aquarium and the miniature railway are a treat. Then there's the Stanley Park Shuttle that conveniently takes people to the 15 most popular spots around the park for the price of a coffee ($2). You can't beat that really!

For all you tourists out there planning to visit Vancouver in the near future, stop by the Visitor Center and grab our brand new "Vancouver's Stanley Park Map + Guide." It's put out by the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, and contains a great map, some fascinating history of the park, and everything you need to know to navigate your way around the park and get maximum enjoyment out of it. Definitely check it out!

"Vancouver Nicest Place We Know"

Read an article recently from Vancouver Sun columnist Peter Simpson where he asked readers what they liked most about Vancouver. The following excerpt from Bryan and Barbara Simmons of Memphis, Tennessee caught my attention.

"We own a condo in downtown Vancouver, but live in Memphis, Tenn. We love it when we can visit Vancouver because the city is so alive with young, active individuals and families out walking, riding bicycles or using roller blades. We use mopeds to travel but find walking along the seawall relaxing. The nightlife is just as good as the daytime activities with plenty of plays, shopping, cultural activities and good eating. We can spend hours in Stanley Park and never get weary of being there. The views of the mountains and ocean are constantly uplifting. Vancouver is indeed the nicest place we know."

From Vancouver Sun, Saturday, July 18, 2009

2009 World Police and Fire Games Coming to Vancouver, Canada

This summer, over 10,000 firefighters, police officers, corrections officers and border guards will descend upon Metro Vancouver to compete in the 2009 World Police and Fire Games, taking place July 31 to August 9th. This annual competition brings athletes together from 55 countries around the world, and will feature 63 sports ranging from the traditional, such as track & field, soccer and softball; to the offbeat such as darts, angling and wrist wrestling. There is also the addition of two additional events not seen in previous Games, the Grouse Grind and field lacrosse.

These games are also considered a dry run to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games being held next February. The over 10,000 athletes currently signed up makes these Games the second largest in history, surpassed only by Barcelona which drew 10,576. For this reason, Vancouver's transit system, airport and other facilities will be tested to the max.

Amtrak Ready to Roll

A second daily Amtrak passenger train will begin service between Seattle and Vancouver, starting August 2009. It is estimated that this additional service will carry 50,000 passengers in its first full year of operation, injecting $13 million into the local economy. This expanded service is part of a seven-month trial that is expected to transport American visitors north for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The existing Amtrak Cascades train leaves Seattle early in the morning, and departs Vancouver for the return trip in the evening. It's expected that this second train will run a morning southbound trip, and an evening northbound trip.

And the local economy could get an additional boost down the line as the U.S. government is contemplating establishing high-speed passenger rail service from Portland to Vancouver.
.

First Nations People Will Co-Host 2010 Olympic Games

For the first time in history, the International Olympic Committee is allowing indigenous cultures to act as hosts of an Olympic Games. That means the Four Host First Nations will stand side-by-side with the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee and the Federal Government in welcoming visitors to Canada and helping tell the story of the First Nations people.

The four First Nations groups include the Musqueam, Squamish, Lil'Wat and Tsleil-Waututh, and the Games will be played in their traditional lands. They have signed agreements with First Nations, Inuit, and Metis across Canada to promote aboriginal tourism to roughly 350,000 visitors, and an estimated three billion watching from all around the world. The Four Host First Nations will have an 8,000-square-foot pavilion in downtown Vancouver to showcase some 28 Aboriginal Cultural Tourism experiences across Canada.