Essential Things to Know for the 2010 Olympics

Essential Things to Know for the 2010 Olympics
Three cities are the heart of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Vancouver, British. Columbia, Canada is the main city for the Olympics. Richmond will have Olympic venues and Whistler is where the mountain venues will be held.
Two major improvements for visitors to be able to get around easier in the area are the Olympics the SkyTrain Transit system, which now provides service from the Vancouver International Airport in Richmond to the heart of downtown Vancouver, and upgrades to the Sea to Sky Highway, a major artery to Whistler.
Vancouver. The opening and closing ceremonies will take place at Vancouver’s BC Place Stadium, during the Olympics; the stadium will be a hub for celebration. In addition to the opening and closing ceremonies, the downtown venue will hold nightly victory ceremonies.
Curling is one of Canada’s favorite sports and the brand-new Vancouver Olympic/Paralympics’ Centre, built for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympics’ Winter Games, is a 108,000-square-foot arena that will host the men’s and women’s curling tournament, as well as wheelchair curling during the Paralympics’ Games. Other existing Vancouver venues will host events during the Games. At the core of these venues is the Pacific Coliseum at Hastings Park, which will host figure skating and short-track speed skating events.
Cypress Mountain, which is bordering West Vancouver, will play host to freestyle skiing and snowboarding events during the Games.
Richmond. Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is located on Richmond’s Sea Island. About 25 minutes from Downtown Vancouver. Richmond is an official Venue City for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympics’ Winter Games. Richmond will be home to the long track speed skating competition during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
The speed skating competition will be held at the new Richmond Olympic Oval, which officially opened on December 12, 2008. Twelve medal events will be held at the Oval over a 14-day period from February 13 to 27, 2010 with 36 medals to be awarded.
During the Games, the City will be transformed into an amalgamation of Olympic spirit, community pride, art, excitement and fun. Every inch of the City will be alive with activity, as international visitors join the citizens and volunteers in celebrating the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Whistler. The newly redone Sea to Sky Highway makes getting to Whistler easier than ever. The resort of Whistler, which grew with the hopes that the resort would one day host the Winter Olympic Games, will see its dreams come true. Whistler is home to three Olympic venues — the new Whistler Sliding Center, which will host the bobsled, luge and skeleton events; Whistler Creekside at Whistler Blackcomb, which will be used for men’s and women’s alpine skiing events including downhill, slalom, giant slalom, super-G and super combined; and the Whistler Olympic Park/Whistler Paralympics’ Park is the site for the biathlon and cross-country skiing.

With the Olympics fast approaching, a mini hotel boom has also taken place in Vancouver. Luxury options such as the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and the Sutton Place Hotel have now been joined by some prestigious new properties. The Loden Vancouver opened in 2008, followed by the Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver in January. In the fall, the Coast Coal Harbour Hotel will open its doors and, in 2010, just before the Games, a new Fairmont, the Fairmont Pacific Rim, will debut.
An Olympic Visit
The one thing that tourism officials are emphasizing is that Vancouver is not only going to be one of the most accessible cities during the Olympics, but all sectors of tourism throughout the province are encouraging people to visit before and after the Games, as well.
At Cypress Mountain, only 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver, clients can ski and snowboard like an Olympian. Runs like Fork (on which a new Olympic event, the snowboard cross, will take place) and Trumpeter (which runs down what will become the snowboard parallel and giant slalom) will be available to visitors.
During the Games, celebrations will take place throughout the city. Nightly celebrations will occur at BC Place. The Robson Square – GE Ice Plaza outdoor ice rink will be open during the Olympic Games. In Yaletown, the David Lam Park Live Site will feature giant screens for event viewing, as well as a nightly laser light show and a water show. The park will also link to the new Yaletown-Roundhouse Canada Line for easy access. Larwill Park will be another live site and will feature giant screens, live performances and sponsor activities. The Francophone community is expected to make Granville Island a central gathering place. Bombardier, a Canadian aeronautical company, will offer a streetcar to shuttle visitors from the Olympic Village station on the Canada Line to the island.
One can expand their Olympic experience at the Cultural Olympiad’s many festivals and events. From Jan. 22 to March 21, you can see some of the best artists in the world in Vancouver. Canadian and international artists will take over the city showcasing a variety of artistic talent that will stretch the imagination. More than 600 free and ticketed performances will take place during 60 days of programming that will include world premieres and one-of-a-kind events.
Vancouver2010.com, the official Web site for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, is a hub of information. The Web site serves as one of the best resources for information on ticketing, torch relays, the Cultural Olympiad, education programs and more. Tickets for all Olympic events can be purchased through the site.