CP reports that organizers of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games are upset over a promotion at Esso service stations urging Canadians to support their hockey teams at the Turin 2006 Winter Olympic Games. Large ads at the stations across Canada urge people to support the hockey teams and offer prizes that include tickets to games at the 2006 Games in Turin Italy. Imperial Oil is a sponsor of Hockey Canada.
Vancouver 2010 says because the company is not an official Olympic sponsor the campaign is illegal and hurts fundraising efforts for Canadian athletes and the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.
John Furlong, CEO of Vancouver 2010 said Thursday, “we’re asking Esso at this time to simply withdraw their promotion and all associated marketing materials. If we can’t count on icon companies like Esso to respect our project, then who can we count on?”
Furlong said requests to discuss the promotion with Esso executives weren’t answered and that the organizing committee will mount a media campaign to try to convince the company to end the promotion and possibly take legal action.
In a media release Thursday Imperial Oil Limited said that the company has been a strong supporter of hockey in Canada since 1936 and a sponsor of Hockey Canada for more than 20 years.
“Imperial is surprised and disappointed that the Vancouver Olympic Committee has decided to take this heavy-handed action. The company has recently been made aware of their concerns and has been in discussions with VANOC about the situation both through Hockey Canada and directly.
“In addition, Imperial is currently re-examining the marketing campaign at the centre of VANOC’s objections and will adjust those areas where necessary”.
It continues, “this marketing campaign also covers Canada’s participation at the World Junior Championships in December 2005 and is very similar to the company’s Salt Lake City campaign, which was run without objection. Prior to undertaking this marketing campaign, Hockey Canada reviewed and approved all aspects of the promotion”.
Meanwhile VANOC has made a change to its bid book after it was confirmed this week that it won’t go ahead with a proposed Squamish passenger ferry marina to help transport Games visitors during the 2010 Olympics.
The Whistler Question reports that VANOC will most likely rely on a fleet of 750 busses to transport spectators from Vancouver to Whistler and back, according to Sea to Sky director of community relations and operations Maureen Douglas.
Douglas said, “we’ve known for a little while. It’s the most efficient and it’s the most affordable way to transport people from Vancouver to Whistler”.
But the new plan is unacceptable to Squamish Mayor Ian Sutherland who said, “they promised we would not be just seeing busses go by on the highway and we’re going to make sure that doesn’t happen”.
Douglas said the decision to drop the ferry came when VANOC found it difficult to find a partner to build a ferry marina. Once the International Olympic Committee (IOC) told VANOC they’d like to see a decrease in the size of their venues, which would mean smaller hordes of visitors and less pressure on transportation, busses made more sense.
Douglas said changes to the bid book are common at all Olympic Game venues, but VANOC’s plans remain nonetheless “very close to the plans that are laid out in the book”.
The transportation issue won’t be finalized until after the Turin 2006 Games are over to allow VANOC to apply lessons learned there to the 2012 Games.
According to the Whistler Question it’s most likely that anyone travelling from Vancouver to Whistler will have to go by bus and Squamish residents will receive a permit to travel on the highway. It’s also likely that Whistler employees living in Squamish will be transported to work. There will be security checks along the highway, reports the newspaper.
