On day one of the International Olympic Committee’s evaluation of Vancouver’s bid to be the host city of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, evaluation commission members heard seven bid theme presentations on subjects ranging from city characteristics to transportation, venues and the design of the Olympic village.
The 18-member evaluation commission then toured six proposed Games venues in Vancouver, including the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre (proposed Main Press Centre); the proposed site of the Vancouver Olympic Village; Pacific Coliseum (proposed location for figure skating and short track speed skating); E-COMM –Vancouver’s emergency services and communications facility; General Motors Place (the primary hockey venue for the 2010 Games); and B.C. Place Stadium – a 55,000 seat stadium that would be the site of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and nightly medals ceremonies.
IOC member Prince Willem-Alexander, the heir to the Dutch throne, said of the tour “we’ve had a very impressive day with very good presentations. I think we’re getting a very good view of the capacity and the possibilities of Vancouver as a candidate city”.
Although he said it was too early to give an opinion after the first day of the evaluation, Gerhard Heiberg, head of the inspection team, joked after touring the proposed site for Olympic hockey that they might be back there for the gold medal in 2010 and see Canada play.
Heiberg said after seeing the site of the Olympic village “I think it’s going to be a great place. It is very well situated but they are going to have to do a lot of work”.
Michael Chambers, chairman of the Canada Olympic Committee, was part of a group that accompanied the evaluation team. He said, “I got the impression the evaluation committee people were very impressed with what they saw today. They were asking very particular questions. I think they were very pleased with all the answers they got. I didn’t near anything negative”.
The IOC group didn’t have time to visit a street party in downtown Vancouver where more than 50,000 people were gathered. They missed seeing a group of about 50-100 protesters, some in army fatigues, chanting anti-Games slogans.
But Heiberg said the IOC team will meet with representatives of the No forces in the plebiscite to hear their concerns about Vancouver’s bid.
John Furlong, president of the 2010 bid told the Toronto Star “it’s entirely appropriate. We’ve met with all these groups and continue to … because we’re Canadians and that’s what we do in Canada”.
According to an IOC poll conducted between Nov. 26 and Dec. 6, 65 per cent of Canadians support the Games, 12 per cent were opposed and 23 per cent had no opinion.
