Alright, so I finally read the information released in the second phase of the transportation plan.  Yes, I did it.  I read what Vancouver 2010 put out as a news release.  And I read the Vancouver Sun’s multi-page ‘analysis’ of the transportation plan.

Transportation plan... whaddya think??

Now, there’s a lotta stuff that is going to go on, with changes starting as early as November 1st (near the Olympic Village, and as far as I know already closed for construction).  We’ll be getting another SeaBus, more trips on the West Coast Express, more bus service and we have already got a second train trip to Seattle that just started recently.  They had already announced that the universities in town will have a two-week shut down over the Olympics versus their regular one-week shut down for reading break.  The biggest news is that VANOC would like a 30% plus decrease in traffic during the Games.

I guess this doesn’t surprise me, nor does it worry me.  I base this on speaking to quite a lot of Aussie’s that were in Sydney for the Summer Olympic Games in 2000.  Sydney is a city of over 4 million people, a lot of water and traffic that is at least as bad, if not worse than Vancouver.  Every person that I have met that was in Sydney during the Olympics says that traffic was never better!

Some people leave town, many take transit that don’t normally, and others choose to walk or cycle.  Yes, there are going to be parking restrictions that will ‘affect’ businesses in the area, however, their pedestrian traffic is likely to be way up.  And to my way of thinking, people walking are much more likely to stop than people driving.

Hmmm… I think it’s going to be a short post tonight.  Partly ’cause it’s late, and partly because even after I read the information on the Transportation Plan, and opinions on the Transportation Plan, I am unperturbed.  I do understand that this is largely due to where I work and live (only 8 blocks apart, though this does require gum boots in winter) but I do also believe that people on Dunbar that work downtown do not need to find a new home in order to keep their job downtown during the Olympics.  It is going to be busy in Vancouver, but fun busy!  Most people won’t have much more than one thing on their mind, and it will likely have to do with the Olympics.

Yes, I’m biased.  And yes, I’d like to hear your views and look forward to your comments.  I had been getting a little concerned about how much Olympic Spirit or Olympism was around in Vancouver, but I have to say, working in the Olympic Superstore nearly everyday really makes me aware that there are a lot of people that are excited about and looking forward to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games!  And it’s so great to meet so many of them!!

Speaking of which… if you find yourself in the Olympic Superstore please do come say hello.  I’m normally not too far from the Canadian Olympic Committee section (coloured red, white, black and grey, unlike the Vancouver 2010 areas which are more blue, green and white) and can nearly always be reached by any staff member with a radio (think slightly chunky Madonna headset).  I’d be happy to say hello!  And don’t forget!  It’s only 5 days until the Olympic Torch is lit in Greece!!  Gosh!  That means only 13 days the Olympic Flame and the Olympic Torch will arrive in Victoria!  Do come see us in the Olympic Superstore (if you’re not already in Victoria) on October 30th (the day the Torch arrives) as we’re planning a few events (more details to come!).  I’m so excited about the start of the Torch Relay!!  It’s going to be amazing, and if you don’t have anything to wear all the more reason to come visit!  We’ve got a great selection of Torch Relay shirts in stock right now (I so so so want the orange one!).

Right, I’m off to bed, content that the traffic and transportation world is not going to fall apart during the Games.  Tomorrow I’ll be writing from Smithers, BC.  I’ve heard that there are quite a few cross-country ski teams that will be practicing up there so we’ll see what I can learn.  Until then, have a good night, bonsoir!  And don’t forget to enter my ‘100 days of 2010vanfan‘ contest!

Good thing I went to the Vancouver 2010 website to look up the latest information on the transportation plan (no, I still haven’t read it, but had been planning on it… I swear!).  However, while looking for the update I found a Feature Story about an art exhibition this weekend!

Sculpture by Wade Baker from Squamish.

This weekend there is a two-day exhibition of Aboriginal art that will be installed at Vancouver 2010 Winter Games venues.  The exhibition will feature pieces by masters and emerging First Nations artists from across Canada.  Plus, there will be more than 50 of the artists at the exhibition, giving you a chance to meet these amazing people!

Here is what Vancouver 2010 says about the art legacy that is planned:

“A Permanent Legacy”

“There are close to 140 individual pieces of original artwork produced for the Vancouver 2010 Venues’ Aboriginal Art Program at Games venues from Richmond to Whistler. As part of the $3-million program, whose participants were announced by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) in June 2009, over 40 of the artworks will be part of the permanent legacy of the 2010 Winter Games at the venues. Installation of the works started in late 2008 and the majority of the art will be completed this week.

The program was enhanced by artistic and economic development workshops held by INAC. Five showpiece artworks created through these workshops, including a large, colourful tapestry from the Inuit of the Arctic, were purchased by VANOC and are among the permanent venue art installations. The Nuu-chah-nulth Arts Association, Mi’kmaq Association of Cultural Studies, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Manitoba Aboriginal Arts Council Inc. and the National Indigenous Media Arts Coalition (Métis 10) participated in the program and the resulting higher profile from their 2010 work is encouraging other cities to consider sister sculptures of their own.”

In addition to the exhibition, a full-colour coffee table book called O Siyam: Aboriginal Art inspired by the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games is being published by John Wiley & Sons Canada and will be available starting November 2nd.  This book will contain the artworks displayed at the venues and is the first official Games-related book  to be published.  It is currently available for pre-sale at the Vancouver 2010 Online Shop.

The exhibition is free to the public and will be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, Hall A, located at 999 Canada Place in Vancouver.  It will be open Saturday, October 17th, from 9am to 8pm and Sunday, October 18th, from 9am to 6pm.  I’m going to head over on Sunday, probably around noon.  Let me know if you’re interested in meeting for coffee and/or breakfast (I do have a brunch date booked but the more the merrier!) and then we can head in to see the show.  I’m hoping Jody Broomfield will be there!

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And now for your daily dose of extreme cuteness!  Northern Gifts make Official Licensed Vancouver 2010 Mascot merchandise.  If you already have a stuffed Sumi, Miga, Quatchi or Mukmuk they will have made it.  Anyhow, they’re putting out a new product in the next week or so.  Mascots in Mittens!!  Yes, that’s right, the Olympic Mascots (and Mukmuk) with their Red Mittens on!  Take a look!

Quatchi with Red Mittens!

Miga with Red Mittens!

and Mukmuk with Red Mittens!!

Told you they were cute!  I’m not sure where they’ll be available for sale yet, but I’ll be sure to let you know when I hear!

Well, with that dose of cute, I am off to bed (yes, without the transportation plan again, but I’m printing it out so that I can read it on my break at work tomorrow and not have an excuse to avoid it tomorrow night!).  Thank you merci for reading and sharing the experiences of Vancouver 2010 with me!

PS – Don’t forget about my ‘100 days of 2010vanfan’ contest.  There is a Vancouver 2010 Pin Album up for the prize.  Check out the guidelines here.