Morgan:News:2010:Bronze Edition: January 2007

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

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Morgan:News:2010 |VANOC| #2122

LICENSES OFFERED FOR MAKING, SELLING AND DISTRIBUTING GAMES-BRANDED LUGGAGE AND BAGS

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC) is beginning the process of pre-qualifying companies interested in licensing its brands and putting the logos and wordmarks on luggage and similar bags. Those brands includes the emblems, mascots -- once they're chosen -- and pictograms of the Games.

VANOC, which posted the Expression of Interest document on its website today and which is restricting the offer to firms with operations in Canada, says that the offer includes the manufacture, sale and distribution of the luggage, as well as the right to sell the products through wholesale and or retail channels but only within Canada. An added bonus is the the right to manufacture branded premiums for VANOC, its corporate and government sponsors to purchase and use, as well as to "any third party licensed by VANOC to perform corporate fulfillment activities." (For the types of luggage and bags, see RESOURCES below.)

Firms can apply to deal with just a selection of the types of bags, or all of them, or they can focus instead on bags that appeal to a particular demographic, such as women's bags or those for children.

VANOC says its idea is to license the luggage in such a way so as to "maximize the availability and sale of licensed products within an environment of controlled commercialization." Marks of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays, and marks of the Canadian Olympic Committee or the Canadian Olympic team are specifically excluded from the arrangements. VANOC says it will decide on a case-by-case basis whether the contracts run without interruption to December 31, 2010 (including sell-offs), or whether they'll be renewed annually until then.

The EOI is a formal, two-part process. The first part requests firms to supply their credentials by February 19. These are analyzed by VANOC staff, which determine a relatively short list of a dozen firms. Those on the short list will get a detailed Request for Proposals document, which VANOC expects to issue on March 5. The winning firm, or firms, are subject to a number of conditions, one of which is a security and criminal-records check of its directors and officers.

The RFP, VANOC says, will be asking for a forecast of projected sales of the licensed products during the term of the license, and a detailed marketing plan, including the proposed roll-out by distribution channel, such as specialty, souvenir, gift, tourist, duty-free, sports and general retail stores. The RFP will also be looking for the proponent's financial proposal, such as the royalty structure, what advance they'll need on signing, what the minimum guarantees they'll be paying to VANOC during the term of the license. They'll also have to outline brand protection and anti-piracy measures they'll be able to take to protect piracy.

Another of the conditions restricts the type of company that can apply for the license, so that they aren't competing with VANOC's Tier-1 retailing sponsor, the Hudson's Bay Company and its related stores. For instance, applicants that own or operate general merchandise department stores need not apply, nor any specialty retailer which has previously held licensing rights to produce apparel, team uniforms and merchandise bearing Canadian Olympic Committee marks. Also banned are sporting goods retail stores.

RESOURCES

Here are the main types of luggage and bags that VANOC's license offer covers:

• Travel bags and suitcases

• Computer bags and briefcases

• Sport Bags, particularly those for hockey, snowboarding, skiing and snowshoeing

• Handbags and tote bags

• Gym bags

• Camera bags

• Duffle bags

• Cosmetic bags and shaving-kit bags

• Messenger bags

• Backpacks

---

Here's the link to the PDF file of the EOI:

tinyurl.com/yptw8h

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 31, 2007

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Government| #2121

FEDERAL COMMITTEE SENATOR SUGGESTS VANOC EECURITY ESIMATES BASED ON LOW-RISK SCENARIO

One of the members of the Canadian government's Senate Standing Committee on National Security and Defence says it appears the C$175 million security budget for the 2010 Winter Games was based on a low-risk scenario.

The Committee was in Vancouver this week holding hearings as part of a cross country tour holding hearings on various aspects of Canadian security.

The RCMP, through a security unit nicknamed VISU, is the overall operations co-ordinator of the security arrangements for the 2010 Winter Games, although the military of Canada, the United States and possibly other countries are expected to play a role. The C$175 million does not cover military costs, only primary security of venues and their immediate neighbourhood, dignitaries from the time they arrive at the Vancouver International Airport until the time that they leave, athlete security, community policing costs that are required by VANOC and which are additional to normal special-event policing costs, and similar operational issues. The venues covered include those that are involved in competition and non-competition, such as VANOC's headquarters, warehouses and the two Olympic Villages.

The only British Columbia senator on the seven-member panel, Conservative Gerry St. Germain, says that he understands the figure is was budgeted on a low risk concept, "based on the intelligence that's out there... that's accumulated by the RCMP, CSIS and various other agencies around the world... and I think we have to take a look at, and we should do it immediately."

St. Germain says the Committee's job is to determine whether the figure is accurate. "British Columbians, and Canadians as a whole, don't want any huge [financial] surprises as far as cost over-runs in the Olympics. There was already a cost over-run in the construction. We just want to make certain that whatever estimates are there are realistic, and that there are no surprises."

St. Germain, however, says he feels the security and budgeting is in capable hands with the RCMP. "We know that there is a huge cost and security has to be a dominant factor in the Olympics, and we've got to make sure we've got the figures right."

He said following hearings with military personnel "but they weren't asked for any projected figures about what the cost would be from their end of things." He said the committee flagged the issue, "and I hope the officials take it seriously, and we'll be following up on it."

RCMP Chief Superintendent Richard Bent told the committee that if the Games threat level increases, "I'll be asking for more resources."

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 30, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Moguls| #2120

Here are three moguls we ran into today:

VANCOUVER OKS ANOTHER C$2 MILLION FOR OLYMPIC VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT

Vancouver City Council unanimously approved an additional C$2 million for preparing the Olympic Village site without even a moment's debate this afternoon. The request had come from the project manager for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Village, Wally Konowalchuk, who said he needed to money to pay for a variety of items, now that the site preparations are nearing completion, such as fencing, security, first aid, change orders to existing site-servicing construction contracts and the Olympic Village; and design modifications required to accommodate updates to the site plan. Council approved his request, along with recommendations from staff on a batch of other issues unrelated to the 2010 Games, in a bulk administrative vote. The decision means the cost of developing the site and its neighbouring land is expected to cost the city about C$157 million. Meanwhile, a staff proposal that the City turn over development of the "modest-market housing" component of the Olympic Village be contracted to Millennium Southeast False Creek Properties, which is overseeing development of the rest of the buildings on the eight-block project, has been moved to an upcoming committee meeting so that people who want to speak to council members about the idea can be heard. The staff made the recommendation saying it didn't have the expertise to do the work in time to make the deadlines for turning the village over to VANOC in November, 2009. The city's Planning and Environment committee is expected to hear the issue Thursday.

VANCOUVER PARKS BOARD DELAYS CONSTRUCTION OF VANOC VENUE BY FIVE MONTHS

The Vancouver Parks Board voted last night to compromise by further delaying reconstruction of VANOC's Trout Lake arena in exchange for making one of its prime user groups less angry about reduced minor ice-hockey time a year from now. The Board, which is often the focus of pressure tactics by organized groups, was faced with a packed, organized and noisy group of minor-hockey enthusiasts who protested the way the Board was originally planning to do the construction. The decision could cost the financially challenged Board an estimated C$200,000 in additional costs for the project due to construction inflation caused by resetting the start date for demolishing the aging east-side arena by five months from August to December, and rebuilding it in time for the 2010 Games. The decision means the Trout Lake arena should be completed in June, 2009. The furor was caused by the planned demolition and reconstruction of the Killarney arena a few kilometres away, scheduled to start this March. The combination of the two arenas being shut down at the same time during prime hockey season would have disrupted the hockey schedules of hundreds of children during next winter. Instead, the new scheduling will mean half the hockey season will be lost, instead of all of it. As a political solution, it appears to have been a good one; everybody accepted it, but nobody liked it.

CSA HIRES BAILEY TO PRODUCE SKI CROSS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Cameron Bailey of Calgary, Alberta, has been hired by the Canadian Snow Sports Association (CSA) as a consultant to develop and high-performance strategic plan for the new events of ski cross that are in the process of being added to the 2010 Winter Games. Dave Pym, the CSA's managing director says in Vancouver that Bailey's recommendations will take about four months to develop, and they'll be given to the CSA Ski Cross Advisory Committee and to the federal government's "Own the Podium-2010" program. Bailey, a business man who is former Canadian alpine ski racer and current ski cross competitor, has been asked to help prepare an operating plan and the necessary internal structure for the high-performance program within the CSA. That includes identifying, selecting, training and managing athletes from the current Alpine and Freestyle sections that could be competitors, as well as athletes who Pym says are currently competing outside of sanctioned FIS/CSA events such as X-Games and Ski Tour.

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 30, 2007

Monday, January 29, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Moguls| #2119

Here are three more moguls we ran into today:

VANOC TO SET UP SECTION TO LOOK AFTER GAMES PHOTOGRAPHERS

VANOC will set up a management position in the next few months to look after the requirements at the 2010 venues of all the accredited professional photographers assigned to the cover the Games. The director position will be focused on planning where all the photo work areas will be located within the Olympic venues and the International Media Centre on the Vancouver waterfront, as well as where photographers can be located to get good shots of the sports as they occur, ensure there's adequate lighting for the events, and how all of these will related to the Image Centre. In previous Games, the Image Centre, sponsored by Kodak for decades, processed hundreds of thousands of rolls of film, from about 800 photojournalists, and used a heavy duty database to keep track of them all. Kodak, however, has not yet renewed its sponsorship of the Olympics through the IOC for 2010. Although film is still expected to be used by some by the time the Games begin, most photographers are expected to be using digital cameras to record the events, but that simply means a changing role for the Centre. Accredited photographers are expected to receive a pre-Games digital camera tune-up, a digital camera loan and repair service, image scanning, computer workstations with considerable amounts of digital storage space, thermal proofing, large-format ink-jet output; a large-volume production output area and image transfers to CD. The image centre is also expected to provide equipment and the necessary technology for broadcasting images to editing suites anywhere in the world.

VANOC SUSTAINABILITY SERVICES TO BE DISCUSSED IN WHISTLER

David Crawford, VANOC's director of Transportation & Sustainability Services, is expected to speak at the next meeting of the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment, scheduled for February 7. Crawford is expected to talk about VANOC's plans for zero waste, and other sustainability goals.

NO MARKETING FOR OTP PROGRAM DURING MUSIC TOUR

The popular Canadian band Barenaked Ladies said they would donate a portion of their ticket revenue for their current tour to "Own The Podium", a program designed with the help of VANOC and the federal government to raise the chances of Canadians winning medals and the 2010 Winter Games, and they got a lot of publicity about it. But the ads for the concert are now being run in Vancouver media and there's no mention of the concept in them.

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 29, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Moguls| #2118

Here are three moguls we ran into today:

BELL CANADA LINKS $500,000 ABORIGINAL DONATION TO 2010 DEAL

VANOC telecommunications sponsor, Bell Canada, has pledged to donate C$500,000 over the next five years to an aboriginal educational organization, and has quietly let it be known that it considers it "in addition to" its sponsorship program. The donation when to the Minerva Foundation for BC Women and its "Combining Our Strength" initiative. The program, according to the Foundation, provides "opportunities in leadership development, economic security, education and cross-cultural awareness" for aboriginal women. As a Bell spokesman puts it, "These funds are in addition to a number of previous community-investment commitments Bell has made, including C$3 million to support construction of the Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre in Whistler, and a number of investments in the economic development of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside." These commitments are also obliquely related to VANOC activities. BC Premier Gordon Campbell complimented Bell on the donation to the Foundation.

COULD CPR BE USED TO HELP CARRY VANOC TORCH?

VANOC and Canadian Pacific Railway, its newest Tier-2 sponsor, are keeping quiet about some of the things the CPR might do for the Olympic organization, noting that they're still in negotiations about them (and a surprising large list of other things, consdering the deal's been announced). We've already reported on a concept VANOC CEO John Furlong mentioned to the IOC nearly two years ago, about having CP do a "peace train" run that would promote the 2010 Games at the same time. Here's something else to bear in mind. The Olympic Flame, sponsored by Coca-Cola (which is also sponsoring the 2010 Games through an IOC international sponsorship), traveled by railroad on a specially designed train for a part of the 2002 Winter Olympic Torch Relay, operated by Union Pacific Railroad. The train featured a so-called "Cauldron Car" for the Olympic Flame itself. It involved two custom-painted locomotives and 16 cars incorporating the look of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. The train transported the flame across portions of Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada and Oregon. In all, the Union Pacific train carried the Olympic Flame about 5,150 kilometres (3,200 miles) across 11 states.

VERNON WINTER CARNIVAL BOOSTS MARKETING FOR 2010-RELATED REASONS

Sandi LaFleche, the organizer for the annual Winter Carnival in the BC Okanagan-area city of Vernon says the Carnival expects to boost its marketing each winter between now and 2010 as a way of increasing the size of the festival to where it becomes important enough to draw visitors coming for the Olympic Games. This is the festival's 15th anniversary; it runs from February 2 to 11. One of its most popular features involves hot-air balloon rides, which are sold out this year due to this year's marketing blitz in a province-wide business magazine. About 80 volunteers help to run the Carnival.

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 29, 2007

Friday, January 26, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |VANOC| #2117

ADDITIONAL NOTES ON 2010 COIN RELEASE PROGRAM DETAIL DATES AND UNUSUAL ASPECTS OF CAMPAIGN

Here are some additional notes and clarifications about the Royal Canadian Mint's Olympic coin program we wrote about earlier today. Here you'll find details of when various coins will be released either into circulation or as collector sets for either the general public or serious collectors, and some unique things about the coins themselves.

Three of the 25-cent coins will feature designs of Canadian athlete medallists with the participation of Canadians, a unique feature of the Mint's program.

Starting in 2008, Canadians will be able to vote for their favourite Canadian medallists. Each coin will have a bronze, silver or gold finish. The RCM is the first mint to seek broad public participation in the design for Olympic and Paralympic Games coins.

Two one-dollar "Lucky Loonie" coins will also be struck. The first will be released prior to the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams leaving for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the second prior to the 2010 Winter Games. RBC will be the exclusive distributor of the Lucky Loonie coins through its Royal Bank branches.

A total of about 1,200 RBC and Petro-Canada outlets will distribute and promote the circulation coins over the next three years. Circulation coins will be released at specific intervals.

This year, the Mint expects to release five 25-cent circulation coins with the images of various 2010 sports on them, starting with the Curling quarter on February 23. Ice hockey will be released in April, Paralympic wheelchair curling (July), biathlon (September) and alpine skiing (October).

There will be 15 Sterling-silver coins with the unusual denomination of C$25, also featuring winter sports designs, with each limited to a production run of 45,000 and sales will be international.

A series of nine C$75 14-karat gold coins highlighting Olympic Games themes. Each will have a limited world-wide production of 8,000.

The one-kilo gold coins will be valued at $2,500 each, and only 20 will be minted. It's the first time the mint will be issuing a pure gold coin with a guaranteed weight of one kilogram. The coins will be engraved in "ultra high" relief. The Mint doesn't say so, but these coins are expected to be viewed by other countries as marketing for the capabilities of the Mint's manufacturing abilities, to aid in additional contracts for the Mint, since producing such a coin is a difficult process.

The two C$250 kilo Silver coins will be offered with a limited worldwide mintage of 2,500 per coin. The three Premium Gold coins will be valued at C$300. One is expected to be released this year, a second next year and the third in 2009, each limited to a run of 2,500 per coin.

There will also be three special-edition uncirculated-coin sets, one released each year starting this year and ending in 2009, each with a mintage of 30,000 containing all denominations, including the 2010 Winter Games-related 25-cent coins of that year.

Two Sterling silver Lucky Loonie "painted" coins will be issued, one next year and the last in 2010, with mintages of 30,000 and 40,000 respectively.

A total of 12 Olympic Coin Sport Cards will be launched over the next three years, with this year's circulation coins marked with a painted maple leaf. The sports cards will retail for C$7.95 and will be released at the same time as the circulation coins they feature. The public will be able to buy these cards at Petro Canada outlets. Three more Sport Coin Cards are planned to coincide with the selection and launch of the 25-cent Canadian Medallist coins.

In 2009, as it has done for the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics, the Mint and its outlets will be selling a "Lucky Loonie" coin embedded in a hockey puck just before 2010.

RESOURCES

RCM2007@ftp.mint.ca>

Click on the directory entitled "Canadian Olympics Program Launch January 26, 2007".

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 26, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Moguls| #2116

Here are three moguls we ran into today:

DETAILED BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY PLANNING TO START AT VANOC

Detailed work within VANOC is expected to start in the next few months to unify the technology needed for the broadcast feeds of the 2010 Winter Games. The work will be co-ordinated by a new position, Director, Technology and Telecom Broadcast, that's just being established. The new director is expected to work closely with VANOC’s broadcast liaison team as well as with Olympic Broadcast Services Vancouver, the International Olympic Committee's broadcast company, as well as let VANOC's technology staff know what broadcasters will need from it. It will also contribute all the technology aspects to VANOC's broadcast rate-card program by providing service definitions, IOC approvals and rate-card communications. It will also help sent wholesale and retail pricing on the rate card.

FOUNDATION TO RAISE MONEY FOR 2010-BOUND US ATHLETES IN NEED

The American Ross Powers Foundation, based in Portland, Maine, says its new "Level Field Fund", a fundraising initiative, will provide financial support for US athletes preparing for the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Powers, the Olympic gold medalist in men's snowboarding halfpipe competition at the Salt Lake Winter Games in 2002, created his Foundation to contribute financial support to Vermont athletes in need of assistance and has since expanded the Foundation's reach to the national level. The Foundation has already committed US$100,000 to the "Level Field Fund". It hopes to raise US$500,000 prior to the 2010 Olympics.

PHILLIPINO ICE SKATING AT 2010? IT FIGURES

There will be 45 national teams competing when the sixth Asian Winter Games is held in Changchun, China from January 28 to February 4, but that's not the story. There is no snow in the Philippines, but the country, for the first time, is sending a five-man team to the Asian Games to only take part in the centrepiece figure-skating events. "We're now ready to take that challenge of going into the next level," said Ric Camaligan, president of the Philippine Skating Union, yesterday. But that's not the story, either. Here's the story: Camaligan says that if the Philipinos perform well in China, they will try to join some qualifying events for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and they also hope to introduce other winter sports, like short-track speed skating and ice hockey, to the roster. The Asian Winter Games involves short-track speed skating, speed skating, ice hockey, biathlon, alpine skiing, snowboard, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing and curling.

RESOURCES

The Ross Powers Foundation website:

www.rosspowersfoundation.org

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 26, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Moguls| #2115

Here are three moguls we ran into today:

COST TO VANCOUVER OF READYING OLYMPIC VILLAGE SITE ESCALATES

The Vancouver City project manager for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Village is asking council for another C$2 million to pay for a batch of odds and ends in servicing the site, with the money to come from the city's Property Endowment Fund. Wally Konowalchuk says the money is to pay for "expanded work under existing contracts or for new contracts up to an individual maximum of C$300,000 in value." City council policy requires that any contracts over C$300,000 be individually approved. So what is the expanded work? Konowalchuk says examples include construction site logistics including fencing, security, first aid, change orders to existing site-servicing construction contracts and the Olympic Village; and "design modifications required to accommodate updates to the site plan." The city is using the PEF to act as the developer of the public areas and social components of the Olympic Village infrastructure, as well as the rest of the Village's neighbourhood. As of last October, the city's pro forma of the project showed costs for getting the site ready for construction of the Village's apartment buildings had swelled to C$154.4 million, leaving only a C$65 million projected surplus, but last November, the project required an additional C$1 million.

CANADIAN MINT TO START MAKING OLYMPIC-THEME COINS AVAILABLE FEB 23

The Royal Canadian Mint today confirmed our earlier stories which we broke last year about the launch of a series of public and collector coins to mark the 2010 Winter Games. The coins will be available as of February 23, and will involve 12 25-cent coins released between this year and 2010, for a total distribution of 350 million coins and a total of 17 designs. Each of the coins features a sporting event that takes place on snow or ice, and two of them, for the first time in the history of numismatics, will be Paralympic sports. In 2008 and 2010, the RCM will also mint two unique C$1 coins, which they'll be calling "Lucky Loonies", plus three 25-cent coins in bronze, silver and gold as a "Medalist" series. The Mint became a tier-2 sponsor of VANOC last year, in a deal worth C$15 million to VANOC in cash and value-in-kind. There are also a number of collector sets. The coins in the collector series will be sold, as they become available, through Royal Bank and PetroCanada locations across Canada, as well as from the Mint's usual retail outlets. Those companies are Tier 1 sponsors of VANOC. There will be a sterling-silver hologram series, a series that uses 14-karat gold to make them the Mint's first "gold coloured" coins. There will also be a "Gold Premium" series with three designs and production run limited to 2,500 coins. There will also be a "One Kilogram" series. These will be made in either 99.9% pure gold or silver. Only 2,500 of each of the two silver designs and 20 each of the two gold designs will be made.

2010 OLYMPICS TO BE THEME FOR BC-SPONSORED CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD IN 2009

The BC government will use sports as a theme for a 2009 book award to commemorate the 2010 Winter Olympics. The Time to Read award, aimed at five-year-olds, will be sponsored by the BC Ministry of Education, the author and illustrator of the chosen book will each receive C$7,500, and a free copy of the winning book will be given to every kindergarten child in the province during 2009. The award will be administered by the BC Achievement Foundation. "We hope that by giving advance notice of the preferred theme, books will be developed that honour this BC milestone," said Keith Mitchell, chairman of the BC Achievement Foundation. Only publishers can enter books for consideration. Self-published books are not eligible; nor are posthumously-published books. Books published from 2002 to 2008 or manuscripts are eligible.

RESOURCES

Our earlier stories on the program:

'Launch of program to market circulating Olympic commemorative coins to take place January 26'

[Morgan:News:2010:Number:2061; Published on Thursday, December 21, 2006]

'Canadian government to issue coins for the 2010 Winter Games'

[Morgan:News:2010:Number:2016; Published on Wednesday, November 29, 2006]

The Canadian Mint's website:

www.mint.ca

BC Achievement Foundation:

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 26, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Government| #2114

VANCOUVER STAFF RECOMMEND MILLENNIUM, NOT CITY, DEVELOP OLYMPIC VILLAGE SOCIAL HOUSING

City of Vancouver staff are recommending to council for its meeting Tuesday that it should drop the idea of having the city build modest-marketing housing as part of the Olympic Village construction, saying it's "impractical" if the Village is to be completed in time for 2010.

Instead, staff recommend that the city authorize Millennium Southeast False Creek Properties do it instead, with the condition that the firm retain the buildings as social housing rental for at least 20 years before being allowed to put it on the market. The number of years is important to council, which is important to council's sizable left-wing minority. They want to see it kept as social housing for as long as possible, but the larger the number the more the Millennium's internal rate of return declines. The 20-year figure gives Millennium an IRR of just under 10%.

Millennium is the developer of the rest of the buildings of the Village, and will complete its purchase of the site after the 2010 Games are finished so it can sell or rent the hundreds of housing units that will be available. A portion, of the site, however, is to be rented at "modest market" rates. The C$30 million donated by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC) for construction of the Village, the city earlier decided, would be used to pay for the development of the less-than-market housing on the site. The VANOC funding only covers a portion of the Village development because the city decided to make the Village the core of a much large neighbourhood that won't be fully completed until about 2018.

Vancouver's Housing Centre director, Cameron Gray, says the do-it-ourselves concept for non-market housing, approved in principal by council last November, won't work. Gray has worked on housing projects in the False Creek area on behalf of the city for more than 30 years. "The City has very limited experience in developing affordable homeownership and a development partner would be required," he said. "Bringing a new partner into the development of the Olympic Village, given the complexity of the project and the need to complete the project for the 2010 Winter Games, would be impractical." Gray says Millennium has agreed that, if asked, it would be prepared to take on the social housing aspect for the city as well.

Besides the lack of expertise at the city, Gray is expected to tell council that developing the 3,270 square metres (35,200 square feet) of floor space as market rental, using bonus density, would cost about C$11 million, and that C$4 million in equity would be required, even though there's no land cost. He says that C$10 million in equity would be required if the City were to be the developer of all the modest-market housing in the Olympic Village.

Gray says the cash flow of the City's Property Endowment Fund, which is acting as the City's developer for the site servicing and other social aspects of the whole project, will be tied up for the next several years to covering the cost of servicing the Olympic Village and other projects, "and the funds are not available for a market-rental investment at this time."

The area involved is known as Parcel 9, a city block of construction on the southeast corner of the Village, on First Avenue, just east of the flagship Salt Building.

RESOURCES

A parcel map of the Village is here:

vancouver.ca/commsvcs/southeast/devapps/index.htm

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 25, 2007

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Moguls| #2113

Here are three moguls we ran into today:

FURLONG FORECASTS C$65-C$70 MILLION IN SPONSORSHIP THIS YEAR

VANOC CEO John Furlong told reporters in Calgary that as far as corporate sponsorship of the Games is concerned, "We're hoping to get to C$65 million to C$70 million this year, and then close the program the following year." VANOC was hoping to reach C$725 million in sponsorship value to the Games, and estimates that the organization is around the C$600 million mark now. He says, however, that, "It will take us a little bit longer to get through the last C$125 million or so," Furlong said, adding, "If we can overperform, obviously we'd like to do that." His comments came after Canadian Pacific Rail became the fifth Tier-2 sponsor of VANOC, at as value to VANOC of about C$15 million, about three-quarters of that in VIK, the rest in cash.

BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP PULLED IN PART DUE TO OLYMPIC BUDGET CHILL

Canada's Globe & Mail newspaper is reporting today that a lack of economic interest caused in part by the 2010 Winter Games is responsible for the decision by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to move it's under-19 world championship to another country. The contest was to have been played by 16 countries in Vancouver this July. It's the second time the championship was forced to move. Vancouver was chosen on short notice after the original country, Malaysia, had organizational problems. A news release from Canada Basketball said the overall cost of staging the event was about C$2 million and Canada Basketball was expected to pay about C$1 million for television rights to the FIBA, but its contractor, Nucleus Networking and Consulting, discovered national and international television networks, as well as local companies, preferred to target their budgets on 2010 Olympic-related expenditures.

DEUTSCHE BANK APPOINTS VANOC'S PHELPS TO ADVISORY BOARD

Deutsche Bank today announced several additions to its 12-person Client Advisory Board in the Americas, including Michael Phelps, a member of VANOC's 20-person Board of Directors. Phelps joints people such as Norman Augustine, the former Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin and former U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snow on the bank's panel. The Board was created to advise Deutsche Bank management and its clients on a range of strategic and marketplace issues, such as business development and growth, and economic, political and social trends.

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 25, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Business| #2112

CP RAIL, WEST COAST EXPRESS AWAITING RESULTS OF VANOC TRANSPORTATION STUDIES TO DECIDE IF COMMUTER TRAIN EXPANDS DURING 2010 GAMES

CP Rail, VANOC's newest sponsor, said during this morning's announcement about its contribution that it expected to also use a Greater Vancouver commuter train system, known as the West Coast Express (WCE), to help VANOC move people during the Games.

As CPR president and CEO Fred Green put it, "Amongst the value of the things [VANOC CEO John Furlong and I] discussed was the value and possibility of helping to get people around town during what will be a very busy time and when certain areas will be cordoned off. I don't want to speculate what would happen today beyond what we do that, which is the West Coast run, or if that would even occur."

But Green later softened that concept during our interview with him. "We're a little ahead of ourselves," he said when asked if that meant CP would influence the schedule of the service during the Games.

It's a touchy subject. WCE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Translink, the government-supported regional transit authority. WCE receives about C$4 million annually in operating subsidy from Translink, and the City of Mission, at the eastern end of its route, last year contributed C$144,000 to Translink to also help subsidize WCE. The train operates on the CPR's right of way in the Fraser Valley east of Vancouver, and pays track rates to the CPR, but there has been a long-running battle -- involving lawyers, other government agencies and Freedom of Information requests -- between WCE to find out how those rates are calculated, and CPR, who doesn't want that information made public. The upshot of that dispute was eventually a reduction in track rates charged to WCE by CPR. Under the present agreement, WCE has access to CPR's lines and pays track rates until about 2015, well beyond the Games.

"It's my fault for even mentioning it," Green says today, speaking of WCE's involvement. "If we're going to do something like that, the Organizing Committee would have to determine a need for it, and if it involved WestCoast Express, we would have to work with WestCoast Express. My commitment is that should there be a need to run over our tracks to enable the success of the Games through people movement, anything that we can do, including our assets, to enable that to occur, we will do."

The president of WCE, Doug Kelsey, echoes those sentiments. Kelsey has been a strong supporter of the 2010 Games for years, including during the bid phase, when the led the transportation planning. He is also now the chair of the Transportation Advisory Committee for the 2010 Games.

"All transit will be involved in supporting a successful Games," he says, speaking as the Committee chair, "and West Coast Express is part of that." But Kelsey says "the true operating plan" for transportation during the Games, "has not yet been determined. There's work going on on that now. It's still early days."

Kelsey says that the possibility of changes in the amount of track rates paid to CP as the result of potentially increased WCE schedules during the Games, is part of what has yet to be determined. "Fred got it right by saying it's too early. VANOC has to determine what the Games needs are, and those processes are going on right now, and we're helping to support VANOC on. We've got a lot of stuff going on, but those needs have not been determined yet. Once the needs have been determined, the next logical step is talking about the implications of the needs, and dollars become part of that. We know WCE has to run to get people to work anyway... but the question is about what supplemental services will be required, and that's the part that's not yet confirmed."

There was an increase in WCE service that was outlined in the bid, but Kelsey notes, "But the bid stage, and what is going to be needed for the Games can be two very different things, because times change and needs change. "We're still looking at the inputs to determine the outputs of the transportation services that will be needed."

Speaking as president of WCE, Kelsey adds that, like CPR, "We'll do what it takes to support VANOC's success here. I know CP feels that way, and we work very well with CP every day." But for track rates on future services, he says, "that still has to be worked through."

WCE service links the towns of Mission, Port Haney, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and Port Moody with downtown Vancouver; the full distance is 65 kilometres. It operates ten trains and two so-called "TrainBuses" per day, Monday to Friday using 37 trains. It carries about two million people per year, an average of about 9,000 per day.

RESOURCES

West Coast Express:

www.westcoastexpress.com/

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 24, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Moguls| #2111

Here are three moguls we ran into today:

2010 COUNTDOWN CLOCK TO START TICKING IN VANCOUVER FEBRUARY 12

The Olympic Countdown Clock is expected to be started during a ceremony at the Vancouver Art Gallery in the business core of the city. That will happen about noon on Monday, February 12. That's exactly three years to the day before the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Games.

IOC CALLS FOR "MORE UNITY" IN FIGHT AGAINST DOPING

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge today called for "more unity" in the fight against doping. Speaking at a symposium of news organizations organized by the Montreal-based World Anti-Doping Agency in the IOC headquarters city of Lausanne, Switzerland, he said athletes, media, sports organisations, governments and sponsors to speak out about doping. He said that several prominent cases during 2006, including incidents at the Torino Winter Games showed the situation is more prevelant, more people are being caught, and the doping supply networks and the drugs themselves are becoming more sophisticated. He also stressed IOC supports WADA's strict system of penalties for cheaters, including support personnel who have been caught helping athletes use doping methods. He said the IOC also supports WADA's education, prevention and scientific research. "Effective penalties are needed," he said, "but even that is not enough... if we can achieve a unity, we can close the gap between cheaters and doping controls. In our fight against doping, I include sponsors, because the commercial influence in sport continues to grow. Are sponsors doing enough to create an environment where doping is discouraged? I don't have the answer, but I think this deserves a closer look. It may be that cancellation clauses in endorsement contracts are not enough."

VANOC HOPES ISU WILL APPROVE SKATING VENUE TEST EVENT IN FALL OF '08

There may be an approved skaing venue test in Vancouver in about 18 months. A VANOC spokesman says, "Dates for test events have yet to be formally approved by the ISU. VANOC hopes to have one combined test event with short track [speed skating] and figure skating in the fall of '08, but this is yet to be confirmed with the ISU." Vancouver is to host the 2008 Canadian figure skating championships next January at the Pacific Coliseum, a venue VANOC will be using during the 2010 Games, but it's seen as doubtful it will be an official Olympic test event under the sanction of the International Skating Union, which supervises such events, and VANOC.

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 24, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Government| #2110

VANCOUVER PARKS BOARD TO DECIDE MONDAY WHETHER TO FURTHER DELAY DELIVERY OF A VANOC ICE RINK VENUE

The Vancouver Parks Board is expected to be asked during its meeting next Monday whether to shut down two important but aging east Vancouver ice rinks at the same time so they can be rebuilt for the 2010 Winter Olympics, or shut them down sequentially, further delaying one.

The pros and cons of the decision have to do with construction cost and schedule risks versus inconvenience to the organized and vocal customers of the heavily used rinks, primarily minor hockey and lacrosse. In either case, they will need to be moved to nearby -- also crowded -- arenas during the 18-month demolition and reconstruction schedules, but if both rinks are shut down at once during the prime seasons, that will make more of them unhappy at the same time. Their movement, in turn, could push minor hockey groups in those nearby rinks to go even later at night and even earlier in the mornings than currently, as well as possibly turn away groups that don't reside within Vancouver's boundaries, but who use the other east-side rinks.

The two rinks involved, which also include their adjacent community centres, are Trout Lake and Killarney. The Vancouver Parks Board has agreed to provide the two rinks to the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC) as ice practice facilities during the Games, and VANOC will need them no later than December 1, 2009.

Parks board staff are recommending the two rinks be shut down with an overlapping period where both will be out of service from late this summer to about September of 2008. Planning staff, talking about the construction industry, report that, "Cost escalation continues to be a significant factor. During 2006 the rate of escalation was 11%. For 2007, a lower number is currently being forecast at 6% on each of these projects. At 6% per year, purchasing power is being eroded at C$50,000 per month. Deferring the [start of] Trout Lake project to March, 2008, would enable a one-rink [at a time] closure scenario, but purchasing power could be reduced significantly, in the order of C$400,000."

The Parks Board is supervising the project, with some of the funding provided by VANOC per an agreement worked out several years ago with VANOC. The estimated total cost of the two replacement projects, to be built to LEED Gold standards, is about C$20 million, much of it derived from a capital plan approved by Vancouver taxpayers in a 2005 referendum, but VANOC's contribution of C$5 million is fixed, no matter what the final cost of the projects, under the agreement.

The subject of money on these projects is of considerable political importance to the Parks Board. Last September, hearing that its Olympic projects would be going over budget due to inflation and other factors, it approved a complex and creative refinancing deal that siphons funds from several future City and Park Board projects and cash flows, as well as adding money up front from the 2010 Organizing Committee in exchange for looking after conversion costs later, to keep the projects on time and on track. That included additional funding of C$6.5 million for the rinks project, bringing their total budgeted cost to C$26.5 million.

VANOC as of last fall was operating on the theory that both rinks would be completed by the fall of 2008, but delays in the Trout Lake project -- reportedly due to problems with soil conditions, which required additional studies -- has already pushed its completion date back by five months.

The Killarney project, in southeast Vancouver, is the most advanced. Work is expected to start in March and be completed by September, 2008. The development permit has been approved by the City of Vancouver, and Parks staff expect to appoint a construction manager "shortly." The Trout Lake project, in the design development and permitting phase, is expected to start in August and be completed in February, 2009. Staff are telling the Parks Board it "is currently on schedule."

The Trout Lake project is being designed by Walter Francl Architect of Vancouver for a fee of C$1.277 million, which also includes construction administration and the schematic design for it to be converted after the Games to a new community centre. Pushing its start date back even further, feel the Parks Board staff, would make everyone involved nervous. As they put it, "A March 2008 start would result in a projected September 2009 completion. This leaves relatively little time to December 2009 (Olympic deadline) and unforeseen in this scenario are construction delays which could only be overcome by overtime work which could be costly."

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 24, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |VANOC| #2109

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY NAMED AS VANOC SPONSORS TO MOVE FREIGHT AND SUPPLIES FOR 2010 GAMES

Canadian Pacific Railway (TSX/NYSE: CP) has been appointed as the Official Rail Freight Services Provider -- one of the Tier 2 sponsors -- for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC).

VANOC expects it to provide about C$15 million worth of cash and value-in-kind services over time, as valued by VANOC. CPR president and CEO, Fred Green, says, "The vast majority -- probably 75% to 80% -- of our contribution over that period of time... the best description of that would be in-kind. It'll be the value of the things we can do quite effectively, and the value we can provide to the VANOC team will be quite extraordinary."

Green confirms the balance of about C$3 million to C$4 million will be cash to VANOC spread over the years of the arrangement, but he said those details were still being negotiated. "We will spread that contribution in whatever forms -- after discussion with VANOC -- about what is the easiest, most appropriate and when they need us to contribute."

The announcement was made by VANOC CEO John Furlong during a brief ceremony at the CPR Pavilion in Calgary, Alberta, CP's headquarters. The company services about 900 communities across Canada and has nearly 16,000 employees. The six-year agreement designates CP as an Official Supporter of the 2010 Winter Games, including sponsorship rights for the Canadian teams participating at the Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic Games.

Furlong says that for VANOC, the CP arrangement falls into three categories: cash, things "we've been able to identify within our responsibility, that can be moved over the period that CP can do for us that we would otherwise have to do." The third thing is "using the ingenuity, the magic and the imagination of a great company to create excitement [about the Games] and connect the country... and light the fire across the country that really gets Canadians excited about the Games, and helps Canadians understand what this [Olympic] opportunity is." Furlong said the shipping aspect does two things for VANOC: reduce complexity of the Games for VANOC managers, and turns over that responsibility to an organization that's both trained to do it and has the capacity to do it.

Green says the logistics, freight rail service and truck services included in the deal, which he says will not cost CP C$15 million to provide, will use, for the most part, existing capacity on the CP freight system to move equipment and materials needed by VANOC from across North America to the places where it's required. "The nature of what we are able to do -- we have some land available, or how we can help out with some commuter trains in Vancouver, the logistics capabilities and the movement of freight -- everything from buses to personal vehicles have to be moved from all over North America in an organized and effective operation, and that's in addition to all the materials." VANOC is expected to use a large number of jitney buses, among other vehicles, to move Olympic teams to various venues during the Games.

Green, however, says CP hasn't estimated the amount of tonnage involved in the arrangement. "To be honest, I can't tell you that we even tried to calculate that. We know there'll be hundreds of vehicles and hundreds of containers, and there will be undoubtedly all kinds of things we can't even imagine yet. I can't put it into that kind of order of magnitude, but whatever needs to be done to make this a success, we're committed to supporting the [VANOC] team." He also said "we will work out the details as we go forward" of how non-CP rail lines, such as those in the US that will be used to help move VANOC-bound shipments, would be compensated by CP or VANOC. "At the end of the day," he says, "we'll use transportation in whatever form makes the most sense to this [Olympic Organizing] committee with this huge task in front of them that will enable the to get their job done, so we're going to have to work through the details. But we're there to make sure they're successful." Green added that, "We will also build on our experience and leverage the use and visibility of our trains to help ensure VANOC makes these Canada's Games." He said that VANOC branding would soon appear on CP rolling stock. VANOC's logo appeared on CP's website this morning.

In addition, both Green and Furlong say they two organizations are still in negotiations over a number of additional functions CP and its employees would perform during the lead-up to the Games to help market them and "create excitement" about them, but Furlong declined to disclose these.

In May, 2005, Furlong said VANOC was thinking about using CP Rail's system to market the Games -- and the idea of peace at the same time. "We envision a unique and compelling concept," he said at the time, "A peace train travelling across the country -- on railway lines that track just above the world's longest undefended border -- showcasing and celebrating the values of peace, solidarity and fair play, and profiling the cultural diversity of Canada. A peace train could be a symbolic but powerful way to showcase the values of peaceful sport and unity among people. And as the peace train travels across our vast nation, we will take the opportunity to inspire Canadians, to touch the soul of the nation and celebrate our remarkable differences."

But asked specifically if the additional marketing plans included the peace-train concept, Furlong sidestepped the question, repeating the concept that negotiations about a number of matters were still underway.

CP's cross-country rail network runs not far from the Canadian/US border from Vancouver to Montreal, and also serves major cities in the United States such as Minneapolis, Chicago and New York City. More than half of the CP's freight traffic is in commodities such as coal, grain, chemicals and forest products, but it also ships automotive parts and automobiles. According to CP figures, to December, 2006, it moved

452,259 cars of materials that were not commodities, accounting for about 17% of all shipments during the year.

The busiest part of its railway network is along its main line between Calgary and Vancouver. The company is expected to release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2006 financial and operating results on January 30, which will be broadcast live via its website (click on the "Investors" link.)

Green is relatively new to his positions: he was appointed president in November, 2005 and CEO last May.

CP is the fifth Tier-2 sponsor of the 2010 Games. The others are British Columbia Lottery Corporation, the Royal Canadian Mint, Ricoh Canada and Teck Cominco.

RESOURCES

Canadian Pacific Rail's website:

www.cpr.ca

CP's investment community department's Assistant Vice-President Investor Relations is:

Janet Weiss,

Phone: 403.319.3591

E-mail: <investor@cpr.ca>

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 24, 2007

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Government
Business| #2108

QUARTER MILLION IN CASH, VIK TO BE SPENT ON RICHMOND 2010 COUNTDOWN CELEBRATION FEB 10

The City of Richmond, one of the winter Olympics four host venues, has arranged for more than a quarter million Canadian dollars in cash and value-in-kind to be spent on this year's celebrations February 10 to mark the start of the three-year countdown to the opening of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The event, with revenues expected to be more than C$260,000, will include using a new lighting system to portray Richmond's Host City logo on the side of city hall, followed by fireworks. Various VIPs will be making speeches during the four-hour evening event, which is expected to incorporate a new annual Winter Festival. There are also expected to be three winter Olympic sports demonstrated: bobsled, luge and curling, plus a main stage with entertainment and large display screens.

Vancouver and Whistler are also expected to host similar ceremonies, all based on the countdown theme. Vancouver's will be held February 17 at one of VANOC's Vancouver venues, the Pacific Coliseum in east Vancouver.

Virtually all of the funding for the celebrations are coming from the private sector, except for Richmond's contribution of C$20,000 For the first time, sponsorship of the event is coming from corporate sponsors of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC) for the first time in a major way, including C$185,000 of in-kind media sponsorship derived in large part from host broadcaster CTV televising the events. Two radio stations -- an AM station based in Richmond and an FM station headquartered in Vancouver -- will also cover the events, along with support from Vancouver's Province tabloid newspaper and a Richmond community paper.

Other major VANOC sponsors involved in the Richmond event include the Royal Bank, Hudson's Bay Company and BC Lotteries, who aim to have event areas set up, plus local operations of coffee-house chain Starbucks, McDonald's Restaurants (whose parent company is an international sponsor of the 2010 Games) and the large Richmond Centre shopping mall. VANOC is expected to help fund the events, along with Speed Skating Canada and the athletic college Pacific Sport Institute of Victoria.

Richmond officials say the city and the Richmond Community Foundation will work together to set up and host the first annual Richmond Winter Festival as part of the events to mark the countdown, with city personnel providing event experience and helping to arrange sponsorships to support the Festival, which is expected to occur in park and on a street adjacent to Richmond city hall.

The long-term goal of the Festival, according to Richmond officials, is to create the community's capacity to host large-scale events while marketing the 2010 Olympics and the Richmond oval. Volunteer Richmond also hopes to build volunteer experience for use during the 2010 Games by having people volunteer to work on the celebrations.

RESOURCES

Denise Tambellini:

Manager, Community Relations & Olympic Protocol:

Phone: 604.276.4349

Fax: 604-276-4277

Abraham@richmond.ca>

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 23, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Business| #2107

HBC GIVES MORE DONATIONS TO PROVINCIAL CANADIAN SPORT CENTRES TO HELP ATHLETES TOWARD 2010

There were more donations for Canada's provincial sport centres from VANOC retailing sponsor HBC in various parts of Canada today.

The Canadian Sport Centre of Manitoba has been been given a C$50,000 grant by HBC. The CSCM says it will use the financial support to help with the costs of training and setting up competitions for Manitoba's high-performance athletes. The money will also be used to help hire full-time professionals in sport physiology and sport psychology to work with the athletes.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Sport Centre in Calgary received C$50,000 to fund "Fuel For Gold," a program that helps to ensure Canadian athletes have proper nutrition while training to compete on the world stage.

A similar sports organization in Saskatchewan also received C$50,000. That funding will be used to improve existing programs and services for athlete training and performance, and to set up the "HBC Harvest of Gold," an athlete networking event. and a series of training sessions with Sport Medicine and Science working with the Centre. The networking events will bring current and previous athletes together to talk about their successes and challenges. The idea is to help with their mental and physical preparation leading into major competitions, such as the 2010 Olympics.

Sport Centres in Ontario, Montreal and Atlantic Canada will also be receiving C$50,000 each. In Ontario, the money will be used to give $3,000 each to 10 Canadian athletes based on talent, as well as to help develop a Performance Enhancement Centre. In Montreal, the contribution will be used to extend athlete access to the Centre's weight-training facility, as well as to improve scientific services.

HBC said yesterday that Pacific Sport Institute in BC would receive C$300,000.

In 2004, In 2004, HBC won the bid through VANOC to also become the official clothing and luggage supplier for the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams going to the 2008, 2010 and 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The contract also included a commitment by HBC to raise a total of C$20 million over the seven years to fund Canada's athletes, their national training centres and sport organizations. The donations totaling C$2.9 million are this year's component of this multi-year commitment.

The funds were raised by the HBC Foundation with the help of the retailer's customers as well as from associates through programs such as the sale of a limited edition T-shirt, a "Donate your HBC Rewards Points" program, an annual HBC golf tournament, and a Cut-Out program, where customers paid C$1 to send an inspirational postcard to Canadian athletes competing in the Olympic Winter Games last yar in Torino, Italy.

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 23, 2007

Monday, January 22, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Moguls| #2106

Here are three more moguls we ran into today:

VANOC PARALYMPIC FLAG FLIES IN GERMANY

It was just a small, relatively quiet ceremony on the weekend, but the official flag of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games has now been raised in front of the International Paralympic Committee's (IPC) headquarters in Bonn, Germany. IPC President Sir Philip Craven was joined by his vice president, Miguel Sagarra, and the Paralympics member of VANOC's Board of Directors Patrick Jarvis, who is also an IPC director, in the flag-raising ceremony. The Vancouver 2010 flag will now fly beside the IPC's flag and the flag of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games. [For a picture of the flag and the gentlemen involved, see RESOURCES, below.]

RONA'S OLYMPIC STRATEGY BORN IN 2002

A profile of Michael Brossard, the chief of marketing for Rona, VANOC's renovations sponsor, reveals that the Quebec-based company's main rationale for becoming a sponsor occurred in 2002, when it was rethinking its rest-of-Canada marketing strategy and Vancouver's 2010 Bid Corporation was in the running to get the IOC's nod. The profile, published in PubZone, a Canadian marketing news website, says, "A public company since 2002, Rona had to consider its marketing strategy in the rest of Canada, where recognition of the RONA name is still growing, despite numerous acquisitions and a 600-plus store total -– and where further competition is expected from the announced entry of U.S.-based Lowe's. The answer came from Brossard, senior vice-president marketing and development: "Let's sponsor the Olympics." The deal, reached in May, 2005, was for C$68 million in cash and value-in-kind: materials to help VANOC with renovations of many of its venue construction sites. And it included funding a VANOC pet project, Own the Podium. "But RONA didn't simply turn over C$4 million to the cause," says the profile, "Rather, Brossard and the management team devised a plan, 'RONA Growing with our Athletes', whereby 100 athletes from across Canada each get C$8,000 annually for five years to help support and finance their training. Each athlete was chosen, with COC help, to be associated with six or seven local RONA stores which display 'their' athlete's name, sport, background and information on their progress, while stores, schools and community groups will promote the athletes with public appearances, motivational talks and fundraising activities." To put those amounts in perspective, Brossard's total annual marketing budget is C$130 million, C$100 million of which is for advertising, and the Olympics component is one of what Brossard calls marketing "pods." [For the link to the full profile, which is much more extensive, see RESOURCES, below.]

VANOC INCREASES ITS PACE

VANOC's pulse is quickening with the start of 2007. It now has a dozen formal Expressions of Interest and Requests for Proposal listed in its section on BC Bid, including major construction work and significant communications contracts. That's by far the most such structured contracting it's done at one time.

RESOURCES

Photo of the three IPC senior management involved with the flag raising:

www.paralympic.org/opencms/system/galleries/pics/current_affairs/Flag_2.jpg

Sagarra is on the left, Craven in the middle (sitting in his wheelchair) and Jarvis.

---

Profile of Rona's Brossard:

www.pubzone.com/newsroom/profiles/profile_michael_brossard.cfm

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 22, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |VANOC| #2105

CONSTRUCTION ON HILLCREST CURLING VENUE TO BEGIN WITH CONTRACTING CONCRETE, REBAR AND EXCAVATION WORK

The construction consultant hired by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC) to oversee development of its curling venue and an adjacent swimming pool for the City of Vancouver has issued a series of requests for specific types of companies interested in working on the project.

The idea -- as proposed by the firm of Stuart Olson Constructors, which is based in the Vancouver suburb of Richmond -- is to get expressions of interest by the companies, select no more than four of them and then give the four a detailed Request for Proposal. The result of that bidding process will be to award the contract for the work on the Hillcrest Curling Centre and the adjacent Percy Norman aquatic centre.

The push to get the project done is on, and it's a tight timeline. The work that is first being offered involves concrete formwork, concrete reinforcing steel and excavation as well as backfill, all on the curling venue. The Expression of Interest documentation for them all, even though they are separate contracts, needs to be into Stuart Olson Construtor's project manager Jerry Woykin by this Friday. The RFP for those shortlisted will be issued February 5.

For the concrete framework, the work entails forming, placing and finishing all cast-in-place concrete. The expected formwork contact area: 211,616 Square Foot Contact Area (SFCA). For the steel contract, the work involves detailing, supplying and placing all the concrete-reinforcing steel. The estimated quantity of steel is 528 metric tonnes (1,164,536 lbs.) The excavation and backfill work includes all of the bulk and detailed excavation and backfill. The excavation volume is 33,920 cubic metres (1,197,873 cubic feet), and the backfill volume is 10,503 cubic metres (370,909 cubic feet).

This work is the start of the contracting process for the curling/pool combination, which needs to be finished by 2009, and it's the first steps since VANOC agreed that it would supervise construction of both projects, even though the City's Parks Board is paying for the pool, destined to be the largest such facility in the city when it's finished. The project is located near Little Mountain, roughly in the northern central area of the city of Vancouver.

BACKGROUND

The Hillcrest Curling Centre has two major phases to it: first, it'll be developed as VANOC's curling venue. When the Games are over, it will be redeveloped into a curling area with a range of community uses. Here's some of the details of the two modes:

OLYMPIC MODE

The Hillcrest Park Curling Venue will initially be designed as the curling competition venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. It is to have:

88,500 sq.ft gross floor area;

250 permanent seats;

4 competition curling sheets;

State of the art ice plant;

Facility administration & sports offices;

Athlete's change rooms & equipment storage

LEGACY MODE

The initial design will integrate the post-Olympics conversion of the facility to include replacements for Riley Park Community Centre, Riley Park Ice Arena and the Vancouver Curling Club. It will also include a community library component. In that configuration it will have:

103,500 sq.ft. gross floor area;

The community centre will include:

-- Gymnasium

-- Athletics

-- Fitness Centre

-- Multipurpose rooms

-- Activity spaces

-- Support facilities (including a District Office)

Community Ice Arena, which includes:

-- 1 NHL size community hockey rink

-- 250 permanent fixed seats

-- Support facilities

-- Shared ice plant

Curling Club, which includes:

-- 8 curling sheets

-- Curlers lounge/viewing area

-- Support facilities

-- Shared ice plant

Library

RESOURCES

The EOI documentation is on BC Bid:

www.bcbid.gov.bc.ca

Contact information on these three contract EOIs:

Jerry Woykin

Project Manager

#200-5200 Hollybridge Way

Richmond, BC, V7C 4N3 Canada

Telephone: 604.273.7765

Facsimile:-604-273-7719

E-mail: jerry.woykin@stuartolson.com

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 22, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |VANOC| #2104

2010 TO SUBCONTRACT MEDIA MONITORING AND DISTRIBUTION SERVICES

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC) has begun looking for a company to supply it with media-monitoring services that will, among other things, watch for misuse of its Olympic branding in advance of the Beijing Summer Olympics and the 2010 Games.

VANOC is asking for a full range of monitoring focused on Canadian media, but also including Internet sites and, "global news coverage, in particular USA, Europe, China and other parts of Asia." It wants full coverage of every media channel throughout the country, so it can track its messaging and the information its released, as well as how media is perceiving its image.

The misuse component, part of a much wider VANOC campaign to combat ambush marketing, is to start six months before the 2008 Beijing Games, which are held in August, and continue for a month afterward, then restart six months before the 2010 Games, which are held in February and March, and end a month afterward.

VANOC says the ambush-marketing system "must be able to capture the offending activity; filter, prioritize, categorize and store each webpage with infringing activity in a well-organized case-management system." VANOC says it will need to be able to tap into this database from its own computers at any time.

The information it wants gathered go beyond just capturing the website image itself "The reporting framework should also provide contact information for site ownership and any other sites owned by that person and/or entity as well as the ability to send letters to offending parties."

The wider-ranging media-monitoring services are to provide VANOC officials with a location where they can download, view, audition or read specific news stories about VANOC around the clock, and that the materials be available on the site in "real time", as well as perform content analysis to pull out key things VANOC might be looking for.

Canadian copyright law allows media-monitoring companies to purchase specific licenses from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency, a non-profit agency set up to deal with these type of issues. VANOC is specifically requesting that media-monitoring companies stay within Canada's copyright boundaries.

There's also a related aspect: VANOC is also looking for a company to provide it with distribution services for its information distribution that would support a wide range of media, including TV, radio, the Internet and print. "VANOC’s distribution requirements will vary as it evolves and grows," says the organization. "We may see periods where distribution requirements are sporadic or it may become a daily requirement."

The distribution would not just be full and wide. It's also looking for the capability to tailor distribution to, say, specific regions, such as western Europe, or specific types of media, such as those that follow alpine sports.

VANOC says its call for companies interested in providing this service closes February 19, with the choice made in March. The contract will run until April 30, 2010.

RESOURCES

VANOC's RFP for media monitoring and distribution:

tinyurl.com/2zzv92

Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency

www.accesscopyright.ca

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 22, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Moguls| #2103

Here are three moguls we ran into today:

HBC TO DIRECT C$500,000 TO PACIFIC SPORT INSTITUTE

VANOC's major retailing sponsor, HBC, says it will give "more than" C$500,000 to aid development of BC's Pacific Sport Institute. The funds include $300,000 to the Institute, under construction in Victoria at Camosun College, and C$5,000 each to 46 athletes to be trained there. The presentation of the money by Diane Gordon, Director of HBC's Community Investment department, which intends to grant a total of C$2.9 million to Canadian sport this year, takes place tomorrow. Roger Skillings, CEO of PacificSport, and Paul McGeachie, the vice-president of Business Development for Camosun College, will be on hand as well to officially receive the funding. PSI, expected to be completed in 2008, is forecast to provide diploma, applied-degree and continuing-education programs in health, wellness and sport leadership, as well as athletic and coaching development. Since it will be focused on researching "innovative sports technology," the Institute expects to be involved in athletic performances at the at the 2010 Winter Games, among others.

IOC COMMISSION IN VANCOUVER MARCH 6-8

The date been set for a meeting in Vancouver this year of the International Olympic Committee's Co-ordination Commission, which supervises the 2010 Winter Olympics. The full 10-person commission, lead by Rene Faisel, is due to meet in Vancouver from March 6 to 8. The commission gets a full briefing by VANOC during the closed-door session of the status of the Games.

"CHAMPIONS" EXPLAINED BY AUSSIE IN PREP FOR SEMINAR

Allan Snyder, who runs the Centre for the Mind, a joint venture between the University of Sydney, Australia, and the Australian National University, is preparing to host a seminar for the Beijing 2008 Olympics called "What Makes a Champion?", similar to one that he did just before the Sydney Olympics in 2000. He is talking about the new seminar now, and says champions have a distinct mind-set. "The characteristic of champions is they seem to abhor being just ordinary," he says. "They like differentiating themselves from others in everything they do. They strike out with their own brand. Champions are willing to take risks and confront conventional wisdom."

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 22, 2007

Friday, January 19, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Moguls| #2102

Here are three moguls we ran into today:

AIR CANADA, RAILWAY, BC HYDRO, ICBC ALL SAID TO BE TALKING TO VANOC

An unconfirmed report out of Toronto today says Canada's national airline, Air Canada, and VANOC are about two months away from announcing a deal in which the airline sponsors the 2010 organization for an amount estimated to be between C$15 million and C$30 million. The report, in today's Globe & Mail newspaper, says "industry sources" gave it the tip. The newspaper quotes Dave Cobb, VANOC's executive vice-president of Revenue, Marketing and Communications, as saying, "It's a category that we've been working on for a while, and I expect that over the next couple of months we'll probably have an announcement to make." But the newspaper said he would not confirm that the deal was with Air Canada, and the airline also declined comment. It's not the first time a deal in the category was close; VANOC was working on the category about two years ago, and it's not clear why arrangements were not concluded before this. The report paraphrases Cobb as saying VANOC is talking with a railway, BC Hydro, and Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. BC Hydro is British Columbia's electrical power supplier, but it also has a large environmental section. ICBC is the BC government's provincial vehicle-insurance agency, and all vehicles in the province must carry basic insurance from the organization. That's expected to be a significant cost to VANOC, as it intends to use a large fleet of sedans and buses to transport "Olympic family" members, such as VIPs and athletes.

BC PLACE STADIUM ROOF REINFLATED

Engineers working at BC Place, home of the opening, medal and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Games, successfully re-inflated the four hectares (10 acres) of double-ply, Teflon-coated fabric roof this morning. “Overall we are pleased with the re-inflation process,” said Howard Crosley, General Manager at BC Place. “At this point the roof looks to be in good condition and we are proceeding with a full inspection.” The inspection will be carried out by engineers from Cochrane Engineering, Geiger Engineers and roof manufacturer Birdair, who are all on site. The huge, distinctive roof, held aloft by air pressure provided by a group of huge fans, deflated two weeks ago during a storm when a micro-burst of wind tore one of the corner panels, and an mistake by fan operators as they compensated for it blew out the panel, forcing an emergency deflation to prevent further damage. Subsequent rain and snow damage caused further, smaller tears in other panels and flooding of the interior, but nobody was seriously injured. The repairs took about twice as long as officials at first expected, and the inspection today is to determine if there were any small tears that were missed during the repair phase or were caused during inflation. RCMP, which is in charge of Olympic security, have indicated that during its planning stages it considered "everything we could think of" to do with all of VANOC's venues, including the stadium. VANOC twice earlier expressed confidence in BC Place despite the mishap. Terry Wright VANOC, executive vice president of Service Operations and Ceremonies, made it three times in two weeks today by saying, in a prepared statement, "We congratulate BC Place Stadium's management team, engineers and the working crews for their professional and tireless efforts to repair the roof, and we commend them for their commitment to communicating publicly and with their partners every step of the way. Lifetime memories will be made for athletes and spectators at the 2010 Winter Games ceremonies and we look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the stadium's entire team as we prepare to welcome the world in 2010." The biggest sigh of relief at the successful inflation, however, came from organizers of a large landscaping show set to open Tuesday at the stadium.

VETERAN TRANSLATORS NEEDED ON AD HOC BASIS BY VANOC

VANOC's Editorial Services department is looking for a contractor to provide help with overflow translation work between now and the end of 2010. Mostly, the work will be translating English to French as needed, with a small portion going in the reverse direction, and they may also be some call for translating other languages -- Chinese and Punjabi are specifically mentioned. The type of translation is to include newsletters, feature stories, backgrounders, fact sheets, biographies, technical reports, information books, brochures, sport-specific documents and the VANOC website. VANOC is looking for a veteran translator contractor who is good at writing in national news style, but there will also be a variety of writing styles, including narrative and technical reports, newsletters, web, speeches, presentations and audio and video scripts. The closing date of the RFP is February 17 [See RESOURCES, below for a link to the RFP].

RESOURCES

Translation Services RFP page:

tinyurl.com/2k6m4q

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 19, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Government

VANOC| #2101

VANOC, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ESTABLISH NATIONAL STRATEGY ON SUSTAINABILITY

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC) and the Canadian government will work this year on developing a major national strategy on sustainability that is expected to be implemented in Canada's 2008/2009 fiscal year.

Under the arrangement, VANOC will contract out and supervise the development work this year of what it calls a "strategic framework for a future Sustainability Awareness and Action campaign." The campaign, hope VANOC officials, will be one of the national legacies of the decision by the country to host the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The framework is to be a series of reports -- the overview of the strategic program, the delivery strategy, the implementation schedule and budget. They are to be delivered to VANOC and Environment minister John Baird and his officials by September 30. That gives the Environment department enough time to work out how the program will be implemented and funded during the federal government's budget cycle. Assuming the framework is approved by that process, money could be available for implementing the project when the following government fiscal year begins on April 1, 2008.

Officials say the sustainability framework "is expected to be designed as a national program that would complement VANOC's overall public communications plan." But don't expect to see the Olympic Rings anywhere when the new Canadian program is implemented, because it will be in Canada's political arena, government and VANOC officials hope, for years to come. As a result, VANOC says, "It will not involve the use of the Olympic or Paralympic brands."

Why the Environment ministry? Environment Canada, according to VANOC, "has a responsibility to lead and contribute, through partnerships, to the promotion of environmental sustainability, conservation and best practices to maximize sustainable legacies associated with the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games."

VANOC officials say in a document that gives an overview of the concept, that "sustainability is both a corporate value for VANOC and a core strategic objective." At VANOC, sustainability means: "managing the social, economic and environmental impacts and opportunities of our Games to produce lasting benefits, locally and globally."

VANOC's Sustainability department has developed six sustainability "performance objectives", and that both the federal government and VANOC executives have agreed they will use the Games to "create an opportunity to advance more broadly-based awareness and action on sustainable decisions and lifestyle choices amongst athletes, workforce, sponsors, visitors, partners, communities, businesses and other organizations, and local and global audiences." The "Sustainability Awareness and Action Campaign," using the cachet of the Games and the funding of the federal government, is to be the mechanism by which VANOC takes advantage of that opportunity.

The six VANOC objectives are, in the organization's order of importance and wording:

Social inclusion and accessibility

Aboriginal collaboration

Economic benefits from sustainable practice and innovation

Accountability through a systems-based approach to managing and reporting on sustainability performance

Sport for sustainable living: games-based sustainability outcomes that inspire broader awareness, action and investment in living more sustainably.

VANOC officials argue that, "By making the interdependence between social, economic and environmental values more visible, and by stimulating interest in integrated solutions to local and global sustainability challenges, the strategic framework will also support BC and Canada's progress towards a more sustainable future."

Under the plan laid out between VANOC and the Environment department, VANOC is to hire the contractor in the next couple of weeks so it can take part in a project planning meeting with VANOC and Environment Canada officials that is scheduled for February 16. By the end of March, which is also the end of the federal government's current fiscal year, the contractor is expected to have compiled a "best practices" report.

Primarily, this report will be pure fact-finding. The contractor is to compile recent research and lessons on Canadian "social marketing" programs at the community, regional, national and international levels. For instance, VANOC suggests, two United Nations projects -- the Millennium Development Goals and the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development -- and their successful methods of implementation should provide good examples of international work. The idea is to document methods that have increased "sustainability behaviours" in the key audiences of VANOC and the federal government. These, we understand, include business, governments, schools, and the households of the public.

The motivation and how they work are specifically to include the role played by using "art and culture as a medium for engagement, and consideration of cultural/ethnic differences." These aspects are major focuses of the 2010 Olympiad.

The next step is for the contractor to form people suggested by VANOC and the Conservative government's Environment Ministry into a consultant group to help first develop the VANOC portion of the national strategy. VANOC wants "to identify a unique, succinct and inspiring strategic platform that vividly expresses the foundation, ambition and sustainability mission for a Sustainability Awareness and Action social marketing campaign for the Games." That's to be done by the end of June.

By the end of August, VANOC and Environment Canada officials want to see the first draft of the national strategy. And they want it to include -- and we quote:

Sustainability awareness and action goals -- including specific behavioural goals -- plus the name, theme, identity, target audiences and design of program ideas that complement VANOC's overall public awareness and action goals;

A delivery strategy that outlines a timeframe and key delivery vehicles of the campaign, including, for example, TV, print, web, kiosk, incentives and other engagement vehicles or methods, consistent with an achievable budgetary target and complementary to VANOC's overall public communications plan;

All the other components required for the design and implementation of the public campaign; and

A proposed budget to implement and evaluate the campaign.

Oh, yes. One other thing to note. The final report in September has to be in electronic and written form. The hard copy version must be printed, says VANOC, "on recycled paper certified by the Environmental Choice Program."

RESOURCES

Contact information for the federal Environment ministry and minister John Baird

www.ec.gc.ca/minister/mineng.htm

The UN Millennium Development program:

www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development program of the UN:

tinyurl.com/4ceyf

The Environmental Choice Program:

www.environmentalchoice.com/English/ECP%20Home/

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 19, 2007

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |VANOC| #2100

2010 ORGANIZERS NAME RICOH CANADA AS OFFICIAL SUPPORTER IN DOCUMENT-HANDLING EQUIPMENT CATEGORY

Ricoh Canada has become an exclusive supporter of what it calls "document solutions" for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).

Ricoh's six-year arrangement as an Official Supporter -- as opposed to Official Supplier -- with VANOC gives it sponsorship rights for the 2010 Winter Games and for the Canadian teams participating at the Beijing 2008, Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As usual, the value of the deal was not revealed, but VANOC has said at other times that it values the category at between C$5 million and C$50 million during the category lifetime. There was no word on whether this arrangement is cash and value-in-kind, or what the split might be, but other situations have usually involved both cash and VIK.

As part of the agreement, the copier company will provide VANOC with equipment for copying, faxing and document management. With more than 30 million pages of information reportedly generated for the Torino 2006 Winter Games, Ricoh and VANOC say they "recognize the scope of work", and are "focussed on responsible environmental practices."

Martin Brodigan, President and CEO of Ricoh Canada, said in Toronto today, "We're excited to be part of this program, but we also understand the complexity of the task at hand. Effectively managing the volume in an environmentally responsible way is not simply a fortunate side benefit; it is a core requirement." Ricoh says its target is a 100% recovery-and-recycle rate. All of Ricoh's manufacturing facilities have earned ISO 14001 certification, an international standard for environmental management. The Canadian branch of the company has about 800 employees.

Ricoh will also provide support during the lead-up to the Games "for the rapid growth of... VANOC while also providing for the considerable document-management needed at Games time, particularly in the media centres."

About 10,000 media are expected to cover the Games, so Ricoh says it will develop a media-advisory committee -- involving "key members of the Canadian media with direct Olympic and Paralympic experience." The committee is to advise Ricoh on what kinds of document-management and information requirements will be necessary as far as the media is concerned.

Brodigan notes, "The media are, of course, key consumers of information, and delivering a solution that enables them to do their jobs effectively is a major part of what we will consider a successful deployment."

Ricoh Canada Inc, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, is a subsidiary of Ricoh Company Ltd., a 70-year-old internatinonal supplier of office automation equipment and electronics, with sales in 2005's fiscal year in excess of $17 billion, a 5.6% increase over the previous year.

Ricoh hardware and software products help businesses share information by giving their customers the ability to control the input, management and output of documents. Ricoh's line of document-management equipment includes, color and black & white digital-imaging systems, fax machines, printers, scanners, digital duplicators and wide-format engineering systems.

BACKGROUND

Other VANOC "Official Supporters":

BC Lottery Corporation, Aliant Canada, Royal Canadian Mint, Teck Cominco

RESOURCES

Richoh Canada:

www.ricoh.ca

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 18, 2007

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Moguls| #2099

Here are three moguls we ran into today:

VANOC BOARD MEMBER CROOKS JOINS UNBC BOARD

One of the members of VANOC's 20-person Board of Directors, Charmaine Crooks, has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the University of Northern British Columbia, based in Prince George, in BC's central interior. Crooks, who is one of the Canadian Olympic Committee's nominations to the VANOC Board, took part in five Olympics. She won a silver medal in 1984 as part of the Canadian women’s four-by-400m relay team, and she carried the flag for Canada during the opening ceremonies at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. Her three-year term begins this month on the UNBC. She is replacing Canfor president Jim Shepherd, who served four years on the board. UNBC, which is constructing a Northern Sport Centre, also has the opportunity to help international Olympic athletes training for the 2010 Winter Olympics, but there have not yet been any announcements about such training as yet.

CNL, VANOC CYPRESS VENUE OWNER, BUYS MORE SKI RESORTS

CNL Income Properties Inc, the company that owns the ski resort at VANOC's Cypress Mountain venue in West Vancouver, has bought yet another ski resort, Brighton Resort, near Salt Lake City, Utah, for US$35 million. CNL bought Brighton from Boyne USA and then leased it back to Boyne under a management contract, same as it did to Cypress. The resort has two restaurants, a 20-room lodge, a ski-rental facility and a small retail outlet. "We really are excited about the ski sector," said Flanker Legler, director of investor relations and research for CNL Income Properties, based in Orlando, Fla. "We see this [wave] of baby boomers coming into retirement. They're skiing longer and . . . we see baby boomers going to a day ski place where they can spend 4-to-6 hours with their grandchildren. We really like that." The company has bought three ski resorts since its purchase of Cypress for US$27.5 million last year.

BELL AND SINGING GROUP GARNER LOTS OF PUBLICITY FOR PODIUM 2010

The marketing arrangement between Bell Canada and the popular Canadian music group Barenaked Ladies in which the band will donated C$0.50 from each ticket sold to during its tour to Own the Podium 2010 received a fair amount of media play throughout parts of North America since it was announced January 8. More than 30 stories talking about the deal were carried as far away as Huston, Texas and in every province of Canada, was carried on the major Canadian TV networks, and appeared in Canada's national news magazine, McLean's, and each one explained the concept behind Own The Podium 2010.

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 17, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Government| #2098

CANADIAN, CHINESE GOVERNMENT OLYMPIC MINISTERS MEET IN BEIJING ABOUT 2008, 2010 GAMES

Two senior members of the Canadian government working on the 2010 Winter Olympics file met today met with China's Minister of the General Administration of Sport, in Beijing.

Liu Peg, who is also president of the Chinese Olympic Committee and executive president of the Beijing Olympic Games Organizing Committee, spoke with David Emerson, the minister in charge of the Canadian government's responsibilities on the 2010 Winter Olympics, and Emerson's parliamentary secretary on the 2010 Games portfolio, James Moore, who is the Conservative Member of Parliament for the Greater Vancouver riding of Port Moody-Westwood-Port Coquitlam.

"Hosting the Games is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. As back-to-back hosts, Canada and China will have many opportunities to share experiences and to increase business, investment, and tourism between our two countries," Emerson said in a briefly worded statement after the meeting.

He gave no details of the discussions but said the two ministers discussed "opportunities for Canada and China to work together, and for promoting the 2010 Games in China."

Emerson and Moore also toured some of the venues that will be used for the 2008 Olympic and the Paralympic Summer Games, including the National Stadium, to be used for the 2008 opening and closing ceremonies. Moore also visited the Beijing Exhibition Planning Hall, a stone's throw from Tiananmen Square, where the B.C.-Canada Pavilion is located.

"We have chosen a great location in the heart of Beijing for the B.C.-Canada Pavillion, which will be a great showcase for Canadian business, culture, and sportsmanship," said Moore, in an equally informative and brief statement afterward.

Emerson and Moore are in Beijing as part of a week-long trip to China, which includes stops in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 17, 2007

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Government| #2097

VANCOUVER OLYMPICS CHIEF GRILLED OVER HOW C$20 MILLION LEGACY RESERVE FUND TO BE USED

Vancouver city councillors grilled Dave Rudberg, the General Manager of Olympic and Paralympic Operations, for nearly an hour this afternoon, trying to get more detail from him about how the C$20 million Legacies Reserve Fund he's proposing will spend money, but didn't get much satisfaction.

The main opposition focused on the lack of the detail in Ruberg's report on the matter -- opposition councillor Tim Stephenson repeatedly called it mayor Sam Sullivan's "slush fund" -- and on whether the money would mean about a 1% additional tax on property owners, or whether other city priorities would be changed to accommodate the reserve. However, said Rudberg, "It's difficult to be specific because we're in negotiations in some areas, and we've identified some opportunities that we are now pursuing. If we became too specific, and started announcing projects at this time, I think it would not only prejudice the negotiations, but potentially the projects themselves."

In the end, they unanimously referred the concept onward for integration into the City's budget-winnowing discussions that culminate in a vote one the 2007 budget March 13, but not before Councillor Peter Ladner asked the City's Director of Finance, Estelle Lo, to investigate whether the City's Charter allows it to raise the necessary funds by adding a tax to the city's tourism sector. Council had been told that Whistler intended to use C$10 million of new tax money that the provincial government said could be diverted from hotel tax rates in towns that are resorts for similar investments and Rudberg envisioned. Lo was non-committal about whether the city had the power to impose a selective tax, but said she would prepare a report for council about the matter.

Rudberg said that the staff of the City of Richmond, which is the venue for the high-profile sports complex that is to house the speedskating oval during 2010 was also preparing a similar request of its council, but had not yet done so and he did not know the amount it would suggest.

Under the proposals, favoured by mayor Sullivan and his slight majority on city council, the Fund would set aside C$5 million per year to be spent, primarily in 2009 and 2010, according to Rudberg, on a wide range of initiatives, many of which Rudberg said could not yet be envisioned. He says the concept behind the fund is to attract money from other 2010 stakeholders, including VANOC and senior governments, to help "leverage" the city's money.

Rudberg either volunteered or had possible projects dragged out of him by close questioning by councillors. He said, "We believe there are other opportunities out there to secure further community facilties, and we're looking at those at this time." They include changes to the locations where VANOC intends to hold the Paralympic curling and sledge hockey. "We believe we can leverage that into improved contributions, and improvements in the area of accessibility itself." He gave an example of adding curb ramps. He also said that public art is another area in which the funds could be spent upon council's approval. "Certainly one of the first pieces of public art is the countdown clock, and that's potential -- the first of many we might be able to secure," he says. The clock is due to be unveiled in a ceremony involving VANOC on February 12, to note the three-year-out mark before the Games begin. "We're also exploring some opportunities to create some additional non-market social housing as a legacy from the Games."

Rudberg said the Reserve Fund would also be used to help pay for Vancouver's presence at the Beijing Olympics at BC Canada House. He also expected "initiatives" coming from advisory committees set up to deal with housing, sports and economics (and eventually arts, once that committee is established), which would probably also be eligible for Legacy Reserve Funding.

Rudberg also noted that the two downtown 2010 Live Sites, mentioned by mayor Sullivan earlier today in his "State of the City" address, would be part of a larger Community Celebration expenditure, that would be funded by the Reserve "by participation through others." The BC government has already contributed C$5 million towards the Cultural Precinct concept that covers the same area of the city. He also noted there was a 'real desire' by community centre presidents from around the city to take the Olympic celebrations out into the communities. "There is some funding that would be required to do that; the Legacy Reserve Fund would provide an opportunity to do that." He also expected funding to support volunteerism for the 2010 Games, as a legacy that would continue to provide volunteers for other functions "into the future."

Originally published to Morgan:News:2010:Gold subscribers on January 16, 2007

Morgan:News:2010 |Government| #2096

VANCOUVER MAYOR'S "STATE OF THE CITY" ADDRESS FOCUSES ON STARTING CITY CLEAN-UP, CULTURE FOR 2010

Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan still retains a focus on the development of the 2010 Winter Olympics, but in his "State of the City" speech to an unreceptive city council today, he is shifting his efforts this year to a range of initiatives that support the start of the city's clean-up for the Games.

"As we move closer to 2010, Vancouver is emerging on the world stage as a city of the future," he said the the 24-minute speech, noting, "The future Athletes’ Village in Southeast False Creek, which recently won a national award for its sustainable transportation strategies, is starting to take shape as crews complete work along the False Creek shoreline... 2007 promises to be a year of discovery for Vancouver, as we continue our journey as an Olympic and Paralympic host city."

Sullvian says that how Vancouver handles itself up to and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games "will brand us for a generation." He adds, "We have many challenges ahead of us,