2010 Winter Games

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2010 Winter Games

A Need for Speed at The Whistler Sliding Centre

Photo of bobsleigh courtesy Tourism British Columbia

By Sheri Radford

If you’ve ever dreamed of hurtling along an icy track at 135 km/hr (85 mi/hr), here’s your chance. The Whistler Sliding Centre offers two-hour bobsleigh rides and skeleton slides for adrenaline junkies. After gearing up, you rocket down the track like a pro, experiencing what it must have felt like to compete in the 2010 Winter Games here. Although there’s no need to be an Olympic athlete to embark on these heart-pounding adventures, they’re not for the faint of heart, either. If you’d rather leave the speed to the professionals, check out the FIL Luge World Cup (www.fil-luge.org) on Dec. 9 or the FIBT Bobsleigh & Skeleton World Cup (www.fibt.com) on Feb. 2.

More information:

WHISTLER SLIDING CENTRE 4910 Glacier Lane. 604-964-0040. whistlerslidingcentre.com

Grey Cup Fever

Touchdown! The renovated BC Place stadium welcomes the 99th annual Grey Cup

By Leszek Apouchtine, Jennifer Patterson & Sheri Radford

Photo courtesy BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo)

ROAR, YOU LIONS, ROAR!

“The Pride of all BC” plans to roar past the competition and play in the 99th Grey Cup this month at BC Place. The BC Lions, Vancouver’s professional football team, have called BC Place home ever since the stadium opened in 1983. They were forced to relocate for more than a season while the stadium was renovated, but returned to their home turf at the end of September to a near-capacity crowd of more than 50,000 screaming fans. (more…)

Hot Shopping: Bright Eyes

Shield your eyes from the sun with these Claudia Alan sunglasses

Protect your peepers from harmful rays with a pair of Claudia Alan sunglasses (pictured, $45), available online at www.claudiaalan.com. Cool fact: Corrine Hunt designed the First Nations artwork on these stylish shades, and also co-designed the medals for the 2010 Winter Games.—Jennifer Patterson

Hot Entertainment: When I Was a Kid

Slam poet Shane Koyczan

Most North Americans hadn’t heard of Shane Koyczan until his mesmerizing slam-poetry performance at the 2010 Winter Games’ opening ceremony—in which he used insightful humour and clever turns of phrase to define Canada—but British Columbians long ago discovered this home-grown talent. Now Koyczan has put together a spoken-word multimedia show about how our fearlessness in youth inevitably turns to fear as we age. At the Historic Theatre at the Cultch.—Sheri Radford

My Favourite Vancouver Photo

Check out the results of our fourth annual photo contest. John Bello wins the grand prize provided by Harbour Air. Have you taken a great picture? Enter our My Favourite Vancouver Photo Contest and you could win a fabulous prize package from Pacific Sands Beach Resort Tofino. We’re looking for iconic images that evoke Vancouver’s unique spirit and character.

2011 contest winner: The inukshuk in English Bay, with the lights of Vectorial Elevation in the background, during the 2010 Winter Games // John Bello

Waterfront in winter // James Putnam

Vancouver skyline // Carlos Victoria

Summertime fireworks over English Bay // Nathalie Harris

The seawall in Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge // Loni Ingram

Giant crab outside the Museum of Vancouver // Carlos Victoria

Autumn in Stanley Park // Lan Hu

Brockton Point Lighthouse in Stanley Park, with downtown and the “sails” of the Vancouver Convention Centre in the background // George Dujmovic

Hot Entertainment: Man With a Plan

VANOC CEO John Furlong's new tome

It’s been more than a year since we donned our red mittens and Canadiana gear for the 2010 Winter Games. Vancouver Olympic Committee CEO John Furlong reflects on all the highs and lows of that historic time in his memoir Patriot Hearts: Inside the Olympics That Changed a Country (Douglas & McIntyre, $32.95). At local bookstores.—Kristina Urquhart

Olympic Legacy

It’s been a year since the 2010 Winter Games invigorated Vancouver, but their spirit lives on

By Sheri Radford

The Richmond Olympic Oval. Photo by KK Law

Even though the 2010 Winter Games are long over, ways to relive the experience abound.

Visit the Olympic Cauldron downtown, which was lit on the opening night of the Games by hockey legend Wayne Gretzky. A picturesque reflecting pool now surrounds the cauldron. It is situated next to the west building of the Vancouver Convention Centre, which was completed in time for the Games and was used throughout as the main media centre. This eco-friendly building and its green roof (complete with four beehives and a full-time beekeeper) have won several awards for design.

Hop on the Canada Line SkyTrain, which was also completed just prior to the Games and which whisks visitors from the airport to downtown in 26 minutes. While in Richmond, visit the Richmond Olympic Oval, where speed skaters competed during the Games. This stunning, environmentally friendly building now houses an array of fitness facilities.

Pull on a pair of Olympic red mittens. If yours have worn out—or you weren’t lucky enough to snag any during Games fever—pick up a similar pair of maple-leaf-adorned mittens at The Bay. Proceeds go to the Canadian Olympic Foundation.

Olympic Cauldron in Jack Poole Plaza. Photo by Sheri Radford

If you’re searching for the perfect Quatchi, Miga, Mukmuk or Sumi souvenir, you’ll find the mascots’ smiling faces in Gastown’s many souvenir shops. To complete your Olympic coin collection—or catch a glimpse of some Olympic medals—visit the Royal Canadian Mint pop-up shop downtown on Granville Street. It’s only here until the end of February, but don’t worry: line-ups are shorter than the eight-hour waits common during the Games.

Olympic fever in Vancouver? It still burns on.

15 Things We Love About Vancouver: January and February

Skating at Robson Square, popular during the 2010 Winter Games, is back in 2011. Photo copyright Sergeibach/Dreamstime

1 Reliving Olympic magic while ice skating in Robson Square (open daily until the end of Feb.), and all the other winter activities in our city.
2 The clean, crisp winter air.
3 Listening to live jazz while cutting into a sizzling steak at O’Doul’s Restaurant & Bar.
4 The most stylish salon in town, the new C:EHKO Hair Concepts.
5 The fact that pretty much every city block contains at least one coffee shop.
6 Heading to shopping centres for steals and deals on winter clearance items—spring items are already appearing on shelves.

The Olympic Cauldron is on Vancouver's waterfront. Photo by Sheri Radford

7 Indulging in dim sum on a weekend afternoon at Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant.
8 Watching the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra perform at the Orpheum.
9 Abstracts by local artist Lesley Finlayson in New Paintings at Elissa Cristall Gallery (Jan. 29 to Feb. 26).
10 Warming up with a pot pie and pint of ale at The Irish Heather.
11 Getting rid of a hangover from New Year’s Eve by plunging into the ice-cold ocean for the annual Polar Bear Swim.
12 Indulging in sweet treats with your honey on Valentine’s Day or any day.
13 Checking out all the giant sculptures and billboards around the city that are part of the Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale, which ends this summer.
14 Anticipating the new Pacific Centre location of Michael Kors, opening in late January, complete with clothing, sportswear, accessories, fragrances and eyewear.
15 The Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza, and other reminders of the 2010 Winter Games.

Hitting the Peaks

With winter activities galore, Vancouver’s snow-capped mountains offer more than just spectacular scenery

By Kristina Urquhart

Meghan and Mat take a break after a satisfying trek on Grouse Mountain’s snowshoe trails. Photo by KK Law

Grouse Mountain
One glance south from the top of Grouse Mountain and you’ll see why it’s one of Vancouver’s most photographed views. On a clear day, the city stretches out below you; on a foggy day, it looks as if you’re about to ski into the clouds. Skiers and snowboarders carve fresh powder through snow-dusted trees on the mountain’s 26 runs or practice tricks in two terrain parks. Get a different—but equally exhilarating—kind of adrenaline rush on the four groomed trails in the Munday Alpine Snowshoe Park, where you can attend clinics to learn to master this popular winter activity or embark on a fondue snowshoe tour. If you’re not quite tuckered out, take a two-hour tour on five ziplines or lounge in a Sno-Limo as an experienced guide pushes you down the mountainside. Make like Canadian figure skating darling Joannie Rochette and practice spins and turns on the 743-square-metre (8,000-square-foot) skating pond. Cap off your snow day with a picturesque sleigh ride through the mountain forests, then warm up with a hot chocolate by the fire in the Peak Chalet.

Cypress Mountain
This venue shot to fame last February when it hosted the freestyle skiing and snowboard competitions during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The mega mountain is home to 53 runs (including four double black diamond), nine lifts and the North

A snowboarder on the half pipe at Cypress Mountain. Photo by Insight Photography courtesy Tourism BC

Shore’s tallest skiable peak at 1,646 metres (5,400 feet). Feeling gutsy? Unleash your inner Alexandre Bilodeau on the moguls run (gold medal not included). If you prefer Nordic over alpine, Cypress is the only mountain in Vancouver with cross-country ski trails. Get your heart pumping on 10 kilometres (six miles) of self-guided snowshoe trails or indulge in a snowshoe fondue tour. Tubing is fun for the whole family—there’s a separate sliding area nearby for tots aged three to five.

Mount Seymour
Snow bunnies hit the slopes at this alpine paradise, a favourite for its four terrain parks with features like jumps and rails. Ski or snowboard 39 runs of varying difficulty or traverse 10 kilometres (six miles) on the Discovery Snowshoe Trails on your own or with a guide. Fondue tours are offered here, too—inquire about the Valentine’s Day chocolate fondue snowshoe tour at 7 p.m. on Feb. 14. Kids and adults alike love zooming down the peak at high speeds, whether in the tube park or the eight-run Toboggan Park. If you haven’t packed your own toboggan, purchase a sliding carpet for a dizzying spin down the mountainside.

For more details on local mountains, click here. For information on Whistler Blackcomb, ask your concierge for a copy of Where Whistler or click here.

Hot Entertainment: Sliding Star

Whistler Sliding Centre photo by Leanna Rathkelly courtesy Tourism Whistler

Take a self-guided tour of the Whistler Sliding Centre, on Blackcomb Mountain overlooking the Fitzsimmons Valley. The site, former host to the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions during the 2010 Winter Games, now hosts world-class tournaments on its 1,450-m (4,757-ft) track.—Kristina Urquhart

18 Things We Love About Vancouver: November

Your pooch will be in the lap of luxury in a suite at Jet Pet Resort

1 Bangers and mash from Mahony & Sons.
2 Driving the Sea to Sky Highway for a first glimpse of snow on the mountains above the ocean vista.
3 The mild weather.
4 Spotting celebrities at Glowbal, everyone from Chris Rock to Pamela Anderson to Caressa Cameron, the current Miss America.
5 The absence of freeways through the downtown core, thanks to forward-thinking city planners decades ago.
6 Walking the inside seawall on a blustery day before heading for fish tacos at Go Fish.
7 Maple-leaf-adorned red mittens, just $10 at The Bay. Inspired by the most popular souvenir from the 2010 Winter Games, these new mittens support our athletes, with proceeds going to the Canadian Olympic Foundation.
8 Riding the SeaBus to North Vancouver.
9 All the treasures to discover at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum.
10 Checking out the best sake list in town, with sushi to match, at Oru.
11 Jet Pet Resort, which treats every pooch like a prince.
12 Our tap water—it’s some of the best in the world.
13 Lumière, which recently received the coveted AAA/CAA Five Diamond Award—for the sixth time.
14 All the downtown dwellers, who keep the city vibrant long after the workday has ended.
15 Dropping by Steamworks Brewing Co. for a pint of seasonal spiced pumpkin ale.
16 The picture-postcard beauty of the city.
17 Raccoons, skunks, Canada geese and other critters you may encounter downtown.
18 Paintings from Kurbatoff Art Gallery.

Hot Entertainment: Podium-Worthy

The eco-friendly Richmond Olympic Oval

The 2010 Winter Games athletes have since hung up their skates, but their home-away-from-home—the stylish and sustainable Richmond Olympic Oval—has become a must for workout enthusiasts. Find your inner Olympian with six hardwood gyms, two ice rinks, a running track and a state-of-the-art fitness centre.—Kristina Urquhart

Hot Dates: Ali Milner

Ali Milner photo copyright Jennifer Picard Photography

Local girl Ali Milner may be just 19 years old, but she already boasts a powerful resume, filled with gigs at Lilith Fair, the Toronto International Film Festival and the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Hear her unique blend of indie pop and jazz at Cory Weeds’ Cellar Jazz Club (Oct. 14)—and keep an eye out for this rising star in the future.—Sheri Radford

Rising Star

Young, beautiful and acting in a hit TV show—Sara Canning is the kind of girl it would be easy to hate, if only she weren’t so darned sweet and talented

By Sheri Radford

Sara Canning enjoys a picturesque spot on the seawall in Stanley Park, against the backdrop of the Lions Gate Bridge. Photo by KK Law

The undead are certainly lively these days. On television, in movies and in novels, vampires are baring their fangs. Sara Canning, for one, enjoys the trend. The 23-year-old Canadian-born actress has always been a fan of the bloodsuckers, going back to the story of Dracula, which she first read as a teenager, and the film Nosferatu, right up to current hits such as the hauntingly beautiful Swedish film Let the Right One In and the worldwide phenomenon that is Twilight. She feels especially grateful to the enduring popularity of the undead fiends now that her show, The Vampire Diaries, is starting its second season.

Canning portrays a human—the aunt of the main character, not a vampire—but she has contemplated the tantalizing vamps on her show. When asked if she’s Team Stefan or Team Damon, she answers with a laugh that it would be Stefan for eternity but Damon for a weekend. “Any longer than a weekend and you may end up underground.”

The young actress knows how fortunate she is to have landed a hit TV series. She’s worked hard to get where she is, doing theatre since age 12, but in acting, she says, “Luck and good fortune are always part of it.”

Sara Canning pauses on the seawall in Stanley Park. Photo by KK Law

Realizing that luck and good fortune would be more likely to find her in Canada’s largest film centre, Canning packed her bags and left her childhood home of Sherwood Park, Alberta, for the bright lights of Vancouver—and a year studying everything from acting to voice work to screenwriting at Vancouver Film School. Quickly, she became enamoured with her new city. She doesn’t even mind the famous wet weather: “I really love being in Stanley Park when it rains or right after it’s rained.” One of her favourite West Coast activities is to rent a bike and ride it around the seawall in Stanley Park. She raves about all the fabulous places to find great sushi, brunch spots such as Cafe Medina, and Chapters, the giant bookstore chain that doesn’t exist in her new home of Atlanta, Georgia, where she has relocated for the filming of The Vampire Diaries.

Every chance Canning gets, she returns to Vancouver. Filming kept her away during the 2010 Winter Olympics, but friends filled her in about the incredible experience of proud Canadians thronging Granville Street. She spent the summer here during her most recent hiatus. When she’s in Vancouver, she never has to worry about hiding her Canadian accent or the “Canadianisms” that creep into her speech. Born in Newfoundland, Canning worked especially hard to get rid of her “Newfie” accent, though it creeps back in whenever she phones her parents.

A bright future lies ahead for Canning. According to her, a creative person should “never be satisfied” and should “always be curious, wanting to know more.” She constantly pushes herself, studying acting and writing, and she’s currently working on a script with a friend. “I’m excited to see where the next five years take me,” she says.

So are we.

Hot Shopping: Spirit of the Games

Photo copyright VANOC/COVAN

The official commemorative book for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games has finally arrived. With Glowing Hearts/Des plus brillants exploits (VANOC, $85) celebrates the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games with 400 pages of beautiful photos, iconic moments and inspiring stories. Purchase your own copy—and keep the memories alive—at local bookstores.—Jennifer Patterson

Hot Entertainment: Dynamic Duo

Olympic champions Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue are part of Stars on Ice, coming to Vancouver May 14.

It’s been a golden year for Canadian ice-dance darlings Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. First, they nabbed gold at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, then topped the podium a month later at the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships in Turin, Italy. It was the ultimate payoff for the London, Ontario pair, who have been skating together since 1997, when Moir was 10 years old and Virtue eight.

After all that heady competition, it’s time for the duo to finish their competitive season with something a little less stressful. They’ll still be skating of course—as part of the fun-filled Sears Stars on Ice tour, which glides into Vancouver May 14 at GM Place. The best part? No scores and no judges. “It’s exciting, and without the pressure, we can skate for the fans,” Virtue says.

The 20th-anniversary show stars the cream of the Canadian skating crop. Among the headliners are Olympic champions Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, veteran Kurt Browning and our country’s newest sweetheart, Joannie Rochette. “The cast is great. Coming off an Olympic season in Canada, [the tour] will be special,” Virtue says.

And ticketholders are in for a treat: the pair plans to reprise their elegant free dance to Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, which won them Olympic gold here in Vancouver. The duo’s rigourous Olympic schedule didn’t provide them much downtime in our fair city, but Virtue says, “Vancouver is one of our favourite cities, not just because we won the Olympics there, but because of the mountains, the city and the water.” Here’s hoping Canada’s golden couple will have more time to relax this time around. They deserve it!—Kristina Urquhart

Hot Entertainment: Raise the Roof

BC Place will be under construction in the coming months as it gets a new, retractable roof. Photo copyright Kathrynhatashitalee/istockphoto.com

Say good-bye to the world’s largest air-supported dome roof: the marshmallow-like top of BC Place is coming down, to be replaced by the world’s largest cable-supported retractable roof. This month’s Vancouver International Auto Show was the last event to be held under the old roof, then the 55,000-seat venue will be closed until next year.

Upon reopening, BC Place will finally be able to let the sun shine in—and will house BC’s Major League Soccer team. This downtown venue has hogged the spotlight recently, thanks to its starring role in the opening, closing and nightly victory ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, as well the opening ceremony for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. But like any media star, this one knows when it’s time for a facelift.—Sheri Radford

15 Things We Love About Vancouver: April

Vancouver's gorgeous cherry blossoms paint the sky pink. Photo by Tom Ryan courtesy Tourism BC

1 Cherry blossoms. Nothing says “springtime” quite like the cheerful pink blossoms.
2 Using our noodle…for a quick, cheap meal at the West End’s Kintaro Ramen, Legendary Noodle or Hon’s Wun-Tun House.
3 Rogers’ Chocolates, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. Chocolate lovers choose the irresistible Victoria Creams—with fillings ranging from coffee, ginger and orange to vanilla, strawberry and always-patriotic maple.
4 Walking or biking along the seawall on a blustery day.
5 The annual Chutzpah! Festival (to Apr. 8).
6 Sipping a hot cuppa coffee while perusing the designer shops along bustling Robson Street.
7 The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
8 Tasting the very best of British Columbia at Edible BC, including organic jam, wild pacific salmon and local honey.
9 Grinder and Coola, two orphaned bears who reside on Grouse Mountain. They usually come out of hibernation in April.
10 Lingering over dessert at Lupo.
11 The larger-than-life art installations located throughout the city during the Biennale.
12 South Granville Street—aka Gallery Row—for its never-ending selection of art galleries.

Eye-pleasing confections at Lupo Restaurant & Vinoteca. Photo by KK Law

13 Dim sum, or any quick-to-eat Chinese food, such as take-out barbecue pork, from Chinatown.
14 Cheering for the Vancouver Canucks.
15 The Richmond Olympic Oval, which reopens to the public this month. It was the official speed skating venue for the 2010 Winter Games.

Paralympic Sport of the Day: Wheelchair Curling

VANCOUVER PARALYMPIC CENTRE

In this relatively new sport, two teams—comprised of both males and females, seated in wheelchairs—take turns pushing 19.1-kg (42-lb) granite stones towards the centre of a series of concentric circles. To throw stones, players can use either their hands or extender cues (delivery sticks). While throwing a stone, a player’s wheelchair must remain stationary. The winner of a game is the team with the most stones closest to the centre. Unlike Olympic curling, wheelchair curling does not employ sweeping.—Sheri Radford

Paralympic Sport of the Day: Cross-Country Skiing

WHISTLER PARALYMPIC PARK

Athletes compete against others with a similar disability in the categories of standing, sitting or visually impaired. Competitors use either classic cross-country technique, in which the skis remain parallel, or free technique, which involves pushing off with the edges of the skis, resulting in a slightly faster race. Individual events range from 2.5 to 20 km (1.5 to 12.5 mi). Other events include sprint and relay.—Sheri Radford