By Jennifer Patterson
The Olympic Countdown Clock in downtown Vancouver. Photo by KK Law
Practice your cheering and dust off your national flag: there’s only one month to go before the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games take over Vancouver and Whistler. It’s been a long time coming, but finally the hustle and bustle is seen and felt around the city.
We’re ready to welcome the 60,000 to 135,000 visitors expected in Vancouver each day during the Games. Athletes—easily spotted in their national team apparel—are already arriving, settling in and training for their big day. Hard-to-miss bright-red Olympic mittens from The Bay are keeping the hands of both locals and visitors toasty during the cold West Coast weather. The Cultural Olympiad 2010 begins Jan. 22 and features indoor and outdoor concerts, theatre performances, visual arts and films. Buildings are wrapped with decorative banners, an early favourite being the larger-than-life Canadian flag on the corner of Georgia and Howe streets. After a 10-year absence, the outdoor skating rink at Robson Square—right in the heart of downtown—has reopened; admission is free and skate and helmet rentals are available. An unavoidable sign the 2010 Winter Games are just around the corner: the start of road closures and designated Olympic traffic lanes.
As the Olympic Countdown Clock outside the Vancouver Art Gallery marks the remaining days, Olympic spirit is building. It’s just a taste of what’s to come.
Stay, Dine, Do
