You'd think being at the heart of the Sea to Sky corridor, right between the Olympic communities of Vancouver and Whistler - that's not going to get us sued, is it? - would be beneficial to Squamish.
But it really seems like it's working against us lately.
First, there's VANOC's attack-dog tactics of threatening and/or suing anyone that dares to use the O-word or the 2-number, as well as making the lives of their erstwhile friends at the Squamish Chamber of Commerce chaotic by sending our highway banners back yet again.
We don't have much sympathy for those using "Olympic" in their name or Olympic symbols like the rings or the torch, especially those who just happen to have created their business after the bid was won last July. A copyright is a copyright and VANOC has a duty to protect it - although it would have had a lot fewer PR nightmares had it not waited more than a year after getting the big to roll out its "Respect the Rings" message.
The use of the year 2010 is another thing altogether. Last time we checked, no one has been able to successfully copyright a year, not even the IOC. Going after 2010 users, particularly ones like the Chamber, is going far beyond protecting the Olympic brand and into Olympic overkill. There's little to be gained from this kind of hypersensitivity except ill will.
But never mind VANOC: now the province is getting into the Squamish-shafting as well. Premier Gordon Campbell's announcement of $20 million to help communities "share in the benefits and spirit" of the Olympics specifically leaves out local governments in the Squamish-Whistler corridor.
Meanwhile, a proposed $500,000 provincial contribution to our Sea to Sky Adventure Centre - an Olympic legacy project if ever there was one - is still getting resounding silence.The biggest tangible benefit to Squamish - improvements to the Sea to Sky Highway - are even being done in a manner that makes it clear that the highway planners see Squamish as an obstacle in their way, not a destination of the road.
Let's see: we can't benefit from the Games without getting sued, we can't get the province's money for Olympic legacies, and we can't get on or off the highway they're building through our town.How are the Games good for us again?
