It is a little more than four years until the Olympic bandwagon makes its way along the Sea to Sky corridor, and already we're starting to hear some sour notes being played.
As faithful readers of The Chief already know, Squamish has missed some pretty big opportunities which were supposed to come out of the 2010 Winter Games. Although, "missed" may be the wrong word - it's more like the opportunities were pulled out from under us.
The first Olympic torching Squamish received was when our "Heart of 2010" highway banners were struck down by VANOC - the same banners that VANOC's predecessor, the 2010 Bid Corporation, was so happy to have us put up before they won the Games. That was at least somewhat understandable, as everyone is well aware of the strict need to control just who can use the 2010 logo or anything even remotely referring to the Games. It's bad for business and you can't charge people to use a logo that you're letting others use for free. The Olympics are as much about making money as they is about showcasing sports. Nobody puts on this big a show for altruistic reasons.
Then came the whole Paralympic Sledge Hockey Arena fiasco. Whistler, at first, didn't want the darn thing, leading VANOC to approach Squamish about taking on the project. We spent lots of time and money on the idea, based on meetings with VANOC, yet they still gave more than one extension to Whistler on the deal, allowing them to change their minds and grab the cash for the arena.
Just what did all that work and money get Squamish? Nothing except for a mayor with higher blood pressure and a bad taste in his mouth from VANOC.
Next, we're told a ferry terminal which was supposed to be built in Squamish to accommodate the oodles of Games-goers - isn't going to be built at all. Instead, Squamish has only the exhaust from hundreds of buses to look forward to in 2010.
And yet, officials at VANOC continue to tell us to "start looking for opportunities now" and to "embrace the Olympic opportunities". Those officials need to embrace something other than fluffy-sounding sound bytes.
To have a successful bid in the first place, they needed the support of all surrounding communities, and that support was secured with nice promises about legacies and opportunity. Now that Whistler and Vancouver have the Games, those promises have gone the way of so many cheques that were supposed to be in the mail.
It would be nice to hear some concrete examples of how VANOC thinks Squamish can still benefit in 2010. Now is the time to show what the Vancouver/Whistler Games are all about - either it is for the whole province, or just those two cities? Will it be a story of Olympic promise, or promises broken?
