| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2010 3:23 pm |
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Local News 
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Olympics are in the air Vancouver looks like a city eager to welcome the world VANCOUVER, B.C. — A walk along Granville Street in downtown Vancouver provides a little taste of what this city is like just days before the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics.The street is closed to automobiles on this Monday afternoon and will be throughout the Olympics, one of several downtown streets that have been converted to pedestrian-only walkways for the month. Yet aside from an occasional skateboarder or bicyclist, the street is empty while locals stick to the sidewalks, seemingly not yet used to the idea of strolling in the middle of the road. While Vancouver physically takes shape as an Olympic host — the 2010 Games open Friday and run through Feb. 28 — in many parts of the city it's business as usual. Stray a block or two from the main streets like Granville and you might have no idea you're in a city about to host one of the world's biggest events, save for a few small banners tethered to streetlights. Turn a corner, however, and you might see a guy in a suit and tie flying across the city skyline on a zip line. Seriously. There will be plenty to do in Vancouver even for those who show up without tickets. One of the popular attractions no doubt will be the 170-meter-long zip line that flies above Robson Square in the heart of downtown. On this particular day, employees from Ziptreck, the company installing the line, as well as a suit-clad engineer, are testing out their recently constructed project. But again, wander to other parts of town and it's just a ho-hum Monday. Restaurants and bars, which no doubt will be packed in the coming weeks, sit mostly empty at midafternoon just across the street from the site of the opening ceremonies. Whistler, site of the skiing events, also seems to be experiencing a bit of calm before the action hits. “It is a little different,” said Kirk Smith of Everett, who recently spent a week in Whistler and will return for the start of the Olympics. “It's kind of like the lull before the storm. The crowds are a little less than normal.” Even if Vancouver isn't yet in full Olympic-buzz mode, it's evident something big is coming. Inside a downtown restaurant, employees aren't sure what to expect in the coming weeks, but they're staffing up in anticipation of things turning crazy. On a downtown street corner, a hot dog vendor says he “is feeling the effects of it already” with tourists starting to arrive. One sign that the locals indeed are embracing the upcoming Olympics could be found in the line of people outside the University of British Columbia bookstore at Robson Square. On a drizzly weekday afternoon, people lined up 50 or so deep to see if they could snag whatever Olympic tickets might still be available. After a lengthy wait, one man exited the bookstore beaming at his good fortune. “I got couple of tickets for a curling training session,” said the Vancouver man, who declined to give his name. He wasn't excited about tickets for a medal event or a hockey game. Nope, he was stoked about curling training. Back on Granville, Paulina Jimenez was all grins as friend Yolanda Garcia snapped a picture. The two teenagers are visiting from Mexico for the month, the first in a wave of tourists that will turn an already international city into a true cultural melting pot. One downtown building is completely wrapped in a Samsung ad that spans multiple floors, while another is covered on two sides by what has to be the city's largest Canadian flag. In the trendy Yaletown neighborhood, David Lam Park is being converted into LiveCity Yaletown, one of two LiveCity celebration sites in the city that will feature music, giant TV screens and — this is Canada, after all — beer gardens. Places like these, along with Robson Square, which features a small ice rink and the aforementioned zip line, will make the city a worthwhile destination even for those without tickets. With an easy-to-use SkyTrain transit system and a walkable downtown, Vancouver should be a fan-friendly Olympic city. And for those of you who do make it up, be prepared to encounter some darn friendly locals. Try standing still with a map in your hands for more than 10 seconds without somebody offering to help. Odds are somebody wearing a grin will be volunteering his or her assistance within seconds. Just don't expect winter at these Winter Olympics. Like the Puget Sound region, Vancouver is experiencing an unusually warm winter. Checking into the media center, one British journalist complained that he had packed too many warm clothes and asked when it was going to cool off. Umbrellas and Gore-Tex, not snow boots and mittens, will be the must-have accessories at these Olympics. And while temperatures in the 40s and 50s may not please traditionalists, they should make for a more comfortable experience for those visiting the city. And for those in Vancouver looking to bring back a taste of the Olympics, there is no better place to shop than the downtown Hudson's Bay Co., which set aside 20,000 square feet of retail space to house the official Olympics Superstore. Dana Hall, the store director, said that by this weekend the store would employ 400 extra associates from all over the world. Even a week and a half before the Olympics begin, the store is packed with employees and shoppers. Ten registers — which only accept cash and Visa, by the way — hummed along, and throughout the store customers tried on sweatshirts, mittens, hats, jackets and anything else you could possibly want as an Olympic souvenir. Looking for an official 2010 salt and pepper grinder? They've got that. How about maple syrup featuring Quatchi, one of the Olympic mascots? No problem. “We opened October first, and since the day we opened we've overachieved on all of our targets,” Hall said. “This last week I have really noticed that the world is coming, because the energy level, the excitement, the number of people that are in there, were all heightened.” The world is indeed coming, and Vancouver looks like a city well prepared to show the world a good time. Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. |
Photo Gallery: Vancouver B.C. gets ready for the Olympics
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