The Vancouver-Whistler 2010 Bid Corporation expects to open an office in Whistler by ski season, to increase public access to the bid group and public awareness of the bid.
Bid CEO Don Calder made the announcement during a presentation to Whistler council Monday. Calder also said the bid corporation is organizing a community forum and inviting representatives from the organizing committees of the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, the 1998 Games in Nagano, the Salt Lake City Games in 2002 and Turin, Italy, which will host the Winter Olympics in 2006. No date has been set for the forum.
The bid corporation board of directors will also be meeting in Whistler early in the new year and Calder said that meeting will include a drop-in session for the public.
"We’re not developing this bid in isolation. It’s very much an inclusive process," Calder said.
He noted the bid is adhering to the guiding principles Whistler has drafted, as well as Whistler’s official community plan and comprehensive development plan.
Advisory groups have been established to work on specific issues and Calder said he understood local business owners may establish their own working group, "which I hope will work with us."
Calder also said the bid corporation is developing a new, more in depth survey which will be mailed out to Whistler residents in the next few weeks. The bid corporation’s Web site (www.winter2010.com) is also up and should be improved in the next month or so.
Announcements about the $2.5 million Legacies Now program – funding provided by the provincial government for summer and winter sports training programs as well as regional centres of sports excellence – should be made in the few months.
