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Final Olympic numbers to be released in June

In two months, Whistlerites will get a chance to see the municipality's final accounting of the Winter Olympics' costs.

In two months, Whistlerites will get a chance to see the municipality's final accounting of the Winter Olympics' costs.

Jim Godfrey, executive direct of the Resort Municipality of Whistler's 2010 Games Office, said this week that his office is continuing to work through the Olympic numbers, as well as contacting the municipality's partners, to determine how Whistler stacked up against its original goals.

The numbers will be released in a report, similar to the Investing in the Dream and Delivering the Dream reports released to the community in September 2008, he said.

Beyond the Olympic costs, the document will also contain reports from Tourism Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb and the Whistler Chamber of Commerce.

So far, Godfrey said the numbers are tracking well, although he was not able to elaborate.

"We are also in the process of finalizing our reporting and budget estimates and expenditure estimates, and we are just going through and finalizing all costs," he said.

Among the additional costs the municipality shelled out for during the Games was $90,000 for transit, said Godfrey.

While Whistler's enhanced transit system during the Games was covered by B.C. Transit and the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC), the municipality paid extra to get the buses running a little bit earlier.

"We were concerned that if the transit system wasn't in full operations from the beginning, then it might have a negative impact," said Godfrey. "That will be accommodated within the 2010 Winter Games budget."

Godfrey said the extra $90,000 should not impact the final numbers.

The final Olympic report will be presented during a council meeting, as well as available on the municipality's website at Whistler.ca, said Godfrey.

According to the Investing in the Dream document the municipality's accountants budgeted the cost of the Olympic Games would be $8.7 million, plus operational costs.

Michele Comeau, manager of communications for the municipality, announced in March that Whistler will receive over $3 million from the provincial government to cover operational costs, including things like snow clearing and village maintenance.