Vancouver's sets of Olympic rings appear to have cost much more than Whistler's.
The two sets of giant Olympic rings in Vancouver cost British Columbia taxpayers $4.5 million, according to a report released earlier this month.
The multi-million dollar figure in the government's July 9 report was spent on production, installation and removal of the famed monuments that stood at Vancouver International Airport and Coal Harbour during the Winter Olympics last February.
The money also covered the transformation of the rings to the Paralympic agitos (Latin for "I move") in March. And during special events and accomplishments, such as when Canada won gold, the Coal Harbour rings were designed to perform unique light shows.
Meanwhile Whistler's capital costs are quite a bit lower than Vancouver's. Whistler's Olympic rings cost only $64,000, according to the latest information from the Resort Municipality of Whistler.
Reinstalling the rings cost another $20,000. That line item included site excavation, asphalt removal and on-site wiring.
The monument, built by State of the Art Concepts, sat outside the Brew House during the Games and is now located on the edge of the future Whistler Olympic Plaza (formerly known as Celebration Plaza). The rings have been a major attraction for tourists, who have their pictures taken with the rings.
The Resort Municipality of Whistler also shelled out $35,000 for Paralympic agitos, which will also be placed at Whistler Olympic Plaza. The agitos' lower cost was due, at least in part, to the fact they required less structural engineering.
But size differed as much as price when it came to the Olympic ring monuments.
Whistler's Olympic symbols stand 12 feet by 25 feet, whereas the Coal Harbour rings were 44 feet by 96 feet.
