Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

A look at Olympic Legacies

Callaghan Valley Nordic Centre: The Centre is located 22 km south of Whistler Village and 8 km from the Sea to Sky Highway. The site has already been logged and has seen mining. It is a popular area for backcountry enthusiasts.

Callaghan Valley Nordic Centre:

The Centre is located 22 km south of Whistler Village and 8 km from the Sea to Sky Highway. The site has already been logged and has seen mining. It is a popular area for backcountry enthusiasts.

It will host four events: Cross-Country, Biathlon, Nordic Combined and Ski Jumping.

Both Olympic and Paralympic events will be held here.

The area will have a spectator capacity of 12,000 people in each of the stadiums, which will have temporary seating and standing areas.

The are two regulation ski jumps of different sizes. There will be 50 km to 100 km of trails.

Following the Games the $102 million Centre will operate as a legacy using an endowment fund.

Construction will begin in April 2005 and will complete by June 2007.

All spectators will be bussed in. Some may then travel by train to Whistler Village along an existing line running parallel to Highway 99. They will catch the train at a temporary station built opposite the entrance to the Callaghan.

Whistler Olympic Paralympic Village:

The decision on where to locate the village will be determined through the Community Sustainability Plan process over the next several months.

The Bid Book locates the village at the mouth of the Callaghan, one of the landbank sites Whistler could choose.

The village will be used after the Games for employee restricted housing and accommodation for competing and training athletes.

If located at the mouth of the Callaghan the Village will be 13 km south of Whistler Village and 20 minutes drive from all Whistler competition venues.

The Village will accommodate 2,000 athletes and coaches in 554 dwelling units. Of the 2,000 beds developed 450 will be wheelchair accessible.

The village is budgeted to cost over $83 million, only some of which will be funded through the capital budget of the Olympic organizing committee.

Whistler Blackcomb Alpine Venues:

All speed events, such as the men’s and women’s downhill, will take place on Whistler Mountain.

Blackcomb Mountain will host the technical events such as Slalom and Giant Slalom.

Total upgrade costs for both mountains are expected to be $23 million.

There will be viewing areas for about 15,000 at each of the venue locations. Each venue will seat 8-10,000 people in temporary seating and the rest will stand.

Modification to the runs will begin June 2005 and will be completed Nov 2007.

Whistler Sliding Centre:

This purpose-built venue for Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton events will be located on Blackcomb Mountain at Base Two. The track will be 1,350 metres with 18 curves. The vertical drop will be 124 metres.

There will be viewing for 12,000 people and seating for 6,000, mostly temporary.

Construction will start in early 2004 and completed in the fall of 2007 to allow for use in two seasons before the 2010 Games.

It’s expected to cost $55 million and will be supported after the Games by a legacy endowment fund.

Paralympic Events:

All the Paralympic events are to be held in Whistler according to the Bid Book.

To accomplish this, a new ice arena must be built in Whistler for the Ice Sledge Hockey. The new Entertainment Complex/Multipurpose Facility would be built on Lot 1/9 in the Village North area. The Olympic budget for venues has committed $20 million to the project and another $20 million must be found by the resort if this facility, which would seat 3,000 to 5,000 for the event, is to be built. If the community decides not to build it, another venue for the event must be found.

Meadow Park Sports Centre will host the Wheelchair Curling venue.

Vancouver venues:

UBC Winter Sports Centre

This would replace the aging Thunderbird Winter Sports Centre. It would feature an Olympic sized ice arena for hockey and would seat 8,000 people during the Games and 5,000 after.

It would also have two practice rinks, fully equipped fitness centre, office, classroom and research space. The completion date is set for 2007.

Total cost is US$26.3 million

Simon Fraser University Skating Oval

This new facility will house a new indoor long track speed skating oval. It would also contain two international-size ice-sheets, a 400-metre indoor running track, a physiotherapy clinic and lab, and classroom space for education and research.

It is slated to be completed by 2007 with a total cost of US $44.3 million.

It will seat up to 8,000 for the Games

Hillcrest/Nat Bailey Stadium Park

This new facility would replace the Vancouver Curling Club and it would be used for Olympic Curling events. Most of the seats would be removed after the Games and the space would provide more curling sheets, a hockey area and a gym.

Construction will be completed by 2009 and the total cost is expected to be US$18.2 million. Total seating will be 6,000 for the Games.

Pacific Coliseum Hastings Park

The coliseum will be renovated and some structural changes will be made. During the Olympics it will host the figure skating and short track speed skating. It will seat up to 15,000.

The upgrades are expected to cost US$14.9 million.

B.C. Place Stadium and General Motors Place

The stadium will host the first-ever-indoor opening and closing ceremonies.

It will also host 17 other events and some medal presentations. The facility will receive a facelift. It can seat over 55,000.

General Motors Place will be the main venue for hockey and will be modified to accommodate an international ice surface. This upgrade is budgeted to cost

US$3.2 million. It will seat over 17,000.

Cypress Mountain Resort

This mountain will host the freestyle skiing and snowboard events. It will receive upgrades and snowmaking equipment to host the events. Work is expected to begin in 2007 and finish in August of 2009.

Up to 12,000 spectators will be able to be accommodated. All will be bussed to the site.

Total cost for the facelift will be US$7 million.