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Village to come alive in 2010, with federal help

Partners plan for village-wide Live Site during 2010 Games

Whistler will soon be asking the federal government for $10 million to put on the biggest show the village has ever seen.

The money will be used for both capital infrastructure and programming during the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games as part of the Live Sites program in Whistler — the place where everybody will gather to share in the Olympic spirit.

Pending council’s approval, staff will make the submission in early October.

“In Whistler we’ve got this wonderful opportunity,” said John Rae, the municipality’s manager of strategic alliances. “The result should be… an extraordinary experience for local residents, the nation and the world.”

In Monday’s presentation to members of the Chamber of Commerce, which only a handful turned out to hear, Rae revealed the early plans for “village animation” during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

While the finer details are not confirmed, there is a sense of enormous preparation already well underway for an action-packed multi-day celebration. The highlights include nightly concerts after the Olympic medals presentations, live broadcast feeds from the competition venues on big screen TVs, and renowned artists and performers showcasing Canada’s stories and culture to the world.

Rae asked the crowd to picture Christmas week in the village and multiply that by two.

“It’ll be busy,” he said.

A working group is also exploring the concept of “White Nights”, where businesses stay open throughout the night as people revel in the Olympic spirit.

Business owners were encouraged to give feedback and the meeting revealed there was some angst about timelines and the need for more information.

Kennedy Raine, owner of the Great Glass Elevator Candy Shop, reinforced the point that business owners need time to plan and schedule. If the shops are allowed to be open until midnight or throughout the night, she needs to know so she can staff appropriately. She wants to ensure that not only her family, but her staff, get to experience the Olympics first-hand and not be working around the clock.

“We’re talking a year out to plan that sort of thing,” she said.

Waiting until the fall of 2009 for the detailed plans is simply not enough time, she added.

Maureen Douglas, director of communications for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Games (VANOC), assured the audience that businesses would have the information in a timely manner in order to plan. Some information, particularly around transportation, venue operations, volunteerism and public safety and security, will be released in information sessions this fall. More detailed information will be available in the fall of 2008. By the fall of 2009, VANOC will be releasing the most detailed information down to the exact arrival and departure times of every bus.

And VANOC’s Kristen Robinson reminded chamber members in the audience: “Your success is our success.”

Whistler’s unique opportunity for a Live Site program like no other in Olympic history comes as a result of its village design. Traditionally Live Sites during the Games focus on one core area where thousands gather.

Whistler, on the other hand, is proposing to have what is essentially a village-wide Live Site. The core base will be at Celebration Plaza, what is now the treed four-acre area called Lot 1/9. Once the area is developed for the plaza, it will have room for 8,000 spectators. This is where Olympians will be presented with their medals every night and where the big-name acts will take the stage in nightly concerts.

But the action doesn’t stop at Celebration Plaza.

Town Plaza will be the site for participatory fun with story telling, singer-songwriters and local artists. It can hold 1,500 people.

Further along the stroll at Village Common will be the site of alternative, fringe art. It’s planned as a place for small performances and a possible site for sponsors, with room to hold 1,000.

Village Square is another main hub with room for 2,400. This will be a major music venue and a large 17-foot screen will show all the action happening at Celebration Square as well as live feeds from all the fields of play.

Mountain Square is slated for street theatre and arts, performing arts and dance, with room for 2,600.

And Skiers’ Plaza at the village base of Whistler Mountain has the potential to hold 5,000 who can watch the action on large elevated LED screens and potentially a nighttime “Fire and Ice” show on the mountain.

Rae used a fitting analogy to describe Whistler’s proposed Live Site program.

“If we do this correctly… it’s going to be a necklace with multiple jewels.”

There will be no distinct Live Site programming at Creekside or at the base of Blackcomb Mountain. The former site will be a closed area because it’s the venue of the alpine skiing events. Blackcomb base has some traffic and infrastructure challenges and will have some entertainment but will not be as noticeably animated as the main village.

The Whistler Live Sites Working Group, made up of representatives from the municipality, the Whistler Arts Council and VANOC, has been meeting during the past six months developing this concept.

They have also been in discussions with merchants who are directly affected by their plans and are continually looking for feedback.

Audience member Michael Rabkin raised concerns about the 17-foot screen in Village Square, which he said would be blocking the views of residents in the Hearthstone Lodge. Traditionally screens in Village Square have been erected in front of Moguls Café.

VANOC representatives explained that the change in location was due in part to help the flow of traffic but other options are still to be explored.

As the afternoon meeting drew to a close, Marti Kulich, VANOC’s program director, ceremonies and production services, reminded the audience that there is nothing like the kind of exposure that comes from the Olympic Games.

This is a chance, he said, to put Whistler front and centre on the world stage.

“You can’t buy that amount of exposure.”