With the one-year countdown to the 2010 Vancouver-Whistler Olympic Winter Games still fresh in Canadian’s minds, the Vancouver Organizing Committee has announced that the sporting venues for the games have been completed both on time and on budget. The total amount budgeted was $580 million Canadian.
The Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre opened today and was the last venue to be completed. The Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre will showcase the curling events for both the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The new venue will be put to task starting this weekend with the World Wheelchair Curling Championships. The World Junior Curling Championships will also take place in the Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre in early March.
A number of new sporting venues were constructed for the 2010 Vancouver-Whistler Winter Games and upgrades were made to existing infrastucture in and around Vancouver. Some of the new sporting venues include the Whistler Sliding Centre, the Richmond Olympic Oval, and the UBC Thunderbird Arena.
© VANOC/COVAN
VANOC Chief Executive Officer John Furlong said of the milestone day, “Today is a proud moment for all of us and would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the Government of Canada and the Province of BC. It’s wonderful to see athletes now competing and testing these venues while youngsters and adults alike experience the legacies far in advance of the Games.”
Not only will the Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre have seating for 6,000 enthusiastic fans, it was constructed to be very eco-friendly. The building uses captured rainwater (of which there is usually no shortage of in Vancouver), to flush the building’s urinals and toilets. The new building is further powered and a leader in energy savings with recaptured heat during the ice-making process, and a mixed use of natural gas, and solar generated electricity.
A multi-purpose community recreation centre that includes a library, gym and aquatic centre, will be the centre’s role after the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games conclude.
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