If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium!

We have arrived in Zomergem, and here's our new home for the next 3 weeks. The house is of indeterminate age and size! It goes on forever, as does the magnificent garden with ponds, a fountain, stables.... We have two turtles to feed, one vegetarian, one carnivorous, some chickens, a cat, and perhaps a few others who I haven't yet met. We are looking forward to an adventure.

Lut, Geert and Thomas have gone to considerable effort to help us enjoy thier home that has three separate heating systems, three different water sources and a great variety of spaces. It is right out of a movie!The town is quite unlike anything I have ever seen. It is immaculate, with a mixture of old and new. The new homes are primarily built from block and stone with concrete and steel structures. There is an extensive use of pavers, lovely flower arrangements, and a considerable amount of effort is devoted to trimming hedges. Even the elementary school has a manicured hedge.

So we're off to explore Ghent, which is 14 km away...tomorrow we'll be in Bruges...with Brussels, Antwerp, Louvain and other towns and cities to follow.

This really is a wonderful way to travel.

The EuroStar to Lille

Before heading off to our new home in Belgium, we had planned to visit Keith Tapping, who some may remember as the former General Manager of CMHC and a man who truly improved the lives of many in the DTES. However, since Tapping was recovering from a recent operation, we had to change our plans and decided at the last minute to take the EuroStar train from London to Lille. It's quite an experience...in about an hour, we were in France, and discovered a very special city, about which I knew very little.





Lille is a French City, that was once a Dutch city. As a result, it has a distinctive Flemish architecture and both Flemish and French cuisine. We stayed at the Hotel Belvedere on the Grand Place and can recommend it as a well located, comfortable 3 star hotel. Our tour of the city was somewhat compromised by the fact it was Saturday August 15th, the day when virtually everyone in France is on holiday! Many shops were closed which delighted Sally since she thinks more merchants should spend more time with their families. She would like to see shops closed on Sundays as well.

In addition to seeing some very interesting buildings, I noticed a few things worth reporting.

1.La Piscine. A former art deco swimming pool that has been converted into the Musee d'Art and d'industrie in Roubaix. There is still water in the pool, and the shower stalls now showcase works of art. Fantastic!
2. Decorated shopping carts. Not everyone puts their groceries in the back of their Lexus 350 here. Instead, they transport their groceries from the store to home in a variety of shopping carts. We found these decorated carts in a very interesting home store. Is this an idea for Vancouver?3. Moving poster boards...instead of large billboards, many street locations have these 'rotating' glass enclosed 'billboards' that I first saw in Sweden in the 70's. I think they work, although I didn't always agree with the products being promoted!
4. Graffiti...there's not only a lot of spray on graffiti around the city, but people have taken to etching into glass. What can I say. I personally would support the return of the guillotine to remove fingers of people who do this. Sally does not agree.5. A variety of pates. Very popular in Lille...literally hundreds of varieties.6. Dog shit. The French love their dogs, and while I don't know if they let them shit in their living rooms, they have no qualms about letting them shit on the sidewalks. Where is that guillotine?
7. And finally, I couldn't resist this photo of a very old Flemish man appearing to be heading for NewMan, a well known French designer!

House Exchanges: a wonderful way to travel

Today, we leave Vancouver for a three week house exchange in Belgium. It has been arranged through Homelink (www.homelink.org) a 50 year old non-profit organization that was originally established to help school teachers swap houses around the world. Why school teachers? Because they have a lot of time, but not a lot of money!

Whether you have money or not, home exchanges are a wonderful way to travel. Instead of being just a tourist, you get to experience more of what it is like to live in a country. Often our first task when arriving is to visit the local supermarket...that's after checking out where we will be sleeping and what kind of car we have been left. Yes, we always exchange houses and cars. One year we exchanged cats. And in years gone by, we used to exchange cell phones!

We had originally planned to get a house in Greece, Turkey or Croatia, so that we could head over to Mykonos for John Evans 60th birthday around Labour Day. But nothing was available, and then we were approached by a family in Belgium who wanted to come to Canada. They lived in a large house in a small town near Ghent...and we decided to do it, assuming we could get to Greece from Brussels. However, for a number of reasons, we may not get there.

But it's not a hardship. If you have ever been to Belgium, you will know that it is a very remarkable place. While I haven't been for over 30 years, I remember Ghent and nearby Bruges as remarkable places. Brussels and Antwerp are also fascinating world cities. And within an hour, one can get to a few other countries by train or car.

One of the advantages of a house exchange is that it encourages you to fix up a few things around the house...to give away some unnecessary clothes, to tidy the garage, and in my case, to repair my bike. I ride a 35 year old Raleigh that needed new rubber brake blocks. For some reason, none of the Vancouver bike shops carried them...but I found some in my garage...Sally had bought them years ago when visiting a specialty bike shop in London...thinking that one day we might need them! So now our new friends from Belgium, who ride bikes, will be able to stop. (Although they may also wonder why anyone would keep this particular bike!)

If you have never considered a home exchange, I would urge you to check out the idea. While some people say they don't want 'strangers' in their home, the fact is, these are not strangers...you get to know each other a little bit during the 'dating' period, and you are in their home. In some respects, I think it is the anonymity that makes them work. I don't worry if someone wants to go through our drawers or papers...they usually don't, but if they do, it doesn't matter.

Some people worry about exchanging cars. While we sign an agreement covering what to do in the event of an accident, so far we have never had a problem. And that's after 6 exchanges...in Scotland, the south of France, the Loire Valley, Australia, Sweden and even Anguilla, a small Caribbean Island.

So while you enjoy the rest of this summer, I do hope you will check out house exchanges for a future holiday. It doesn't really matter what kind of accommodation you have. You can exchange your 500 sq.ft. apartment in Vancouver for a similar sized suite in Amsterdam, or Barcelona, or New York...you don't have to go too far away. We have a four bedroom house in Belgium, large enough to invite friends from UK to come and stay with us.

We generally go for 3 weeks, but it is possible to go for a week, a month or 6 months! You'll probably have a wonderful time, and if nothing else, you will have cleaned out your kitchen cupboards and freezer.

Over the next three weeks, I will share some observations from Belgium...including any planning ideas that might benefit Vancouver.

From Frances Bula's Blog...

I don't have many addictions, but one is Frances Bula's blog. You can find it at www.francesbula.com. Here I find some amazing discussions on a variety of urban issues, and a handful of characters...almost all anonymous...who debate the issues.

Recently, there was a discussion on the impact of the Olympics on provincial and city services, and I posted some of my thoughts about the potential physical legacies that might come. This morning I came upon a response from 'gmgw' (who is one of the most articulate people on the blog) to which I had to respond.

While his comments were personally disturbing, they certainly forced me to think about how best to respond. So here is what he wrote, and what I wrote:

• gmgw // Aug 12, 2009 at 11:55 pm

  Michael Geller inquired:
  “Out of interest how many of you who oppose the Olympics also opposed Expo. And in hindsight, do you feel it too was a mistake?”

  I strongly opposed Expo up until it opened, feeling, as with the Olympics, that it was a massive waste of money and resources that would be far better spent on alleviating our far more urgent social needs; then I completely sold out, got a job there, and worked there for the fair’s entire run. I’d love to be able to say that the experience converted me to the Expo cause like Saul on the road to Tarsus, but I merely felt like a massive hypocrite. What can I say? As my partner was frequently reminding me at the time, I needed a job.

  I’d also like to be able to say that the experience changed my life for the better, but…nah. It was a gig. I did experience moments of fleeting glory, however; I got to shake Jim Pattison’s hand (impresive, huh?), as well as stand within four feet of both Princess Diana and George H. W. Bush; and I saw the astounding Urban Sax troupe (from France) perform in the Plaza of Nations; it was undoubtedly the most impressive work of performance art/theatre I’ve ever seen in my life. I was also well-situated to readily discern the rot behind the Expo tinsel, so to speak.

  What particularly bemuses me about the Olympics hype is its eerie familiarity: “It’s going to put Vancouver on the map! It’s Vancouver’s chance to shine on the world stage!” and so on. Exactly the same phrases were used to tout Expo 86. I mean, what happened? Did that mythical table shift some time in the past 23 years? Did we roll off it like a pencil, plunging back into (horrors!) obscurity? Did we emerge grandly onto the world stage, only to take a clumsy pratfall before the august assemblage of all those Really Important People, who apparently expressed their contempt by getting up and leaving en masse, carrying the tale of our ignominy and unworthiness to the World we’d so hoped to impress?

  I mean, what happened to that glorious Expo legacy we were promised, if we now need a massive booster shot? Will we be told in 20 years that we need another one, and will the same rhetoric be used to sell it?

  Michael, with all due respect, I think your position re the Olympics, their projected “legacy”, and that of Expo 86, is a classic illustration of Miles’ Law: “Where you stand depends on where you sit”. I can understand how, considering the circles you move in, you can look at the north shore of False Creek, 23 years on, and see that forest of towers as a positive outgrowth of Expo 86. Why wouldn’t you? You hang with the development crowd. I should think a good many people of your acquaintance have made a considerable amount of money from the post-Expo boom(s), (though none more than the Li family). Supply-siders to the last, you hope that lightning will strike once again in 2010, and you once again present arguments that it will benefit us all. Somehow. Eventually. (I’m sure I’ve quoted this line before, but it’s too good a refutation of the trickle-down theory to not repeat– it was voiced by a housing activist in San Francisco a decade or so ago: “A rising tide may lift all boats, but if you haven’t got a boat, you’re f**ked”.) Was Expo a mistake, you ask? Not for you, bubeleh. Not for you.

  Frankly, Michael, I don’t think you have any subjective understanding of what it is to be poor, whether unemployed or working poor. There are a great many people in and around this city who received little or no direct benefit from Expo, and even fewer who will directly benefit from the Olympics. Skating rinks don’t put food on the table or put roofs over heads, unless you happen to work in one. Most of us will simply go on living our “lives of quiet desperation” while you and your friends enjoy your big party. Among my own circles, I know of no one that’s been invited. I guess we’re supposed to be hoping that there’ll be a few table scraps left over when you’ve finished. And then we can look forward to paying the bill(s), for god knows how long.

  Looking at your blog, I came upon this phrase under “about us”:

  “Much of this blog is devoted to an around-the-world sabbatical my wife and I took in 2007. It was written to inspire others to arrange a sabbatical or quit their jobs, pack their bags, and take a trip around the world.”

  Well, obviously your blog is not meant for the likes of me and mine. Frankly, Michael, I don’t think that anyone who could write those words with a straight face has a hope in hell of understanding those of us out here who can’t afford to attend your party, and oppose the entire event as obscenely wasteful. It’s all very Marie Antoinette of you, to be sure, that intro. If only more of us could live in a comfortable world like yours, just for a while.

  For now though, we must continue to demand: “Bread, not circuses!”

  One final note; You want to know what, for me, is the most meaningful, significant legacy of Expo 86? Here it is, via a link to an article that appeared at the time in (oh, the shame of it) a Major Newspaper In A Big Important American City (how annoyed the Expo godlings must have been!). Note that the article is four pages long.

  Some of us still remember him. I wonder if Jim Green does?
  http://articles.latimes.com/1986-04-26/news/mn-2210_1_hotel-owners

  gmgw

• 23 michael geller // Aug 13, 2009 at 6:57 am

  GMGW, you are right. While your comments are somewhat hurtful, I do agree that I don’t fully comprehend what it is like to be poor, whether unemployed or working poor. Although I do get some insights from one of my daughters who works with street kids and sometimes behind the bar in a DTES pub. She’s currently looking for work to pay the rent, and regularly reminds me of what it is like for many others who are unemployed or living with minimum wage jobs.

  I’m the first to admit that I have had a very fortunate life (as an aside, I was not born into a wealthy family…I delivered the Globe and Mail form the age of 10 to 13 early each morning…in Toronto…where’s is cold and snowy!), but do want to pick up on the story you referenced about Olaf Solheim, the 88 year old gentleman who died in the DTES as a result of the disruption to his life caused by EXPO 86.

  I remember that story well, and as I wrote with some sadness on my blog, one failing of both EXPO 86 and the forthcoming Olympics is that neither has had the desired benefit on the quality of life for those in the DTES.

  This is particularly disturbing vis a vis the Olympics since it was a high profile topic on the table. Larry Campbell and Jim Green were both very upfront about their desire to ensure that the negative consequences of EXPO 86 on the DTES community didn’t happen again.

  And in many respects, they haven’t. This is a two week event, not a half year event, and we have not seen evictions from SRO’s to accommodate visitors. Indeed, legislation was put in place to ensure this didn’t happen.

  But for me, one of the greatest tragedies of these Olympics is that they have not fulfilled the promise of a lot more housing in the DTES, jobs for the residents, and an improvement in the physical infrastructure and quality of life.

  As some of you know, when I returned from my sabbatical, I started to devote a lot of time to working with Michael Clague, Milton Wong, Gerry Zipursky, Mike Harcourt, Joe Wai and others in trying to improve living conditions in the area. One of the first things that I did was prepare a paper which highlighted all the housing promises associated with the Olympics. While some progress has been made (I believe the Woodwards Project and the purchase and renovation of the older SRO hotels by the Province was directly attributable to this promise) and to some degree, the creation of StreetoHome was another response, I just cannot believe that we haven’t made more progress in the past few years.

  I walked along Hastings Street earlier this week, looking at ugly, graffiti covered boarded up buildings and could not help but wonder whether there is going to be a last minute effort to improve the appearance of this neighbourhood. Now some will immediately respond the ‘appearance’ of the neighbourhood is not the issue…it’s the poor quality of life for the residents and those on the streets….I know, I know.

  But as an architect, I could not help but also focus on the look of the streets, especially since that is something that we could have done something about. And I am a believer in the ‘broken windows’ theory.

  For 18 months I tried to get local organizations interested in trying to improve the appearance of the place. I thought that we could create jobs for people, power washing and painting and cleaning up garbage. I met with Ann Livingstone of VANDU since she thought there was merit in the idea…I spoke with Wendy Pedersen and others at the Carnegie Centre, and so on…I even ran for City Council in part on a homelessness platform, (the Mayor did a better job of publicizing his motivations) but in the end, I had to quit.

  I found the whole process so upsetting. Because the Olympics ARE A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY to help make some more small improvements in the neighbourhood, and it’s simply not happening.

  So yes gmgw, I may not have a subjective understanding of what it is to be poor, but I thought I had the skills to help improve the lives of many poor people, using the Olympics as a catalyst.

  I proposed relocatable modular housing…which could have been built in time…but it did not proceed because some thought it was too expensive, and the Province couldn’t find the subsidy funding SO QUICKLY!

  I would still love to see a community clean-up project…with local residents paid to help improve their streets…but I will leave it to others if they think it is a good idea. A lot can be done in 6 months when billions of people will be looking at what you have done!

London 2012: designing for legacy

After all the articles and talk yesterday about what would be the legacy of Vancouver's Olympics, I was interested to come across this story about the London 2012 Olympics and its Olympic Park Legacy Company. It seems to me that they have a lot to do given there is just 3 years to go...I mean, is now really the time to be deciding whether it's a 80,000 or 25,000 seat stadium! (although to be fair, it is apparently one third built!) I couldn't help but smile when I read what is proposed for their Olympic Village (see below) From the UK Publication Architectural Journal. By comparison, I think VANOC has done a very good job of getting us ready for the Olympics...the one 'trouble project' the Olympic Village is not being developed by VANOC.

13 August, 2009 | By Andrea Klettner

AJ SPECIAL REPORT: How plans for the Olympic Park are shaping up under legacy chief Baroness Margaret Ford
When London won the 2012 Olympic Games in 2005, its success was based on the promise of a legacy – a new East London providing future-proof housing design, thousands of jobs, improved transport links and new communities.
As former London mayor Ken Livingstone puts it: ‘I only bid because of the regeneration potential, otherwise we could never have justified it. I would like to see allotments set among sports pitches and an area that allows people to walk from Enfield right down to the Thames.’

But with three years until the big event, questions remain about what exactly will happen to the Olympic Park once the Games are over. Just a few weeks into the job and newly appointed legacy chief Baroness Margaret Ford has already torn into the existing post-Games plans to scale down Populous’ 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium into a smaller, 25,000-capacity version. Ford would prefer to keep the arena at its full size, although it is doubtful she will be allowed to force this through without consensus from her board, due to be appointed in September.
While more certain plans exist for the other Olympic venues (see map), there are still large chunks of land in the park masterplan – some designated for temporary infrastructure and venues during the Games – that remain blank in legacy mode. According to one source close to the project, ‘there is a map doing the rounds with big white areas on it that no one knows what to do with yet’.

Olympic Park legacy map
Ford, who heads up the Olympic Park Legacy Company, admits there is still a lot of work to be done on the park’s legacy masterplan, due to be submitted for planning in early 2010. ‘A lot of excellent work has been done in planning the legacy up to this point,’ says Ford. ‘But there should be a greater emphasis on celebrating the sporting legacy we will inherit from the 2012 Games.

‘Just as South Kensington is a destination for museums, the Olympic Park should be a visitor destination for a unique sporting experience – whether you play sport or not,’ adds Ford.

What has been decided is that the park will be divided into five main quarters, each with its own residential areas and community facilities including marinas, schools, nurseries and parklands. According to Markus Appenzeller, design co-ordinator for the Olympic Legacy Masterplan Framework and a director at KCAP Architects, ‘each housing area will have a certain focus, like the family-orientated area in the north’.

Ford places emphasis on the parkland aspect of the site: ‘The Olympic site will be defined in legacy by the use of its parkland. We will inherit one of Europe’s largest urban parks and I want it to be beloved by Londoners in the same way Central Park is in New York.’
Legacy plans for the permanent Olympic venues


Olympic Stadium
Architect Populous
Games mode Host venue with 80,000-seats for opening/closing ceremonies and track and field events
Legacy May become a smaller 25,000-seat venue, or remain at full size
Issues Baroness Ford has questioned the reasoning behind building a half-temporary stadium, especially since the UK is hosting the 2015 rugby World Cup and bidding for the 2018 football World Cup
Certainty of plans 20%

Olympic Village
Architects include Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, CF Møller, Denton Corker Marshall, dRMM, DSDHA, Glenn Howells Architects, Ian Simpson Architects, Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, Make, Niall McLaughlin Architects, Panter Hudspith Architects, Patel Taylor and Piercy Conner
Games mode Home to 17,000 Olympic athletes in 11 residential blocks
Legacy Will be converted into 2,818 apartments, with 1,379 taken on by Triathlon Homes as affordable housing. The rest will be sold to developers for private resale
Issues The Olympic Village is currently owned by the taxpayer, so a value-for-money sale to future developers is essential. The conversion to apartments will take three years to complete
Certainty of plans 50%

184 days to go...and counting!

I have been asked to do an interview on CBC today to discuss my comments in Jim Morris' CP story that appeared yesterday in USA Today, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, and on the CTV website, the Globe and Mail, Toronto Sun, and other publications.

If you didn't read the story, I was asked to comment on the impact of the 2010 Olympics on Vancouver. My first first thought was that the impact would be less than that of EXPO 86. After all, prior to 1986, Vancouver was not really considered a world class city; however, I believe the World's Fair changed that. For the last few years, Vancouver has either topped, or been near the top of the list of the world's most livable cities. I attribute that to the physical changes that were either related to EXPO 86 facilities, or which started after 1986: SkyTrain, the Convention Centre, the redevelopment of the north shore of False Creek, the redevelopment of Coal Harbour and more importantly, a new spirit in the city.

We were asked to invite the world, and we did. 22 million people attended the expo, and despite a deficit of $311 million, or perhaps more, it was considered a tremendous success. It changed our city forever.

In thinking about the possible physical legacies from the 2010 Olympics, I thought of the Olympic Oval Skating facility, which is a very impressive structure. There are facilities at Whistler and Callaghan Valley but I am not as familiar with them. (Although I have read that the sliding facility is essentially a 'refrigerator in the sky' with very significant energy consumption).

In the case of the redevelopment of SouthEast False Creek, that was going to happen anyway. Furthermore, as soon as it became the site for the Olympic Athletes' housing, the complexion of the project changed significantly. It had to be finished on time. As a result, special legal arrangements were put in place which led to the financial problems that have occurred.

While the project is very impressive, (especially in terms of its magnitude as a single phase development), and could well become a delightful place to live....and I hate to be negative...but I am concerned about the potential financial legacy of this project for Vancouver taxpayers. It could well become our 'big owe'.

Since I suspect many will question my judgement when comparing EXPO 86 to the 2010 Olympics, I think it is important to reflect on some of the lasting contributions of this fair. In addition to SkyTrain and Canada Place, we also got the BC Place Stadium, Science world, and the Plaza of Nations (ok, maybe it wasn't such a great legacy!). The floating McDonalds is not on my list!By the way, if you are wondering what happened to the Monorail, it's in Alton Towers, a theme park in UK. The hockey stick is in Duncan, and the world's largest flagpole now greets you when you enter Surrey. Ironically, the Inukshuk which was used in the Northwest Territories pavilion is now a landmark on English Bay beach, and the symbol for the Olympics.

The Coquihalla Highway was another legacy which helped business and tourism throughout the interior of the province.

While highlighting these legacies, I don't want to diminish potential legacies from the upcoming Olympics. We did get an extension of the SkyTrain and an expansion of the Convention Centre. However, both were in the planning works...there's an upgraded road to Whistler, although I for one question whether we needed to spend quite so much on that....like the Olympic Village, I think the scope and cost changed because of the Olympics affiliation.

There will also be many legacies that are not physical. The 2010 Legacies program has been very active, especially around the province. While I don't know a lot about it, from what I have seen, I suspect it will change many people's lives for the better. And I suspect that our athletes will be much more successful than they were in Calgary in 1988 when we didn't win even one gold medal.

Coincidentally, there is one thing that has not benefited from either EXPO 88 or the Olympics...the Downtown Eastside. Former Premier Bill Bennett and others hoped that Expo would help revitalize the DTES. It didn't happen. Similarly, Larry Campbell, Jim Green and others hoped that the Olympics would have a positive effect on the community. This hasn't happened either.

Notwithstanding these comments, I am a supporter of the Olympics and hope to see them further improve the city and province. There is no doubt that our economic health over the past five years has already directly benefitted from the Olympics. While I understand the resentment and negativity of many people towards the Olympics, many of them have already benefitted. I hope they do not try to disrupt the event and spoil the party. Yes, these are tough economic times, but I would rather have a party, than a war, to bring back greater prosperity.

Will Vancouver Olympics leave an iconic venue?

I was interested to read the following story published in USA Today as well as SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. It also appeared on the CTV website and reprinted int the Globe and Mail and other newspapers. As stated, I believe that the legacy of the Olympics will not be as significant as that of Expo 86. More on this later.

By Jim Morris

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The sloping roof of the Saddledome, the venue for ice hockey and figure skating at the 1988 Olympics, is part of Calgary's skyline. Across town, the Olympic Oval remains a breeding ground for some of the world's best speedskaters.

The Bird's Nest, a breathtaking blend of beauty and function, became a symbol of the pride and opulence of last summer's Beijing's Games. Years after the 1994 Lillehammer Games, speedskating records still fall at the Vikingskipet Arena in Hamar, Norway. Its roof resembled an upside down Viking ship.

Hosting an Olympics often leaves an iconic building. Even Olympic Stadium in Montreal -- for good or bad -- remains a reminder of the 1976 Summer Games.

But for the Vancouver Games, which open six months from Wednesday, the closet thing to an Olympic legacy might be the Richmond Oval speedskating facility. The building is less than 10 miles (16 kilometers) outside downtown and will be converted to a recreation complex after the Olympics.

In Vancouver, many of the major venues already existed. The Olympic benefit for citizens may come from a 12-mile (19-kilometer) rapid transit line that connects the airport to downtown and a sparkling new convention center.

Michael Geller, of the Centre for Sustainable Community Development, argues that hosting the 1986 World's Fair -- which started the development of Vancouver's False Creek area -- had a bigger impact on the city than the Olympics will.

"We were already well on our way to becoming a world city," Geller said in a recent interview. "The Olympics, from my point of view, will not be as life-changing for Vancouver as other Olympics have been in other cities."

These Olympics will be held in Vancouver and Whistler, a ski resort more than 70 miles (110 kilometers) north. The organizing committee, known as VANOC, has spent $529 million building new venues or upgrading facilities. All the venues will be used after the Olympics.

Nathalie Lambert, mission chief for Canada's 2010 Games team, said a legacy of usable sports facilities is more important than eye-popping structures that sit idle and rust when the Olympic flame is extinguished.

In China, soot has already dulled the Bird's Nest and paint is starting to peel. The magnificent Water Cube is being converted to a water park and shopping center.

"It's very nice to have the Bird's Nest in China," said Lambert, a short-track speedskater who competed in Calgary "But if you have a stadium you can use for lots of different events, or you can use for sports, that's even better."

The Richmond Oval is part of a facility that will become a community recreation center. Included in the center will be two international-sized rinks that can be used for short-track speedskating. Officials say the infrastructure will remain for speedskating World Cups if the events are financially viable.

The building sits on the banks of the Fraser River, near Vancouver's airport. Large panes of glass that form the entire north wall allow natural light and provide an eye-catching view of the river and the North Shore Mountains.

Chris Rudge, chief executive officer with the Canadian Olympic Committee, said the oval rivals any of Beijing's facilities.

"The outside of the building, the environmental integration into the community and its presence on the river, I think will make it iconic," he said.

Another legacy could be the athletes' village. The waterfront project is mostly funded by the city, but costs have ballooned after financial backers pulled out. The city hopes to recoup the money by selling the housing units after the games.

"It will always be known as the Olympic village, I suspect," Geller said. "Whether it is viewed as a positive legacy or a big owe remains to be seen."

Most of the new construction was in Whistler. Whistler Olympic Park will host cross-country skiing, ski jumping and biathlon. The Whistler Sliding Centre on Blackcomb Mountain will be the site for bobsled, luge and skeleton.

Late last month a lightning strike caused a fire on Blackcomb Mountain, but none of the Olympic venues was threatened.

In Vancouver, the men's and women's gold-medal ice hockey games will be played at the GM Place, the home of the NHL's Canucks. The building will be known as Canada Hockey Place during the games.

Short-track speedskating and figure skating will be at Pacific Coliseum, home of the Vancouver Giants of the minor Western Hockey League.

The fanfare of the opening and closing ceremonies will light up B.C. Place, the home of the Canadian Football League's Lions. A retractable roof will be put on the stadium after the games. Vancouver's Major League Soccer team will begin play there in 2011.

UBC Thunderbird Arena will host men's and women's preliminary ice hockey games. It will become a recreational and high-performance multisport facility.

Curling will be in the Canada Olympic Centre, which will later serve as a multipurpose community recreation building. Freestyle skiing and snowboarding will be at Cypress Mountain on Vancouver's North Shore.

All venues have been tested with international competitions for the last two years.

"The venues are rated as among the best in the world," said John Furlong, VANOC's chief executive officer. "The field of play will be stunning. The television pictures will be stunning."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.