What's New

As the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games approach, Vancouver and Whistler have entered the final stages of their boom-time frenzy. Tens of millions of dollars have been poured into new construction (including Olympic venues) and infrastructure.

Vancouver

Parts of Vancouver are torn up for the construction of Canada Line, a new light-rail hookup from Vancouver International Airport. When it begins operation in November 2009, visitors will be able to board the train at the airport and arrive downtown or in Yaletown in 22 minutes.

US Airways has introduced a new summer-only nonstop flight between Philadelphia and Vancouver. Service runs from June through August.

Accommodations -- The Four Seasons Hotel has begun a top-to-bottom refurbishment. The first stage was the hotel's lobby with its new bar/lounge/restaurant hot spot, Yew.

Vancouver's newest hotel, the Loden Vancouver, delayed its anticipated opening (in 2007) until October 2008. Located at Melville and Bute streets in downtown Vancouver, the 130-room luxury boutique hotel features a fitness center, spa, restaurant, and guest rooms with 42-inch flat-panel TVs, DVD players, iPod docking stations, cordless speaker phones, and Wi-Fi.

Dining -- Vancouver's dining scene remains as volatile as ever, full of soap (soup?) operish twists and turns. Alberni Street, right downtown behind the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, has become a new haute spot with the arrival of Italian Kitchen, 1037 Alberni St. (tel. 604/687-2858), the new culinary brainchild of the Glowbal Restaurant Group. The inexpensive and quickly served lunches draw in a huge downtown office crowd, and at night Italian Kitchen fills up with a high-energy glamorama scene that feasts on the sumptuous trattoria-style food.

One of the biggest surprises in 2008 was the departure of star chef Rob Feenie from Lumière, the star West Side restaurant he put on the map. So in case you're wondering why this famed culinary haute spot is no longer in the guide, it's because Feenie is gone and as of press time there was talk of rebranding the restaurant with a new celebrity chef.

Attractions & Sightseeing -- The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, 639 Hornby St. (tel. 604/682-3455), which opened in May 2008, showcases works by coastal aboriginal artists with a special focus on Bill Reid, the best-known and most honored First Nationals artist in Canada. The new museum-gallery occupies a central downtown location just a block from the Vancouver Art Gallery.

The UBC Museum of Anthropology, one of Canada's foremost museums and renowned for its Northwest Coast collections, has embarked upon a major expansion that will increase its size by 50% by 2009. Plans for the Renewal Project include new exhibit galleries, visitor amenities, and state-of-the-art educational and public programming spaces. Obviously they are going to have to work on their security systems, too, because in May 2008, thieves made off with a dozen of Bill Reid's exquisite small gold sculptures.

Victoria

In June 2008, United Airlines began new non-stop, direct service to Victoria, BC (YYJ) from San Francisco (SFO). For more information go to www.united.com.

Delta Airlines now offers a direct flight to Victoria from Salt Lake City. Connecting flights from other destinations include Los Angeles, Phoenix, Miami, and others. For schedules and fares visit www.delta.com.

Whistler

Construction is underway on the world's longest peak-to-peak gondola, which will connect Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. No surprise: The work will be completed in time for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

In preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Sea-to-Sky Highway (Hwy. 99) is being given a complete overhaul, and work will continue through 2009. To find out about potential delays due to construction, call tel. 877/474-3399 (toll-free in Canada) or 604/660-1008, or visit www.seatoskyimprovements.ca.

Tofino

In May 2008, Kenmore Air Express began regular flights to Tofino-Ucluelet from Seattle's Boeing Field. This is the only scheduled service from the United States. Due to the remote location and unpredictable weather conditions that often affect Tofino's airport, Kenmore guarantees its service to the area by ground transportation if necessary from the nearest point to which they fly (typically Nanaimo or Qualicum Beach). For more information visit www.kenmoreair.com.

The 2010 Winter Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games

The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. These cities will also host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. If you hope to attend the 2010 Winter Games, preplanning is essential.

For information on the Games, contact Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee, #202-1002 Lynham Rd., Whistler, BC V0N 1B1 (tel. 866/932-2010 or 604/932-2010; www.vancouver2010.com).

Events in Whistler -- Alpine skiing (downhill, super G, giant slalom, slalom, combined); Nordic skiing (biathlon, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined); sliding (bobsleigh, luge, skeleton); Alpine skiing (Paralympic); biathlon (Paralympic); cross-Country skiing.

Events will take place in three major competition venues: Alpine skiing on Whistler Mountain's Creekside runs; bobsled, luge, and skeleton at the new Sliding Centre on Blackcomb Mountain; and Nordic, biathlon, and ski jumping at newly developed facilities (including two ski jumps, 14km/9 miles of competition trails, a day lodge, and two 12,000-seat stadiums) in Callahan Valley, about 10km (6 miles) southwest of Whistler.

The Whistler Olympic and Paralympic Village site is located within the Cheakamus Valley, near the so-called "Function Junction" at the western entrance to Whistler. A short shuttle ride will take athletes to the heart of Whistler Village and the nightly outdoor medal ceremonies at the Whistler Celebration Plaza. The Paralympic Closing Ceremony will also be presented at this site.

Events in Vancouver -- Skiing (freestyle, snowboard); skating (speed, figure, pairs, ice dancing); curling (men/women's, wheelchair); ice hockey; ice sledge hockey.

Events will take place in six different venues: General Motors Place in downtown Vancouver (ice hockey); Hillcrest/Nat Bailey Park in central Vancouver near Queen Elizabeth Park (curling); Pacific Coliseum in Hastings Park, 15 minutes from downtown (figure skating); UBC Winter Sports Centre at the University of British Columbia on Vancouver's West Side (ice hockey, ice sledge hockey); Richmond Oval in Richmond, on the banks of the Fraser River about 25 minutes from downtown (speed skating); and Cypress Mountain in West Vancouver (freestyle and snowboard skiing).

Tickets -- In October 2008, 1.6 million tickets for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games went on sale; 250,000 Paralympic Winter Games tickets will be available in 2009. However, the process for buying these tickets is anything but straightforward. The Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee website at www.vancouver2010.com is the best source of general information regarding tickets. If you are interested in attending the 2010 Winter Games, it is imperative to sign up at this website to receive ticket updates and announcements as they are made available. However, only Canadian citizens can buy tickets through the official website. Non-Canadian residents must purchase tickets through the authorized sales agent for their respective National Olympic Committee. For example, U.S. citizens will purchase tickets to the 2010 Winter Games through Jet Set Sports, P.O. Box 366, Far Hills, NJ 07931 (tel. 908/766-1001; fax 908/766-4646; www.jetsetsports.com), the authorized ticket sales agent of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

The ticket-buying process will be staged in phases. In some cases, lotteries will be held to distribute tickets fairly to events where demand for tickets exceeds supply. You want to see figure skating? How about settling for a ticket for curling? The starting price for events tickets is C$25 (£13), and half of all tickets are priced at C$100 (£50) or less.

Buyers should be aware that tickets bought from any unauthorized source may not be valid and may not be accepted for entry to 2010 Winter Olympic Games venues.

Accommodations -- Nearly all the hotels, condos, inns, and other lodging options in Whistler have been asked to hold their rooms until all the groups that fall under the responsibility of the 2010 Organization Committee have secured lodging. These include members of the International Olympic Committee, the National Olympic Committees of participating nations, International Sport Federations, international and domestic corporate sponsors, international and domestic news media, athletes' families, team coaches, support personnel, and security. At press time, it was impossible to know how many rooms in Whistler will remain for spectators after the bigwigs, officials, media, and family take their cut (it's estimated that this group will require about 5,000 beds), but most of the hoteliers expect that few rooms will remain for the average tourist. In fact, there are rumors that cruise ships may be docked at Squamish in Howe Sound (60km/37 miles from Whistler), acting as hotels for stragglers. If you are hoping to stay in Whistler during the Olympics, you'll need to bird-dog the various hotel websites and to monitor the official Olympics website at www.vancouver2010.com.

Once the unreserved rooms in Whistler are released, a huge surge of demand will drive up prices. Be very wary of using your credit card to purchase room reservations from unfamiliar sources -- there is already a lot of fraud surrounding Internet ticket and reservation sales for Olympic events and services.

Transportation -- While the Games are on, nearly all transportation to, from, and within Whistler will be on public transport buses. Of course, the official line is that use of buses reduces impact on the environment, but the real reason has more to do with reducing traffic gridlock and enhancing security.

Special Events in Vancouver -- If you can't visit Whistler during the Games, there will be special Olympics-related events in Vancouver to enjoy. Planning continues on a number of "Live Sites," including one at David Lam Park and another on Georgia Street. During the Olympic period, these alcohol-free sites will feature free main stage entertainment, giant broadcast screens, local artists, and the opportunity to mingle with guests and athletes from around the world.