City underwhelmed by Olympic rental-licence applications

The city was expecting upwards of 1,000 Vancouverites to apply for a business licence that allows legal home rentals during the Olympics.

But three months after the by-law was passed, only 13 people have coughed up the $106 fee for the business licence.

Celine Mauboules, housing policy planner, acknowledges the applications are low and says the city is trying to spread the word through brochures and postings on Craigslist so that would-be landlords are aware of the by-law.

“We think there will be a bit of a lull; it’s summer, it’s vacation time. We think come fall, there will be a bit of a pick-up as people think about what they want to do come Games time,” she said.

The by-law was put in place in April to allow more temporary rentals during the 2010 Games. Prior to passing the by-law, the city did not allow rentals of fewer than 30 days in residential districts.

Under the new by-law, anyone renting out two or more rooms must apply for the business licence. Those renting out an entire suite or house must also apply.

However, those who took on tenants after June 1 are ineligible for the licence, in a measure designed to prevent landlords from evicting long-term tenants in order to cash in on Olympic gold.

The city has set up a tenant registry so people can register their names if they signed a lease after June 1. So far, 87 tenants have registered their names.

But other than cross-referencing addresses on the tenant registry, city hall has few tools to catch those illegally evicting tenants.

It’s also impossible to ensure that every single homeowner who intends to rent out space during the Olympics has applied for the licence.

“We are doing some pro-active things. We put a posting on Craigslist about the new city by-law. But it’s how all city by-laws are enforced. We don’t typically have the ability to go knocking on doors so a lot of it is done on a complaint-driven basis,” said Mauboules.

A city report estimates that of the 350,000 ticketed spectators, 60 per cent will be from outside the Lower Mainland.

The Olympic Mascots

With the recent unveiling of Vancouver's 2010 Olympic Mascots, children squealed in delight, critics complained about intent of purpose, and the general public everywhere expressed a common query -"The Olympics have mascots?" The Mascots for the Vancouver games were unveiled quite a while ago now but I have to say that stand up rather well after having a few months to sink in. Their cute and non threatening and manage to be appealing with being overly cutesy. They certainly hold there own when compared olympic mascots of the past games. I really think that they are cute. We were at Mackin Park in Coquitlam for the Maillardville Celebration and the 3 2010 Mascots came strolling into the park. All of the children were gathering around the olympic mascots. My 2 year old son went up to Quatchi and gave him a high-five. All the kids loved them and I think they are adorable. I actually beleive that the 2010 Mascot Souvenir's collectibles are going to be a hit

The 2010 Winter Olympics Mascott's

The 2010 Winter Olympic Mascots and how they came to be :

Miga the Sea Bear : Miga is a snowboarding sea bear inspired by the legends of the Pacific Northwest First Nations tales of orca whales that transform into bears when they arrive on land. Part Spirit Bear, a rare white bear unique to BC, Miga's outgoing spirit and high energy draw her to action and adventure.
Quatchi the Sasquatch : Quatchi, a shy and gentle giant, is a Sasquatch; a popular figure in local native legends of the Pacific West Coast. The sasquatch reminds us of the mystery and wonder that exists in the natural world. Although Quatchi loves all winter sports, he's especially fond of hockey and dreams of becoming a world-famous goalie.
Sumi the Thunderbird : Sumi is an animal spirit who wears the hat of the orca whale, flies with the wings of the mighty thunderbird and runs on the furry legs of the black bear. With a name that is derived from the Salish word sumesh meaning guardian spirit, Sumi is passionate about the environment and is a fan of all Paralympic sports.
Mukmuk the Marmot : Mukmuk is a small and friendly Vancouver Island marmot who always supports and cheers loudly for his friends during games and races. Mukmuk, the mascot sidekick, is considered an honourary member of the team and enjoys surprising his friends by popping up on occasion to share in the spirit and fun of the Games. Mukmuk gets his name from the word muckamuck, Chinook jargon for food, because he loves to eat when he's not playing with his mascot friends.

I am really in love with the 2010 Olympic Mascots, they are so cute , and no doubt their souvenirs and products will become collectibles.

Hotels and Accomodations for the Olympics

In today’s marketplace, master planned condo and townhome communities have propped up throughout the Lower Mainland. Therefore, as a visitor, you may gain access to many popular community amenities that should be included with your stay. A fully furnished 2010 Vancouver rental apartment or condo should also include access to secure parking. Most condo parking is in underground parkades, while other townhomes have direct access garages. If you plan on driving, make sure that your booking of the best 2010 Vancouver furnished rentals comes with parking. Also, how far away is your rental home from all the community amenities and conveniences? If you are looking to do some grocery shopping or go to the gym, make sure that the Vancouver 2010 rental accommodation is close by and within walking distance to everything you need to do on a daily or weekly basis. You don’t want to be driving or taking the bus everywhere. In many cases, new condominium high-rise towers and townhome communities come equipped with fitness rooms, yoga and aerobics studios and even swimming pools. Your furnished 2010 Vancouver rental accommodation and rental apartments should allow you to use these building amenities free of charge. In addition, many communities where you will find furnished 2010 rentals will also have clubhouse lounges with entertainment style seating, media rooms with big screen TVs in addition to billiards tables and sometimes even saunas and steam rooms. Whatever you are looking for, a furnished 2010 Vancouver rental apartment or home should feel right and be centrally located to amenities that provide you the best holiday ever.
Vancouver and its surrounding areas are popular tourist destinations offering a variety of accommodation options. The 2010 Winter Games are the largest event the region has hosted, with many visitors wishing to come to Vancouver and Whistler to experience the Games and the area.
With the Games less than a year away, demand for rooms by groups and individual spectators is very high. Finding accommodation located in close proximity to Games venues — such as in Richmond and downtown Vancouver — will be challenging. Based on patterns observed at previous Olympic Games, however, some hotel properties may offer rooms closer to Games-time. In Whistler, non-hotel inventory such as condos and townhomes are currently available.
You may also want to check out a service like HotelPlanner.com Hotel Planner offers guaranteed best group hotel room rates.

COUNTDOWN TO OLYMPICS

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The countdown has begun! With over 5,000 competitors from over 80 different countries, the Vancouver Winter Olympics 2010 are an assured blitz of icy events with euphoric victories.

The Canadian city of Vancouver is home to the Winter Olympics 2010 and of course, the Paralympic Winter Games. It's expected to be one of the most riveting yet, with all alpine skiing and sliding events taking place at the world-renowned resort of Whistler; down the beautiful Blackcomb Mountain and throughout the stylish Creekside Village.

From February 12th 2010, the 21st Winter Olympics will finally open its doors and for over a month, Vancouver will erupt with light and euphoria; bringing in millions upon millions of viewers from all over the world.

Winter Olympics 2010 Events
Over the 16 days of events, there'll be 15 different winter sports all clambering for your attention. With such an exciting range on offer, there isn't a single event you'll want to miss!

• Alpine skiing: one of the most popular events - from Downhill to Slalom at over 130km/h!
• Biathlon: the intriguing two tests of cross country skiing and rifle shooting.
• Bobsleigh: the thrilling ice track sport famed for split-second finishes.
• Cross-country skiing: sprints, relays and pursuits ensure a packed, exciting schedule.
• Curling: strangely hypnotic, this curious, team-based ice sport is over 500 years old.

• Figure skating: choreography and timing are the keys to this rhythmic event.
• Freestyle skiing: aerial aesthetics, difficult moguls and exciting Ski Cross aplenty!
• Ice hockey: blink and you'll miss it - as frantic and electrifying as winter sports get.
• Luge: inch-perfect body positions are essential in this unique sledding race.
• Nordic combined: joining the Nordic sports of jumping, free-styling and racing together.

• Short-track speed skating: tight corners make it difficult to stay in control.
• Speed skating: the fastest human powered, non-mechanical aided sport in the world.
• Skeleton: crucial sprint starts feature in this frighteningly fast stomach-sledding sport.
• Ski jumping: launching at speed, keeping your posture and landing it perfectly.
• Snowboarding: the coolest sport at the Olympics is a crowd-favourite and sure to dazzle.


Paralympics Winter Games
Vancouver 2010 will also be followed by the tenth Paralympics Winter Games which will take place for ten days from March 10th to 21st. The events include Alpine Skiing, the Biathlon and Wheelchair Curling which each offer enough differences to make them just as exciting and tense as the standard games. In fact, some of the events are intriguing enough to offer more thrills. Ice Sledge Hockey for example, could potentially be the most fascinating event of the whole Olympics, with players duelling for the puck in specially-designed sleds.

Countdown to the Winter Olympics 2010
With all the work needed to make the Winter Olympics 2010 really work successfully, around 25,000 volunteers are needed to help stage the games. That shows just how huge this event is going to be and not only that, but 10,000 media members are expected to be accredited to get the absolute maximum coverage possible.

It's going to be a landmark for the country as Canada hasn't hosted the games since 1988. With the buzz surrounding Vancouver 2010, it seems like the perfect city to stage such a fantastic event.

Buying Olympics Tickets Online

Image by buzz.bishop via Flickr

Q; Why should I buy my Winter Olympics tickets online?

A - Our website offers the cheapest Winter Olympics tickets, and we also offer you additional information about Winter Olympics so that you may be sure you are purchasing the right tickets. We know how important it is for you to see the exact places your seats will be that’s why we have a map of the venue where the Winter Olympics will be held. You can browse it and make the best choice conveniently staying at home, without the fuss and queues that usually come with the purchase of Winter Olympics tickets.

Q; I am in a dire need of tickets for this game. Do you offer any discount on these?

A - All the tickets on 2010-Tickets are already discounted. You can also get extra discount by using our discount codes. They give you an instant discount. So grab the cheapest Winter Olympics tickets we provide for you and enjoy what may be the game of the season!