Vancouver Park Board Endorses Involvement in the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Paralympic Winter Games

April 9, 2002 - The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation at its regularly scheduled meeting last night endorsed the Board's involvement in the development of venues for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and Paralympic Winter Games Bid. The International Olympic Committee will select the host city for the 2010 games in July 2003.

Should Vancouver be awarded the 2010 Winter Olympics, two major parks could serve as Olympic venues:

• Figure skating and short track skating at Hastings Park; and
• Curling at Hillcrest/Nat Bailey Stadium Park.

There is also a possibility that two additional community ice rinks will be upgraded to provide practice space for Olympic ice sports. The locations of those two rinks have not been determined.

In endorsing other aspects of Vancouver's bid, the Board also supported the City's request that the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation work with community members to conduct a complete community impact study with recommendations to minimize the negative effects and to maximize the opportunities of hosting the 2010 Olympic Games.

For further information please contact Peter Cech, Communications Manager 604-257-8699.