2010 Updates -

There is a 50" TV at the Seniors Centre (AML "Community Living Room") at Britannia for watching 2010 Paralympics events.

Britannia Arena
Olympics 2010 Training Site
January 27–March 5, 2010
Frequently Asked Questions

How will programs be affected during the Olympics?
There will be minimal impacts.

1. The library, schools, daycares, pool, and fitness centre will all be open, and all Britannia programs will be running as usual (unless instructors are affected by traffic and cannot get to the site, or if there are disruptions on site such as fans celebrating a Canada gold medal win or threats of violence).
2. Since the rink will be inaccessible, there will be no skating programs.
3. As well, on site in February, Britannia will be hosting two public festivals — a Water Festival on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons, and the Talking Stick Festival. Both are open to the community.

What security measures will be in place at the Britannia site?
The only security measures on the Britannia site will be in and around the periphery of the Arena, and nowhere else. These measures include:

1. 12-foot perimeter intruder-detection fencing around the Arena, an area which will include half the Britannia parking lot;
2. A personal-screening device for people entering the Arena;
3. Video monitoring along the fence line;
4. Traffic barricades to alter traffic flow in the lanes adjacent to the Arena;
5. VISU personnel presence around the perimeter.

What will the traffic impacts be around the area? See Map
There will be modifications to traffic flow (including arterial roads around Grandview-Woodland), and there will also be parking restrictions on Venables and on Cotton.

1. Access to the lanes adjacent to the Arena will be limited to delivery trucks. Also, the lanes will be one-way.
2. There will be no parking on Cotton south of Venables.
3. There will be no parking on Venables east or west of Cotton.
4. The Georgia Viaduct will be closed.
5. Broadway from Arbutus to Commercial, and Hastings Street from Seymour to Boundary, will each have a designated Olympic lane reserved for transit and Olympic vehicles. In these Olympic lanes, there will be no parking or stopping.

When will the security and traffic measures begin and end?
VANOC begins its period of “exclusive use” of the Arena on January 27th and Britannia regains use on March 5th.

How will I get more information about what is going on at Britannia?
Call us at 604-718-5800, visit the Britannia Information Centre at 1661 Napier Street, visit our Web site www.britanniacentre.org, join our Britannia Community Services Centre Facebook group, or e-mail info@britanniacentre.org.
If you have any pertinent information, please share it with us!

Britannia Arena
Olympics 2010 Training Site
January 27–March 5, 2010
Frequently Asked Questions

Will there be program disruptions during the Olympics?
No. Except for skating programs, we do not expect any program disruptions. All recreation, arts, and education programs will be scheduled as normal. The library, schools, and day cares will remain open with regular hours.

Will security checks be required to go onto the Britannia site?
No. Personal security checks will be required only for individuals entering the “exclusive use” area around the Arena. There will be a screening station outside the main entrance to the Arena. Spectators, media, and family and friends of the teams will require a security check to enter the Arena.

What are the road closures in the area?
There will be no road closures. Access to the lane off Commercial Drive south of Venables Street will be blocked. There will be modifications to traffic flow and parking restrictions on Venables and Cotton. There will be limited access to the lanes adjacent to the Arena. Traffic will be limited to delivery trucks servicing businesses in the area.

Will the parking lot be closed to regular users?
Some areas of parking lot will be closed off to regular users, resulting in a loss of approximately 50% of the lot. Access to the lot will be through Woodland Drive. The school will make the gravel field on the south side of the Britannia site, facing William Street, available for on-site staff parking.

Will youth and children be able to watch Olympic hockey teams practice?
Yes. Britannia along with VANOC will work with the schools in the Grandview Woodland and Strathcona catchment areas to coordinate small group access.

What will happen if there are disruptions on site?
The Board will be working with community groups to ensure that programming will not be affected and Britannia facilities will remain open. In the case of critical incidents, site partners will follow protocol for securing buildings to keep our patrons and students safe.

How will I get information about what is going on at Britannia?
We would also like you to share information with us. Call us at 604-718-5800, visit the Information Centre, our Britannia Community Services Centre Facebook group, through www.britanniacentre.org or email info@britanniacentre.org.

Dear Neighbours,

Britannia Community Services Centre Society is always a hub of activity, including outdoor concerts and sporting events, youth music gatherings, activist action, and much more. We hear from a few of our neighbours, particularly during the summer months, regarding their concerns about amplified music and various noise coming from Grandview Park, the running oval, and other parts of the Britannia site.

As you know, we will be hosting international hockey teams as an Olympic Training Venue in 2010. We are writing to inform you of upcoming activities that may have an immediate impact on you, and to begin a dialogue to address issues that may arise for you in the period surrounding the Olympics.  From January 28th to March 5th, 2010, VANOC will have “exclusive use” of a portion of the Britannia Centre site; this will include the Ice Arena and 45% of the Centre’s parking lot. In order to mitigate parking issues for staff, students, and patrons of Britannia we will make the gravel field, on the south edge of the site and adjacent to William Street, available for parking.

This will mean an increase in traffic along Charles, William, Cotton, Woodland, and other streets. We are working with our staff, teachers, instructors, students, and patrons to use alternate transportation such as car-pooling, public transit, and, where possible, telecommuting. We are aware that as our immediate neighbours, you may be unduly inconvenienced, and we would like to work with you to minimize any problems that may arise.

Our partnership with the City of Vancouver and VANOC is providing tangible improvements — in our available programming space, better ice rink facilities, and new rental skates for the community — and in non-tangibles such as raising our profile at the City and thus potentially putting us in line for funding to do some major site renewal in the next few years.

Events and festivities will always be a part of the unique and interesting characteristic of our Britannia community. We invite you to meet with us to discuss your concerns and ideas. We are hosting two Open Houses to meet with our immediate neighbours and to develop an understanding of what strategies will work best for our neighbourhood in the period surrounding and including the Olympics.

If you are unable to attend either of these events but would like to express your opinions, please feel free to contact our Executive Director, Cynthia Low either at 604-718-5815 or by email at cynthia.low@vancouver.ca

Sincerely,

Ray Gallagher                                                   Penny Street
President                                                         Vice President
Board of Management