91Èȱ¬

It's a difficult call to cancel being the host 5 years after you were awarded the games. The money spent has been spent, so saying it shouldn't be is a bit late, isn't it? And a bit rude to the IOC, after all?

London's spending is maintaining and creating a lot of jobs in difficult times. If done properly, the games can be a hub for future business actions around the globe. You won't get a bigger more influential group of folks in town from all around the globe like you will in 2012. Make sure we benefit from that........

I have just read your blog and watched the bbc news on the protests in Vanc.What a load of rubbish.I ask of you @ the bbc.How many homeless people was here before Vanc,was awarded the games @ how many moved here knowing they could jump on the gravy train.You also make a big deal about the native people. Do you know how much the native people get from the BC govt,I would wager that they get a lot more than I and others who have worked and paid taxes.I have been here in BC for 34 years I am an expat from Kilburn London and I am not complaining about the games.In years to come they will generate a fortune for this province.

I have lived in BC for 45 years, a relatively prosperous tax-payer, and I bitterly resent the vast expenditures on these games, expenditure which will be of benefit only to the wealthier segments of the skiing fraternity.
The ONLY good thing to come out of this useless charade (which no one will remember two weeks after its conclusion) is the light rail connection from airport to downtown. THIS is what the nearly two billon dollars should have been spent on in other areas crying out for light rail transportation.

As for begging in Vancouver and Victoria: strange how at present I am living in a third world country where poverty is rampant, and yet the only people one sees begging (and they are very few) are the limbless and the occasional single mother. I am not sure why there is so little overt begging (loss of face?), but the absence of it here does tend to suggest that homelessness in affluent BC, where part-time jobs are plentiful (if we are to believe government statitstics), is often a career choice.

British Columbians tend to be more left wing radical and reactionary than the rest of our expansive country.

We also have an extremely warm and mild winter climate, where one can live on the streets and never fear of freezing to death.

There is also a strong professional protest culture here - the city where Greenpeace was founded.

There will be protests, but unlike Beijing, they will be visible, public and in my opinion, as effective as a dog barking at aircraft: Make a lot of noise, but having absolutely no impact on the object of their protests.

I had to smile at a previous comment that we are being "rude" to the IOC by not supporting our Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver! Who are these people but a group of elderly "has-beens" who would be hard pressed to receive, from any other source, the money & attention they gain from being in control of the games? We have heard stories of limos and fancy hotel suites being "demanded" by these officials and the entire expenditure for this event is downright obscene at a time when our school budgets are being slashed and our medical system is fighting for it's life. As for Vanoc (the Vancouver Olympic Committee), it has alienated more and more people as the time has gone on, with it's dictatorial, bullying stance towards local people - even, on occasion, the volunteers who have come forward to help. Vancouver is our particular little piece of heaven and we welcome with pride anyone who cares to visit. We have our problems - certainly - as does any other major city you could name. Our homeless people and our drug addicts have steadily increased over the last 20 years whilst countless governments have stood by and done nothing to help the situation and now we are being asked to finance a sporting event to the tune of billions of dollars. Is there anyone who honestly thinks this can be justified? And, look out London (my birthplace) - it's your turn next!!!

I don't think that is a matter of British Columbians not want to embrace the games but here is a word to VANOC to why we a large majority of British Columbians feel the way we do and it is not because we're a no-fun city and being negative. After talking to a number of people the reasons why a large percentage of British Columbians feel so disillusioned about the upcoming games is the following;

1. We were lied and deceived to about the actual costs. Before Vanoc went ahead and put forth a bit for the games, the actual costs should have been laid out for all the public, debated on and put to all the taxpayers to vote on. This was forced on us without any true discourse and a large percentage of the public feel that they have been disenfranchised. Being at first skeptical about the true cost we now find out the debt burden to this province will be a lot larger than we were originally told and we will be paying for this for the next 20 to 30 years.

2. The way Vanoc and the IOC run things is like we are living in a dictatorial communist state with no say. The IOC demanding limited protest as our 3 levels of governments just sat there and allowed this to happen. Our elected representatives just allowed these IOC foreigners to come into our province and dictate to us what to do. Where are our freedoms of speech? What about our bylaws? For example, our smoking restrictions which the provincial bylaws have rules for the IOC and another one for the rest of us. Typical Canadian attitude to just bend over and take it without question.

3. No financial benefit for the average working person which are stuck working lousy hours with no more pay to support something that the same working person can't even afford to attend. The rich plays well the working man pays. A lot of us are not able to just leave the province like a lot of others are doing and have to put ourselves out for what? The only ones that are benefiting by all of this are the large corporate sponsors. Then after the party is over we are back to my first point that we the taxpayers are stuck holding the bill and told to tighten our belts financially. That is why I can’t get into the spirit of the Olympics.

These are just a few points that come to mind. I am sure Vanoc does not really care what we think as it is obvious to a large part of this province Vanoc really does not care what our opinion is.

Ha. Very interesting perspective. I live in downtown Vancouver, about a ten minute walk from East Hastings where the homeless live, hang, do their deeds. I've lived here for 15 years and as I walk through this section of Vancouver days before the Olympics begin it is exactly the same as it has been since I can remember. The homeless are still there. There's no hiding of them or forcing them to go somewhere else. Same old same old.

Is this the poorest neighbourhood in Canada? Ha. Just try buying a piece of land, a building, or even a condo in the area. It ain't cheap. It is certainly not the poorest postal code in Canada. It's going to cost you millions to by a small plot of land there.

Here's the difference between hastings and main street and other major cities around the world. All the homeless, drug takers, whatnot, live in this one area. They are not spread out in different sections of downtown. In a way, if anyone has ever watched The Wire, we have our own little Amsterdam here. It's pretty much accepted that in this area people take and deal drugs and if they are not affecting others around them then let them be. They aren't bothering me and I live a short walking distance away. And when I walk through this area I don't feel like I am going to be robbed or held up at gunpoint. Most of these people are pretty harmless. Just troubled, looking for a way to be. And this is their little community.

So I wouldn't knock it. Yeah, Vancouver wants everything to be perfect, and you certainly can't hide this area, but every city has homeless. Ours are just congested into one area. And the area is getting smaller as artists and young people move into the area because although it's not cheap, it is cheaper than the rest of vancouver to buy a new condo, which never cease to pop up every other week. There is no bad economy here. The housing market just surpassed it's previous high from back in 2008. So although they are here now, I have no idea where they will be in five or ten years. But for now, they seem to be staying put and I have no problem with it.

As for me, I rented my condo for two weeks to some corporation for $8000. So I am out of here. I just wonder what rent goes for behind the dumpster in the alley behind Main in the poorest postal code in Canada?

My comment is for Mr. Nickerson. I was born and lived in Vancouver for twenty-three years before relocating to London in 2008.

The majority of homeless in Vancouver's downtown east side are semi-permanent residents with limited mobility suffering from drug addiction, mental illness and other social ills. Because Vancouver has mild winters and warm summers many flock to the city simply because they can survive on the streets, while in the rest of Canada this is clearly not the case. Furthermore, I doubt very much that homeless would 'flock' to my home town to 'jump on the gravy train'. Like Jake says, the DTES is still the same as it's always been, it’s an extremely sad sight but still a fairly safe neighbourhood.

Aboriginals in Canada have long suffered persecution and torment through government actions such as residential schools and the banning of key cultural practices such at the potlatch. It was European colonist that decided their culture to be savagely and unacceptable according to contemporary European standards. Today the Canadian government is attempting to repay for past mistakes through things like tax breaks and complimentary university. Even still First Nations are overrepresented in the Canadian prison population and low income families. While you may disagree with these government sanctions First Nation communities will never regain what’s been unlawfully stolen.

While many in Van disagree with the Olympics, primarily arguing that the money should have been used to clean up the DTES this is something that isn't a quick monetary fix. Things such as addiction, prostitution and mental illness, poverty and criminality are not easily curable. If you want to cure social ills you have to get to the root of the problem. Simply put, these problems are incurable- these problems will be with us for years to come. With our post-recession deficit in both Federal and Provincial governments these problems are likely to get worse.

While many are against the Olympics, it's happening so make the best of it.

What a bunch of crap. You can always find nay-sayers at any event. We have a broad selection here in Vancouver: Professional, paid and sincere.
This is a very small percentage of the total population. Most people are out enjoying the atmosphere - there are many free events. As to the homeless, we are no different than most world cities. We have a very warm climate for Canada and attract many people for this reason. Where would you rather be homeless - London or Edinburgh. The Olympics are here - quit your bitching and enjoy them - get a life - Dick

Yo Adrian!!

You and your crew might want to find some better sources when you are looking to profile young Canadian's playing ice hockey. Your news footage actually showed some young girls playing "ringette" - similar game but played with a ring and a stick with no blade. Nice effort though. Come on out to Ally Pally some night and we'll give you a little lesson in the one of the only rinks in London.

Unfortunately, I'm at the mercy of 91Èȱ¬'s mediocre web coverage of Olympic sports as I presently live in this great city of London as a Canadian expat.

I'm confident that the 2012 Olympics will be a resounding success for London. The UK being such a fine place to live and raise a family with hardly any social issues to comment on. I'm pretty sure that you are also leading the charts with the biggest budget deficit per GDP (around 14.5%)of the G20. London's Olympic budget should be right on track with the prudent fiscal policies employed here.

Go Brittania!! - let's see if this country of almost 60 million can medal again.