As the 2010 Winter Olympics quickly approach, we are witnessing the cities of Vancouver and Whistler becoming a heavily policed space where movements and actions are strictly controlled, where rights and civil liberties for people are being taken away.  In addition, many residents are becoming increasingly concerned about the impacts of the Games on the environment and the massive debt load that will be undertaken by B.C. residents and taxpayers once the BIG PARTY is all over.

Slippery Slope for the "Greenest" Games Ever!

Unfortunately, Whistler has received the bulk of the environmental destruction and removal of pristine areas to host the 2010 Winter Olympics, including the clearing of the Village Forest (for the Whistler Medals Plaza), the clearing of the red-listed Nesters Wetlands (for the new hydrogen refuleing station), the loss of over 100,000 old-growth tress and grizzly bear habitat (for the Nordic legacy trails in the Callaghan Valley), and the loss of wetlands, rare frog species and an increase in roadkill to expand the Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler.


Here are a few examples of the "legacies" we've lost:

NESTERS WETLANDS/HYDROGEN STATION In the summer of 2008, the rare, red-listed Nesters Wetland located north of Whistler Village, was cleared to house the new Whistler Transit Facility and the "experimental" Hydrogen Highway refueling station. No community input. VILLAGE FOREST/CELEBRATION PLAZA Over 800 trees were cut in the heart of the village for a "temporary" medals plaza for the 2010 Olympics.  Long term plans are for the site to be used as a public outdoor 'meeting' space. In a town where the village itself already serves the purpose of meeting space, and where forests are valued, more could be done to make the forest itself a wonderful place for locals and tourists to meet without having to clear the entire lot. HIGHWAY 99 CONSTRUCTION Construction or Destruction? The amount of trees lost to widen the highway is very significant, but more importantly, several sensitive ecosystems have simply been lost.  Have you noticed the highway being re-aligned right through a wetland?  Other sensitive areas like Eagle Ridge Bluffs have also been compromised. All this destruction for the 2010 Games so we can showcase to the world how "green" we are? If you build more roads, they will come! CALLAGHAN VALLEY/WHISTLER OLYMPIC PARK Again thousands of trees lost, lots of sensitive ecosystems compromised. Now that the area has been set aside for development, the pressures on the site will continue to mount. Post 2010 games, there will be added pressure on the development group to ensure the economic viability of operating the venues. An application by local First Nations for another golf course in the Callaghan is just one example of upcoming ecosystem threats. RE-ALIGNMENT OF CREEKSIDE DOWNHILL COURSE In preparation for the 2010 Games, the Dave Murray Downhill run in Creekside was re-aligned. Site construction was done beyond what local biologists consider "safe." The new course will likely lead to a build up of sediment in the creeks, which will be detrimental to the surrounding habitat and animals.   2010 OLYMPICS SECURiTY Security for the  2010 Winter Olympics will cost Canadian taxpayers at least $1 billion. Whistler alone, will see approx. 1,700 private security personnel, 1,600 Canadian Army personnel and hundreds of RCMP officers from across Canada. The Olympics will be the LARGEST military and security exercise ever conducted on Canadian soil. Local residents have seen their freedoms and rights impeded and movement restricted (whether they realize it or not).

Olympic Greenwash

• Greenest Games Ever? How can these games be "green" when everything green has been destroyed? For example, the new Nesters transit station will house the Hydrogen re-fueling station, so Whistler can showcase the Hydrogen Highway during the games (anyone hear of the Hindenberg disaster?) This despite the fact that Hydrogen is years away from being environmentally friendly, since it creates a great deal of carbon in it's creation and is a by-product of burning gasoline (A FOSSIL FUEL).  The hydrogen in question will be trucked from Eastern Canada by train. How sustainable is that? Now we learn that 400 Army personnel will be stationed on the wetlands during the Games.
   
• Municipal Mismanagement: The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) prides itself on its stance on environmental sustainability.  However, they cleared Lot 1/9, voted to support the destruction of the BC Hydro Wetlands, and have not yet implemented their own environmental mapping system despite the fact that it was created many years ago. The RMOW recently cleared another wetland near Spruce Grove with zero public input, and generally continue to ignore their own rules where they decide they don't fit.
  
  Whistler council also voted to give VANOC a tax break on Olympic venues for five years claiming that VANOC was a "philanthropic organization." Yet.... you can't undertake a Freedom of Information on any of the Olympics' financial documents because VANOC is considered a "PRIVATE" company - funded by taxpayers' money.