Jamie25

Holy jumpin toledo, that is bad. This whole thing is spiraling out of control, much like the Canucks season is

NBC and the Today Show will broadcast live from the Community Center at the new Olympic Village

Now the Porn Industry wants a $ 5 billion bailout too

I need Britney Spears tix

northwest2k, check your PMs, Inbox is Full

Montreal has withdrawn their MLS bid. Confirmed by multiple sources including Sportsnet. Judging by the comments below, it doesn't look like Vancouver's chances look very bright as the MLS seems to want to focus on the U.S. Montreal obviously saw this coming. Do we see a coup by Ottawa? Too bad Lenarduzzi. Thanks for getting the whole City pumped up about your glorious Waterfront Stadium for an MLS franchise that won't happen now, including work on the Retractable Roof... http://iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/22/spor...-MLS-Garber.php Montreal drops out of MLS expansion race The Associated Press Published: November 22, 2008 LOS ANGELES: Montreal withdrew its bid for a MLS expansion team, commissioner Don Garber said Friday in his state-of-the-league address. "They're out for the next round of expansion," Garber said. "I don't think it's gone forever but it's gone for now." Other cities bidding for expansion teams are Atlanta, Miami, St. Louis, Vancouver, Ottawa and Portland, Ore. Representatives from Miami, Portland, Vancouver and Ottawa met with member of the MLS board this week, Garber said. Seattle will join the league next year, followed by Philadelphia in 2010. Garber said that Montreal's delegation — led by Joey Saputo and George Gillett, who owns Liverpool FC in England's Premier League and the NHL's Montreal Canadiens — had informed him within the past week of possible trouble. "Montreal has had to evaluate what kinds of private capital they needed to refinance their stadium to fund the expansion fee, and what kind of public support would be available," Garber said. "I'm not sure they were able to come to terms in this economic environment." Among the presentations made during the week, "Ottawa blew us away," Garber said. "They do give a very focused plan as to where they'd build the stadium. Their presentation was not just about how they were going to build the stadium but how they were going to build the sport." Garber called Vancouver's presentation "one of the best I've ever seen, and I was involved in sports expansion in (the NFL)," he said. But the commissioner added that expanding into Canada might jeopardize the growth of the sport in the United States. "We don't have a lot of commercial businesses in Canada today," Garber said of league sponsorships. "The more teams we add there, the more it takes away out from growing our footprint and our television ratings in the United States." The commissioner also said he was intrigued by the bids from Portland and Miami, which is being led by FC Barcelona. The Miami Fusion played in MLS from 1998 to 2001 before disbanding. "If we go back to Miami, we'd better be sure we get it right," Garber said. "Barcelona could make investments in lots of different countries. But they believe in this country and in developing the sport here." Garber said the possibility of having a potential rivalry between Portland, Seattle and Vancouver was intriguing. "We believe in this conference-rivalry concept," he said. In other news, Garber said that the reserve division would be eliminated and each team would be able to carry 18, 19 or 20 senior players on its roster. Teams could have many as four developmental players. No new quota on international players was announced. Elsewhere, each team will play a 30-game schedule in 2009. Each team will play every other team in a home-and-away format, with two extra games against close conference rivals. For the playoffs, the top two teams from each conference will qualify automatically, followed by four teams with the best records regardless of conference.

From the City: Hello everyone, This is just a quick notice to let those interested in the developments of the NEFC High Level Review know that there is another Open House opportunity to view the BC Place model and drawings for their application to amend the Official Development Plan (ODP) for False Creek North (FCN). The open house is today, from 4-7pm at the Central Library in the Promenade (Main entry mall). Please feel free to stop in and view the drawings and model. Just to let you know, it is the same set of information that was on display at the Stadium on August 26th and 28th, and at the Roundhouse last Saturday, but if you or someone that you know has yet to view the material please pass on this notice. PUBLIC HEARING THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2008: 7:30PM. Also, we are rapidly approaching the scheduled date for the FCN ODP amendment Public Hearing. On Thursday, October the 16th, commencing at 7:30pm, in the Council Chambers, on the third floor of City Hall, Council will be listening to residents' concerns or comments regarding the Province's application to amend the FCN ODP to allow 1.4 million square feet of development capacity to their residual sites (a minimum of 700 thousand of which would be non-residential). Please view the staff report to Council regarding this issue either at the NEFC (Northeast False Creek) website at vancouver.ca/nefc or directly at the following link http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/200809...ocuments/p6.pdf.

I do agree that the Swangard rumours are making the Government think twice. But expansion of Swangard could still happen. Say Aquilini beats out Kerfoot for the MLS team. Kerfoot doesn't exactly have the MLS bid in the bag. What if the Expansion fee is upped and Kerfoot pulls out? Even if Rezoning is approved, Pavco and Marathon still have to come to an agreement and that is a complex process. Contrary to popular opinion, as much as Whitecaps supporters think it's the case, the MLS bid and the Retractable Roof are two different issues that don't depend on the other to happen. The Retractable Roof is not contingent on the MLS bid and vice versa. They are mutually exclusive. The BC Lions and Whitecaps are tenants in BC Place. They don't own that Stadium and aren't in a position to make demands to Pavco about improvements, though I'm sure they've been consulted. It's quite likely the Lions and Whitecaps could play in BC Place under a dome in the future, albeit with new panels. If you want an example of how good things can fall apart, look at ledcor pulling out of Ritz Carlton. Things can go sour at the last minute. Another thing that can go wrong, even when people do their best to make sure things go right, is the Flame blowing up inside BC Place.

We should hang our heads in shame. Oh yes, and we host the Olympics next? What if we don't win any medals in Beijing? In 1976 in Montreal I recall we won 11 medals, 5 silver and 6 bronze, NO gold. I remember Greg Joy

they'll be another firey explosion inside BC Place on February 12, 2010

If they're smart about it, they'll do a Flame Test first. Burn a Test Flame in there for a few days and measure the level of heat and fume buildup. That way they can determine how or if it can be done. Fearless Engineering is when they don't do a test beforehand and just plop the Cauldron in before the Games and light it for 17 days and HOPE something bad doesn't happen. Do a test first. That answers all the questions.

Once the Beijing Games are over the spotlight will turn to us and everyone will be looking towards us. So everything we do, and every mistake we make or scandal that happens, will be under the International scrutint. That could be a good thing or very bad.

Aren't they also planning on using Passenger Trains to shuttle people back and forth? Currently the Whistler Mountaineer uses the line but only between May and October.

It's even more stupid to burn a Flame in a dome and expect the international community to praise us for being creative and innovative. Don't worry, they'll be another slide which will take out an entire bus and kill 20 people, then we'll get some action on a secondary route. Of course, have crews on standby. What the hell are they going to do, have an excavator and squad car with orange lights flashing every 500 meters waiting for the mountain to crash down? That steel netting that they bolt to the side of the cliff may catch small pebbles; it ain't going to keep a mountain from crashing down. How much more blasting do you think they'll do? How much time have we left before the games? They have about another year to get it done. They don't have enough time to blast away all that rock in that slide area. Those cliffs are several hundred feet high and some of those outcroppings will continue to overhang the highway and be a threat through the Games.

Since I've been banned by a "deasine" at SSP, I've decided to aggressively pursue this Olympic Flame debacle at this forum and SSP. If you want to unban me from SSP, then I'll back off. Want to be aggressive with me and I'll be aggressive back. There is no precedent for burning a 4000 degree Olympic cauldron inside an airtight dome. This is NOT the time to be innovative and try new technologies and "do it for the first time ever". IT HAS NOT BEEN DONE BEFORE SAFELY. THE ONLY SAFE WAY TO BURN THE CAULDRON IS OUTSIDE. What if there IS an accident. First off, consider a gas leak. If there is any sort of small gas leak in that line going into the dome, with elevated fume levels, if there was an explosion, it would rupture the roof lining and cause the air to escape violently. In the deflation that happened last year, it was a controlled deflation so the roof was allowed to settle down slowly. With a huge crowd inside the Stadium, I'd hate to think of the catastrophe to happen if there was a gas leak. Ask yourself. What happens if there is an accident? That flame burns at thousands of degrees. What if? Ask yourself. With a billion people watching on TV? Two billion people watching? The President or Vice President of the United States there? Come on people. Let's not be stupid about this.

What if the slide takes a week to clean up? Postpone Whistler events for a week? What a black eye for Vancouver. As everyone suggests with the Cauldron Flame and the Retractable Roof, it will likley be raining at that time of the year and there could be huge mudslides. They could take days to clean up. This last one was an easy one cause at that point the railway was right beside the highway and they could push the rocks over the side and into the ocean. What if the slide happened in an area where the railway was below the highway, as is the case for most of the route? Then you can't just push the rocks over the side cause you'd smash the railway down below, and I'd assume they'd use the railway as a backup to shuttle people back and forth in an emergency if the highway was smashed. So you'd have to truck the debris out in that case which takes 3 times longer. That is not an alternate plan! Ferrying people back and forth? A logistical nightmare! What ferry facilities has Squamish have? I have seen no preps or improvements in facilities or upgrades for that area. There is NO alternate plan, no secondary route. What you propose are bandaid solutions. Just like the Stadium roof, this Government is nickel and diming these olympics.

So far this is what I've been able to find on a schedule for an upcoming Public Rezoning Hearing that will happen in two weeks to discuss Rezoning around BC Place, which will have an impact on whether the Retractable Roof ever becomes a reality (not to mention shedding light on Aquilini's plans): http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/nefc...iewschedule.htm

Do you know where on the City's website it indicates when and where for the Rezoning application hearing? Is it a Public Hearing?

Is that when the Beedie - Gaglardie Appeal goes to trial? Do you think their Appeal has any merit?

What the hell are you talking about Aquilini cancelling BC Place Rezoning? I understand he was on board along with the other parties. More hot air? Possibly. The Government must have gotten some reassurances from all sides that the BC Place Rezoning Plan would work, including coorporation from Marathon for the property the new Art Gallery would be moved to. How could Aquilini scuttle the rezoning? What is this guy, the mayor or Premier? He better cool his head or he's going to make a lot more enemies in this town. I hope that the Government has something in WRITING from ALL sides that the BC Place Rezoning will be approved.

any sort of explosion outside BC Place would rip the roof and cause a catastrophic deflation

Orangevest, the GM Tower was cancelled because Aquilini perceived a lack of demand for office space, not because of some Rezoning issue with the City. Look at the Development Sign outside GM Place. The process had already passed the Rezoning phase. Nice try though. I'm looking forward to your next bit of misinformation.

It starts with making BC Place look respectable, both in and out and atop. There has to be a Retractable Roof or we're going to make fools of ourselves to the international community. An Indoor Flame just looks stupid, like we don't know what the hell we're doing, that we're too cheap to build a nice stadium.

In the case of Montreal, weren't they plannning on having the roof completed before 1976? So the plan was to have Olympic as a completely indoor stadium for the '76 Olympics, in much the same fashion it's roofed now? Or was Montreal's plan a Retractable?

And by you having advance notice of that you have finally confirmed that you really are JLousa. But that's okay. I like your character. I have my own character that I will be introducing soon. It will be a female in a pink bikini. Not sure what the connection is with the Office Tower. That was approved but he pulled out. Seems like two different issues. I however think he will be battling big opposition with Burnaby residents once they find out trees will have to be cut down in Central park. Is the track staying under his proposal? Is the 5 year lease that the Whitecaps will sign with BC Place contingent and hinge on approval of funding for a Retractable Roof? The timing is interesting. A Cost analysis from Podmore is supposed to go public next month, and the MLS will make a decision on Vancouver in November, possibly.