Vancouver Winter Olympics

Countdown to the 2010 Vancouver and Whistler Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games

2007

A year of continued event construction and completion
Construction of the Hillcrest - Nat Bailey Curling Centre and the Richmond Oval Speed Skating Centre. Completion of the Whistler Skiing Centre for Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton and the Whistler Nordic Centre is ready for use, and construction upgrades are in progress for General Motors Place in downtown Vancouver. The Fall and Winter saw the continued construction of many event venues, including: the Figure Skating and Short Track Speed Skating venues and improvements at the Pacific Coliseum. Also in 2007, construction crews completed the UBC Winter Sports Centre (Westside - Vancouver) and the Creekside Alpine skiing facilities in Blackcomb and Whistler.

2008

Build the Vancouver Olympic Village and the world will come
Construction begins on the Vancouver - Whistler Olympic Village. On August 8, 2008 the opening ceremonies of Summer Olympic Games in Beijing take place — the last Olympics before Vancouver - Whistler. On August 24, the Beijing games will close and the Olympic flame will be extinguished. The flame will be re-lit next for the Vancouver - Whistler 2010 Games. Back in Vancouver, the completion of the Vancouver arena in Kerrisdale is scheduled for the end of the summer '08. One and a half million tickets for the Olympic Winter Games events go on sale in October 2008 -- and 250,000 Paralympic Winter Games tickets will be available in 2009.

2009

Tickets! If you haven't already done so, get your 2010 Winter Olympic Games event tickets!
The search for 20,000-plus volunteers to help with the games will commence at the beginning of the year. Also, an important transportation infrastructure milestone will be reached in '09: the Sea-to-Sky Highway (Vancouver to Whistler) project completion. Summer will see the final construction of the remaining event venues — the Pacific Coliseum (PNE ground) facilities for short-track speed skating and figure skating, the Nat Bailey Stadium curling venue, and the construction completion of the Vancouver and Whistler Olympic Villages.

2010 Winter Olympics
Let the Games begin!

January 15, 2010
Olympic Arts Festival begins.

February 12, 2010
Olympic torch enters B.C. Place Stadium for opening ceremonies.

February 28, 2010
Winter Olympic Games closing ceremonies wrap up 17 days of sporting events.

March 12-21, 2010
Paralympic Games take place. Opening and closing ceremonies are in Vancouver and competitive events in Whistler.