Special Reports

The Numbers Behind the Olympics

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When all is said and done, preparing for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler will have cost close to CDN $6 billion. (About $5.6 billion in U.S. dollars.) And that’s just the price tag to get everything built, before the Games even begin.

$6 billion is a hefty price tag, but it buys more than just a new bobsled run, skating rink, and curling center. Athletic facilities make up about 10 percent of the costs to prepare for the Games. The province also built a new convention center, rapid transit line connecting Vancouver to the airport, public housing, and a badly needed highway upgrade. (Some argue those costs should not be included in Olympic accounting.) And, all this work created a lot of jobs: A report touted by the province of British Columbia claims more than 22,000 jobs between 2003 and 2008, a figure that’s  debated. Then there is the legacy of being an Olympic venue: Will that pay dividends in the years after the Olympics are gone?

The World’s Jason Margolis visits British Columbia to see how the  Games have economically impacted the Canadian province.

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Selling Olympic flowers

When the Olympic winners take the podium over the next two weeks, they won’t just get a medal. They’ll also get a flower bouquet. All those bouquets had to come from somewhere, of course, and it turned out to be “Just Beginnings Flowers” in the Vancouver suburb of Surrey – with a little help from Margitta’s Flowers in North Vancouver. (aired February 11)

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The Olympic ‘halo effect’

It took seven years of planning and preparation to get ready for 17 days in February, then the Paralympics to follow.

People involved with the Games are hoping the Olympic glow will last a lot longer than just a few weeks. Their rosiest projection: A flawless Games will bring in an extra 4 million visitors to British Columbia over the span of two decades.  Some reports have called that estimate, and other official economic projections, wildly optimistic. (aired February 3)

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Was It All Worth It?

That’s the question many people are asking in British Columbia, before the Olympics have even begun. It took seven years of planning, construction, and hassle to reach this point. What did CDN $6 billion buy British Columbia? Was the cost justified? Who came out a winner? (aired February 1)

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Long Winter for Whistler Businesses

“What a hassle! I’m staying far away from Whistler this season. Who wants to deal with the traffic, the crowds, and the inflated costs?”

That’s been the attitude that skiers and snowboarders have taken with past Winter Olympic sites. And that’s exactly what the resort and businesses in Whistler are hoping to avoid.  Will Whistler’s businesses succumb to the fate that has plagued past Olympic venues? (aired January 25)

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• BBC coverage of the Vancouver Olympics
• Vancouver 2010 homepage
• Global Economy podcast
• British Columbia Chamber of Commerce