Renting a home for the Winter Olympics in Vancouver or Whistler?

 The Winter Olympic Games like the Summer Olympic Games are held once every four years. The last Winter Olympic Games were held Torino in Italy in 2006. On July 3rd 2003, the Canadian city of Vancouver was awarded the Winter Olympic Games and subsequently the mayor of Vancouver, Sam Sullivan received the Olympic flag during the closing ceremony of the Torino games. This flag is currently on display at the Vancouver City Hall where it will remain until the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympic movers by the hour near Vancouver. These Winter Olympic Games which will be known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics will be held in Vancouver and its nearby resort city of Whistler, British Columbia between February 12th and 28th 2010. After the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Vancouver will also host the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from the 12th to the 21st of March 2010.

Vancouver Rentals -an ideal location

Vancouver which is often ranked as one of the top cities in the world to live in is known for its beautiful natural scenery, temperate climate, cleanliness and vibrant multi-cultural society. Vancouver's International Airport which is located in Metro Vancouver has direct air links with various major cities around the globe as well as several other Canadian cities. This makes getting to Vancouver relatively easy for participants and spectators. Moreover the resort city of Whistler which is co-hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and is located just 125 km away from Vancouver  is renowned for its excellent winter sports and various other recreational facilities.

Preparing for the Games

Both the host cities of Vancouver and Whistler have been undergoing intense preparations for the games in the form of creation of new sporting, transport and infrastructural facilities in order to welcome the many participants, officials, members of the international media and spectators who will be traveling to Vancouver  for the games. It is estimated that 5500 athletes and officials from more than eighty participating nations will be attending the Winter Olympic Games while 1350 athletes and officials from over forty nations will attend the Paralympics Games. In addition to these athletes and officials, more than 10,000 media personnel from various national and international agencies will also come to Vancouver to cover the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Both the Winter Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games are being organized by Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC).

Participating Countries

The National Olympic Committees of more than 80 nations will field teams for the 2010 Winter Games.  Nations need to qualify at least one athlete or team to be a participant in the games. The list of participating counties includes countries that have a long tradition of winter sports like Austria, Norway, Denmark, USA and Great Britain and also several others countries like Kenya and Thailand who are not usually known for their winter sports exploits. In fact, the games will feature many firsts like the first time participation of the Western African nation of Ghana. The debutant Ghanaian team will feature 34 year old Ghanian skier Kwame Nkrumah - Acheampong who is known as 'Snow Leopard' and who will be competing in the slalom and giant slalom skiing events. Similarly the team of the Islamic Republic of Iran will for the first time field a women skier at the 2010 Winter Games.

Sporting Events

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games will feature eighty six medal events in 15 sporting disciplines. These sports include Skiing (alpine skiing, cross country skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined, freestyle skiing, and snowboard), Skating (speed skating, figure skating, and short track speed skating), Bobsleigh (bobsleigh and skeleton), Luge, Biathlon, Ice Hockey, and Curling. The Paralympic Winter Games will feature five sports Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Biathlon, Ice Sledge Hockey, and Wheelchair Curling.. Approximately 1.6 million tickets have been issued for the various events of the 2010 Winter Games. These tickets have been available in staggered sales since October 2008.

Many of the 2010 Winter Games venues are located in downtown Vancouver and  include the Canada Hockey Place (Ice hockey), Vancouver Olympic Center, (Curling and Wheel chair Curling)the Pacific Coliseum( Figure Skating)  and the UBC Thunderbird Arena( Ice Hockey and ice sledge hockey). Additionally the Richmond Olympic Oval which is located on the banks of the Fraser River will host all the speed skating events while Cypress Mountain located in West Vancouver will be the location for many of the skiing events. Venues in Whistler include the Whistler Sliding Centre, Whistler Creekside and the Whistler Olympic Park.

Non Competitive events

Apart from these sporting venues, the games will also feature several non competition venues like the BC Place Stadium located in downtown Vancouver which will be the location for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. This 55,000 seat stadium which features the largest air-supported stadium roof in North America will also be the site for the nightly Victory Ceremonies presentations which will be held before a live audience of 35,000 people. Medals won in Whistler will be awarded nightly at the Whistler Olympic Celebration Plaza with about 8000 people in attendance.

This is the first time in the Olympic Games history that the Opening and Closing ceremonies will be staged in an enclosed venue which will afford the participants, performers and spectators protection from the elements. The hosting of the ceremonies in an indoor venue will also help the organizers in conceptualizing, creating and hosting a spectacular show which is rumored to feature state of the art lighting, projection, sound and special effects as well as all kinds of performers, dancers and athletes who will showcase the vibrant history and culture of Canada.