The Council of Canadians raised numerous concerns about the environmental impacts of the 2010 Olympics, including the damage done by the $980-million Sea-to-Sky highway expansion between Vancouver and Whistler.

Similar concerns are now emerging around the next Winter Olympic Games.

The Centre for Science in the Public Interest is an independent non-profit consumer health group. They produce the Nutrition Action Healthletter, which has 900,000 readers in the United States and Canada.

Metro News reports that, “The Olympic crowds should be encouraged to drink tap water, say the Council of Canadians and one of the country’s biggest unions (CUPE).”

“Yesterday they launched a campaign in downtown Vancouver to promote the city’s drinking water over the Dasani line of bottled water being sold by official Games sponsor Coca-Cola.”

The Council of Canadians Statement on the 2010 Olympic Winter Games states that we are “committed to working with activists who are highlighting the negative aspects of the 2010 Games, especially the fact they are being held on un-ceded First Nations territories and are providing mining, resort, real estate and energy developers with opportunities to continue expansion of projects on indigenous territories throughout the province.”

To see Council of Canadians Board member Garry John of Shalath, British Columbia singing at the ‘Take Back Our City!’ protest on February 12, go to the very powerful 6-minute video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFWIzBAN0VI or watch below:

The Canwest News Service reports this morning that, “At the exact moment their countrymen were watching the opening ceremonies at the Vancouver Winter Olympics, Canadian aviators were among the nearly 20,000 NATO and Afghan troops launching NATO’s biggest offensive yet against the Taliban and al-Qaeda.”

The Globe and Mail reports it is “the largest air operation of the war and the biggest mission Canadian helicopters have ever flown.”

Pina Belperio speaks at yesterday's media conference.

24 Hours Vancouver and numerous media outlets report that the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) released on Wednesday a 137-page “sustainability self-report card” that portrays the Olympics as green.

“(But) a Council of Canadians-led coalition called VANOC’s green Games branding exercise nothing more than ‘greenwash’ at a Thursday news conference.”

The media conference was organized by the Council of Canadians and the Indigenous Environmental Network.

The Toronto Star reports today on various corporate sponsors of the Olympics.

THE ROYAL BANK
“The Royal Bank of Canada, which paid $110 million for the rights to the Vancouver 2010 and London 2012 Games, says (sponsoring the Olympics is) well worth it. ‘It’s the biggest marketing platform in the world. We’ve been at this for 60-plus years. It’s something that has allowed us to grow our brand and drive our business,’ says Jim Little, RBC’s chief brand and communications officer. …Olympic sponsors spend almost as much again creating their ad campaigns, he said. RBC went a step further this year and co-sponsored the Olympic Torch Relay, paying an additional undisclosed fee for that right. The bank ran an online contest for consumers and employees. The prize was a spot as a Torch Bearer. The site received more than one million hits, of whom 500,000 gave the bank permission to market to them, Little said.”

PETRO-CANADA
“Bombarding TV viewers in the run-up to the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver (are commercials such as) Olympic-branded Petro-Canada drinking glasses roll down icy chutes…”

The Toronto Star reports this morning that, “The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, known as VANOC, insists its $1.76 billion operating budget is on target.”

“International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge said this week that VANOC will not lose money, but no one will know for sure until six weeks after the Games.”

The Canwest News Service reports that, “Millions of bottles of water will be consumed during the (Olympic) Games in February, despite a vote last (April 23) by (Vancouver city) council to encourage use of municipal water and discourage the sale of bottled water…”

The Globe and Mail reports today that, “Although Olympic opponents still plan a large march to the site of the (gala opening) ceremonies at BC Place in downtown Vancouver, spokesman Bob Ages said they will co-operate with police to ensure the demonstration is peaceful.”

“‘It’s going to be totally non-violent and non-confrontational,’ said Mr. Ages, a board member of the Council of Canadians and part of the recently formed 2010 Welcoming Committee, a broadly based group that has assumed the task of organizing the Feb. 12 demonstration on the Games’ opening day.”