The House of Switzerland opened its doors to the public for the first time, in both Vancouver and Whistler on February 5th. I was privileged to be invited to the opening celebration.

The Swiss House is situated at Bridges Restaurant on Granville Island. The lineup to get a first look at the cultural House was out the door!

The opening was celebrated with delicious Swiss foods, chocolate, wine, music and much more! The House will be serving meals, so make your reservations now!

The House also has a media room set up to cover the Games and will have several screens set up, covering events through the Swiss television station as well as local official Olympic television station, CTV. They bragged that the Swiss station would not show nearly as many commercials throughout their coverage, as North American stations would!

The House of Switzerland will be open until February 28th. I highly recommend you go check it out and experience how the Swiss culture celebrates Olympic excitement!

For more information about the House of Switzerland, visit the Official Website!

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On February 4th, I was lucky to be invited to the Code Live Opening Celebration.

Code Live is part of the 2010 Cultural Olympiad and is a showcase for insteractove arts, cutting edge music and culture. It runs from February 4th to 21st.

There are two main locations for this Cultural Olympiad event. One is at Emily Carr University of Art and Design on Granville Island, the other is at the Center for Digital Media, on Great Norhtern Way. There are also other installations at various locations around Vancouver over the course of the 2010 Games.

ARTISTS AND PROJECT VENUES

Great Northern Way Campus: Centre for Digital Media

Dune 4.0: Studio Roosegaarde (Netherlands)
Artificial Moon: Wang Yuyang, curated by Li Zhenhua (China)
Where are you?: Luc Courschene (Canada)
787 Cliparts: Oliver Laric (Austria)
Vested: Don Ritter (Canada)
Cambridge Bay: A Time and a Place: Souns featuring Tanya Tagaq (Canada)
We are Stardust: George Legrady (Canada)
Paparazzi Bots: Ken Rinaldo (USA)
Condemned Bulbes: Artificiel (Canada)
ECO ART: World Without Water: Tahir Mahmood, co presentation with the Canadian Film Centre (Canada)
Greenhouse: Brendan Wypich, co presentation with the Canadian Film Centre (Canada)
Akoumasflore: Scenoscome, co presentation with the Canadian Film Centre (France)
Seed: Napoleon Brosseau and Gabe Sahwney
Mondo Spider: Zero Emissions: eatART (Canada)
mo_ving: Raquel Kogan, curated by Claudio Rivera-Seguel (Brazil/Chile)
Breaking the Ice: Societé des arts technologiques (Canada)
Reactable: Sergi Jordà, Martin Kaltenbrunner, Günter Geiger and Marcos Alonso (Austria/Spain)
Instant Places: Canada CODE: Ian Birse, Laura Kavanaugh (Canada)
PLAY: The Hertzian Collective: Geoffrey Shea (Canada)
Analogue Nostalgia Presents / présente – Foreign Voices, Common Stories (Ghettoblaster): James Phillips (Canada)

CODE Lounge: Featuring works by Organelle and Shea Allan-McCachen

EmilyCarr University of Art and Design

The Paradise Institute: Janet Cardiff and Georges Bures Miller (Canada)
Organized by the National Gallery of Canada
Electromode / Peau d’Ane : Valerie Lamontagne (Canada)
Skorpions and Captain Electric : Joanna Berzowska, XS Labs (Canada)
Walking City and Living Pod : Ying Gao (Canada)
Company Keeper and Emotional Ties : Sara Diamond (Canada)
Blue Code, Jacket Antics and Tornado Dress (Barbara Layne, Studio subTela: Canada)
Electric Skin and Barking Mad L Suzi Webster with Jordan Benwick (Canada)
Tendrils : Thecla Schiphorst (Canada)
*glisten)HIVE: Julie Andreyev (Canada)
CODE.lab: M. Simon Levin and Jer Thorp with Emily Carr Students and Faculty (Canada)
Song of Solomon: Julian Jonker and Ralph Borland (South Africa)
Odd Spaces: Faisal Anwar (Canada / Pakistan)
CODE Dialogues: Co presented with Emily Carr University of Art and Design (Canada)

Vancouver Central Library

The Sacred Touch: Ranjit Makkuni (India)
Seen: David Rokeby (Canada)
When the Gods Came Down to Earth: Srinivas Krishna (Canada)
Room to Make Your Peace: 2010 Olympic Truce Project

Around Vancouver

Vectorial Elevation: Rafael Lozano-Hemmer (Canada)
Fearless Mobile, OMG IM ON DOT TV, Untold Histories: W2 Community Media Arts Society (Canada)
Intersection 2010: Bright Light: Presented by the city of Vancouver (Canada)
NeoGrafik: NomIg (Ed Jordan, Stephanie MacKay), Alexis Laurence (Canada)
PacuBoxes: Tom Kuo, Rachel Vulliers, Jacqueline Nuwame and Anthea Foyer:
Canadian Film Centre (Canada)
Glocal Urban Screen Project: Surrey Art Gallery (Canada)

For more information, visit the CODE Live Website.

The Canada Olympic House has two locations, one downtown Vancouver and one in Whistler Village.

Vancouver Canada Olympic House

The sixth floor of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s Bay Vancouver flagship store on Granville and West Georgia Street will serve Canada’s Olympic House during the 2010 Games.

The House will provide an easily accessible retreat for Canada’s Olympic athletes, their families and team sponsors, within close walking distance of the downtown Vancouver competition and entertainment venues.

Canada Olympic House will be a relaxing and friendly meeting place for Canadian Olympic athletes, their family, friends, coaches, support staff, sponsors, government partners and special guests. Canada Olympic House also stages programs such as the Family and Friends Program, hosts athlete medal receptions and provides a multimedia centre/internet lounge and TV lounge in order to watch all the Olympic action with other enthusiastic fans and supporters.

“We look forward to working with our partners in Vancouver in creating a winning atmosphere for our Canadian team in 2010,” said Chris Rudge, CEO, Canadian Olympic Committee. “We have every confidence that they will provide excellent service and support as we Paint the Town Red in celebration.”

Canada Olympic House is scheduled to be open every day during the Games from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. (subject to change). Access to this private facility will require pre-games registration and accreditation by the COC and is not open to the general public. Media wishing to visit Canada Olympic House should coordinate requests with the COC.

(source: http://www.olympic.ca)

Whistler Canada Olympic House

The primary goal of the Whistler Canada Olympic House is to create a showcasing and hosting facility in the heart of Whistler. It is being designed and operated to meet the needs of the participating partners.

Held at the Whistler Public Library, the facility will be branded primarily as a hosting space that showcases Whistler and the Canadian Olympic Committee to invited guests.

Given the beauty of the building itself, multi-media will be the primary tool for showcasing, with large screens in place permanently throughout the 17 days of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.  The screens will showcase sporting venues, CTV sport broadcast coverage of the Games, and a live feed from Whistler Medals Plaza and Whistler Live! programming.

Whistler video and imagery, and other content will showcase the past, present and future of Whistler to facility guests.  The outside of the building will have signage so that guests and visitors are aware that it is Whistler Canada Olympic House.

Access is primarily by accreditation or invitation; however, the Whistler community will be invited to an Open House prior to the Games as well as special community events at the facility during the Games.

Community Open House Events

* Saturday February 6, 2010 – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Community Open House – Celebrate the Torch Relay and the Library’s new look

Details: The Whistler Canada Olympic House will be open to the community to check out programming, meet athletes and get a feel for the new facility. With the Torch Relay coming through town, it will be a chance for visitors to get photos with the torch, talk to the torch bearers and learn more about the relay itself.   Kids and “kids at heart” can take in the face painting, Olympic sport competitions on Wii and make their own torch.

* Saturday February 13, 2010 – 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Community Pancake Breakfast – Celebrate First Nations and Sport

Details: Start the day with good hearty Canadian pancakes and celebrate the beginning of the 2010 Winter Games. Explore First Nations culture and art as well as rub shoulders with athletes. Guests can make their own uniquely Canadian souvenir and enjoy a variety of entertainment including Native drumming, story telling and bannock making.

* Saturday February 20, 2010 – 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Community Pancake Breakfast – Celebrate Sustainability and Culture

Details: Get stuffed on pancakes, sustainability and local entertainment. Learn about the importance of sustainability with arts and crafts and more. Bobs and Lolo will get the kids hopping and singing about keeping the earth green. Don’t forget autograph books because athletes will on be there too.

* Saturday February 27, 2010 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Community Pancake Breakfast – Celebrating the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and Our Athletes

Details: As the 2010 Olympic Winter Games come to a close, the community is invited to celebrate at another pancake breakfast. Look back on the success of the Games, experience the Games through they eyes of Canada’s only 2010 Nordic Combined Olympian and look ahead to what is next for Whistler.

* Sunday February 28, 2010 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Community Open House – Celebrate the Closing Ceremonies at Whistler Canada Olympic House

Details: Celebrate the closing ceremonies with fellow community members and Canadians at Whistler Canada Olympic House. Enjoy a traditional Whistler Après while taking in the closing ceremonies on the big screen.

(source: http://www.whistler2010.com)

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For all you Curling fans out there, you will have the unique opportunity to attend a special appearrance by curling superstars, Team Bernard & Team Martin at The Olympic Superstore, The Bay Downtown Vancouver!

On Thursday, January 28th, the first 200 curling fans to purchase a Signature Series item at The Olympic Superstore at The Bay Downtown Vancouver have a chance to meet curling superstars Team Bernard and Team Martin.

One of the following items must be purchased at The Olympic Superstore at The Bay Downtown in order to meet Bernard and Martin and have it autographed in person:

* Signature Series Men’s Team Signed 8×10 Matted Photo
* Signature Series Woman’s Team Signed 8×10 Matted Photo
* Signature Series Men’s/Women’s Combined Team Signed 16×20 Photo
* Signature Series 2010 Curling Poster

Prices start at $49. Signature Series items are currently on sale at The Bay Downtown Vancouver.

Thursday, January 28th
The Olympic Superstore, The Bay Downtown Vancouver
Team Bernard 4:30 – 6:30 pm
Team Martin 6:30 – 8:30 pm

(Please remember that the Olympic Superstore accepts only Visa and cash.)

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With 24 days remaining on the countdown clock today, the city is quickly filling up with Winter Games sponsored advertising. Here are a few examples I captured on a short downtown photowalk this afternoon.

One sponsor has taken over two sides of the TD Building on the corner of Howe and Georgia. On the other corner we see the city’s patriotism, while we wait for the clock to count down the few remaining days until the festivities begin.

This rotating billboard on Seymour and Nelson, has all three sides showing games related sponsors.

Robson Square decked out with logos on the pillars, the glass and on the ice from the rink’s sponsor.

Entire buses have been covered! This one was spotted on the corner of Howe and Nelson.

This entire building is plastered with advertising for the official Games clothing, on the corner of Granville and Georgia.

Great big displays, including event mascots, in the hallways of Pacific Center.

With the Games fast approaching, and the more sponsorship ads we start to see, Vancouver2010 fever and fan excitement will surely spread like wildfire soon enough!