Are you ready for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games? Do you have all your events planned or your tickets booked for a getaway or are you hunkering down and staying close to home to avoid road closures and insane transit lineups? No matter what you’ve got planned we’ve compiled the only – to our knowledge – exhaustive list of everything kid-friendly that’s going to be happening around town. And lots of it is free!
Want to get your Olympic yoyo to gogo? Just text yoyo to 82442 and we’ll send you a family-friendly Olympic event each day. Alas, we can’t guarantee there won’t be line ups…
Our top tips for making your Olympic outings easier (and hopefully more fun):
- The following venues will all be open through the Paralympics to March 21st, so we’ve scratched them off our to do asap list and we’ll include them in post-Olympic excursions: Canada Pavilion, Canada’s Northern House, CentrePlace Manitoba and BC Hydro PowerSmart Village. And a reader just wrote in to say that the only fun thing for kids at the BC Hydro PowerSmart Village is their energy producing dance stage which closes on the 28th, so it may not be worth a kid-in-t0w post-Olympic visit.
- Just like the weather and the snow, everything’s changing moment by moment during the Olympics so please be sure to check the website or call ahead before you head out to any of these events to avoid disappointment.
- Travel light – if you can avoid taking a stroller do.
- The line ups for the Canada Line look daunting but move quite quickly.
- The crowds are huge, so a 1:1 child to adult ratio will make it easier to keep track of everyone
- If possible lots of short visits rather than a few day-long ones will be easier on you and your tots. And result in less meltdowns.
- Have a Plan B. We tried to visit the Mint today but were deterred by the two hour line up so we went to Mink and had hot chocolate and checked out the cauldron instead.
From venues to cultural Olympiad events to public art and community centres we have emailed, called, searched and scoured the web for everything you need to know to make your life with little ones during the last two weeks of February easier. We have included as much information as we can, but trust us –and if your emails are anything to go by – it’s not easy to find and we’ll continue to fill in the blanks as we go so check back often.
It’s a long, long list, so be prepared. We’ve arranged it by type of event and chronologically and alphabetically within that. And if you’re checking back you’ll note that new listings and updated info are marked with a cheery pair of red mittens.
And as with our infamous strike list from the summer of ’07 we’ll be continually adding and updating this list so please email us if you know of something we’ve missed and bookmark this article on our site and check back for updates as we all navigate our way through what’s bound to be a crazy, fun, topsy turvy, one-of-a-kind time in Vancouver.
Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who’ll be in town with small kids during the games. We’ve worked hard and long to compile and curate this information and we’d love it to be useful to as many people as possible! You can use the list below to jump to any of the following sections:
- Helpful Links
- Top Picks
- One Off Events
- Cultural Olympiad
- Ongoing Events: Houses, Pavilions, Villages, Festivals and More
- Community Centres & Parks
Helpful Links:
- The site citycaucus.com has compiled the most useful list of free events around town we’ve found, we suggest you use it in conjunction with our list for your planning: www.citycaucus.com/2010free
- Getting around and road closure info: www.vancouver2010.com
- If you’re attending events here’s the official spectator’s guide: www.vancouver2010.com
- Here’s a list of all the public art that was commissioned just of the Olympics, though it will live on long after the Games. See what’s arty in your neighbourhood and then set out on an art scavenger hunt with your kids: olympichostcity.vancouver.ca
- Getting around town promises to be a bit more difficult than normal during the Games but the translink site has lots of helpful info and links: www.translink.ca
- We’ve heard great things about the free, official iPhone app for the 2010 games. In fact we know people who aren’t even going to any events who’ve downloaded it just because it’s so fun: itunes.apple.com
Top Picks
Robson Square Signature Celebration Site
GE Plaza remains our top pick for kids during the games. We checked it out on Sunday when the crowds were at their peak and still enjoyed seeing the Mascots skate and the CircusWest shows are great for kids. Plus you’ve got the zip line whipping by above your head. Kid-specific programming includes meeting the mascots and their friends daily at 1 pm, 3 pm and 6 pm as they dance, skate, sing and celebrate. CircusWest will also be performing daily at 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm, 5 pm and 6:30 pm. They also have a full slate of the best of BC’s children’s performers scheduled including Bobs & Lolo, Rick Scott and the Kerplunks.
- Chris Hamilton: Saturday, February 27th, Noon
- The Kerplunks: Saturday, February 27th, 1 pm & Sunday, February 28th, Noon
Click here for the full entertainment schedule including the BC Spirit Showcase featuring local and multicultural performers, BC Street Jam featuring BC’s best street artists and more. You’ll also still be able to skate for free each day from 10 am to Midnight.
One Off Events
Ask Listen Learn Kids Day
Spyder U.S. Ski Team House, Monday, February 22nd, 6 – 9 pm & Tuesday, February 22nd, 1 pm – 4 pm, Skiis & Biikes Snowcovers, 126-4340 Lorimer Road, Whistler
This evening at Spyder U.S. Ski Team House it’s “Family Night” with prizes and food and on Tuesday athletes Andy Newell and Kikkan Randall of the U.S. Ski Team will be on hand signing autographs and talking to an. Ask. Listen. Learn is all about keeping kids active and involved in their communities: www.asklistenlearn.com
Kits Community Centre Community Happenings Festival
Saturday, March 6th, 2 – 6 pm, Kits Community Centre, 2690 Larch Street, Vancouver
Featuring family-friendly activities like arts & crafts, games, sports and cultural performances, these festivals are all about highlighting our commitment to sport, culture and sustainability: vancouver.ca
Killarney Community Centre Community Happenings Festival
Sunday, March 21st, 2 – 6 pm, Killarney Community Centre, 6260 Killarney Street, Vancouver
Featuring family-friendly activities like arts & crafts, games, sports and cultural performances, these festivals are all about highlighting our commitment to sport, culture and sustainability: vancouver.ca
Cultural Olympiad
The following Cultural Olympiad events struck us as the most family friendly. The Cultural Olympiad spans both the Olympic and Paralympic Games:
Art Under Foot
Sunday, February 1st – Sunday, February, 28th, 11 am – 4 pm, Sleep Country Canada, 756 Granville Street, Vancouver
Local artists Liz Calvin and Bruce Walther will be spearheading the daily design and production of more tile mosaics for our city’s sidewalks. Stop by to have your say in the designs and have your photo taken in a Bobsleigh: www.vancouver2010.com
Culture, Education, Sport and Ethics Program (CESEP)
Friday, February 12th – Sunday, February 28th, Richmond City Hall, 8:15 am – 5 pm, 6911 No. 3 Road, Richmond
Kids of six to 18 from around the world have been engaging in dialogues about healthy sport and this display of their art including essays, poems, drawings and painting delve into the culture of sport and competition: www.vancouver2010.com
Sewing Our Traditions: Dolls of Canada’s North
Friday, February 12th – Sunday, February 28th, Noon – 8 pm, Gateway Theatre, 6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond
This exhibit of hand-made dolls crafted by Inuit and First Nations artisans from Northern Canada reflect and record northern life, fashion and customs. The traditional art of doll making using hides and furs is passed down from generation to generation: www.vancouver2010.com
The Magical Theatrical Vending Machine
Richmond O-Zone: Saturday, February 13th, Sunday, February 14th & Monday, February 15th
Livecity Vancouver: Friday, February 19th, Saturday, February 20th &Sunday, February 21st
Surrey: Saturday, February 27th, Noon – 12:30 pm & 1 pm – 1:40 pm
From Slovakia’s Teatro Tatro comes a marvel-packed mobile stage where you can catch puppets, pantomimes and sketch comedy based on Olympic Sport: www.vancouver2010.com
Talking Stick Festival
February 21st – 28th, various times and locations including the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Brittania Community Centre Theatre, 1661 Napier Street, Vancouver and the Museum of Anthropology, 6393 N.W. Marine Drive, Vancouver
Theatre, storytelling, music, dance, performance and visual arts are the mediums used by these artists to give voice to the full spectrum of Aboriginal experience across Canada: www.vancouver2010.com
François Houle – La valse d’Angele/Because She Hoped: French Canadian Folk Tales
Saturday, February 27th, 4:30 pm, Performance Works, 1218 Cartwright Street, Granville Island, Vancouver
At this free event clarinetist François Houle will be drawing on the rich stories told at family gatherings by his French Catholic relatives to craft a musical narrative recollecting long ago nights of feasting, dancing and singing: www.vancouver2010.com
Water’s Edge
Friday, March 19th, 8 pm – 10 pm, Saturday, March 20th, 10 am – 10 pm & Sunday, March 21st, 10 am – 5 pm, Evergreen Cultural Centre, 1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam
Jazz musician Brad Turner, the Elektra Women’s Choir, musica intima and the all-Canadian guitar jam join together to create Water’s Edge, a family-friendly festival of music and hands-on activities like a drum circle, lantern parade and singer-songwriter showcase the concludes the Cultural Olympiad 2010. Children under 10 are free when accompanied by an adult: www.vancouver2010.com
Ongoing Events: Houses, Pavilions, Villages, Festivals and More
We have only included those venues that specify they have children’s events or programming available here. For a full listing of all these venues, most of which sound fun, check out the city caucus site.
2010 Winter Market
Friday, February 12th – Sunday, February 28th, 151 West Cordova Street, Vancouver
Canada’s handmade market features made in Canada products from the likes of Elroy Apparel, Ola Designs and Clutch Jewels. With everything from lotions and potions to tea to fashion it’s more mum-friendly than kid-friendly but sounds worth taking in: www.canamade.com
3-D Winter Sport Photo Op
ongoing till Sunday, February 28th, Mon – Sat, 9:30 am – 9 pm & Sunday, 11 am – 9 pm, Richmond Centre Mall, 6551 No. 3 Road, Richmond
Highlight your real (or imagined) sports prowess when you have your photo taken in four different settings – ski jumping, downhill skiing, snowboarding and figure skating. Bring your camera and insert yourself into this gold medal artwork from world famous street painting artist, Tracy Lee Stum: www.richmondcentre.com
BC Hydro PowerSmart Village
Wednesday, February 10th – Sunday, ,March 22nd, Sun to Thurs, 10 am – 8 pm, Friday & Saturday, 10 am- 10 pm, 333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
Celebrate the Games in a PowerSmart way with lots of fun such as dancing on a sustainable dance floor or creating an inspirational message on their digital expression wall. They’ll also have a display of First Nation carvings and chances to win Olympic tickets. Check out the Facebook App Power the Games that helps you save
(energy) like a champion. We just found out that the PowerSmart Village will be open til the 22nd of March so we’ll be adding it to our must-visit list after the 28th of February: www.bchydro.com
Bell Display
ongoing to February 28th, Monday – Saturday, 9:30 am – 11 pm & Sunday 9:30 am – 7pm, Rotunda (or igloo) entrance to Pacific Centre Mall, West Georgia & Howe, Vancouver
Chances are you won’t get stuck in much of a line up if you drop by the Bell display inside the “igloo” to have your photo taken with the Olympic torch.
Irish House
Monday, February 8th – Sunday, February 28th, February 8th, 7 pm – 3 am, February 9th – 28th, Noon – 7pm (for family-friendly access), 620 Nelson Street, Vancouver
The Irish House will be hopping all day with family-friendly entertainment such as Irish dancers, music and cultural exhibits. You can also catch local celebs like Red Robinson, Jim Byrnes and Dave Abbott there. Here’s their full schedule ina pdf: www.irishhouse.2010
LiveCity Yaletown
February 11th, 4:30 pm – 9 pm, February 12th, 11 am – 9 pm, February 13th – 27th, 11 am – 11 pm & February 28th, 11 am to 9 pm
We’ve downgraded LiveCity from a top pick because of reported line ups and lack of seating for mamas with their babes. We have heard it can be fun as well and when we find out more about access etc we’ll let you know. However they do have a great Facebook page that keeps you updated on line ups and wait times, they’re on there all the time so we’d recommend checking it out before you go and even messaging them to ask for the latest line up scoop.
Hosted at David Lam Park, LiveCity Yaletown will be hopping for two weeks plus. On Fridays through Sundays from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm they’ll feature family programming that’s kid appropriate. You’ll also be able to catch features of the days sporting events on the giant screen and live entertainment and medal presentations. It’s also the home of Vancouver House and here’s a link to their full schedule of events each day to help you plan your perambulations. It’s been on the news of late that security here will be the same at other Olympic venues so be prepared for a long wait to get in and don’t bring too much with you.
They’ll also be hosting nightly Laser Waterworks Show with a large pipe in False Creek steaming water as a backdrop for the lights. Details are still pending but we’ll keep you posted.
Lunarfest
January 22nd – February 28th, 700 block Granville Street 700 (between Georgia & Robson), Vancouver & Tuesday, February 9th – Sunday, February 28th, Richmond City Hall Plaza (Richmond O-Zone)
Let their be light at this visual celebration incorporating thousands of lanterns decorated by school age children and large commissioned lantern displays that celebrates both the Olympics and the Lunar New Year. We’re especially looking forward to the weekend of the 13th and 14th when they host the kid-friendly My Story My World, a motion picture of the adventures of LunarFest mascot, Lulu and also the story of the Umbrella Girl. Here’s a link to their other programming: www.lunarfest.org
Ocean Wise Canstruction Inukshuk
Ongoing to February 28th, Vancouver Aquarium, 845 Avison Way, Vancouver
We weren’t quite sure where to put this but it seemed to fit best under ongoing events. The Aquarium will be opening during the Games and they recently unveiled an enormous Inukshuk composed only of cans of Ocean Wise seafood donated by Raincoast Trading. We like that once the exhibit’s over, on February 28th, the canned fish will be donated to the Greater
Vancouver Foodbank Society. And rumour has it things are very quiet at the Aquarium right now, so it’s a perfect time to sneak in a visit: www.visitvanaqua.org
Olympic Line Streetcar
January 21st – March 21st, 7 days a week, 18 hours a day, Granville Island to Cambie Street, Vancouver
We must admit this almost made our top picks list as there’s just something very fun about riding the (free!) streetcar. It makes us wish the tracks extended farther and the cars weren’t going home to Belgium afterwards, but here’s hoping this is the future of transportation in Vancouver. It’s certainly the only way we plan to access Granville Island during the games as it eliminates all the hassles of parking, though we suspect it will be crowded: www2.bombardier.com
Park Royal Winter Carnival
Friday, February 12th – Sunday, February 28th, Skating Canal Noon – 10 pm, Beverage Tent 4 pm – Midnight, The Village at Park Royal
Park Royal is setting up an outdoor skating rink – using synthetic ice that’s not subject to the whims of the weather – for the duration of the Games. Skating’s free and they’ll have limited skate rentals as well. They’ll also be broadcasting Olympic coverage on a big screen and hosting live entertainment from North Shore personalities like Adam Woodall Acoustic, Rachel Thom and more: www.shopparkroyal.com
The Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion
Friday, February 12th – Sunday, February 28th, 9 am – 10 pm, 500 Granville Street (SFU at Granville & Pender), Vancouver
This may be the closest you’re going to get to a gold medal, you can also check out the Mint’s world-famous million-dollar gold coin, learn how coins are made and they’ll be having childrens’ activities each day from 9:30 am to 6 pm. We checked in with the mint and the kids’ programming will include an educational program to encourage little ones to explore the mint, coin exchanges where you can turn in your pocket change for commemorative 2010 coins, surprise contests and apparently the gold room where the 100 Kilo solid gold one million dollar
coin resides is full of amazing treasure. Alas the lineups for the Mint have been huge so though we think it sounds like a fabulous destination if your kids, like ours, aren’t good at standing in line for three + hours we’d give this one a pass: www.mint.ca
Russian Tall Ship
Ongoing from February 10th, Burrard Dry Dock, North Vancouver
As part of their promotion for the Sochi 2014 Winter Games the Russian tall ship, the Kruzenstern is coming to town. This four-masted Russian barque is one of the tallest sailing ships in the world and it will be open to public for tours and perhaps even short cruises. We’ll keep you posted. And if you’re wondering why Science World is closed it’s because it’s become the home to the Russians for the duration of the Olympics: www.vancouveraccess2010.com
ValleyFest
Friday, February 12th – Sunday, February 28th, 10 am – 8 pm, Lynn Valley Village, North Vancouver
While the games are on, Lynn Valley Village is becoming an outdoor café and playground featuring a large screen outdoor TV to view the games, weekday educational activities from 10 am to 2 pm for school-aged kids and a craft area for younger children. They’ll have heated tents outdoors in case the weather’s inclement. The library will have displays of equipment used in Winter Games sports, while outdoors you’ll be able to try a playground version of curling, ski stimulators, hockey, biathlon and wobble boards while on the weekends there’ll be live entertainment throughout the day: www.lvca.ca
Vancouver Art Gallery
Friday, February 12th – Sunday, February 28th, 10 am – 5 pm, 750 Hornby Street, Vancouver
The Art Gallery will be open to the public for free during the Games. Current major exhibits include the Queen’s da Vinci drawings and BC visual art. Not sure an art gallery is a good venue for tots? Check out our guide to taking kids to museums and the like: www.vanartgallery.bc.ca
Vancouver Lookout at Harbour Centre
ongoing till Sunday, February 28th, 9 am – 9 pm, Vancouver Lookout, 555 West Hastings Street, Vancouver
BC residents, this one’s for you. Get a reduced rate for this chance to see 360 degree views of the city during the Olympics. They also have lots of fun colouring sheets and more for kids: www.vancouverlookout.com
Vectorial Elevation Light Display
Thursday, February 4th – Sunday, February 28th, Dusk, English Bay
Robotic searchlights will create a quiet nightly canopy of light above and on English Bay featuring designs created by people around the world. The lights will move and create patterns from locations in Vanier Park and Sunset Beach that will be visible as far afield as Richmond and the peaks of Cypress and Grouse. We checked out the lights right from the source in Vanier Park on the weekend and they’re magical, cool and eerie all at the same time. We think they make a great, kid-friendly excursion right before bedtime as kids will pick up on the magic rather than the eerie side of them: www.alzado.net
West Vancouver Spirit Square
Friday, February 12th – Sunday, February 28th, Sunday to Thursday, 9 am – 9 pm, Friday to Saturday, 9 am – 11:30 pm, 2121 Marine Drive, West Vancouver
West Van Community Centre will hosting the Spirit Square which will include a chance to watch the games live on a big screen, live entertainment in the evenings starting at 6 pm, a chance to take a self-guided tour of a scale model of the International Space Station thanks to the Canadian Space Agency, story telling elders and more from performers from Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories and more. Click here for a full schedule including the Torch Relay on the 10th: westvancouver.ca
WinterFest at Lonsdale Quay
Friday, February 12th – Sunday, February 28th, Lonsdale Quay Market, 123 Carrie Cates Court, North Vancouver
Watch the games on the big screen, catch live concerts, cultural performances and street performers and for kids they have their newly renovated ballroom and animated play are with games and rides open daily from 9 am to 9 pm. There’ll also be face painting and ‘Q’ balloons daily from 11 am to 4 pm and guest appearances by Alice in Wonderland, the Mad-Hatter and BC Parks’ Jerry the Moose. Click here for a full PDF schedule of events: www.lonsdalequay.com
World of Play
Concord Place Community Celebration Zone, 10 am – 8 pm daily, Vancouver
After they were bumped from the Athletes Village due to sponsorship issues Right To Play was offered space as part of the Concord Place Pavilions. It’s the spot to find out how Right To Play improves the lives of children in the most disadvantaged areas of the world. It features a Play Zone where your family can experience game sessions and athlete ambassadors. We’re still on the hunt for more info – like hours and a schedule – so we’ll update this when we get it. Plus you can check out lots of other venues while you’re there: www.righttoplay.ca
Farther Afield:
Abbotsford Live Site
Friday, February 12th – Sunday, February 28th, Thursdays & Fridays, 5 pm – 9 pm, Saturdays, Noon – 9 pm & Sundays, Noon – 7 pm, Abbotsford Recreation Centre, 34690 Old Yale Road, Abbotsford
Abbotsford will be celebrating with a night market, a telecast of the Gold Medal Hockey Game on a large screen in the main ice arena, community booths and demos, an inflatable fun zone, Olympic themed swims, skates and programs and lots more. For a full listing of all their events click here. It’s also where the Russian figure skaters will be practicing if you want to catch a little bit of that while you’re there: www.tourismabbotsford.ca
The Village Scavenger Hunt – Trek to Mont Blanc
Saturday & Sunday, February 13th & February 14th; February 20 – 21st; February 27th & 28th; and March 6th – 14th, Noon – 4 pm, Burnaby Village Museum, 6501 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby
The Trek to Mont Blanc focuses on the trivia of the first Winter Olympics held in 1924 in Chamonix, France. Find out in what sport Canada won a gold medal. Who debuted in competitive figure skating. The odd sports that were part of the games back then and more. Plus the Ice Cream Parlour is open and you can enjoy unlimited rides on their fully restored vintage carousel: www.burnaby.ca
New Westminster Keeping the Dream Alive
Friday, February 12th – Sunday, February 28th, Queensborough Community Centre, 920 Ewen Avenue, New Westminster
The Community Centre will be Olympic central with a chance to watch our athletes compete, learn about local athletes and more. Call 604.525.7388 for more details: www.nwpr.bc.ca
Spirit Week 2010: Port Coquitlam
Thursday, February 11th – Saturday, February 20th, various locations, Port Coquitlam
Port Coquitlam will be painting the town red and awash with spirit. On the 11th they’ll be celebrating the arrival of the torch, followed by a kick off event with fire dancers, entertainment and community dinner, free Winter Games screenings daily at the PoCoZone at the Port Coquitlam Rec Centre and lots more community fun including family and youth skates and swims. Click here for daily details: www.portcoquitlam.ca
Richmond O-Zone
Friday, February 12th – Sunday, February 28th, Monday – Friday, 3 pm – 11 pm, weekends, Noon – 5 pm, Richmond
Here’s where Richmond will officially be celebrating the Olympics. Check out huge ice sculptures, watch events on a massive high-def screen, enjoy outdoor skating, virtual reality (think bobsleigh rides), fireworks and heaps of bands such as Our Lady Peace, Bedouin Soundclash and more. Everything’s free, it’s all accessible via the Canada Line and there’s fun for everyone. The City of Richmond will be presenting fabulous fireworks on the 9th at 9 pm to celebrate the Torch Relay and again on the 14th at 9 pm to in honour of Chinese New Year. And on the 12th at 9 pm for the Opening Ceremony and the 28th at 9 pm for the Closing Ceremony the BC Lottery Corporation will be letting off more fireworks. And here’s a link to their list of family activities at the O Zone. Click here for their calendar: richmondzone.ca
Scandinavian Community Centre
Friday, February 12th – Sunday, February 28th, 9am – Midnight, 6540 Thomas Street, Burnaby
The Community Centre will have several big screen TVs for prime Olympic viewing, daily programs, fully catered meals and more: scandinaviancentre.org
Surrey 2010 Olympic Celebration Site
Friday, February 12th – Sunday, February 28th, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 3 pm – 10 pm, Saturdays, 11 am – 11 pm, Sundays 11 am – 10 pm, Holland Park, SW Corner of King George Highway & Old Yale Road, Surrey
With a sliding zone, skating rink, curling zone, an interactive media display, crafts and storytelling for tots, the RCMP Musical Ride, agility dogs and more, this definitely promises to be a family fun zone. Click here for the full schedule. Please note: a reader commented that they found the Surrey site very disappointing from a family perspective, the skating and sledding are a particular bust. If you have more info do let us know: www.surrey2010.com
Whistler Live!
Thursday, February 12 – Sunday, March 21, 2010, Whistler Village, Whistler
Whistler is naturally going to be abuzz and it’s all coordinated through Whistler Live, an outdoor network of stages, screens and performance sites throughout the village with free, unique programming each day throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. There’ll be nightly showcases with athlete presentations and concerts. Here’s their PDF packed with all the details. It seems as if most of their family programming’s happening at the Town Plaza: www.whistlerartscouncil.com
Community Centres & Parks
At each Vancouver Community Centre and Neighborhood House you’ll find a Community Living Room equipped with a 50″ plasma TV where locals can gather to catch the games. They’ll open on February 12th and some will re-open for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from March 12th – 21st.
The following Community Centres will be affected by the Games. If you don’t see it on this list that means it’s business as usual:
- Coal Harbour Community Centre: Closed from January 1st – March 31st, 2010.
- False Creek Community Centre: No regular programming during Games, daycare and fitness centre to remain open, partial public access.
- Hastings Community Centre: From February 13th to 27th access will be changed or limited, some program changes may occur and street access and parking will be impacted.
- Riley Park Community Centre/Percy Noman Pool/Riley Rink: Access will be limited during February and March, some program changes may occur and the emphasis will be on drop-in activities.
- Roundhouse Arts & Recreation Centre: All recreation programs will be closed from January 27th to March 3rd except for ticked Cultural Olympiad events.
- Britannia Ice Rink: Closed from January 27th to March 5th. CC will remain open but parking will be reduced.
- Killarney Ice Rink: Closed from January 15th to May but the CC and leisure pool will remain open with reduced parking.
- Trout Lake Ice Rink: Closed from January 15th to May but the CC will remain open with reduced parking.
- Hillcrest Park Fields: closed from December 2009 to June or July 2010. After the games they will be rehabilitated before reopening for public use.
- Jericho Beach Park & Spanish Bank Park: Parking will be limited due to temporary RV Park but there will be full access to the park and beach.
- Queen Elizabeth Park: In February and March parking will be reduced and limited but public access to the park is not restricted though some roads may be closed.
- Stanley Park: All of the park including the children’s farmyard and the Aquarium will be open but the Park Drive exit onto the causeway northbound to the Lion’s Gate Bridge will be closed from February 4th – 28th.
- Seawall: From early January to the end of March there will be some closures and rerouting around Games sites and venues. Southeast False Creek closed on January 4th, Convention Centre closed at the end of January, Westin Bayshore (upper seawall) will be cycling only. You can get all the details here.
We wanted to remind you to always call or visit the website for event info before you head out just in case any changes have been made since we posted it. And of course, have fun!
WOW, you did work hard on this!! Thanks so much! I will pass the word on to my friends.
This totally ROCKS! I knew I could count on you yoyomama for this (especially after that strike list). Thank you SO much I am sure I’ll refer to this lots.
Hi Annemarie!
BRILLIANT! WOW, amazing and exactly what I was looking for.
I can’t thank you enough, finally I have something I can work with.
Go Canada!
Holy cow! This is amazing. I can’t wait to get out to some of these terrific events. Thank you so much for getting all this together!
Thank you very much!! I was planning on researching family events at the Olympics for when we come into Vancouver and you have saved me an extremely amount of time…. thanks so much …. my sister in law sent your site to me as I was not aware of it. I will post it in my favorites.
Thank you thank you thank you for this!! This is the first family friendly long list I’ve seen, and we’ll be even more grateful for it during the Olympics when we will be visiting Vancouver. I subscribe to your email even though my family lives in Whitehorse, so much great information!
Wow this is a great family resource for the 2010 Olympic’s!
Thank you all for your feedback. I must admit I bit off more than I chew when I took this one but I think it turned out to be super useful, which was my goal!
Do email us if you hear of more events, we suspect we’ll be updating this a lot over the next month.
Fantastic! Thanks! :)
Wow!! Can I just say “Go Yoyomama Go” along with “Go Canada Go”! FANTASTIC resource and must have been tons of work. We have out-of-town visitors coming and I have already forwarded this email to them!! AWESOME!! ((( :
This is a great list and the events are going to be fantastic. Up in Whistler the Whistler RV Park is getting ready for all the Olympic fun about to come. There are still a few spots open for the last minute traveler. Have a great time enjoying the games.
J. McCartney
http://www.whistlerrvpark.com
Thank you so much for putting this together. Our young family of four is travelling from Summerland to Vancouver for the Olympics and we need to know what’s going on for families – this is so great!
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Just had to thank you – we want to take the kids down without spending a bunch of cash (we’re out in the east Fraser Valley) to see and experience some Olympic spirit – heard you on CBC this morning, and after checking out this site it was well worth it.
Great summary! I’ve forwarded onto numerous people because its one of the most thoughtfully prepared documents going.
I just wanted to thank you for all your feedback and I’m so glad so many people are finding it so useful. More updates coming soon!
Once again, yoyomama has provided an invaluable resource! The list is brilliant, and my 5-year-old has already put large blue checkmarks next to the events that interest him.
Annemarie, you have outdone yourself. A million thanks!
Thank you, thank you, Annemarie! Tried wading thru all the official sites but this is by far the the definitive, timesaver guide to the Olympics for us!
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I’d double check some of the information as we went to a couple of events listed here and the dates and times incorrect…oh well
My husband and I brought our two daughters (18 mos and 3.5 yrs.) to the Surrey 2010 Celebration site last weekend and were sadly disappointed. The sledding was basically a wet carpet covered in dish soap. It was very slippery and a bit dangerous with scratchy hay bales along the edges. (My 3 yr old poked/scratched all her fingers on the hay one hand trying to stop.)
The skating “rink” is plastic, it is impossible to skate on. There was a 3 time gold medallist there, she was struggling as well. It was a complete joke and the smallest pair of skates was a twelve. (This should have been mentioned on their website to avoid letting your kids down).
I would not recommend this venue at all.
The free skating at GE Plaza runs 10am – midnight daily. As of March 1st, it resumes back to noon to 9pm.
http://yougottabehere.ca/new_events_centre/free_ice_skating
Thanks e.craig. Good to know re: Surrey especially. I’ll update that info right away. And thank you!
Granville Island has been a great place to go in the evenings during the Olympics. There’s lots of entertainment and activity without the Olympic sized crowds :) And if you go after 7pm, the parking is now free and Kids Market is open until 9pm!
The RCMP musical ride at Holland park is great! You have to get there when it opens to pick up tickets though. The rest of the venue was so so, however students from my class really seemed to like it.
I have to disagree with e. craig about the Surrey site, (although I can understand some of her complaints). We went to the Surrey site today, and it was the most fun that my 2 year old has had at an Olympic site so far. Because it isn’t that busy, he could run around freely, exploring the displays and trying out the games. Right to Play has some simple but fun activities in which he could participate, including sledge hockey, a ball toss, and curling. The skating rink, I agree, is pointless, but the slide was a hit for us. (I rode on it with him, of course). They seem to have high school students running a lot of these activities, so I had to stay alert for the safety of my little guy. (They let another sled go down the track before we had cleared it.) There were lots of places to sit, and lots of prizes (pins, bouncy balls, Canada flag pencils, balloons) to collect. Overall, people were friendly and there was lots to keep us amused. All this being said, I’m sure older kids would find the activities provided too simple to hold their interest.
For us, it was nice, after going through the crazy crowd at Robson square (We wouldn’t have dared let him out of his stroller) and the seatless, Livecity Yaletown (There was not enough to keep him, or even us amused.) To be able to let our toddler run around and enjoy himself with activities that were suitable for his age made the trip to Surrey worthwhile.
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Thanks so much for the wonderful resource! I have definitely been referring to it throughout our Olympic adventures! I would definitely recommend visting Robson square, especially the Mascots on ice (2 or 3 shows daily). I think that was definitely one of Jakey’s highlights! I think he enjoyed the Coca Cola pavilion as well (taking pics with the Olympic torch and the Coca Cola polar bear) but I found the atmosphere to be a bit…loud and hectic. Still worth visiting if the line-up moves quickly. Looking forward to visiting the O-zone sometime this weekend!
We happened to be by the Edgewater Casino today and discovered a really interesting crafty-type market set up right in front of the Casino (large white tent, next to the outdoor stage). It’s a covered market and warm inside (great to get in from out of the pouring rain!). There is a collection of small local businesses promoting their wares, many of them carrying hand-crafted items like jewellry, soap and food. My favourites were the Rim Rasta African creations (bought 2 pairs of earrings for $5 each, made out of rosewood and hand crafted by the owner herself) and the Golden West Farms organic apple chips – no preservatives and super sweet and crunchy! Check out the market if you are in the area this weekend!
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