Olympic Ticket Buy, Sell and Auction
The Fan-to-Fan Marketplace is now live on http://www.vancouver2010.com/ and enables ticket holders to sign into their existing Vancouver 2010 ticketing account and click the “sell my tickets” option for the seats they want to sell. Ticket holders can set their selling price and buyers can browse for available tickets. Both buyer and seller are charged a 10% fee which VANOC states is to cover the costs of setting up and maintaining this service. Not only does this system help ensure there will be full venues at Games times, it also guarantees all tickets sold through this official channel are valid. The marketplace also includes high demand tickets that are up for auction as well as the opportunity to donate tickets to community groups in Metro Vancouver and the Sea to Sky region through the Celebrate 2010 program. There is no fee for the donation service or tax receipts issued. Tickets that are posted will remain available on the Marketplace up to 24 hours prior to the event. Since the service launched on Monday it has been very busy with some wait times to access the site.

Effective January 1st
Starting on Friday, January 1st, new street parking regulations and rates will be in effect in Vancouver. Parking meter hours will be in effect from 9 am to 10 pm, seven days a week everywhere in the city. Pay-by-phone users may pay for up to four hours of evening parking (increased from the two-hour maximum limit) in advance, starting at 6 pm and there will no longer be a 30-cent service charge if you pay for street parking by phone. In addition to these changes, parking meter rates will increase in April in busy downtown areas, including Yaletown, Gastown, the West End, Robson and the Central Business District. While these increases are not necessarily related to the Olympics (or maybe they are) they are important for all locals who drive downtown.

Are you Power Smart?
From February 9th to March 22nd BC Hydro invites athletes, visitors and locals to visit the BC Hydro Power Smart Village. Focusing on BC Hydro’s commitment to conservation, sustainability and new smart technologies, the Village will feature fun family activities, and interactive experiences. Dance on the sustainable dance floor, leave an inspirational message for the world on the digital expression wall, be awed by First Nations carvings and check-out the Future is Now home. The Village will be located at 333 Dunsmuir Street and open at 10 am daily.

Red Mittens
The sale of Red Mittens reached 1 million pairs. With the original sales goal being only one million VANOC is now just trying to keep up. An additional 300,000 pairs of Red Mittens were delivered across Canada last week with another shipment to arrive shortly. Own the Podium has already earned $4 million from sales which could now reach up to 2 million if manufacturing and shipping could keep up.