The new 'Olympic Clock' at the Art Gallery downtown.. Seen It?.. What do you think?

Question

.. do we REALLY need a countdown clock?
- I mean you'd have to be living under a rock to miss the hype and fanfare that will preceed the Olympics on every major media venue in town..

seems to me what we REALLY need is a taxpayer debt clock to let us know what this debacle is actually costing us..

thoughts?

well of course I'm being facetious with my question - I doubt Omega would ever sponsor a 'debt clock'.. but let's face it - when we were sold these Olympics, it was under the pretense that it wasn't going to cost us (hah!) - the more I look at it, the more I think these Games are going to hurt a lot more of our fellow citizens than help them.. have kids? think they're ever going to be able to afford to live here? Seems to me the real beneficiaries of these games are the really rich.. did you know Olympic CEO Jack Poole is president of Concert Properties Ltd. " ... one of the largest and most diversified real estate development companies in British Columbia.." - how shameful, what next! Bob Rennie for mayor?
I hate the way this city is going..

Answer 1

LOL!! Nope, I haven't seen the clock yet, but have certainly heard about it.

To be honest, my concern is what is gonna happen with all the poor folks in the downtown east side. Most certainly it will be cleaned up ... and I agree it needs to be ... but rather than building affordable housing and implementing more services to help these people, I am betting that they will be displaced and moved to surrey or somewhere in as bad or worse shape than they are now. Not that I wouldn't like to see th at area upgraded and all, but simply moving the problem doesn't solve it.

Answer 2

Although I agree with you, let me put a different perspective on it.

Do we need it? Yes. Because it is a requirement of hosting an Olympics. If anything, I'd question the countdown clock in Tiananmen Square a bit more than Vancouver's.

That's what happens when the Olympics has an official timekeeper. I am sure it is within the contract with Vancouver and the Olympics, and Omega and the Olympics to have such a countdown clock. It might not let you know that the Olympics are coming, but it does let you know Omega is a sponsor and that they make fancy watches. And I do think that although Vancouver knows the Olympics are coming, that the rest of Canada and the world needs to come for them to attempt to make a profit. By having the clock, it is another event that can be broadcast to the world, and a site that makes a good backdrop for visiting news media.

So, I don't know who paid for it. I tend to think Omega did. And would they have given a debt clock? Probably not.

Congratulations on your success in the Travel-Vancouver leader board.

Edit: Okay, I see where you are coming from. I was never under any such delusions (no cost to us). I'm from BC, but not Vancouver. I guess I still remember Expo. Lots of people were kicked out on the street so landlords could convert to make money from tourists. And lots of unusual land sales practices there. SO when the Olympics come to the BC taxpayer and say it will be good for you, pay into it. But then anytime I see it on the news, it becomes "our" (Vancouver's) games, I always realized I am mostly hearing a sales job.

Answer 3

I believe OMEGA paid for the clock - great advertising for them. Great honour to be an Olympic sponsor.
At least people attending the event will not have to rmeove their TIMEX watches before entering the venues.......
Our new Cricket Stadium opened this past weekend, in Barbados, we are hosting the World Cricket this year and have a clock counting down.... ( there is a Canadian team entered)
But get this - at the opening of the new stadium the only logos allowed on site were those of the sponsors. For example, CARIB beer is a sponsor not BANKS, BANKS is the beer of Barbados and a LOT of people wear Banks logos. Not Allowed.
One of the beverage sponsors actually ran out and they had to bring in a competitor and they tore the lables off before selling the drinks!!
Back to Vancouver, I was still living there when we won the bid and I was pretty excited, but I agree - I fear it is going to displace a lot of less fortunate people and that is very sad.
Poor message to send the world isn't it?

Answer 4

no and do not want to see it I think it was a waste of tax payers money and how about the stupid symbol for BC . I think it should have been a whale are something to do with the native that live here not some where up north the symbol is not from here it has nothing to do with BC ,or Vancouver

Answer 5

just googled it. pretty naff clock. good idea but just doesn't fit the location