No Olympics at East Vancouver community centre, members say

A proposal to rent out the Britannia Centre arena on East Vancouver's Commercial Drive for the 2010 Winter Olympics didn't impress many of its members at a public forum last night.

The organizing committee for the Games, VANOC,is looking for another ice rink for hockey teams to practise on for the month of February 2010.

In return, the centre's executive director had suggested asking for more than $370,000 for funding for improvements.

Last night, the board held a public meeting to gauge members' support for the proposal, and many people spoke against the plan.

Member Tammie Tupechka said regardless of how much cash VANOC offered, she did not want the Olympics in her neighbourhood.

"I'm not interested at all in having that kind of security apparatus in our community. I'm very worried about aboriginal kids who get targeted already," Tupechka said.

But Jamie Overgaard, a teacher at Britannia School, which shares its school grounds with the centre, said Britannia needs the money, and no one else is offering.

And that's not the only reason he supports renting the ice out to allow international teams to use it for practices.

"We feel that having, not only the facilities upgraded, but having access to practices and such would really be something special for our kids," said Overgaard.

The final decision will be up to the Britannia Centre executive, which will vote on the offer on May 14.

During the 2010 Winter Olympics the actual hockey games will be played at GM Place and the new UBC arena.

Two other Vancouver rinks have also been booked for the the games. The aging Killarney and Trout Lake community ice rinks are in the process of being replaced, and the new facilities will be used as practice venues for figure skating and short track speed skating during the 2010 Winter Games, according to the City of Vancouver.