There may be hope yet that the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee will throw Squamish a bone now that John French, a true blue hometown boy, has been appointed to community relations for the all-powerful Games body. Enthusiasm quickly deflates, however, when requests for interviews reveal that - in true VANOC fashion - Squamish's golden boy is under a gag order, albeit a temporary one.Last week marked five years since the International Olympic Committee chose Vancouver and Whistler as home of the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. By all accounts, the celebration that took place among those watching a televised broadcast of the early morning announcement at the Howe Sound Brew Pub was second to none for Squamish. Hope and anticipation abounded. But that jubilation has eroded over the years with one perceived snubbing after another. First, the provincially-funded Legacies Now program - founded to help spread the anticipated wealth of the Games to communities all over B.C. - decided that as a member of the "Olympic Corridor," Squamish is not eligible for hundreds of thousands in grants since the town is expected to benefit directly. Then banners designed and hung at district expense to show pride and celebrate "The Heart of 2010" were removed after stern warnings they contravened sacred trademark laws. Then there was the nixing of a local ferry terminal - an item that was part of the bid book no less. Then the sledge hockey arena and media centre were a no-go. Then the running joke that Highway 99 construction would see a ramp actually direct traffic above the town appeared to hit closer to home than anyone imagined when VANOC announced busses shuttling crowds along the Sea to Sky Corridor would not stop here - at all. And most recently, locals have again felt slighted after six VANOC-led neighbourhood meetings neglected to include Squamish. "Do you live, work or play close to a Vancouver 2010 venue?" asks the VANOC website. "If the answer is yes or you're not sure, you may have questions about how the Games venues will operate on a day-to-day basis; how long it will take for a venue to return to its normal operations after the Games; what legacies will be left behind; and what it means for you as a resident, neighbour, facility user or business." Apparently locals' pressing questions - most notably over the impact on Highway 99, what it will mean for commuting, commercial deliveries and day-to-day travel - doesn't fit the neighbourhood meeting criteria. But now hope has returned in the form of a locally-grown insider. Will French's appointment mean Squamish will now be included in VANOC plans? Will questions be answered that is once the gag order is removed? Or is the board merely attempting to appease an inconveniently located, and increasingly whiny population? Time will tell.
