The province of Alberta is full steam ahead in its preparations for the 2010 Games.

In addition to renting six luxury dome cars on the Rocky Mountaineer to shuttle guests between Vancouver and Whistler, the province will also have a home base in each location for its guests.

And so the clubhouse of the Whistler Golf Club will be transformed into a mini Alberta House of sorts – a business/hospitality centre where guests of Alberta can gather after a day in Whistler before getting back on the train and enjoying a five-course meal on the way to back to Vancouver.

“It’s a VIP experience,” said Russ Tynan, executive director of Alberta’s Olympic and Paralympic Secretariat, created over one year ago. “That’s what we’ve touted it to be. It’s about business development.

“This is about businesses and colleagues needing to connect with the right people and establishing long-term relationships, and how better to do that than… attending a world class celebration in a great place.”

Tynan explained that the province readily jumped on board with plans for 2010 after an official invitation from B.C. and Olympic organizers. The invitation was extended across Canada.

Alberta, however, has the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics under its belt and understands what kind of benefits can come from being a part of 2010.

“We’ve been fortunate,” said Tynan. “We were given the opportunity 20 some odd years ago to host the Olympics and we understand how the world’s attention will shift and so we know that invitation we got is pretty magical and pretty special and so we’re not going waste it.”

The province has committed $6.6 million in new funds for the program. Other funding will come from existing programs.

The world will know the province is at the Games as the train will be wrapped in messaging with the name “Alberta” as it travels through Sea to Sky country.

The top of the line Rocky Mountaineer GoldLeaf Service dome cars and lounge cars will be used for the occasion.

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By Alison Taylor, Pique Newsmagazine, >>> continue reading

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