Eight years later, this legacy gathers weeds
As the Pyeongchang Olympics make way for the beginning of the Paralympics, scholars and critics are already starting to look at what legacy the event will leave. Legacy is a common topic for those evaluating the exorbitant cost of hosting large competitions like the Olympics, especially when it comes to event infrastructure. After Brazil, many criticized the cost of the $319 million arena built in the middle of the jungle that only saw four soccer tournaments when the country hosted the World Cup.
In Vancouver, many touted the lasting legacy of projects like the Richmond Oval and the Canada Line after the 2010 Winter Games. But eight years later, one Vancouver attraction remains unused and overgrown with blackberry bushes.
Once a bustling service, the Downtown Historic Railway, also known as the Olympic Demonstration Line, moved tourists and locals alike from Science World to Granville Island. The 1.8-kilometre track was a $8.5 million partnership between Bombardier, which contributed two streetcars, and the City of Vancouver.
But it only lasted for 60 days, starting at the end of January 2010. Now, most of the track still exists — and so do the former stops — but they are unused and not maintained.