As a resident, I am pleased that Vancouver was selected as the host city for the 2010 Olympics due to various factors, including high livability in almost every neighbourhood. I have lived in Vancouver since 1982 and watched it more than double in population size.

Vancouver has been ranked the 'most livable city' by the international business intelligence firm, the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), which like the Economist magazine is a unit of the Economist Group. The elements that make Vancouver such a great place to live translate into making this a safe, exciting and attractive destination for both locals and visitors. It has become a bustling and increasingly diverse city with vibrant communities.

Along with its livability factor, I believe the advent of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler is expected to be a major boon for the city. The 2010 event is projected to generate sustainable economic benefits. These include jobs, business development opportunities and infrastructure improvements. The hosting of the 2010 Olympics has significant power to create social benefits by stimulating economic opportunities for Vancouver residents and businesses located in the inner city, including new home developments around the Olympic site.

The 2010 benefits include the projection of employment creation: an estimated 55,000 direct person years of employment and 77,000 total person years from 2008 to 2015 period, with peak incremental employment of 22,000 direct person years of employment in 2010. In the most recent statistics, the Vancouver job market for the period of January 13, 2008 to February 09, 2008 was 4.3%, reflecting a 33 year unemployment low. With greater job security on the whole, I believe Vancouver condos are likely to continue to be buoyant into 2010 and beyond.  

For information on Vancouver condos, call Chris Tioseco at 604.618.6314 or email chris.tioseco@shaw.ca to help you find the best deals today, as well as to leverage from his personal insights.