Vancouver’s Olympic Decade from the Professional Arts Perspective

Vancouver’s Olympic decade began when the BC Liberals were elected to government in May 2001. Their campaign pledges contained a number of positive assertions concerning both the 2010 Olympics and the professional arts community. The new government promised to support BC’s bid to host the 2010 Olympics and to increase funding for the BC Arts Council to promote and support BC arts, music, artists, and culture. This article examines how Vancouver’s, and wider BC’s, professional arts community fared during the Olympic decade, both in the run up and immediate aftermath.