On Feb. 27, the Council of Canadians, Canada's largest public advocacy group held its first ever tele-town hall. The goal was to engage its 50,000+ members in an intimate forum on a cold, snowy Sunday afternoon with the Council's chair, Maude Barlow. By all accounts, the event was a huge success with over 20,000 Canadians joining in the call. Callers had a chance to learn about the Council's political campaigns, ask live questions and vote in two live polls.

As Whistler, B.C. prepares to celebrate its one-year Olympic anniversary this weekend, the mood in the resort is less than celebratory, despite assurances from the Resort Municipality of Whistler that, "it's time to re-live the magic and embrace the Olympic and Paralympic spirit."

Last year, Whistler couldn't get enough of the world's media, and now it wishes that most of the camera crews would go home, especially in light of the sled dog massacre and VANOC's luge track irregularities.

It doesn't help that hotel room nights are down, luxury real estate has taken a downward spiral, retail stores are closing and Whistler has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.

By now, the tragic story of the 100 sled dogs killed in Whistler last April has made its way around the world, much to the chagrin of Outdoor Adventures Whistler, Tourism Whistler, and local residents and businesses.

Mention old growth trees and logging and most people think British Columbia and Clayoquot Sound. Mention Whistler and most people envision skiing and pristine wilderness.

But a new plan to log Whistler's existing old growth trees could soon see Whistler moving away from eco-tourism and into the old growth logging business.

The B.C. government has downloaded the responsibility of managing B.C.'s forests from the Ministry of Forests to the local municipalities and First Nations, in what has been termed a ‘Community Forest.'

A Community Forest is defined as 'a forestry operation managed by local government, community group, or First Nation for the benefit of the community.'

"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" - Hamlet Act 1, Scene 4,

Something's rotten in the state of Whistler and the stench is emanating directly from municipal hall and the illegal asphalt plant operating in the Olympic Athletes Village.

If Whistler's mayor has his way, post-Olympic tourists will soon be flocking to Whistler to visit its newly expanded 60-acre basalt quarry, logged old growth forests and the world's first Olympic legacy asphalt plant, as the resort positions itself as a key player in the mineral extraction business.

A group of Whistler homeowners took to the streets on July 24 to vent their frustration with Whistler council's refusal to relocate a toxin-belching asphalt plant, just metres from their new homes in Whistler's Athletes Village.

This is one of several Olympic-related protests held in Whistler to date. In 2009, residents protested the clearing of Whistler's last remaining urban forest to construct the 2010 Celebration Plaza and destruction of a rare, red-listed wetland to house the new "green" hydrogen bus refueling station.

Like the now-infamous Love Canal neighbourhood in New York State, Whistler's latest community was also marketed as a "dream" community, nestled between Whistler's pristine mountains, lakes and natural areas.

After attending the 2010 Paralympics alpine events last week, it became evident just how different the Paralympics are from the Olympics.

Gone were the security restrictions, blimps, pigloos, military helicopters and police officers/military on every street corner. Paralympic spectators were not subjected to airport-style security screening, despite visiting VIPs such as Prime Minister Harper, B.C. Premier, Gordon Campbell and Prince Edward.

All instances of the IOC's five-ring logo had been replaced with the three agitos (or semi ovals of red, green and blue). Tickets for the Olympic alpine events were priced at $150, while tickets to the Paralympic alpine events were only $15, but still delivered the excitment of a world-class event.

It's been almost two weeks since Whistler co-hosted the 17-day sporting extravaganza. Immediately after the closing ceremonies, the Five Ring Circus and its security entourage left town.

While our Olympic hangover slowly subsides, the stage is being set for the 2010 Paralympics -- a more relaxed and less intrusive event than its over-bearing cousin, the Olympics.

While the Olympics had over 5,500 athletes and officials from 80+ countries, the Paralympics will only have 1,350 athletes and officials from 40+ countries. The games will run from March 12 to 21, and events will include biathlon, sledge ice hockey, wheelchair curling, and cross-country and alpine skiing, for a total of 64 medal events.

As Whistler's residents and VANOC bask in the afterglow of the 2010 Winter Olympics, Whistler's Mayor, Ken Melamed announced plans for a $150,000 community wrap-up party for April or May to mark the achievement of hosting a successful Olympics.

I'll be the first to admit that Whistler hosted a great Olympic event, but do we really need another party?

On March 5, Vancouver 2010 and partners donated $300,000 to UNICEF to help rebuild Haiti and to serve as a lasting legacy of Canada's Games. Hopefully Whistler officials will follow VANOC's lead (never thought I would say that) and donate the funds to a more worthwhile cause or lasting community legacy.

Rumour has it that Vancouver and Whistler may need to step in for Sochi during the 2014 Olympics. The mere suggestion of hosting the Olympics twice in four years is being met with shudders by local residents.

AssociatedContent.com writes how the IOC may have to move the 2014 Sochi Olympics to another city for the first time in history or cancel them for the first time since WWII and Kootenay Mountain Culture Magazine reports that the Russian host city is having challenges in meetings its timelines and obligations.