When the 2008 Beijing Olympic Summer Games draws to a close on August 24th, Vancouver will officially become the next Olympic Host City.

That same day will mark just 537 days to until the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on February 12, 2010.

Not only will Vancouver be the site of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Games, it will also host the events for seven of the 15 Winter Olympic sports (snowboarding, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, ice skating, speed skating, short track speed skating and curling).

Construction is now complete on many of the venues. The latest to open is the University of British Columbia Thunderbird Arena, the first new-build indoor competition venue in the Host Region to be completed. During the Games period, the arena will host men's and women's ice hockey events as well as men's sledge hockey.

Construction involved refurbishing the existing arena (built in 1963) and the construction of two new rinks: a practice rink and a 7,500-seat competition arena. Construction was completed on budget and four months ahead of its originally scheduled completion date of November 2008.