Metro Vancouver began to see "modest benefits" after winning the bid for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to the Olympic Games Impact Pre-Games Report produced by the University of British Columbia.
The report examined 80 different economic, social and environmental conditions in Metro Vancouver between 2002 and 2006. UBC professor Rob VanWynsberghe, who led the report's research team said, "So far, in combining the social, economic and environmental spheres, we see a slight positive impact."
Some of the most notable benefits in the period were economic. The study found that the Games contributed to the increase in the number of companies by 17% in Metro Vancouver and by 36% in the Squamish-Lillooet region by 2006.
It also noted that Vancouver saw a 46% increase in the number of international events hosted in the city, suggesting the region was becoming an increasingly popular destination following Vancouver's winning Olympic bid. However, the Games did not seem to affect the number of tourists to the region during the period.
Canadian athletes benefited greatly from Vancouver's winning Olympic bid with the implementation of the Own the Podium and Podium Canada programs aimed at supporting Canada's athletes and coaches.
The Games had a mixed environmental impact in the time period, with venue construction producing an indirect, and possibly temporary, negative impact in air quality in Whistler and Squamish. Air quality in Metro Vancouver, however, improved between 2002 and 2006.
The report was not able to conclude, due to a lack of available data, that the Games increased homelessness.
The study is the second of four studies required by the International Olympic Committee to measure the overall impact of the 2010 Winter Games. The entire study was developed by the IOC to introduce a standardized method of monitoring, measuring and reporting the impact of hosting the Olympic Games. All Olympic organizing committees beginning with Vancouver will be required to produce the report.