When my brother and I were skiing at Whistler in 2001, there was a lot of talk and argument about pursuing the Winter Olympics. Some sides were arguing that the games would bring too many people to the area and cause too much disruption, that the transportation was not sufficient and that costs would be prohibitive.

On the other hand, the pro-Olympics crowd talked about development and economic gains.

Based on an article today from the International Herald Tribune, the question is no longer academic, as Vancouver beat out Salzburg, Austria and Pyeongchang, South Korea to host the games.