Czech authorities opening temporary consulate office in Vancouver

The Czech authorities are opening up a consulate office in Vancouver for the duration of the winter Olympics. According to the CTK news agency the temporary consulate will be staffed by employees from the Czech embassy in Ottawa. They will be of assistance to Czech nationals who may run into difficulties and require assistance in replacing lost passports, reporting thefts or getting emergency medical care. Although Czechs traveling to Canada need a visa, this has not dampened people’s enthusiasm to see the games in person. The Canadian embassy in Prague says it is receiving on average 15 visa applications a day.