Olympic organizers are one step closer to securing the last required Vancouver training venue for the 2010 Games after a community board finally voted in favour of the proposal.

Negotiations had been going on for over a year about using the Britannia centre for hockey practice during the Olympics.

'It's a fantastic opportunity to have the best athletes in the world practising at their facility.'— Denis Hainault, Vancouver Organizing Committee

The need for more clarity was part of what stalled the decision, said Enzo Guerriero, the Britannia centre's executive director.

"There was a lot of information out there and some of it wasn't very clear," Guerriero said. "We wanted to make sure before the board decided that it was very clear what the impact would be."

The centre was selected as a possible training venue because it's close to the athletes' village and has an NHL-sized ice rink.

But some residents of the east-end neighbourhood were fearful that all services at the community centre would be cancelled during the Games, leaving the area's many low-income families in the lurch for day care, after-school programs and seniors' activities.

Olympic organizers said that won't happen.

'We will continue to … build the resistance in this community against the Olympics.' — Tammie Tupechka

"The agreement that we're making with the community centre is that no other services will be affected other than the actual ice rink," said Denis Hainault, director of ice sports for the Olympic organizing committee.

He said users of the rink will have long-term benefits from the deal because the Olympic committee is putting more than $300,000 worth of upgrades into the facility.

They'll also be funding the purchase of new sports equipment that children can use and are working on a program that would allow some residents into the practice sessions.

"It's excellent for the kids in the region," Hainault said. "For minor hockey in particular, it's a fantastic opportunity to have the best athletes in the world practising at their facility. They will remember that forever."

The community board voted 8 to 5 in favour of the proposal, and it will now go to Vancouver city council for a final nod.

"This highly disappointing vote in favour of the Olympics at Britannia means we will do what we can to protect our community and its most marginalized members against the security and the community service disruption," said Tammie Tupechka, who led opposition to the plan.

"We will continue to grow and build the resistance in this community against the Olympics and its multiple detrimental effects on communities across Vancouver and B.C." Tupechka said.