SQUAMISH, B.C. - Carved out of British Columbia's rugged coastal mountains, where the winding highway from Vancouver kisses the waters of Howe Sound one last time before rising up toward Whistler, the logging town of Squamish once billed itself as the "Heart of 2010."

That is, until Olympic officials ordered the community to stop, arguing the slogan violated their fiercely guarded trademarks.

"I still think it was the greatest slogan in the world,'' says Coun. Corinne Lonsdale, who was Squamish's mayor in the early part of this decade when Vancouver was bidding for the Games.

"We are the heart - we're right between Vancouver and Whistler.''

The slogan's death nearly six years ago hasn't been forgotten in a town where residents have grown leery about the 2010 Winter Games, with the fuss becoming a symbol of the opportunities some feel have been dangled in front of this community of 15,000 people, only to be yanked away.

Local businesses are still trying to figure out just how they'll be affected when one of the largest sporting events in the world takes over the region, and some residents say they plan to be as far away as possible when the Games begin next February.

Lonsdale was an enthusiastic supporter of the Olympic bid when she was mayor, and she's still convinced the Games will prove to be a windfall for Squamish as thousands of workers and volunteers posted to nearby Whistler make the community their home base.

Still, she acknowledges the road to 2010 hasn't always been easy.

"There's some bumpy times between then and now, things you think might have happened,'' says Lonsdale.

"But where we're sitting today, I'm really quite excited. I think we've done really well.''

The original bid for the Games included 16-passenger ferries that would carry spectators from Vancouver to Squamish, where they would board buses to Whistler. That idea has since evaporated.

There had been talk that, even without the ferries, Squamish would serve as the transportation hub between Vancouver and Whistler, with buses stopping to let visitors check out the town. But now most buses travelling from the host city to the host mountain will drive straight through Squamish.

Officials were at one point considering building a new arena in Squamish for Paralympic sledge hockey, but now the event will be held in Vancouver.

On the other hand, supporters point to other developments that will ensure Squamish is busy during the Games - with money flowing into local businesses.

Earlier this month, Olympic organizers confirmed that a cruise ship will be moored nearby in Howe Sound, housing more than 1,000 workers, and hundreds more will be staying elsewhere in town.

The community is also part of the official homestay program for the Games, with more than 200 homes offering up spare bedrooms to Olympic and Paralympic volunteers in exchange for event tickets.

The Vancouver organizing committee is giving Squamish $750,000 to fund sports and recreation projects.

And the town's current mayor, Greg Gardner, says it's impossible to overstate the impact of the $600-million Sea-to-Sky Highway upgrades, which have made for a safer, faster commute to Vancouver that he says will no doubt spur investment long after the Games are over.

"We have a wonderful new highway, and that's a huge economic asset to our community and the entire corridor,'' says Gardner.

"We're all very excited about the Olympics, but in terms of economic benefits, that is just the chance to showcase (the area). The economic benefits and the lasting legacies, for our community, are more important.''

Gardner says the town is embracing the Olympic spirit, with nightly celebrations planned during the Games for when the volunteers and workers return at the end of the day.

Anyone driving on the highway through town will notice the large statue of Sam the Axe Man, with his leg and axe leaning on a giant log, is now sporting official Olympic red mittens.

Some residents, however, aren't convinced.

Orene Holt, a 65-year-old retiree who's lived in Squamish for nearly 30 years, says she was thrilled when Vancouver and Whistler were awarded the Olympics in 2003, and she thought it would be good for her town.

But that was then.

"We're just right in the middle and we're just getting left out,'' says Holt. "It wasn't that long until we weren't getting this, and we weren't getting that.''

Holt says if she can, she'll be skipping town in February, possibly to the Cook Islands in the South Pacific.

Joey Labatt also plans to be under sunnier skies during the Games, heading on a cruise to Mexico to avoid the congestion and traffic headaches she thinks will clog her community.

"From what I hear, Squamish isn't really going to benefit from it at all,'' says Labatt, a 34-year-old bookkeeper.

"They were expecting quite a bit. There's a lot of bitter people.''

Even a former mayor, Ian Sutherland, who held the position until last year, became a vocal critic of what he described as broken promises to the town.

Dan Doyle of the Vancouver Olympic organizing committee, known as VANOC, acknowledges plans have changed over time, but he says Squamish is going to come out ahead.

"I think we've gone into Squamish and more than made up for it, because we think that Squamish is very important to us in terms of putting on these Games,'' says Doyle. "I think Squamish is going to do really well in these Games.''

VANOC prepared a document in May of this year that said it had already signed $15.6 million worth of contracts with Squamish businesses, with more spending on the way.

The document estimates the homestay program alone will be worth $120,000 as volunteers spend money on food, entertainment and souvenirs during their stays in the community, and it was written before the cruise ship plans were confirmed.

Eric Armour, the president of the Downtown Squamish Business Improvement Association, says he expects businesses to cash in during the Games, but he's frustrated that plans are still changing with less than three months until the Olympics.

"There's definitely a lot of questions that are floating around about how it's going to work: Who's going to be here? How are people going to get around? If I have to do business out of town, how is that going to work?'' says Armour, who owns Trinity Romance Shop.

"It will work out, but business people are traditionally people that like to plan, so when you're left without that tool, you can see where some of the aggravation comes from.''

Gregory Fischer, who owns a downtown gelato shop, says the Olympics will require some adjustment, especially in a town that is largely shut down after 6 p.m. most days.

He says businesses are finding ways to adapt, such as extending their hours or co-ordinating a rotation to ensure a handful of shops are open at any given time.

"Everyone who wants to make a buck is going to make a buck during the Olympics,'' he says.

"If there's going to be people here who want gelato at midnight, they're going to get it.''