The Stereophonics played the medal ceremony in Vancouver this past Saturday. I felt bad for them as the crowd was not the normal rock show crowd. Many people left after the victory ceremony that was telecast from Whistler. At one point Kelly Jones even played a few bars from über Canadiana band The Tragically Hip’s “New Orleans is Sinking” but nobody noticed. I did though! Thank you!
A few Welsh flags were visible in the floor crowd, but mostly the crowd was made up of a small group of Olympic concert-goers. In any case, I enjoyed the show, but it’s a safe assumption that most were there because it was something “Olympic” to do. Don’t hold it against us Kelly Jones and Co. Please come back an play the Commodore Ballroom again sometime soon.
Random sighting at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. Alexandre Bilodeau with official timing sponsor Omega flanked by Michael Phelps. Crazy Olympic times and Canada’s superstar of the moment!
Canada hit a bit of a mogul today, but we put on a good show.
Seeing our local Okanagan favourite Kristi Richards bumble her final run was a heartbreak, but seeing her pull it together enough to pull a big show last jump and have a smile on her face is what the games are all about.
Jennifer Heil had an amazing run that looked promising, but alas America had a better, borderline flawless, run for Olympic gold.
We may not have won gold, but Canada showed amazing athleticism and great sportsmanship tonight.
It may not have been the perfect ending but way to go girls. Canada is proud of you!
For all of the hype, for all of the criticism, the speculation, the controversy, for all of it I have only this to say — the opening ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics moved and inspired me.
It wasn’t the star studded cast, nor was it the show. It was the fact that Vancouver, and Canada, was at its best tonight. To see the parade of amazing Canadians really drove home how great we are as a country. It really was the best of the best that we as Canadians had to offer.
The surprise of the night for me, which really shouldn’t have been surprising, was KD Lang. Here I am expecting a big Celine Dion “poptacle” when KD Lang comes on stage and absolutely kills it with her soulful rendition of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Nothing else would have been more appropriate. She is the ultimate in talent and humility, and that in itself is distinctly Canadian.
Seeing Rick Hansen enter the stadium brought a tear to my eye, and to have him collectively light the cauldron with the likes of Catriona Lemay Doan, Steve Nash, Nancy Greene Raine, and the great one himself Wayne Gretzky is truly a display of our great Canadian spirit. And really, only in Canada do we all light the flame together.
Shane Koyczan from Penticton (yes, my town!) put on an amazing performance of spoken word as he told his story of authentic Canadiana to the world with great command and reverence.
All in all, despite what anyone says, it is our turn to host the world’s biggest celebration. The world is in our house, and Vancouver is absolutely at it’s best. No matter how much money or ink has been spilled over these games we are hosting something truly incredible.
I think the critics have fallen short in one fundamental way — the benefit of the Olympic games to Canada is a complete intangible. It simply cannot be measured or quantified in dollars and cents.
The feeling I had watching the opening ceremony was one of pride for my country. I wanted to be up there with our great athletes, artists, and our other Canadian heroes — Romeo Dallaire, Betty Fox, Donald Sutherland, Bobby Orr, Julie Payette, Jacques Villeneuve, Barbara Ann Scott, and Anne Murray.
Seeing all of them together made me realize how great this country is, and it made me want to be a great Canadian. I can’t be the only one that felt that way, and to me that on its own is worth every penny we have spent on hosting the Olympic games.
An inspired nation will continue to do great things. How do you put a price on that?
(Note, most videos from the opening ceremony seem to have been removed from YouTube, but this is an earlier version of We Are More that was performed by Shane Koyczan at the opening ceremony.)
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games are approaching fast, and within the last month or so since my last visit to Vancouver the amount of street art in the city has also grown quickly. The city has a good vibe right now and I’m excited to see Vancouver shine at its best. The art around town definitely adds to the excitement. I particularly like this art signage at the Vancouver Public Library. Others around town I don’t completely understand like the giant tinfoil ball looking thing outside the Skytrain station on Georgia and Granville that is supposed to represent the future of China. To me it looks more like a crumpled up piece of aluminum, but maybe I’m a simpleton for not fully understanding.
“Vancouverism is characterized by tall, but widely separated, slender towers interspersed with low-rise buildings, public spaces, small parks and pedestrian-friendly streetscapes and facades to minimize the impact of a high density population.”
-The New York Times, December 28, 2005
Check out this site for the Vancouverism exhibit running through the Vancouver 2010 Olympics at the Woodward’s Building.
I am a videographer, sometime photographer, ethnographer, world traveller, and all around student of life. I make pictures for a living and have worked with some of the worlds most recognizeable brands to communicate ideas and stories within their companies.
This blog is part work, part travel, and part whatever I happen to be interested in at the moment. I like bicycles, wine, food, and people — mostly in that order. I live to learn and share as much about this world as possible. Simply put, I love a good story!
