Post Olympic Musings

The XXIWinter Olympic Games is history. Or is it?

It certainly looks as if the afterglow is seeking an intrinsic value into a more outward-going Canadian psyche -- but I’ll leave that discussion for the pundits. After all, something’s gotta justify the costs of our hangover.

I’ll simply share some random thoughts, observations and anecdotes that might not have made it into the mainstream media – some of the things that transformed our city either physically with traffic diversions and street closures, or emotionally as the city celebrated its time in the world spotlight.

• The Games opened during the city’s warmest 31-day stretch of winter weather on record. Yes, several events were postponed which is actually not unusual for a winter Olympics. Did anyone report that chilly Calgary had to postpone 70 events to accommodate weather variances?


• Participants in both Opening/Closing Ceremonies couldn’t use hairspray lest the pyrotechnics set heads aflame.


• Canadian flags created a landscape of red and white: draped on roundabouts, hung in windows, covering the stone paws of the legendary Lions Gate Bridge lions, portrayed as eyeglass lenses, converted into Superhero costumes, painted on cheeks …. Everywhere, on young and old, on tall and stout people, buildings and animals. The Games seemed to quench an unparalleled thirst to demonstrate a unity of patriotism. GO CANADA GO.


• 2,000 official vehicles catered to 2730 athletes; watch for deals when they (the cars not the passengers) are sold across Canada as end-of-lease vehicles only these ones will bear the Vancouver Olympic logo.


• A round of applause for hot-country, one-athlete teams who managed to qualify: Senegal, Portugal, Taipei, Bermuda, Columbia, Morocco, Ghana, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Mexico, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Albania, Algeria and Ethiopia.


• Shoppers usually had to endure a four-block line up around the Hudson Bay to get their hands on Olympic gear. VISA reports they spent nearly US $5.2 million on Opening Day alone.


• The Athletes Village is North America’s greenest community; the second in the world to earn LEED platinum certification; some units were converted from containers; students at Emily Carr/UBC art programs designed and made the outdoor furniture.


• The simple strategy of closing liquor stores four hours early meant that partying rarely turned into rowdy gatherings. When police asked selected revellers to pour drinks down drains, they did without fuss. Had Canada lost the Hockey Gold to the USA, perhaps things would have been different that last night.


• Overall Games costs’ are $6 billion and counting. In most instances, we shone but shame of the $10 million spent on the Canada Pavilion. Half the cost was for the architecturally-uninspired, US-provided tent (huh?); the other half went to uninspired touch-screen exhibits geared to the under-10 crowd. Government trying to do kids’ fun is an oxymoron.


• Miss the roving packs of national teams exploring the downtown core and media cameras always positioned to catch the latest street colour. And miss the innovative broadcast venues such as NBC atop Grouse Mountain, Swiss on Granville Island, and the Russians in Science World.
  
  More random anecdotes to come……