Vancouver gets the Gold

If the consulting firm Mercers can be believed (and the U.N. seems to trust them) then one of the best cities in the world is Vancouver. I'd have to agree. Although I wasn't born there and all together i've only spent a couple of years living there, it is the place i refer to as “home”. But I wasn't there for the first time in 5 years for sentimental reasons. Nor was i there to visit family or even cancel my subscription to Columbia House Records (do they even exist anymore?). I was there for the 21^st Winter Olympics, baby!!

Quite frankly Vancouver sucks for tourists. The aquarium was state of the art... 20 years ago. The shopping is mediocre at best. The clubbing scene is mostly centred around underground raves which most visitors aren't privy to. The main tourist attraction, Gas Town, boasts a partially working steam powered clock, whoopee! But as opposed to having a couple of stand out attractions to wow the onlookers, Vancouver is instead a sum of it's intangible parts. It is this that equal something great. Vancouver is a city of unique lifestyle. A wonderful blend of fleece wearing, unshaven mountain people and ultra-trendy city slickers. A wonderfully slow pace of life is supplemented by a extensive transit system. So the only question about Vancouver's ability to host an event as big as the Olympics was, “Why didn't they host it sooner?”

Obviously, things didn't go off as well as they could have. The world was introduced to the Vancouver Olympics by an training accident claiming the life of a Georgian athlete. In the opening ceremonies there was the malfunctioning mechanic arm. The weather could not have been any more uncooperative (But the lack of snow was seen as a challenge and not an obstacle). Sure the ice resurfacing machine (aka Zamboni) broke down at the state of the art skating arena. And like every Olympics before it, many standing room tickets had to be cancelled. But for the vast majority of visitors none of it mattered. Even with a little more flag waving than i care to see, there is no way Canadians could have been disappointed with the event. The anticipated protests never really materialized. Instead the record gold medal haul was accompanied by random choruses of “Oh Canada” in venues, ceremonies and street corners. It was one of the first times i had seen Canadians identify as Canadians as opposed to simply “not American”.

Even in the rain, downtown Vancouver overflowed with such a positive vibe. Free events, concerts and activities entertained the masses as the hopeful gathered around the big screens to cheer on athletes in events many didn't even understand (what the hell is with the short track speed skating relay?) The single largest television audience in Canadian history watched as an epic goal was scored in what will surely be remembered as one of the greatest hockey moments in history (at least for the Canadians). Figure skater Joannie Rochette overcame the personal tragedy of expectantly losing her mother days before her event, only to persevere a win bronze. By doing so, not only inspiring a nation, but the whole world. The games, like all those before them, were filled with great stories triumph over adversity. Many in B.C. question the decision to pour so much money into what is essentially a 2-week investment. Only time will tell of the financial return, but the memories of the fans and athletes will last a lifetime.