Olympic Flame and Canadian Pride

The last couple of years leading up to the olympics had left a bad taste in the mouth of many Vancouver residents due to many broken promises with social housing and local support, over spending and disruption in the city. It’s been difficult to avoid the dissenting opinion and I fully support much of the complaints about the broken promises and lack of support for housing. For this reason I wasn’t looking forward to the olympics being in my own back yard. I was expecting for the event to come and go with very little positive feelings from myself.*

I’d heard from friends and family across the country about the torch relay and how wonderful it was for them whenever it passed through their town and how it brought everyone together and gave them such a strong sense of Canada, but all I could think was “Yes, but we have all of the mass spending and corporate nonsense here in Vancouver.”

Then on Thursday night I caught my first sight of the flame heading down West 4th Avenue very near where I live and the crowds, excitement, happiness and sheer pride really started to get me a little excited. So, when I was asked if I wanted to go down to Granville Island yesterday morning and see the flame get on the ferry and head across False Creek I was pretty excited to see what would happen.

I was slammed with work [of course!] and so I headed down right as the flame was almost there only to discover the crowds were immense. I only ever managed to catch a glimpse of the top of the flame, but really I was just so enthralled to be there among all the excitement and unity of Canadians. After seeing the passion from the crowd and people all over the city these past couple of days I can see just how important these games are to Canada and how much pride everyone has for their country; which at the base of it all is a conglomerate of so many nations collected into one of the most beautiful parts of the world.

I’ve only lived here for two and a half years but Canada is a country which welcomes new people from all over the world, and you’re not only immediately accepted into the culture you’re expected to add to it in any way you can. I feel like these games have already demonstrated that most beautiful aspect of being Canadian.

And so now the games are here and I can see just how much effort and creativity has gone into producing something so enormously spectacular I’m definitely excited. After I watched the opening ceremony I realised something – unlike any other opening I’ve seen this one seemed so much less about showing off to the world and more about speaking to the people of Canada and bringing us even closer together as a nation.

I can now say I have so much pride to not only be British but also to be a Canadian resident. I love my countries.

Go Britain! Go Canada Go!

*As a side note, I’m so very disappointed by the Anarchists’ actions this morning in Downtown Vancouver. It’s mindless violence and disruption like this that ruins any chance of peaceful protests being heard and understood by the opposition. This will just bury any legitimate opposition to the olympic games.