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Anthony says farewell to 6 amazing weeks |
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Last Friday was my last day at work. Can't believe six weeks went by this fast. I'm barely readjusted to the fact that the Olympics are gone. This was an incredible experience that I wouldn't let myself forget. I must thank Dimitry and Robert who helped me a lot during this period. Be sure to check CPF May's newsletter where I will give my thoughts about this job. 
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Canada Northern House |
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Interview with Canadian Paralympic Committee |
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I had the chance to speak with Anna Parisi on the phone yesterday. She is the chief of communication of the committee. I thanked her for finding time in her busy schedule to let me do an interview with her as I heard many noises in the background including people talking and phones ringing. She seemed to be extremely occupied so I quickly started the interview after introducing Canadians Parents for French and myself. When I asked her how the Paralympians feel to be competing on home ground, she answered enthusiastically that “they are thrilled and excited to show Canadians what Paralympics sport is all about”. The Canadian Paralympic team has set a goal of finishing in the top three in the medal rank and she was confident that the team will achieve its goal since the Canadian team excelled in three of the five Paralympic sports. She told me that they are the reigning gold medalist in sledge hockey and wheelchair curling. The Canadian wheelchair curling team has also won the world championship in 2009 and the Canadian alpine team is ranked number one in the world. I was amazed by all these amazing achievements of the Canadian Paralympians so I wouldn't be surprised if Canada finishes first in the medal ranking. Anna believes that Paralympic sports have become more and more popular in the recent years, especially in Canada. She thinks that once people have seen the Paralympics, the sports are going to speak for itself and its popularity will keep rising in future years. She told me that a number of athletes from the sledge hockey team, alpine team and biathlon team as well as few team coaches and general manager are from the province of Quebec and even Switzerland! As I continue to interview Anna, she mentioned that the head of the French media relations is speaking next to her and I stop to listen to hear her speaking in French. My last question was about the "Own the Podium" Program and how it has helped the Paralympians. She stated that the program applies to the five Paralympic sports. It has allowed the team to hire extra coaches, provided nutritionists, physiotherapists, equipment and research for equipment. She explained that Paralympians are not very different from Olympians since they need the best coaches, the best equipment and enough time to train to be able to give their 100%. I think Paralympians are exceptional athletes. They have trained very hard to arrive to this level that many people couldn't achieve. We have to learn from them that we can't give up on ourselves. I know that I will cheer endlessly the Canadian athletes during the Paralympic Games. Will you? |
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Where to go During the Paralympics |
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The Paralympics are starting this Friday. Some of the celebration/attraction sites and pavilions that were closed after the Olympics will reopen on the day of the Paralympic opening Ceremonies. So I did some research on the internet on what will stay opened during the Paralympics games. http://www.citycaucus.com/2010free BC hydro Power Smart Village features many energy saving invention tips that will be put on display including: the expression wall, the club energy and Chevrolet's new electric car, the Volt. I haven’t been to the Power Smart Village yet, since it was always cramped by visitors, I will go take a look this week hoping that there will be less people. http://www.powersmartvillage.com/ LiveCity Downtown will remain open during the Paralympics. The Paralympic ceremonies and competition will be broadcasted on a big screen TV. It will also have bands playing on stage. For a complete schedule please check: http://livecityvancouver.ca/schedule/default.aspx
Canada House and Centreplace Manitoba located inside LiveCity Downtown will also be opened to public. I went to Canada house during the Olympics and it is a fun place to visit since it displays Canadian winter sport's history and I got a chance to take a picture sitting a bobsleigh car, holding the flame torch and even touching the Stanley Cup. Centreplace Manitoba, which I also attended, will feature interactive information on Manitoba. It was a great way for me to learn more about the province. http://www.centreplacemanitoba.ca/ENGLISH/index.php http://www.centreplacemanitoba.ca/FRENCH/index.php http://canada2010.gc.ca/pavll/pav-can-eng.cfm The Olympic Cauldron will be lit for the Paralympics. It is a great place to take pictures, even though it will still be surrounded by fences. BC Pavilion, Robson Square and the Zipline will reopen during the Paralympics. It was the main celebration site of the Olympics and will most likely be the celebration site of the Paralympics. You can skate on the ice rink or enjoy performances. The thousands of visitors walking on the street during the Olympics was, for me, the thing that I liked the most during the Olympics since it was a unique atmosphere that I never experienced before in Vancouver. The Zipline was very popular during the Olympics, the lineup for it was insanely long. I hope the queue will be reduced during the Paralympics so I can go test out my courage. BC Pavilion will display information that will give you a better idea of the BC province. http://www.yougottabehere.com/new_events_centre/robson_square_live_concerts_and_entertainment Another popular site during the Olympic was the Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion. I didn't go there, even thought it was only a block away from the CPF office, because I'd have to stand in line for more than 4 hours! It exhibits the making of the medal and it even allows you to touch it. This explains the long queues. This will be another visiting site for me during the Paralympics, I am crossing my fingers hoping that the line won’t be so long so I can experience the feeling of winning a gold medal! http://www.mint.ca/store/news/royal-canadian-mint-pavilion-a-mustsee-exhibit-during-the-vancouver-2010-olympic-winter-games-7900008?cat=News+releases&nId=700002&parentnId=600004&nodeGroup=About+the+Mint Canada's Northern House represents the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut by showing their rich and unique culture. I always thought the Aurora was one of the most beautiful things on Earth, I would love to visit the pavilion and discovering more about it. http://www.canadasnorth.com/ |
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One door closes, another door opens |
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Three days after the closure of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, the flame lit again as the Paralympic torch relay has begun its 10-day journey to Vancouver. A ceremony was held at the Parlement on Wednesday. 600 people will carry the torch before arriving in Vancouver next Friday. This year's Paralympic Games will feature more than 1300 athletes from over 40 countries. They will compete in five sports: alpine skiing, cross country skiing, ice sledge hockey, biathlon, and wheelchair curling. I hope this 10 day of competition will be as fun and bring as much excitement as the Olympics did! I hope it will bring back the crowd in Canadian jerseys and Canadian flags. I hope it will bring back interesting venues and entertaining concerts. I hope Canada can own the podium. |
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Paul Brandt change song lyric to celebrate hockey victory |
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Juno Award Winner Paul Brandt rewrote the lyrics of his famous song "Canadian Man" to commemorate the Canadian men and women hockey team's victory in the games. It is the second time that Paul Brandt changes the lyric of this song from the 2001 album "Small Towns and Big Dreams". In 2002, Brandt changed the lyric for the first time to celebrate Canadian hockey team's two gold medal in Salt Lake City. Paul Brandt is a Canadian country music artist born in Calgary. He first made his mark in 1996 with the single "My Heart Has a History". He then won multiple country music, Juno award, with the most recent one in 2008 for Country Recording of the Year. You can listen to a portion of the reworked song on his website http://www.paulbrandt.com/ . It will soon be available on Itunes Canada. |
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Vancouver 2010 record book |
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Many people would agree that the 2010 Winter Olympic Games was very well organized, all thanks to the hardworking organizers. Here are some information that will be entered in the Olympic record book and make this year's Olympic Games hard to forget. - With the gold medal won by the men’s hockey team, Canada became the country that won the most gold medal at an Olympic Game in the history of the Winter Olympic with 14. It surpassed the Soviet Union in 1976 and Norway in 2002 both with 13.
- Canada beat the record for the most gold medal won at an Olympic Game in all of its Olympic Games that it has participated (Summer and Winter)
- Canada beat its own record for the most medal (gold, silver and bronze) won at a Winter Olympic Game
- The 2010 Winter Olympic Games attracted more than 2600 athletes from 82 countries, making it the biggest Winter Olympic Games in the history.
- The 2010 Winter Olympic torch relay became the longest in its history. The torch has traveled around 45,000 km, passed by around 1000 communities and carried by a total of 12 thousand torchbearers.
- Vancouver is the warmest city to host the Winter Olympic. It has experienced its warmest January since 1937 with an average of 7.1 degrees Celsius.
- According to the CTV stats, The Opening Ceremonies attracted 13.5 million viewers in Canada, beating the record 10.3 million viewers at the men’s hockey final between Canada and USA at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games. In other words, 2 in every 3 Canadians watched the Opening Ceremonies.
- It is the first time that an Olympic Opening Ceremonies was celebrated indoor
- It is the first time that an athlete died on the day of the Opening Ceremonies.
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What?! it's over already? |
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Sunday, February 28 was the closing ceremonies for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games and the final game of the men's hockey event between the host country Canada and their rivals U.S.A. This was the final that everyone had been waiting for. I watched the game in a senior's home where I volunteer. When Sidney Crosby put the puck in the net to earn Canada's 14th gold medal, I was jumping and shouting. Even the seniors who usually are emotionless, were left with a smile on their faces. On my way home, many people on the streets were celebrating, cars were honking everywhere and the Canadian flags could be seen on almost everybody's hands.  
The closing ceremonies were both entertaining and funny, I loved how the organizers poked fun of the hydraulic malfunction that happened during the opening ceremonies. The numerous performances by some of the best canadian artists were awesome. The International Olympic Commitee(IOC) President Jacques Rogge delivered a speech that earned him great appreciation from the crowds "We have shared the joy of dreams fulfilled. We have been moved by tears of elation and tears of disappointment. We have witnessed extraordinary acts of courage and exceptional determination by athletes who refused to give up. Thank you to the people of Canada, for your generous hospitality, your warmth, and this unique and joyous celebration of Olympism." Finally, Canada says goodbye to the Olympics as the flames slowly extinguished under the artificial snow. I think these 17 days were amazing. The games brought Canadians together. we have witnessed some sad moments and touching moment that make these Olympic Games even more memorable. The great determination of the Canadian athletes made Canada earn a record of 14 gold medals, the most won by a country in the Winter Olympic Games. The Olympic flames might be extinguished, but it will stay lit in every Canadian's heart!
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When the second try is worse than the first |
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As promised, I went to Granville Island for again, at night this time, hoping to get a different atmosphere from the last time that I went when it was during the day. The weather wasn't good for going out since it was a cold and rainy night. Granville Island streets were as calm as a back alley. But the restaurants were crowded as everyone watched the Canada vs Slovakia hockey game. I first went to La Place De La Francophonie. Club Adrenaline, which was part of the Francophone venue, was full. The plasma TV in the centre of the club was surrounded by Canadian fans who cheered endlessly for their red jersey team. Then I rushed to the Atlantic House thinking that there wouldn't be a lot of people because of the weather. On the contrary, when I arrived there was a big queue of people that came prepared with big umbrellas and big coats. Since I didn't have the right equipment for waiting in line in the cold and wet weather, I decide to leave and said to myself: "better luck next time." |
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Ring around the cranberry |
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Richmond plays an important role in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games: the Richmond Oval is a competition venue; the Richmond O Zone serves as an entertainment area and cultural showcase; and the city has built, in Brighouse Park(originally in the Fraser River) , a set of Olympic Rings made entirely out of cranberries. Yes, cranberries. Richmond is the biggest producer of cranberries in Canada. Thirteen million of locally grown (and donated) cranberries were used to produce this 46,000 square foot piece of art. 
A nearby Ferris wheel – especially erected for the purpose - gives the visitor a bird's eye view of the Rings. I tried it yesterday, and not only did it give me a good view of the Rings, but it gave me one of Richmond as well. And, the queue for the Ferris wasn't a very long one - it only took me about 20 minutes to get on, which was acceptable. I think I’m becoming a connoisseur of queues, since queuing up for admission has been a big part of my Olympic experience. Once I got on, I discovered that this Ferris wheel went at a much faster clipthan most. It was almost like being on a roller coaster. After a few spins, the wheel came to a stop to let off some riders, and I was finally able to take some pictures from the air.    
Once I got off, I took a walk around the Olympic Rings. The cranberries were so fresh and juicy looking that you wanted to put them in your mouth.  
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