OP-ED: Let the Games Begin

By James Fletcher

As the Olympic torch winds its way across the country, many Vancouverites are counting down the days and anticipating the Olympics with equal parts of excitement and anxiety over what it will mean to actually host the world.

Will people be able to get around during the Games or will the transit system crash under the weight of all the extra users? Will the security measures still allow people to lead a normal life? Will there be enough snow?

Politically and culturally, the 2010 Winter Olympics expose all the contradictions and tensions that define Vancouver in the post-modern era. We are a relatively small city with a driving desire to be ‘world class', yet an equally strong antipathy to the features of a metropolis – such as density in residential areas, late-night liquor serving establishments, and major events such as the Indy. Will the Olympics mark the transition from No Fun City to Cosmopolitan World City?

The Olympic bid was launched by a New Democrat provincial government, and embraced enthusiastically by Gordon Campbell's BC Liberals. Supported by NPA, COPE, and Vision-led city councils, Vancouver's Olympic ambition transcended traditional right versus left partisan politics.

And despite entrenched opposition from civic elites, COPE Mayor Larry Campbell followed through on his promise to hold a plebiscite on the bid. Not only was the vote a high water mark in public consultation on major projects in our city, the affirmation by an overwhelming 64 per cent of voters was an important factor in the IOC's decision to award Vancouver the Games.

But if freestyle complaining were an Olympic sport, Vancouverites would be perennial medal favourites. Let's be clear – yes, there will be crowds, noise, disruption and ostentatious spectacle. That comes with the territory of a five-ring circus.

But there will also be fun, lots of free arts and entertainment, international attention, and opportunities for public celebration and civic solidarity rarely seen in Vancouver.

In addition to Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, Vancouver will also host the 2010 Cultural Olympiad, which will bring top-level international artists to Vancouver. There will be pavilions to explore, a nightly light show, and live sites sprinkled around the city where the public can gather to celebrate the Games and cheer on our Canadian athletes. Our friends at citycaucus.com have helpfully provided a list of all the free events on during the Games.

But with the world about to arrive on our doorstep, the time for debate and acrimony is over. As a city, it's time to put on a display of unity and civic pride. Let's not invite company over only to have a very public fight in front of our guests.

After the Games there will be plenty of opportunity for debate over the costs, benefits, and overall merits of hosting the games. But at this point all the money has been spent, the venues and infrastructure are built, and our team – everyone from our top athletes to the thousands of Olympic volunteers – is ready to dazzle the world and make us all proud. For now let's enjoy everything that the games have to offer. After all, we'll probably be paying for it for some time.

The Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) has worked hard to include First Nations culture in everything from the venues to the Olympic mascots Quatchi, Sumi and Miga. British Columbia's aboriginal people, and the Four Host First Nations, are being recognized in way that would have been virtually impossible only a generation earlier. Despite some clumsy missteps, these Games are an important stride towards improving the relationship with First Nations in this province.

And if it takes something like the Olympics to shame the powers-that-be into doing the right thing, we cannot complain.

For example, providing shelter for homeless people is the right thing to do, regardless of what the motivations for it may have been. But the city should lobby hard to have the provincial funding extended beyond April 30, 2010. After all, if we can muster the will and resources to provide shelter during the Games, there's no reason we can't do so afterwards.

And fair, long-term labour agreements that provide economic certainty and stability are an innovation British Columbia should continue with long after the last flicker of the Olympic torch. Our ability to successfully mount a major event like the Olympics shows what British Columbians can do when we're all working together.

And while some have argued that the money spent on Olympic related infrastructure could have been better spent on other projects, the new public amenities such as the Canada Line, the Vancouver Convention Centre, the Richmond Olympic Oval, the Vancouver Olympic Centre, and the Sea-to-Sky Highway are significant investments that will benefit the region for decades to come.

The 2010 Vancouver Olympics will always be a key marker and reference point in our city's collective memory. As citizens, let's make these Games our own, and enjoy them with a sense of pride.

OP-ED articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ThinkCity. To make a submission to the OP-ED section of the Think CityMinute, please email editor@thinkcity.ca for details.