The Truly Canadian Olympics

The outstanding Olympics, the fantastic Olympics, the Olympics that bonded and forged a new national identity in Canada; what a glorious two weeks we have enjoyed. Before the Games opened, I recall finishing my previous post with “…and hopefully to provide many gold medals for Canada”. Who could possibly have foreseen 14 gold medals, the most won by any country since the games started again in 1924.

It was totally unbelievable – everything, including me, a dyed in the wool anti-winter sports viewer who had never watched the Olympic Games and had no interest in them whatsoever, sitting in front of the television set watching all the action day after day. Not quite all; I refused to watch the final hockey game because I knew I wouldn’t be able to stand the tension and excitement. Did I think they would win? I did more than that, I believed.

I think it was the feeling of secret anticipation that something very special was going to happen with these Olympics. Even at home, the feeling of pride for the Olympic team was pervasive. We were a nation celebrating these games together, if not in Robson Square or Whistler, all of us glued to our TV sets. As the Games progressed, so we progressed from not just watching, but getting together, talking about and celebrating these events at home, over coffee breaks, at work, in the pubs, on the buses and at Robson Square and finally Yonge Street in Toronto and various places in the Maritimes and across the Prairies.

In the end we showed our heartfelt feelings of sorrow to the family of the young slider who was killed and to the people of Georgia; we had plenty of snow on Cypress – as John Furlong said, the score was the Blue Jackets 1, Cypress Bowl nil; we slammed our critics, particularly the British and Foreign Press, we overcame protesters by the sheer joy of our enthusiasm; trampled over all negative thoughts and we won. What a victory for Canada and the Olympics. Long may this unity last.