I was fortunate enough to accompany LA to the Olympics in Vancouver as the guest of EPCOR this past weekend. And it truly was as amazing as everyone is saying.

The feeling in the city was electric. People were on the street daily en masse. The free public attractions brought them out, but the camaraderie kept them coming back. Even the most practiced cynics came to see something special was happening in Vancouver.

My observation was that most guests to the city didn’t get too far off the beaten track. My short walk on Saturday afternoon along Denman down to English Bay showed no signs of Olympic frenzy. Too bad really, since Vancouver is such a lovely city and so full of beauty and calm.

The EPCOR team put on an amazing show of warmth and hospitality while we were there. Kudos to all who contributed to its success.

We began our weekend on Friday morning in the EPCOR suite at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. They had enclosed a large balcony and placed an additional big screen TV inside so we could follow what we didn’t get to see. Even when raining outside, this balcony room was a bright and hospitable retreat from the crowded streets.

We got to see two events, the first of which was the women’s gold medal curling final featuring Cheryl Bernard’s Calgary-based team. It was a packed house and the fans were energetic and loud, but not familiar with the etiquette of a curling match. I think most of them were frustrated hockey fans – frustrated because they couldn’t get a ticket to the hockey final and looking for an opportunity to cheer for a Canadian team doing something – anything – on the ice. Among the best cheers I heard that afternoon was sort of sung as a duet with two voice, one higher and one lower:

“Jeepers creepers, where’d you get those sweepers.
Jeepers creepers, where’d you get those gals.”

It was my first curling match. I’d never seen a live match – never played and only occasionally watched on TV. But I had been watching some matches during the Olympics and I was quite impressed with both the skill level and strategic considerations that went into the game. True to form, Bernard and the Canadian team played a strong match right down to the wire. We all know how it ended. Its a bit sad that the silver medal often seems like a consolation. In team sports, the silver medal is the loser’s medal in the gold medal match. Bronze teams seem happier because they “win” the bronze.

But to Cheryl Bernard, I say thank you for engaging me in curling. I look forward to watching you play in the future.

After the curling match, our group dined at Cin Cin on Robson. Dinner was magnificent.

Saturday’s schedule included a tour to Grouse Mountain in the early part of the day (including a nice lunch at The Observatory) and then the men’s bronze medal hockey game in the evening. Since Slovakia and Finland were playing and we had one guest with Slovak ancestry, we chose to root for the Slovaks. They almost beat Canada, so it seemed like the right choice. Some of our group decided to make signs in an effort to get on camera during the game. As it turned out, the signs were no contest for the Captain Slovakia guys dressed in their read long underwear with blue shorts and a Slovakian flag cape. Nevertheless, it was an exciting game that saw Slovakia headed into the third period with a 3-1 lead. Out of nowhere, the flying Fins scored three unanswered goals in the first 10 minutes of the third and went on to win 5-3 on an empty netter. Good hockey – energetic and fun.

Dinner at Blue Water Grill followed. Gold again! The sablefish was superb. A must stop on anybody’s trip to Vancouver.

Sunday was hockey day and we all know what happened there. Luckily, I got to see my sister-in-law, niece and nephew and watch Canada win gold with my brother. Who could ask for a better way to cap aweekend?

Vancouver really showed the world what an amazing city we have there. And our Olympians rose to the occasion in many ways beyond the gold medal count.

We deserve to be proud of the culture and society we have created here in Canada. And we should be vigilant in protecting and strengthening our country’s commitment to equality, fairness and humanity. Other countries have lots to offer as well, but Canada is one of the best places to live anywhere in the world. If these Olympics increase our awareness of that fact, then they have been a success.