Canada – Page 4 – JohnBollwitt.com

2010 Feb 13

Vancouver 2010: Taking in the Opening Ceremonies

After all the torch run excitement from yesterday, it was time to get ready for the Opening Ceremonies.

Around downtown, it seemed like you could find torch bearers all over the place. People were telling a lot of them congratulations and even stopping them in their tracks to get a photo with them and the torch they get to keep.

Ticket scalpers were out in force. If you’re selling anything, they want it.

Robson Square and the area around it was just a party zone. People were all over the streets, taking photos, and soaking in the atmosphere. Even being a little rainy, no one seemed to care.

We were really fortunate to get tickets for the Molson Canadian Hockey House to watch the Opening Ceremonies on their numerous TV screens in their tent.

I won’t say it was the best place to watch the event, but being surrounded by so many proud Canadians was pretty worth the experience. The sound of the broadcast was hard to hear in the venue, but there are always rebroadcasts of the ceremonies to watch later.

Another testament to these “green games”, compostable cups for your beer. Brilliant.

Like I said, even though the sound of the announcers was hard to hear, everyone was pumped when Canada entered BC Place.

We have yet to make it down to see the cauldron, but we saw this on our exhausted walk home last night.

Even though there were technical issues in these ceremonies, I think they were pretty great. We’ll certainly watch them again from the comfort of our own couch, but they put on a hell of a show. If there is anything more Vancouver, it’s sticking Wayne Gretzky in the back of a pickup truck and driving him through the streets with people running along in driving rain. Nice touch.

2010 Feb 13

Vancouver 2010: Robson Street Protests

What was kind of expected, the protesters took hold in Vancouver in the Coal Harbour and west end area this morning. Rebecca said there was coverage on TV of the action, and when Duane and I saw that the group was heading up Robson Street, we grabbed our cameras and ran out to get some shots.

I also shot video while walking behind the crowd. It was impromptu and shaky, but I think it captures some of the atmosphere.

You can see all of the photos I shot in this Flickr set.

People were following this crowd, picking up knocked over newspaper boxes this group of protesters were knocking over as they walked through the streets. The police asked the same man in the video above to cease this act for his own safety. Duane and I stopped following the group shortly after this point for our own safety as well.

Rebecca has a post up. Duane Storey, John Biehler, and Kris Krug all have coverage of this as well.

2010 Feb 12

Vancouver 2010: 0 Day

Today is the day. I don’t have a lot of time right now, but our GM at work is the best boss ever for letting us off work early today because of the opening ceremonies tonight.

I’m posting a ton of photos to Flickr today and throwing a little caution to the wind in terms of editing and just trying to get photos up as soon as I can.

Here’s a slideshow of the torch run events plus all the other photos I’ve taken and will take today and a link to the set on Flickr.

Today is a lifelong dream of being in an Olympic city coming true. I woke up happier than a kid on Christmas morning. My only wish would be to have all my friends and family here to share this amazing day. I love you all.

2010 Feb 10

Vancouver 2010: -2 days to go

I’m hearing a lot of chatter from all over about how stressed they are over everything going on right now in terms of what’s about to hit Vancouver on Friday. The fact that Cambie Bridge was shut down today for full dress rehearsal of the opening ceremonies gives me hope that they’ll be as entertaining as the Beijing. You really won’t be able to compare the two, but still, the rumors floating around hinting at cool things.

Now this is kinda cool, but it doesn’t help the stereotype of Canadians and igloos.

This is by far the most entertaining thing to see right now. This afternoon I passed two guys wearing San Marino gear, and about five minutes later, I learned about a country that I had never heard of before. And here I thought I had a handle on all of Europe micro-countries.

Walking back from lunch yesterday, my co-worker and I saw them drop this flag from the crane. It’s actually double-sided with Italy’s flag on the other side, which was the side we saw when they first stuck it up there. It was pretty neat to see how they split this sense of pride. Might be something we need to do back at our place.

2010 Feb 082010 Feb 08

Squamish: The city between Vancouver 2010 and Whistler, B.C.

On the way back from picking up our media badges from the Whistler Media House, we made a stop over in Squamish, B.C. to tool around the town and see more than the two main pit stops that most people think of when they drive through.

It goes without saying that there is always more than meets the eye, but it was pretty quick to see why people who live here call this place paradise. Cinci from EAT Communications took us out on a personal tour of the area she calls home.

This is where the snow melts from the mountains, runs down their sides, and flows between these banks on the way to the ocean. The water here was crystal clear. You could see why this spot, not far from downtown Squamish, was one of Cinci’s favorite places.

China and Goose also came along for our explorations, running and playing the whole time in what would probably be like an amusement park for a little kid. This was as close as I could get to get one of these girls to sit still long enough for a shot.

The playfulness of the dogs was contagious, and DaveO couldn’t help but claim this rusted out jeep. I can’t fathom how it got there, but you just have to recall that this is the outdoor capitol of Canada. Wind surfing, kite surfing, rock climbing, mountain trails, biking, running, camping, etc. So the fact that this bucket of rust is here can’t be all that surprising.

This cruise ship was brought to the dock in Squamish as housing quarters for Olympics volunteers in Whistler. Aside from the major road work that upgraded the Sea to Sky Highway that passes through the town, this is the main extent of involvement for this community even though its proximity is near geographically in the middle of Vancouver and Whistler.

The people staying here are apparently bused from this boat to the local Wal-Mart parking lot for staging. Volunteers stock up at the local superstore for everyday living as they go between the boat and Whistler Village, bypassing the core of the Squamish downtown community.

So what does downtown Squamish have to offer that these people might be missing?
Continue reading “Squamish: The city between Vancouver 2010 and Whistler, B.C.”

2010 Feb 08

Getting a feeling for the 2010 Olympics in Whistler with six days before Opening Ceremonies

We made a mad dash this past Sunday to Whistler to snag our media accreditation at the Media Centre near the main village. It was a nice opportunity to get a low level feeling on how things are getting prepared for the beginning of the 2010 games at the end of this week.

A lot like Vancouver, people are exploring what’s already in place and snapping pics, much like myself.

Signage is everywhere. What to do, where to go to do it, etc.

Lanyards are as in force in Whistler as they are in Vancouver. So far, I’m up to having three that I’ll be taking with me where ever I go.

Ticket sales for events look to be steady. The line here wasn’t too hectic and no one seemed overly disgruntled while waiting in line. That sounds strange, but some prices for tickets are getting way too far out of my range for even consideration. I’ve heard a number of people who are happy to have the tickets but not so much when they talk about how much they paid for them.

I think it’s safe to say that the fever has started to rise in Whistler. They have all the snow, but getting up there is the tricky part.

Sea to Sky Highway looks great and is ready to handle the people flowing to and from, but we did see an accident on the way up that was enough to raise plenty of concern for anyone I’ve talked to about it. Basically, the road splits into three lanes about five times between Horseshoe Bay and Whistler. Two lanes is for traffic going one way and one lane for the opposite direction.

Speaking to people who live in the area, there is a lot of concern that even locals are getting confused by these temporary barriers and lane changes that the risk of accidents is actually increased by them. Basically it’s the premise of knowing something like the back of your hand, and these alterations, albeit subtle and only for a short period of time, will make driving this road even more treacherous when you combine all the Olympics traffic and people who are even less familiar with how much care you need to take on this road.

All fears aside, Whistler looks ready for the games. The people will come, but it should also be said that if you get up there to see some events, you can still spend some time skiing and enjoy the slopes while you’re there. Doing the same around Vancouver might be tough because even if you can get up the mountains, you might have a hard time finding some snow. Not so much in Whistler, that’s for sure.

2010 Feb 032010 Feb 03

Photowalk: -20 Days to Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

I know that at time of publishing this post, the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics are eight days away. The photos contained in this post are from January 23rd, just twenty days before the opening ceremonies. Rebecca and I wandered on foot from the Olympic Village to downtown with our cameras.

A lot of what you see in the post has changed quite a bit, but I thought it would be interesting to have these posted for the sake of Vancouver history.

This is one of the gates to get you into the Olympic Village. It reminds me of when I traveled to Berlin with my parents, brother, and sister-in-law and visited Checkpoint Charlie. Inviting, don’t you think?

I heard this would happen, and no building is too large or tall to put wrap on.

I pass by the official countdown clock everyday and never forget to sneak a peak of it. And more recently, I too was a tourist in my own city.

I used to work in the building pictured above. My first radio gig in Vancouver.

Steps out of Robson Square. While they looked painted, they’re actually wrapped.

The Robson Square Ice Rink in the opposite direction of the stairs. This will probably be a stopping point more than a few times depending on the mayhem going on here.

Granville Street with art installations and an ode to Hole In The Wall. Well, not really, but you could just imagine if it was.

These venue signs went up practically overnight. I’d like to see them keep these with references to popular landmarks in Vancouver after the games.

What do you do with a building in downtown Vancouver that is under complete renovation? You wrap a huge, Canadian flag around it.

Canada Place is for the media and accredited guests. Getting down here during the games will be tough unless you’re on foot.

No one is completely sure what’s inside these walls. It might be a “satellite cauldron” for the Olympic flame. Some even say this is where the actual flame will reside, which isn’t crazy being that the Olympic stadium, BC Place, is a dome.

Finally, the “VANOC Only” signs that are popping up all over the city. Unless you have that going for you, driving should be the last thing on your mind during these games in Vancouver.

Kudos to John Biehler who let me borrow his 35mm lens for some of these shots. You can see the entire set of photos from this photowalk on Flickr.

I’ll be posting more photos over the next few weeks as my adventures with True North Media House will see us doing photowalks among the other various things we get ourselves into. I don’t usually put explanations on my photos, but I’m doing this more for my family and friends who are watching these events from afar. I wish they could all be here to experience this once in a lifetime event, and this is my best attempt to share that with them as well as the world.

2009 Jul 19

Photos from Surrey Canada Day 2009

I know we’re almost through the month of July, but the City of Surrey held their annual Canada Day celebrations at Cloverdale Millennium Amphitheatre on July 1st. Miss604.com was an official sponsor of the day’s events (posts: Opening Ceremonies, Performances, Bif Naked), so Rebecca and I ventured out to wander the grounds, see the sights, and, of course, shoot some photos.

Just to highlight the very well organized event, here’s a few of my favorite shots from the day.

It’s a bit of a tradition to bring out a table full of chocolate and vanilla cupcakes with red and white frosting, all arranged as the flag of Canada. Once the day is officially opened by the mayor of Surrey, people can come up and get one from various members of the city council, including the mayor herself, Diane Watts.

Local hip-hop act, Sweatshop Union.

An amazing performance by You Say Party! We Say Die!

Bif Naked was loud and in charge, as expected.

54-40 headlined the main stage and put on a stellar performance.

I have plenty more shots in my set on Flickr. Many thanks to the organizers of Surrey Canada Day 2009 for their hosting and making sure the day was a success. I keep being impressed with the events that Surrey puts on. Their events planning crew really know what it means to have something to do with your family and friends.

2008 Sep 04

The Hope Slide

On our way home from the long weekend in Osoyoos, we made the effort to finally stop at the viewpoint for The Hope Slide. This would mark about the 6th or 8th time that I’ve gone passed it, so we finally followed through on the thought of stopping to get out and take a first hand look at this incredible, natural disaster.

It’s such an impressive sight when you first lay eyes on this scarred side of a mountain. It gets even more confounding when you get more of the details behind this event that happened 43 years ago.

The Hope Slide was one of the largest landslides ever recorded in Canada. It occurred in the morning hours of 9 January 1965. An earlier, small avalanche had forced four people to stop their vehicles a few miles southeast of the town of Hope, British Columbia (150 km east of Vancouver), on a stretch of the Hope-Princeton Highway below Johnson Peak. As those people contemplated waiting for clearing crews or turning around, a small earthquake below the mountain triggered the main slide, which obliterated the mountain’s southwestern slope.

The slide buried the victims and their vehicles under a torrent of 46 million cubic meters of pulverized rock, mud, and debris 85 m thick and 3 km wide, which came down the 2000-metre mountainside . This mass of debris completely displaced the lake below with incredible force, throwing it against the opposite side of the valley, wiping all vegetation and trees down to the bare rock, then ‘splashed back’ up the original (now bare) slope before settling. […]

Rescue crews only found two of the four bodies—the others have remained entombed in the rock, with their cars, since 1965. [wiki]

Mother nature is forever unpredictable. Awe inspiring and frightening, all at the same time.

2008 Aug 262008 Aug 27

First trip up Grouse Mountain

If there is one thing in Vancouver that beckons every visitor more than anything, it’s probably Grouse Mountain[wiki].

After nearly three years of living here, I have finally braved the gondola ride and the heavy tourist crowds to ascend to the top of the mountain. Well, at least we ventured around the lodge and a few of the nearby trails, but we finally made it up there for the first time. Yes, even Rebecca has never been up there.

The original intent of this visit was to enjoy a wonderful invitation by the folks who run Grouse Mountain to see what’s up there as well as take a ride on their newest attraction, ziplining.

As you can see, it was just a tad rainy on this past Sunday that we were there. Our thought at the bottom was that we would book our zipline time and hope for better weather up top, but our wishes didn’t come true. We’ll have to do a makeup trip another time, more so when you can see the end of the zipline or at least further than fifty feet ahead of you while traveling at 50km per hour.

One thing that this experience has done for me is drive my urge to do the Grouse Grind. I’ve wanted to do it since the day Rebecca told me all about it, but the intimidation of not knowing how to get there always prevented me. Truth be told, you can take a Seabus from Waterfront Station and hop a #236 Grouse Mountain bus on the other side to get there in about 45 minutes[googlemaps]. Hike up, take the mandatory gondola ride down for ~~$15~~ $5!, and you’ve done the grind.

The lodge has a fair share of amenities at the top, and I’m told that the nachos are to die for. Not something I would be the most keen on after a hopeful 45 minute hustle up the side of a mountain, but they do intrigue me.

Probably the biggest highlight of the day for me were the grizzly bears. There are two, full sized bears in captivity within an easy walk from the lodge. Abandoned at birth, they are being cared for in a very respectable area, complete with a nice swimming hole and lots of trees.

Nature never seems to grow old in terms of my personal fascination. Grouse Mountain, even on a cold and wet day, was a thrilling experience. Water never hurts anyone, but I can’t wait to experience it when I can really take in the beauty on a clearer day.

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