Vancouver video dreaming...

Surprising to some but this city has a heart. In the two weeks of Olympic glory, Vancouverites let go of their shades and earplugs isolation to high-five strangers on the streets, to smile, cheer and enjoy each other's company. It's a memory that locals are calling "amazing" and "incredible". It's a memory that stirs emotions and raises questions. Was that real? Can we ever be the same? Do we want to be?

On the internet, the following video called Vancouver City featuring Linda Ganzini has gone viral with over 800,000 views on YouTube. It is an artistic collaboration between the Inner Life Project and TimeLapseHD. If you have the broadband connection, I recommend viewing it in HD and taking the time to let it buffer first. As a Vancouverite, I think it captures some of the dreaminess that locals feel living in this place.



Today, 60,000 people have given their heads a good shake and despite cold rains are heading down to BC Place for the Opening Ceremonies of the Paralympic Games. Now, with very little media hype and the Olympic apparatus in the process of deconstruction, Vancouver finds itself inspired to support a second torch relay and the relighting of the flame.

From Vancouver - thanks world and come back soon!

Yea - wasn't that a party?! 16 days, 17 nights of international good times, sporting excellence, shared human sadness, joy and pride. Our B & B's guests from Canada, the USA, the Netherlands and Switzerland enjoyed themselves immensely. Like tens of thousands of other visitors, they will carry the word that Vancouver is a "can do" city that is much more than just a pretty face.

Those of us who live here feel kind of lonesome today. Even as normal life picks up again, there is a strange kind of feeling that yes, the party's over and the guests are heading home, but dammit, didn't we just pull off something enormously difficult and complex in this post 9/11 world? We gave it our best effort and rolled with the punches.

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Most commentators today seem to think Vancouver did most all of it with panache and true Canadian decency. In Russia, Putin and company are firing all their top sports brass for their team's inadequate performance. The next Winter Olympics in Sochi look like a real struggle starting almost from scratch. In Britain, the organizers of the next Summer Olympics vow to learn from Vancouver's exceptional organization, volunteer effort and try to achieve something like the same warm national embrace. Sebastian Coe hopes for some of Vancouver' s "magic". With a budget already four times over budget, a cynical media and a dangerous security threat, good luck to them as well.

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Here in Canada and the USA , where television viewership set new ratings records, both countries have something to cheer about. The USA captured the most medals overall and the largest number they have won at any Winter Games. Canada, with one-tenth the population, also won more medals than ever before and more gold medals than any country has ever won at a Winter Olympic Games.

World news may now go on to politics as usual, the next disaster, NHL, NBA and NFL regular seasons, the World Cup in South Africa, the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, back to the stress and inevitable hating but we should all remember, that for two weeks in 2010, there was love and excitement and friendship in the air in Vancouver. And we did win that little hockey game too!

Olympic City

It's been a full week since the Good Fairy of the North smiled on Vancouver. She gave us a symbol of light and put the spirit of joy in our hearts.

Yeah -yeah, you don't believe that for a minute. But you would believe, if you were here. Vancouverites believe.


I have lived here for over twenty years and have never seen so many smiles, heard so many cheers and been part of such a truly momentous party. Canadian patriotism and pride are front and centre. Red and white is the new black. Everywhere you go, there is amazing people energy and camaraderie. Russians party with Americans. Brits party with the Irish. It's a sight to behold.

While the determined, the wealthy and connected go about the business of observing world-class competition, the rest of us are enjoying every minute of day and night, free entertainment, the almost unprecedented cultural outpouring(probably nothing like it in Canada since Expo'67), the food, drink and all round fun. People need to pace themselves as this party is only halfway done.

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If you can, come to Vancouver NOW. Seat yourself in a sunny sidewalk cafe. These are the "spring olympics". All at the same moment, you will feel just too cool on the outside as you feel something wonderfully warm on the inside.

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It's not too late. Come to Vancouver and feel it for yourself!

Welcome World !

Vancouver is ready. I am ready. Only hours to go before the Opening Ceremonies and the Olympic Torch Relay is winding it's way towards the stadium through cheering crowds on Vancouver's streets.

Last night, I joined thousands of people at one of the LiveCity public plazas to see the torch finally arrive in Vancouver. And incidentally, the runner who passed us with a huge, happy grin on his face was Vancouver's own, Michael Buble. It was Day 105 on the longest torch run in Olympic history. Over 45,000 kms. from sea to sea to sea. The torch has been passed through the loving and excited hands of more than 12,000 runners. I actually got to hold one in my own hands.

Wandering the streets afterwards, it was impossible not to be thrilled at the international flavor of the crowds - the athletes are from over 80 nations - and the sounds of celebration everywhere. New and dramatic art installations literally light the night sky. Twenty 10,000 watt searchlights, mounted along several downtown shorelines, are controlled by people logging onto the internet at Vectorial Vancouver and suggesting where the lights should shine.

We came to a stone inukshuk that originally stood before the Northwest Territories Pavilion at Vancouver's other world party, Expo '86. Despite considerable local controversy, a stylized inukshuk was chosen almost seven years ago as the logo for Vancouver's Oympic Games. Some people didn't think that it was West Coast enough. The organizers replied that the Inuit people stack rocks in human form as a symbol of hope and friendship. The organizers said that they wanted these to be Canada's Games.

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Along the way, millions of Canadians embraced the Olympic torch and fell in love with one piece of Olympic merchandising - red mittens - like your grandma might have knitted. Well, last night, we saw that someone unofficial has added grandma's mittens to a stone creature that used to look kind of forbidding.

The Vancouver Olympics have coined several successful catchphrases. They have used "with glowing hearts", some evocative words from our national anthem. TV ads have been asking Canadians for months "Do you believe?" My own feeling is Yes, maybe belatedly, we do believe.

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The newest slogan features celebrity British Columbians like Michael J. Fox, Sarah McLaughlin and Ryan Reynolds telling the world - "You just gotta be here."

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I hope you will be - maybe now on your living room TV and someday soon on your next vacation. You really should see this beautiful place for yourself.

Welcome World !

Vancouver - something happening...

The 2010 Winter Olympics is not without local controversy. On the other hand, there is no denying locals' growing interest and excitement. The world has been invited and there is now no doubt that we need to rise to the occasion - this very big occasion!

Vancouver's Fair - 99 years young!

The fair at the Pacific National Exhibition opened under sunny skies on Saturday and runs until Sept. 7th. Vancouver is such a young and forward-looking city that the fair, founded in 1910, forms a major, end-of-summer tradition for generations of British Columbians.

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Year-round, visitors enjoy the site at 114 acre Hastings Park for it's landscaped beauty, first-class horse racing and betting track and a variety of city-owned sports and cultural facilities. One of those facilities, Empire Stadium, now torn down, was the site of sporting history's 1954 "Miracle Mile". At the first sporting event of any type carried Live on North American television, England's Roger Bannister defeated Australia's John Landy but both men broke the 4 minute barrier for running the mile! For running enthusiasts, checkout this archival CBC film coverage and watch for Bannister's final spurt. An exciting race even by Usain Bolt standards!

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And records may soon fall again at the PNE's Pacific Coliseum, the short-track speedskating venue at the 2010 Olympic Games.

Vancouver Olympics - will there be room enough for everybody?

I am glad to say that Nelson House is fully booked for the Winter Olympics. Our guests will be cheering on teams from Canada, the USA and The Netherlands. Speedskating and hockey have been mentioned. I expect we will all learn a whole lot more about competitive winter sports.

The photo of the long-track speedskating oval above is courtesy of VANOC. The Richmond Olympic Oval seats 8000 spectators and will host 12 Olympic events.

Vancouver 2010 Olympics Accommodation

Love the Olympics? A true sports fan? Still looking for a room for the Vancouver Games? Please see the google map for our great, downtown, West End location. From here, you can easily walk or take transit to all Olympic venues.

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The photos above are of our last remaining room still available for the 2010 Olympics. Our spacious "Vienna" room overlooks the front garden. The European, antique brass bed is queen-sized. Old-fashioned ceiling fan, mahogany desk, vanity, rockers & other furnishings complete the ambience. Vienna is also more budget conscious, with a lighted mirror & vanity sink in the room and a hallbath shared with one other room.

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For any bookings that overlap the 17 night, Feb. 12-28th(inclusive) period of the Games, we are charging our regular 2010 High Season room rate of CAD.$138(+ 15% tax)/nt for single occupancy or CAD.$148(+)/nt for double. Rates include full breakfast, free local calls, wireless internet and offstreet parking!

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Here's the catch: Due to excessive demand, Olympic bookings must be for the minimum 17 nights mentioned above. No shorter-term reservations will be taken.

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Payment will be by Visa/MasterCard – 50% at time of reservation and 50% at check-in. No refund of either payment will be made under any and all circumstances. Maximum double occupancy. No sub-letting or substitution of guests. We recommend private trip cancellation insurance to minimize the risk of cancellation.

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Please make Olympics room bookings IN WRITING using the RESERVATION REQUEST FORM on our website(sorry- no phone bookings) but feel free to email or call if you have any questions. We look forward to welcoming the world!

2010 Olympics - one year to go!

A photo of Vancouver's 2010 Olympics Clock ticking down.

National media are checking the excitement level today. 365 days from now, the world will gather in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Games. This is the third time that Canada has hosted an Olympiad - Montreal in 1976, Calgary in 1988 and now Vancouver's turn in the spotlight is rapidly approaching!

ALL of the sports venues are ready. World Cup Alpine Ski races and bobsledding have already been help up at Whistler. The Four Continents Figure Skating competition was held here in town just last weekend. The reports on facilities and organization have all been great. Canadian athletes are glad to get a leg-up by being able to use the competition venues over the next year. In fact, the Four Continents' men's gold medal winner was a Canadian whiz kid, named Patrick Chan. If you love figure skating, remember that name. He just turned 19!

The City of Vancouver is responsible for construction of the Olympic Village. The developer has suffered due to the worldwide credit crunch and city taxpayers are now on the hook for a gigantic bank loan, sufficient to ensure that the Village is completed on time, this November. Nevertheless, there are 14 cranes on the site working day and night. After the party, the waterfront, eco-friendly properties will be sold off as high-end condos. So - City Hall says "Don't worry!"

The Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee(VANOC) released the design of the torch and torchbearer's uniforms today. You can expect to see what look like space aliens running from one side of Canada to the other with a whalebone. But I do like the Olympics colour scheme - all natural green, ice blue and white. The colours capture Vancouver and Whistler, just as red and gold reflected Beijing.

Vanoc and some (jealous) media in other cities are scolding Vancouverites to get with the booster spirit. We are such a laidback bunch here. Sooo... west coast. It takes a lot to get us excited but I think that the goosebumps are on the rise. Our metro population is extremely cosmopolitan. I am sure that it is our immigrant and first-generation Canadians who are most interested in having the world come to call. In the end, good down-home Canadian hospitality is sure to kick in. I can believe VANOC's predictions that the streets of downtown will be filled by up to 250,000 celebrants EVERY night of the Games. We are getting ready. Rain or shine. Here they come!