On a tragic day that saw the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumartashvili, the opening ceremonies at BC Place took on a bittersweet quality. It was incredibly moving to see his teammates hoist the Georgian flag, and the moment of silence amongst 60,000 attendees was spellbinding.
I would have preferred it if long time Vancouver Canuck singer Richard Loney had been asked to offer up a plain jain version of “O Canada” to start the event rather than the Mariah Careyesque version they went with, but all in all I really enjoyed the music. It seemed like a lot of the vocals had been previously recorded and the song selections were oozing with sentimentality but the overall effect was great. The special effects were awesome, and the major themes were tasteful, cultural and patriotic. They really encompassed all that is Canada.
We watched it on the TV but it was super cool to look past the TV through the window and see the stadium off in the distance and the fireworks that followed. It was also special to see some peers participating in the ceremony. What a thrill it must have been for them. And how Canadian was it to have Wayne Gretzky in the back of a pick up truck heading across town to light the outdoor flame on the waterfront!
Let the games begin!
Trevor Rogers 