City to recapture Olympic magic at anniversary party

[raggedy13]

I was on my way back home around 10-10:30pm from Kits and downtown was really busy. I only went down Seymour and then Georgia but that stretch was totally crowded with all sorts of people - Olympic celebrators, Canucks fans, the usual Saturday night crowd (long lineup outside Library Square), and a lot of well-dressed people (I think a show had just got out at the Queen E, and possibly the Orpheum too). Ton of car traffic down Seymour. Had to step off my bus early since it was going nowhere fast.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by dreambrother808

I was really surprised by how many people were out and about considering the weather.

Some people have a boring and repetitive tendency to see the negative in everything.

Uh, that's called downtown on a Saturday night, with a Canucks game, the Opera and the VSO on. Would be nice to know how much the city spent to attract the "crowds" SpongeG captured in Yaletown (good pics though).

[Pinion]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Yeah there was nobody there!~


http://www.flickr.com/photos/uncle_buddha/5439967031/

I don't understand the obsessive need for people in the city to purposely try and hate on any public event. Usually the same ones who complain that nothing happens.

Heh, that's a lot more people than when I strolled down during the start of the paralympics (my crappy phone photo):



I hate crowds so that was the only time I was going to see the flame up close.

[dreambrother808]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Uh, that's called downtown on a Saturday night, with a Canucks game, the Opera and the VSO on. Would be nice to know how much the city spent to attract the "crowds" SpongeG captured in Yaletown (good pics though).

I live downtown, so I know very well what things are usually like, thank you very much.

In addition, I was speaking about during the day. Yes, it was quite busy, much more so than normal.

I'm sorry that my firsthand view of reality doesn't fit your need to bash Gregor and the city.

[nova9]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Uh, that's called downtown on a Saturday night, with a Canucks game, the Opera and the VSO on. Would be nice to know how much the city spent to attract the "crowds" SpongeG captured in Yaletown (good pics though).

Did you even leave your little cave to check things out before spewing your nonsense? Even during the heaviest rain yesterday, Robson and Granville were packed. Considerably more so than on a normal rainy day.

There were at least a thousand people watching the Cauldron re-lighting.

[CPE]

How long is the cauldron going to stay lit for?

[jlousa]

It was lit for only a ~5hrs on the 12th. Not sure if the next lighting has been announced yet.

[ckkelley]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Revising reality to fit your political beliefs / agenda is even worse lol

Haha, no kidding. It's sooooo hilariously lame.

[nobase2010]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3420676...n/photostream/

[nobase2010]

• Video Link

[nobase2010]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3420676...n/photostream/

[nobase2010]

Robson Square

• Video Link

[ckkelley]

Thanks nobase2010. I enjoyed the videos!

Our waterfront cauldron kicks ass.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by nova9

Did you even leave your little cave to check things out before spewing your nonsense? Even during the heaviest rain yesterday, Robson and Granville were packed. Considerably more so than on a normal rainy day.

There were at least a thousand people watching the Cauldron re-lighting.

I guess there's a lot more people who are like that sad high school football jock who has to relive their teenage moment of glory than I thought. Though I'd hardly call those images of the cauldron as "packed" with people. There were probably more shoppers in the local Costco.

[Zassk]

The local paper says the Oval had 12,000 visitors for the weekend Olympics festivities. No idea how that compares to expectations.

[nova9]

Originally Posted by whatnext

I guess there's a lot more people who are like that sad high school football jock who has to relive their teenage moment of glory than I thought. Though I'd hardly call those images of the cauldron as "packed" with people. There were probably more shoppers in the local Costco.

A lot of the images were taken once the cauldron lighting was over and people were allowed close to take a picture. But you weren't there so you really can't say anything. So just be quiet about whether it was packed or not and move on.

Just like what we said about anti-olympics people, go away and don't participate in them if you hate them. same can be said about your disgust at people celebrating an anniversary - our celebrating doesn't harm you so why do you want to poo on it all so publicly.

good god.

[ckkelley]

Originally Posted by whatnext

I guess there's a lot more people who are like that sad high school football jock who has to relive their teenage moment of glory than I thought. Though I'd hardly call those images of the cauldron as "packed" with people. There were probably more shoppers in the local Costco.

At what point during the 2010 Olympics did you realize that your dreams of a disaster were not going to materialize? Was it after the first gold medal or the fourteenth or somewhere in between? Was it during that ten day stretch of glorious weather? Was it the legions of celebrants that jammed downtown every day? Was it the record tv ratings being reported day after day?

How terrible that must have been for you.

[BCPhil]

Originally Posted by whatnext

I guess there's a lot more people who are like that sad high school football jock who has to relive their teenage moment of glory than I thought. Though I'd hardly call those images of the cauldron as "packed" with people. There were probably more shoppers in the local Costco.

To be fair, there would probably be more people out shopping during game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals if it was Canucks vs the Leafs or Canadiens. It's getting to the point where more people visit the mall on election day than visit a voting booth. So if you feel that people should be out indulging in consumerism than coming together to celebrate an anniversary of a job well done, well, to each their own, I guess.

But by your own reasoning we should stop celebrating any anniversary? No more Canada Day? Spend November 11th at the mall? Stop celebrating New Years? I don't really get what you're trying to say? Are you just grumpy that people want to have fun about something you were against? Or is there an actual point to what you said?

[WarrenC12]

I sure hear a lot more about the great memories of Vancouver in Feb of 2010 than I do about all of those people who left the city because it would be a "terrible disaster" to live here during the games... where are they now?

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by BCPhil

To be fair, there would probably be more people out shopping during game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals if it was Canucks vs the Leafs or Canadiens. It's getting to the point where more people visit the mall on election day than visit a voting booth. So if you feel that people should be out indulging in consumerism than coming together to celebrate an anniversary of a job well done, well, to each their own, I guess.

But by your own reasoning we should stop celebrating any anniversary? No more Canada Day? Spend November 11th at the mall? Stop celebrating New Years? I don't really get what you're trying to say? Are you just grumpy that people want to have fun about something you were against? Or is there an actual point to what you said?

Gimme a break. Unlike Canada Day or Remembrance Day this was a totally manufactured anniversary. Even sadder was the people breathlessly saying "join us next year for a 2nd anniversary!". Expo 86 arguably had a bigger impact on the city, and you didn't have people pathetically trying to cling to some memory. Furlong & Co did a good job delivering the goods, but its time to move on. At least Richmond had the good sense to hold their celebration in the Oval. If there was ever a time to realize why we needed the Plaza of Nations in Vancouver, this damp squib was it.

The clips were almost worth it to see Furlong at the far opposite end of the podium from Gregor - maybe there were some hard feelings over his slam of the mayor in his book. Too bad some his friends from his Arbutus Club days can't convince him to run against Robertson, I have no doubt he'd win in a heartbeat.

And nova9, given that I'm paying out of my taxes for this sad little celebration, certainly more than those who crawled out of their parents' basements, I have every right to comment on it.