The magnitude of the Olympics has not hit home yet. We're still in the calm before the storm stage. But the Games seismic rumblings have started and in two weeks Squamish will rise to the occasion to fully honour this momentous event.
Hundreds of local residents have already demonstrated their Olympic spirit by training as volunteers for the Games, either at the Whistler mountain sites, or in the Callaghan Valley.
Next week the Olympic Torch will arrive in town and torch related celebrations should get all the necessary juices flowing. We are one of only 200 communities across Canada to be chosen as an Olympic Torch Relay Community. Anybody who has the time should take in this one-in-a-lifetime happening.
The Mona Lisa cruise ship has arrived and now graces our harbour with 330 crew members and 1,100 VANOC employees parked on the waterfront for the next 56 days. As Chamber of Commerce President, Sameer Kajani puts it "I think the sky is the limit it just depends on how our members and our community serves these potential customers."
In addition to this group, thousands of visitors from around the globe will wander through town. That means we will all become ambassadors, and we need to make them feel welcome.
Red is the operative colour during the Games. So borrow, buy, or drag out of the closet, any red apparel and let's help paint the town red. Over at Brennan Park anybody who dresses in red will skate free.
The rec centre has morphed into the Spirit Centre. From the looks of the scheduled events and displays there will be lots to do and see for everybody. The Games will be broadcast live on a big screen TV. Food and hot drinks will be available, as will home-grown musical talent and other entertainment, including historical interactive displays, a family Fun Zone, with theme crafts, face painting, and balloon twisting. The Squamish Historical Society has made all their films available for viewing during lulls in the Olympic events, including Riding with the First Nations Snowboard Team, one of the Society's most recent productions. SHS photo displays will trace the evolution of transportation from the early days of canoe and ferry access, before the Vancouver connector road, to the building of the Seaview Highway, later called the Sea to Sky Highway, including a photo montage of the recent upgrades.?During the Games the West Coast Railway Heritage Park will open a venue they have christened the Canada Club. Anybody over the age of 19 can relax, enjoy some libations and cheer on our athletes, as they perform on two large screen TVs at the site. An Internet café with wireless capacity will also be available. The whole place will be jumping between 2 p.m. and midnight. This will be a popular location, so it might be a good idea to get there early.
All of these unique events, venues and displays point to hundreds of hours of preparation and organization by thousands of local residents. We appreciate their efforts and thank them for their commitment to this community.
