They came from Valleycliffe, from the Upper Squamish, from Dentville, from Downtown, from Brackendale, and from every other nook and cranny of this valley. And they were not disappointed.
The Olympic Torch celebration at Brennan Park last week was part rock concert, part PNE midway, and part good old revival meeting. In other words, that was some party.
For such a large crowd, there were no apparent hassles, no disputes or bad blood, just the joy of being in the right place at the right time.
There was no harping about being left behind by big bad VANOC, or dissing the arrival of the five ring circus. This was pure, unbridled celebration.
Local residents are broadcasting the unmistakable message, loud and clear, that we have embraced this event like few other communities have, and the event has embraced us.
Everyone who ran with the torch and joined Kristen McBride on stage did us proud. Sure, there were a few politicians up there basking in the Olympic aura. In this case so they should, even if some, like our MP John Weston, got onside at the tail end of the whole process.
Let's take our hats off to Greg Gardner, the co-chair of the Olympic Bid Task Force, and the founding director of the Callaghan Valley Local Organizing Committee, who along with his CALOC team, helped lay the groundwork for the enthusiasm the Olympics are now garnering.
We can also thank former mayor Ian Sutherland and some of the district administrators who withstood VANOC's indifference and got us a foot in the door.
They hatched the Heart of 2010 slogan. Now, after stumbling out of the gate, it has taken its place again amidst the salutations welcoming visitors to the community.
Up the road, at the Adventure Centre, an oversized Sam the Axe Man greets the world outfitted in his Olympic regalia. Say what you will about kitsch and commercialism, but Sam's presence is a real branding coup, a stroke of brilliant marketing,
The medium is the message, folks. There, for everyone to see, is our celebrated logging heritage combined with the sporting life towards which this town is now gravitating.
Does an hour go by during which Sam is not being photographed, or gawked at by a bevy of admiring visitors?
Speaking of axes, this is a community that has been polarized over many issues, the details of which need not be unfurled here. Suffice it to say they are legion, with some festering for years and some more recent.
At times there are more axes being ground than were sharpened in the logging camps that sprouted up in the Squamish backwoods during the 1900s.
The Brennan Park event points to burying those axes temporarily, enjoying the moment and the company of thousands of fellow travelers. Despite some of the early transportation and logistical glitches, the whole Olympic package is shaping up to be the most exciting event this community has ever experienced.
So bring on the rest of the show and let's revel in its arrival.
