Vancouver is ... peaceful!

Vancouver is really doing its part trying to bring peace to the world. A few weeks ago we hosted the Peace Summit and the Dalai Lama. In less than 4 months to go, Vancouver will host an event to promote peace across the world ... the 2010 Olympics of course.

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release 2009PREM0053-000509 October 19, 2009

Office of the Premier

2010 OLYMPIC TRUCE PROMOTES PEACE

NEW YORK – The 2010 Olympic Truce resolution was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly today, promoting peaceful resolutions to conflicts around the globe.

“Around the world, the Olympic Games are a symbol of peaceful, friendly competition between nations – a spirit that is embodied in the Olympic Truce and the dream of a world free from violent conflicts,” said Premier Gordon Campbell. “On behalf of the host province of British Columbia, I urge people, governments and nations around the world to embrace the Olympics as an opportunity to connect with one-another through sport and find peaceful resolutions to disputes.”

As part of commemorating the Olympic Truce, it is tradition for the Host Country of the Games to present a resolution at the UN, calling on the world to celebrate the principle that sport can inspire peace during the Olympic Games. As the host country, Canada presented the Olympic Truce resolution to the UN General Assembly today.

The UN General Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution entitled “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideals” every two years since 1993.

The tradition of the Olympic Truce dates back to Ancient Greece, when the truce ensured athletes, artists, their families and pilgrims could travel in safety to participate in or attend the Olympic Games.

The 2010 Olympic Truce resolution “calls upon all Member States to cooperate with the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee in their efforts to use sport as a tool to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation in areas of conflict during and beyond the Olympic Games period.”

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A backgrounder follows.

Contact:

Bridgitte Anderson Press Secretary Office of the Premier 604 307-7177

BACKGROUNDER

October 19, 2009 Office of the Premier

Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 62/4 of 31 October 2007, in which it decided to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-fourth session the sub-item entitled “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal”, and recalling also its prior decision to consider the item every two years in advance of each Summer and Winter Olympic Games,

Recalling also its resolution 48/11 of 25 October 1993, which, inter alia, revived the ancient Greek tradition of ekecheiria (“Olympic Truce”) calling for a truce during the Olympic Games that would encourage a peaceful environment and ensure the safe passage and participation of athletes and relevant persons at the Games, thereby mobilizing the youth of the world to the cause of peace,

Taking into account the inclusion in the United Nations Millennium

Declaration1 of an appeal for the observances of the Olympic Truce now and in the future and support for the International Olympic Committee in its efforts to promote peace and human understanding through sport and the Olympic ideal,

Recognizing the valuable contribution that the appeal launched by the International Olympic Committee for an Olympic Truce could make towards advancing the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Recognizing also the increasingly important role of sport in achieving internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration, and reaffirming the commitments undertaken in this regard by the Heads of State and Government gathered at the World Summit of the General Assembly, held in New York in 2005,

Recalling its resolution 63/135 of 11 December 2008, in which it recognized the value of sport as a means to promote education, health, development and peace and welcomed the establishment of a United Nations Office of Sport for Development and Peace,

Recognizing that the goal of the Olympic movement is to build a peaceful and better world by educating the youth of the world through sport, practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which is based on mutual understanding, friendship, solidarity and fair play,

Welcoming the joint endeavours of the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee and the United Nations system in such fields as human development, poverty alleviation, humanitarian assistance, health promotion, HIV and AIDS prevention, youth education, gender equality, peacebuilding and sustainable development,

Recalling the relevant articles on leisure, recreation, sport and play of international conventions, including article 30 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizing the right of persons with disabilities to take part on an equal basis with others in cultural life, recreation, leisure and sport,

Noting that the XXI Winter Olympic Games will take place from 12 to 28 February 2010, and that the X Paralympic Winter Games will take place from 12 to 21 March 2010 in Vancouver, Canada, with the aim of upholding sport as an inspirational means to promote peace, inclusivity, indigenous participation, social and environmental responsibility and meaningful legacies for future generations,

Also noting that the inaugural Youth Olympic Games will take place from 14 to 26 August 2010, in Singapore, with the aim of inspiring the youth of the world through an integrated, sport, culture and education experience to embrace, embody and express the Olympic values,

Noting with satisfaction the flying of the United Nations flag at the competition sites of the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games,

1. Urges Member States to observe, within the framework of the Charter of the United Nations, the Olympic Truce, individually and collectively, during the XXI Winter Olympic Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games;

2. Welcomes the decisions of the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee to mobilize international sports organizations and the National Olympic Committees and National Paralympic Committees of Member States to undertake concrete actions at the local, national, regional and world levels to promote and strengthen a culture of peace based on the spirit of the Olympic truce, and invites those organizations and national committees to share information and best practices, as appropriate;

3. Calls upon all Member States to cooperate with the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee in their efforts to use sport as a tool to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation in areas of conflict during and beyond the Olympic Games period;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to promote the observance of the Olympic Truce among Member States and support for human development initiatives through sport and to cooperate with the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee and the sporting community in general in the realization of those objectives;

5. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-sixth session the sub-item entitled “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal” and to consider the sub-item before the Games of the XXX Olympiad and the XIV Paralympic Games to be held in London in 2012.

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Contact:

Bridgitte Anderson Press Secretary Office of the Premier 604 307-7177

Saving the world, one day at a time.

As the day comes to an end in Vancouver, I reflect on the topic of "Climate Change" for Blog Action Day 2009. Although there has been some debate whether climate change exists, there seems to be a consensus that it does and that it is an important issue that must be dealt with sooner rather that later.

I just want to take a few minutes out of this day to thank all those people who try to make a change in this world by doing their part to save this planet every day. If you recycle, reuse, plant trees, compost, bike, take transit, carpool, volunteer or show others how we can help make our environment cleaner, "Thank YOU!".

As we look to the future, we should seek new ways of stopping and reversing climate change. We should reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and search for clean energy technologies to live in a more sustainable world. We can build a better world, a greener world by working together as a community with industry and governments.

Bombardier...you have style!

A few weeks ago I was looking at City of Vancouver's Public Transit site and noticed the something called the "Olympic Line". I though the project had been an idea that never materialized. However, today Bombardier announced that on Monday it shipped two of its very cool "Flexity" light rail trams to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Games to be used along False Creek which will arrive in December.

The trams will operate 18 hours a day, seven days a week during the Olympic and Paralympic period between Granville Island and the Vancouver Athletes Village. Best of all, it will be FREE! How great is that! Can't wait to ride it.

Smile your on Google Maps!

There are many reasons to smile: It helps us reduce stress, makes you stay positive and lowers blood pressure. Now you can also smile because you can visit Vancouver using google's new "street view" maps.

When my collegue asked me today for a place to buy glasses, I went to google maps to confirm the location and discovered that google had made improvements to the their maps. Not only was I able to see the optical store that I was looking for, I was also able to see other interesting items like Canada Line construction. I was not the only one that noticed. The Vancouver Sun published some really interesting pictures that have been found across Canadian Cities. The pictures include a burning van, a person who looks like he had a heart attack in front of McDonald's and more.

So start exploring Vancouver before the Olympics and you might discover something that is even more unique to Vancouver than you would have ever expected.

Letter to Regan

Dear Regan Lauscher,

I just read your "Whistler Life" blog posting and wanted to let you know that many Canadians share your keenness and pride. I would like to thank you for all your efforts to represent Canada and compete at the 2010 games. As we near the Olympics, I hope that people catch the "Olympic Fever" and you feel more at home. Please stay positive and bring home the gold.

Sincerely,
Vancouver Lens

Does Prime Minister Harper have a future is show business?

I was really suprised to see Stephen Harper singing with famed cellist Yo Yo Ma on You Tube. Love him or hate him, you have to admit that our PM singing a Beatles song is very cool.

Back to school...but why is the door closed?

I heard that someone at the VTC international English school had taken all the money from tuitions and ran leaving the school in big problems. Sure enough police were on the scene and I even caught a reporter on the scene. I hope the issue gets resolved for the students.

Looking for some inspiration?

Found this great video online. It's a motivational speech given to MIT graduates.

The most depressing place in the world..NOT Vancouver!

Vancouver is in the news again as the "The most depressing place in the world". Arthur Salm wrote that he is depressed because after experiencing Vancouver, he has to live in San Diego. I wrote to him,

Vancouver is a great city to live in. It is very beautiful city and would like to invite Arthur Salm to move here so that “his depression” is cured.

For more things to you can do in Vancouver once you get here go to:
http://vancouverlens.blogspot.com/

Fireworks, outdoor movies and so much more! Let me not forget the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics.

I hope he feels better soon.

Just chilling with a movie.

What better way to fight the heat that with a "cold movie" called Transsiberian. It was a pretty good movie about an American couple journeying on the Transsiberian Express from Beijing to Moscow and are caught up in a web of drug trafficking, murder, and deceit.

However, the magic moment of the movie came when one of the actresses starts talking about her ideal place, Vancouver of course. You can watch the clip below that mentions Vancouver however I would recommend watching the movie.

Fire away China

Another great night for fireworks. If you missed the fireworks, you can see it by clicking the link below.



I wonder if Canada will keep its first place status.

Rent Olympian Aid Inc.

Today the 2010 Olympic organizers announced that they want employers to lend them up to 1,500 short-term workers for the Games. I heard that the Olympics did not have enough volunteers so I signed up to volunteer for a while ago. They sent an email notifying they have alot of people and hence it may be some time before they contact me. I wish them luck with employers.

Another hot one...

It was another hot day and I felt like evaporating. Makes you want to stay somewhere where it's cool that has wireless.

Wireless:

View FREE WI-FI IN METRO VANCOUVER in a larger map

I`m Melting!

It`s official: Today is the hottest day ever recorded in Vancouver. It`s so hot that I feel like an M&M melting in someone`s hand.

It`s a good thing that Vancouver has lots of places you can chill to get away from the heat. Today I was hanging out with some friends at the Blenz coffee shop at Main and 26th Avenue.

The Simpsons...

The Simpsons, the tv show, will experience Olympic fever in February. The Simpsons will try Olympic curling. Can't wait until I get my tickets in the mail!

All the way there and back...

The last day of our trip arrived and we headed back to Vancouver. I am really glad that I had the opportunity to travel to our neighbourly province of Alberta for a few days. It was a surreal experience.

Up the mountain we go!

It was another great day today. After having a delicious breakfast at the Kananaskis Delta Lodge, we visited the Travel Alberta tourism office, Canmore and then visited the Banff area including Bow Falls and Bow River.

At Banff we rode a gondola to the summit of Sulphur Mountain at the elevation of 7,486 ft.

The view of the mountains from Summit mountain was great and I felt so proud to be Canadian.

We then visited, one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, Lake Louise, and the infamous Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise Hotel.

We also toured Yoho National Park where we saw Emerald Lake. I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of this lake. I had never heard of it before but will always remember the pristine environment. We also visited Natural Bridge which was formed by the running Kicking Horse River.

Have you ever had a chill in the summer?

Today was a great day. We started the day by visiting Banff National Park.

Then visited the Columbia Icefields.

According to Parks Canada :

The Columbia Icefield is a surviving remnant of the thick ice mass that once mantled most of Western Canada's mountains. Lying on a wide, elevated plateau, it is the largest icefield in the Canadian Rockies. Nearly three-quarters of the park's highest peaks are located close to the icefield; ideally placed to catch much of the moisture that Pacific winds carry across the British Columbia interior. Most of this precipitation falls as snow; up to 7 metres a year!

The Athabasca is the most-visited glacier on the North American continent. Situated across from the Icefield Centre, its ice is in continuous motion, creeping forward at the rate of several centimeters per day. Spilling from the Columbia Icefield over three giant bedrock steps, the glacier flows down the valley like a frozen, slow-moving river. Because of a warming climate, the Athabasca Glacier has been receding or melting for the last 125 years. Losing half its volume and retreating more than 1.5 kms, the shrinking glacier has left a moonscape of rocky moraines in its wake.

Drinking cold water from the glacier was amazing and having a mini snow fight in the summer was priceless. We spent the night at the Delta Lodge at Kananaskis, site of Year 2002 G8 Summit.

It's going to be a rocky trip...

So after much thought and budgeting, decided to go to the Canadian Rocky Mountains which is recognized as a World Heritage sites recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Left Vancouver early in the morning and Passed by Langley, Abbotsford, and once Gold Rush hub town Hope.

Stopped in Kamloops and had some chinese food. The restaurant was really good and had an all you can eat buffet. Then crossed the Rogers Pass, the most difficult construction section of trans-continental railroad, passing by Salmon Arm, and Sicamous, both Shuswap Lake cities.

Staycation...Vacation...Whatever, let's just have some fun.

This summer has been a staycation and I have been enjoying what the beautiful city of Vancouver has to offer along with other Vancouverites. I have been looking to travel somewhere nearby for a few days for almost three weeks but have not found what I would like to do. However, good news ... I think I have found the perfect trip. More details coming shortly.

We`re off to see the wizard.

Vancouver Fireworks at English Bay Fireworks were great. Defending champions, Canada, presented a fireworks display called `The Wizard of Oz`.

HSBC Celebration of Light

Next is South Africa on Saturday, July 25, the UK on Wednesday, July 29, and China on Saturday, August 1. The fireworks begin at 10:00 pm. Find info at Celebration of Light.

The Wave is Coming...in September

I was on twitter today and noticed that Google Wave was among the trending topics and wondered what the hype was all about. I have seen other trending topics but had never been so intrigued. What I found after following a few links really surprised me. I watched Google's demo introducing Google Wave, which lasted more than an hour. The best part came at the end when they show how communication will be facilitated between languages using a real-time translator. I have signed up to be notified when Google Wave goes live. I just can't wait. I am also waiting to hear about when Gooogle Voice will become available.

Vancouver is lighting it up!

If you notice a few changes on the Lion Gate Bridge, don't be alarmed. The province announced today that it will begin installing high efficiency LED lighting. Great to see changes Vancouver getting "greener".

LIONS GATE BRIDGE LIGHTING REPLACEMENT

VICTORIA – Beginning tonight, motorists, residents and visitors will notice a darkened Lions Gate Bridge, while crews install a high-efficiency LED lighting system.

The current 100-watt architectural lighting, which drapes the bridge’s suspension cables, is powered by 170 mercury-vapour bulbs and has been in place since 1986. However, with its core infrastructure nearing the end of its life span, the system is becoming increasingly onerous and costly to maintain.

The new LED lighting will have the same appearance as the existing system but will cut the current power consumption by 90 per cent and drastically reduce the time spent each year replacing burned-out bulbs.

The $150,000 project is being cost-shared by both the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and BC Hydro. The new LED bulbs have a design life of 12 years and will not only last longer but the Province expects to save more than $30,000 per year in energy and maintenance.

Work to remove the existing lighting and install the new LED system will begin immediately and is expected to take up to three weeks to complete. During this time regular traffic lighting will function as usual, and traffic will not be affected.

The LED lighting retrofit supports B.C.’s Energy Plan, which encourages new technologies to “green the grid,” promote clean energy and reduce energy losses.

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Who you gonna call?

Last night's movie, Willy Wonka and and the Chocolate Factory, was really good. Alot of families attended the movie. I even enjoyed some Cotton Candy during the movie.

Tonight's movie, Ghostbusters was great too! We had a hard time finding seating but eventually found a spot. Good to see all the Ghostbuster fans show up at David Lam Park.

Chocolate anyone?

The weekend is shaping to be a movie marathon. With two outdoor movies, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory playing at Killarney Community Centre Saturday and Ghostbusters playing at David Lam Park Sunday, I hope all Vancouverites get out and enjoy the free movies.

The Rankings...Vancouver area cities take top spots.

It was interesting to see Maclean’s survey this morning which looked at the best and worst run cities in Canada. Greater Vancouver Area Cities: Burnaby, Surrey and Vancouver are in the top four. Yet another reason to be glad about Vancouver.

It's almost Friday and time to get high ... in the sky

If you look up in the sky this Friday morning you may see lots of activity in the sky. Don't be alarmed. We are not being invaded. To mark Canada's flight centennial, 100 airplanes will start flying single file British Columbia to Novia Scotia. For more details, view the video below and then visit Cross Canada Flights. The British Columbia flight leaves from Boundary Bay Airport.

Get ready to laugh and be amazed

I discovered a great site. It's called Advertising Age and it has something called the "Viral Video Chart" where they have the top viral ads. Below you will find two of my favorite ads.

Stop and Go

Although I crossed the Burrard Bridge yesterday, the experience on the bus can't be the same as riding your own bike across the bridge. So, today I took the plunge and travelled the long way around town to show my support.

I travelled the bridge around 4:45pm and did not see any traffic on the ends of the bridge. What I saw were cyclists enjoying the new lane and pedestrians walking on the correct side. I found the experience a good one. Most importantly, I felt safe travelling the bridge.

The most dangerous part of my trip happened when a police officer asked me "Where are you going?" just before I crossed the first traffic light as I headed East after the Burrard Bridge. I was travelling pretty fast and had to slow down to answer him while the light turned to amber from green. I responded "Straight." and was not sure if he wanted me to stop or not so I was crawling across the light and but then said it was okay. I am wondering where he thought I would be going.

Vancouver is Triple the Fun

It was a "little person's" birthday today so I ended up at Crash Crawly. Their indoor playground is great for kids. It was lots of fun.

Then travelled across the Burrard Bridge to witness the new bike lane. It was almost 9pm and I was on a bus because I was in a rush to make it to Vancouver Museum's outdoor movie at Vanier Park, Triplets of Belleville. I was glad to see the movie which incorporated a bike theme and French, our other official language.

Burrard Bridge here I come!

It's great to see that the city of Vancouver is promoting alternative modes of transportation.
Tomorrow the Burrard Bridge's western curb lane become a bike lane for cyclists crossing toward Kitsilano, while the eastern sidewalk will be reserved for cyclists heading downtown. Cyclists and pedestrians will no longer be forced to share the bridge's sidewalk thus making it safer for pedestrians and cyclist. I will be taking this route tomorrow to see what it's like.

Did you know there is an Internatioanl Paralympic Day?

Rick Mercer had a fun episode concerning the 2010 Vancouver Paralympic Games which inspired me to buy some paralympic tickets. Now I can't wait to see these atheletes in action.

PREMIER’S STATEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC DAY

VANCOUVER – Premier Gordon Campbell released the following statement today to mark International Paralympic Day, July 11:

“Our Paralympic athletes, who participate in both Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, have proven on the world stage that they are fierce competitors. They’ve brought 404 gold, 338 silver and 355 bronze medals back to Canada since 1968, when our country first competed in Paralympic Games.

“The values, determination and sportsmanship they embrace are an inspiration to all Canadians and we are fortunate that many Paralympic athletes call British Columbia home. The resolve, commitment and dedication of B.C. Paralympians are a testament to the strength of the human spirit.

“In 244 days, British Columbia will welcome the world for the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games – the first Winter Paralympics ever hosted in Canada. This is an incredible opportunity for our athletes to compete and win at home and we will be cheering them on with pride.”

Female Ski Jumpers Olympic get the red light for the Olympics

Although Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon of the B.C. Supreme Court found that:

"In my view, the exclusion of women's ski jumping from the 2010 Games is discriminatory. Many of the men the plaintiffs have trained with and competed against as peers will be Olympians; the plaintiffs will be denied this opportunity for no reason other than their sex. But not every act of discrimination is a breach of the Charter."

she rejected an application from 15 female ski jumpers asking that either they be allowed to compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver or that all ski jumping events be cancelled. In her summary, Fenlon says that the International Olympic Committee is solely responsible for what sports are allowed to compete and stated that the IOC made a decision that discriminates against the plaintiffs and only the IOC can alleviate the discrimination.

With only seven months left until the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics, International Olympic Committee will be on the spotlight for this decision. I am looking forward to seeing how this develops. Let's stay tuned.

Feed my E-Hampster

Flying High

Air Canada unveiled its new Boeing 777 Olympic themed aircraft which will spread the 2010 Winter Games message with its massive images of six winter sports including athletes in snowboard parallel giant slalom, ice hockey and cross-country skiing on one side and alpine skiing, ice sledge hockey and ski jumping on the other. Let's hope 2010 does not fly by too quickly.

Why? Why?

It was a rainy day in Vancouver. I had almost forgotten what rain felt like since it's been a while since it rained. It was a perfect day to stay indoors and watch the MJ's memorial online.

There were many touching moments at the memorial, including Micheal Jackson's daughter speaking out in support for her father and Mariah Carey singing one of my favorite songs. I think the biggest surprise to me was seeing John Mayer perform. I think everyone who performed sang from the heart which was uplifting.

Tennis Land

I decided to play tennis and discovered a nice court at 44nd and Prince Edward. Nobody is around in the morning so you can play as much as you want.

Shhh...Listen

A few weeks ago I was walking around Vancouver and noticed a few ads for a show called: The Listener. So I decided to search for it online at CTV and found it. The show is about a highly skilled paramedic, Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik), who has a secret...he can read minds.

Making the rounds of Toronto with his energetic paramedic partner Osman "Oz" Bey (Ennis Esmer), The Listener follows Toby as he tries to help people in crisis and in the process heal some of his own wounds. While his professional life is in check, Toby's personal life could use its own rescue.

I found the show entertaining and watched a few episodes.

It was a happy-sad day.

It was another beautiful day in Vancouver and I had lots of fun at Play Land.

Yesterday I tried the Staples Center website I tried to get tickets for the MJ memorial just to find the website server had shut down however I was able to enter my name in today. If I don't win tickets I will be watching the memorial online.

Play Land Here I Come...

Nothing says summer like rides at Play Land at the PNE. I am going on Saturday and excited to go again this year. I am really glad I don't have to work on Monday or I might end up acting like the guy in this video.

A good cleaning...

As I start my "vacation", I have begun to focus on cleaning around the house. I received a great tip from a friend on how best clean my computer screen. You can see it at the following link: Screen Cleaning.

Happy 142nd Birthday Canada!

Bonne fête Canada! Hope you have a happy and safe Canada Day.

Let's all stand up for Peru and its indigenous people

On June 15 I wrote about the Vancouverites standing up for Peru's indigenous people. Since then, Peru's congress overturned two controversial land laws and Yehude Simon, the Peruvian prime minister, announced his plans to resign in the coming weeks over the incidents of the land laws. In addition, the Peru's President Alan Garcia's approval rating has fallen to its lowest level in 18 months.

However, I have not heard much of what has been going on through the mainstream media or social media outlets. Everyone seems to be twittering about repression in Iran however there has been little attention paid to the repression of the indigenous people in Peru. In fact, I am not the only one noticing this occurrence. In her June 24th article article, A fight for the Amazon that should inspire the world, Johann Hari writes:

While the world nervously watches the uprising in Iran, an even more important uprising has been passing unnoticed – yet its outcome will shape your fate, and mine...The uprising In the Amazon is more urgent than Iran's - it will determine the future of the planet

Then we must ask ourselves, why? Well, according to Todd Gordon:

It’s no accident that the Canadian government quickly and sharply condemns some instances of repression, such as that in Iran, while it ignores or tepidly responds to others. If it’s good for Canadian business, then it’s okay. This is imperialist Canada in the developing world: exploit people and their resources to make a buck, and if some repression is required along the way, well so be it. This isn’t just an American act; it’s a Canadian one too, and it’s becoming all too familiar.

Although, I understand Gordon's position, I would not go as far to say its "a Canadian act". Most Canadians respect indigenous cultures, most Canadians are against ecological destruction and most Canadians are against repression of any form. In fact, today three civil society organizations (The Council of Canadians, MiningWatch Canada and Common Frontiers) sent a joint letter to the senate about "the lack of concern shown by senators with the escalating crisis in relations between President Alan Garcia’s government and Indigenous communities from the Amazon area." I think increasing awareness of the situation will propel Vancouverites, Canadians and people around the world to take more notice and stand up against all forms of repression.

Hungry For Change?

GG to open Vancouver 2010 Olympics

It seems the Governor General is everywhere these days. We have seen her eating seal meat and dress up in military uniform. Now she is going to open Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

OTTAWA – The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, is proud to open the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

“It is in a spirit of solidarity and with great enthusiasm that we are preparing to welcome youth and the world for the XXI Olympic Winter Games. I am confident that Canada will be able to make this gathering a celebration of winter, sports excellence and fellowship, and I am pleased to be a part of it,” the Governor General said.

The Opening Ceremony will be held on February 12, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Newest Canuck

Jordan Schroeder welcome to Vancouver. I was really interested in seeing how the newest addition to the Vancouver Canucks ranked against other draft picks which led me to the NHL webpage. Although Schroeder seems small relative to other forwards, it seems he's a pretty good player. Time will tell us about his talent.

R.I.P. MJ

It seems everyone is talking about Micheal Jackson today. I was in the mood to hear some more of MJ's songs after hearing some yesterday.

Say it aint so MJ!

There was a news report that the ledgendary Micheal Jackson died. I was sitting at my desk when I received a call that told me MJ was dead. I could not believe it and initially thought it was a hoax because just a few weeks ago there was so much hype about his big comeback. However, as the day went by, I realized that it wasn't a hoax.

I remember wearing my MJ jacket with all the zippers and trying to imitate his dance moves as a child. He will truly be missed not only in Vancouver but around the world. R.I.P MJ.

Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day!

Since I joined twitter, I have been following the politcal leaders of our nation:
I was interested in knowing how they were going to celebrate Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day and found the following:

@pmharper: Stephen Harper
No Comment posted.

@M_Ignatieff: Michael Ignatieff
Off to Beauce for St-Jean Baptiste celebrations after a great lunch at Ashton’s and a walk along the St-Laurence

@jacklayton: Jack Layton
Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste day! http://tinyurl.com/ldxumg

Dear friends,
Today, I join you in celebrating this special day that is filled with tradition.

This holiday enables Quebecers to proudly celebrate that they are part of the Quebec nation.

I was born in Quebec, which makes me particularly proud to take this day to celebrate the diversity and the richness of culture that radiates not just in Canada, but across the world.

Quebec, the cradle of francophones in North America, is a unique place on Earth. Quebec's presence and vitality contribute to the growth of the French language across Canada, and Canadians are very proud of it.

I invite all Canadians from across the country to join in today’s celebrations, an ideal occasion to recognize the country’s unique history. Let’s take time with friends and family to celebrate the links that unite us.

On behalf of Thomas Mulcair (Outremont) and the New Democrat caucus, I join all Quebecers, francophones and supporters of French culture, both here and abroad, in celebrating a rich and vibrant heritage.

Happy St. Jean Baptiste Day!

Jack Layton

I was really surprised by how much Jack Layton had written.

How many bicycles in Vancouver?

Yesterday I wrote about people working in Vancouver. Today, I was feeling really good and just worked away on some projects that I wanted to get done by next week.

I think I have found my joy of biking again since biking uphill is getting easier. I found a good Vancouver site called ebikes.ca which educates on a form of vehicle that merges a regular bicycle with an electric motor. Just imagine how many hills you could conquer with an ebike! I was also wondering how many people bike in Vancouver at 6am and although I did not find the answer, I did find this great video by Katie Melua called Nine Million Bicycles.

Constructing Vancouver

I decided to try a new route today with my bike and found myself on the Grandview Viaduct. I found it dangerous, especially when you turn on to Clark Drive and head south, because there are a lot of big rigs (trucks). Nonetheless, I saw a vibrant Vancouver with lots of people working outdoors including a crew repaving a sidewalk (Clark Dr. and 20th) , a couple of workers painting a new home (Inverness St. and 29th) and a lot of other construction along the way.

Papa Day

Happy Fathers Day to all the fathers in Vancouver and beyond.

Enjoy the following poem:

The Child Is Father to the Man

"The child is father to the man."
How can he be? The words are wild.
Suck any sense from that who can:
"The child is father to the man."

No; what the poet did write ran,
"The man is father to the child."
"The child is father to the man!"
How can he be? The words are wild.

- Gerard Manley Hopkins

Can you Baseball or Dragon Boat in French?

Yesterday I blogged about some events happening around town and today I attended three of the best ones in Vancouver.

The Dragon Boat Festival featured tons of food, games, information booths...and boat racing. I won a shirt and got my face on a button courtesy of raiseyourhand.com. There were limited food selections and fewer tents but I enjoyed the race. I also ran into the editor of rabble.ca and co-chair of stopwar.ca, Derrick O'Keefe.

I also enjoyed Francophone celebrations at Vancouver`s Festival d'été. Thanks to some friends at Le Centre Culturel, I was able to enjoy a complimentary entrance to the festival and the show La petite fille aux Allumetters (The Little Match Seller) and was impressed by the performance. After the performance we were entertained by clowns, singers and one performer who was a jack of all trades who juggled, squeezed himself through a tennis racket and ran around blowing bubbles. Best of all it was in French, our other official language. I even learned how to say, "Je veux voler un cerf-volant"? I was also lucky enough to run into the Olympic mascots, Sumi, Quatchi, and Miga. The Festival runs until June 24th, so check them out if you can.

I finished off the day by attending the hottest ticket in town: the sold out Vancouver Canadians (also known as the C's) season opener. It was crazy at Nat Bailey Stadium. People had scribbled signs saying " Looking for tickets" and others were begging to be let in. When I finally got to my seat I discovered that we were sitting next to a professional recorder who was putting K's up on the rail. The seats were also great as they were very easy to jump in and out of. There were also some funny old ladies behind us yelling, "Mucho beuno!" every time the batter named Sosa came to bat. Although the C's lost 10-1, the C's gave everyone in the stand a burger and root beer from A&W. On another positive note, I met Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, who was there to throw the first pitch of the game and then saw the night come to an end with some great fireworks.