Opening Ceremony: Olympics 2010 - Vancouver- British Columbia

First: The four “Welcoming Poles” rising and the elders from the Four Host Nations Peoples were the first steps to an amazing evening! Then the aboriginal people from other parts of the country and Metis entered and  look so individually radiant in their ceremonial costumes and were drumming and dancing for an hour as the athletes arrived!

 Second: The constellations of the Eagle, Wolf, Buffalo and Bear heralded the special moment to begin! The 20 meter high Spirit Bear - a surprise appearing likes a star mirage -  outstanding!

Third: Unbelievably the floor becoming an Ocean with Orca Whales crossing - it was breathtaking - then the floor transformed to Ice floats and broke up - it was amazing.

 Fourth: The whole evening centering on amazing performances and quotes from notable Canadians like Joe Schleslinger, Chief Dan George, W.O. Mitchell and George Vancouver- it was a storytelling of Canada in motion.

Fifth: All of the Songs were Smashing – The opening song -  Nikki Yanofsky was  unique. Radiant Nelly Ferntado and Bryan Adams did an incredible duet – “Bang the Drum” and the audience even joined by banging their drums that they each had. K.D. Lang made me feel a “Roy Orbison moment” and Leonard Cohen bothcombined in her intense “Hallelujah” rendition with such feeling. Sarah McLachlan was something memorable in “One Dream” and her face beautiful!

 Sixth:The Special Effects were spectacular and as she sang totem poles transforming into a forest with ballet dancers - this was a yes! The color when the flying canoe came down was outstanding and the shadow fight was so funny.

Seventh: Loved the prairies interpretation -wheat field projections and endless space to fly was right on! My parents were born in the Praires so have a soft spot.

Eighth: The Rhythm of the Fall sequence with Ashley MacIsaac and hundreds of fiddlers dancing had my spirit dancing!

Ninth: The Heroic Athletes entering from each country in the beginning made it possible for their awesome energy to be there throughout the evening!

Tenth: The mountain rising – “Peaks of Endeavour” was like Atlantis rising and the athletes (skier- snowboarders) on it – wow! And then transforming into a landscape of Vancouver - hoorah!

Eleventh:Slam poet Shane Kocyzan’s “We are More” recitation was so reflective of what we are in Canada – each unique but part of the whole and he said “ we are an experiment going right this time!

Twelfth : Singers for closure -French Canadian singer Garou “Un Peu Plus Haut, Un Peu Plus Lion was dynamic! Measha Brueggergosman singing the Olympic anthem was exhilarating!

Favorite Canadians icons were carrying the Canadian flag Betty Fox, Donald Sutherland, Jacques Villeneuve, Barbera Ann Scott, Ann Murray, Romeo Dallaire, Bobby Orr and Julie Payette and then came the torch bearers Rick Hansen, Catriona Lee May Doan, Steve Nash, Nancy Greene and finally eloquently ending with Wayne Gretsky. All made me feel very proud.

So all in all I liked that each person was individual but that it was a weaving of our whole country. The Beauty, breathtaking design, individuality displayed throughout reflected our country and its wonderful unique blend of individuals and landscape!
The colors left wonder, the sparkly lights, the night sky, the water roaring, thunder sounding, red leaves scattering, caught the colors and beauty of our landscape!

Thank you everyone, David Atkins and Jean Grand Maitre for pushing the envelope, the Olympic Committee, all  involved - it has been seven years of hard work and thank you, thank you, thank you! Something many Canadians will not forget.

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