Olympic Drama in LiveCity Downtown

Fans watch live Olympic action on LiveCity Downtown's big screen.

After a wild weekend of celebration, it’s the start of the first full week of Olympic action in Vancouver. The home-soil Olympic jinx is finally over (on Sunday, skier Alexandre Bilodeau won Canada’s first gold ever on Canadian turf). And – even more momentous than that – after weeks of clouds and gloom, the sun is actually shining (at least for the moment).

It seemed like a good time to check in at LiveCity Downtown, one of the city’s official Olympic celebration zones. To beat the crowds, I got there bright and early for the 11 a.m. opening. Already in progress was a ceremony in honor of National Flag Day. With a choir belting out O Canada, cadets from Canada’s armed forces slowly raised the Maple Leaf. It was 45 years ago that Canada’s iconic flag flew for the first time, after beating out competing designs including one with three red maple leaves on a field of blue bars (known as “Pearson’s Pennant,” for all you flag buffs).

Mounties preside over the Flag Day ceremonies at LiveCity Downtown.

On hand for the ceremony was Musqueam First Nation elder Larry Grant. Dressed in full regalia, Grant blessed the flag in English, French and in his native language. His presence was not merely symbolic. These Olympic Games are the first ever co-hosted by members of an Aboriginal community. The Four Host First Nations, which embrace the Musqueam, Squamish, Lil’wat and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, have partnered with the Canadian government to welcome the world to Vancouver. “It’s my hope that one day we’ll all be together as one nation,” Grant said, acknowledging the work that still needs to be done to bring Aboriginal communities into the fold.

Musqueam First Nation elder Larry Grant blessed the Canadian flag at a Flag Day ceremony downtown.

With the flag flying high, attention turned to the Olympic drama unfolding on LiveCity Downtown’s massive high-definition screen. Out in Whistler, the men’s downhill ski race – postponed from Saturday - was in full swing, with five Canadians hoping to take home a medal. Groups huddled transfixed around the screen, waving flags and clanging cow bells as local ski prodigy Manuel Osborne-Paradis zipped down the mountain. An audible grown erupted when he finished well behind the race leader.

During a break in the action, I ducked into the Canada house. The pavilion is dedicated to Canadian sporting history. There are displays of vintage skis, skates and curling equipment (including one very vintage curling stone dating back to the 1500s). The other big draws are the interactive, multimedia exhibits. Fans lined up to take a slapshot at a virtual goalie and snowboard down a virtual mountain. All in all, however, the pavilion isn’t as glitzy or elaborate as many of the other country houses. But, then again, you could argue that the city of Vancouver itself is the real window on Canada for hundreds of thousands of Olympic fans. With the snowcapped Coast Mountains, the Pacific Ocean and millions of real live Canucks, who needs a fancy country house?

More torch photo-ops await inside the Canada pavilion.

Back outside, the men’s downhill was winding down on the big screen. Another local favorite, Robbie Dixon, plowed his way down the mountain, desperately trying to catch up on the leader. Cowbells swelled to a crescendo when, suddenly, one of Dixon’s skis slipped, sending him tumbling head over heels off the course. After a long pause, Dixon slowly brushed himself off and got up. The crowd at LiveCity, which had grown momentarily quiet, burst into applause.