I came across this short six minute feature that is narrated by Tom Brokaw and aired on NBC prior to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics beginning.
Like most Canadians, I was watching the CTV coverage that night and missed this but thankfully it has found its way to YouTube and I'm happy to share it with you.
Quite simply it is a mini history lesson for our American neighbours south of the border and while many Americans will likely know most of what is conveyed, I'm sure others will have their eyes opened. I thought it was well done.
One week into the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games we've seen some of the highest highs and the lowest lows. There have been tears of joy, sadness, elation and pride. Despite the negative media reports regarding the weather, venues, technical issues and broken down Zamboni's, one thing that has been shining through at 100% capacity is the pride of the host country. Sure, not everyone that calls themselves a Canadian is happy with the politics of the games or the money spent that could have gone to other issues within our borders but so what. The money spent is irrelevant when you see Canadians of all walks of life coming together wearing their red & white mittens or Canada "hoodies" and beaming with pride from coast to coast. We are proud to welcome the world and are thrilled to show off our way of life. When it comes to results, Canadians have had success and even those that failed to reach the podium have represented the country well and did so with honour and dignity. It is the Canadian way. 
But while some think the games are about results and medals, I think it's about so much more than that. Even tonight as I watched Melissa Hollingsworth in tears after failing to medal in the Women's Skeleton, I felt sorry for her because she didn't achieve her goal and she felt as if she'd let the country down. On the contrary, how can anyone who gave it their best effort let anyone down. It just wasn't her day to win. Win or lose in these games, Canadian athletes, spectators and citizens across this great country are showing the patriotism that Canadians have always had but rarely show publicly. Unlike other nations, we don't need to shout out loud for others to hear all the time. But it is nice to know that at least for these two weeks, the rest of the world is getting a glimpse of the Canada that I know and love.
One thing that seems to be true of all Olympic Games, whether they be Winter or Summer, is to expect the unexpected. I don’t think anyone could have expected the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics to begin in such a shocking and tragic manner with the death of Nodar Kumaritashvili of Georgia. During his training run before the Olympic Games had even officially started, Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled at over 140 km/h and was launched off the track and into a steel support beam. The injuries proved deadly for the young luger. Some feel the blame for this rests squarely on VANOC for not allowing enough time for foreign athletes to train on the track ahead of time. I strongly disagree. This young man made a mistake and sadly it cost him his life. When you’re traveling at those speeds it only takes a brief moment for an accident to occur. 
Nobody could have predicted this could happen. If they had, they would have been able to prevent it. At the Opening Ceremonies his teammates from Georgia walked into the stadium without smiles and with black armbands. They did not stay for the rest of the show which included several mentions of the accident and one minute of silence. The Opening Ceremonies were impressive and despite what some Quebec politicians think, I believe there was a good balance of both English and French during the show. But as usual, there are those in Quebec who are never satisfied. If it had been 90% French they would have been angry that it wasn’t 100% Francophone. Of course this comes from the province that won’t allow English signage. The saying “do as I say, not as I do” comes to mind. The big thing from a Canadian perspective for these games was the question of not if but when and how soon will Canada have its first Gold Medal on Canadian soil? At the two previous Olympic Games held in Canada in 1976 and 1988, no Canadian athlete had won Gold. I believe five Silver Medals was our best at the ’76 Summer Games in Montreal. Jenn Heil was the early favourite to achieve this in Ladies Moguls on Day 2 but despite putting together a fantastic run, she was edged out by an American girl and had to be happy with Canada’s first medal, Silver. Next up was Charles Hamelin in short-track speed skating who seemed likely to finish with a medal in the 1500 metre event if not at the top of the podium. But, fate played a cruel trick and Hamelin failed to qualify for the final and instead had to settle for easily winning the “B” final. Next up was the Men’s Moguls on Sunday night where there was potential for Canadians to sweep all three podium positions. That didn’t happen of course as two of our athletes finished fourth and fifth. But the Gold Medal drought seemed like it could end on this night. With one last Canadian at the top of the run ready to make history, Alexandre Bilodeau took off and put in the performance of a lifetime and moved into top spot moving the defending champ to the Silver position. 
One final skier remained and needed a perfect run to upset Canadians across the country. As I watched the French athlete make his way down the run, even a novice moguls competition watcher as me could spot a couple of major mistakes in his run and I knew it was in the bag. A few moments later it became official and Canada had its first Gold Medal on Canadian soil. The whole country celebrated and Bilodeau became an instant celebrity and hero to millions. Now that the goose egg has been broken, we can only hope this will lead to many more Gold Medals. Of course as Canadians, we’ll be proud of our athletes regardless of how they finish. The biggest and most humourous Gaff of the Games so far has to go to NBC and their broadcast of the opening ceremonies. I’m sure some Americans wouldn’t have caught the mistake but it was a real doozy if you did. As the Olympic flag was brought into the stadium, the flag bearers were introduced and the very first one was Betty Fox. Of course any Canadian with half a brain will tell you that Betty is the mother of Canadian hero and one-legged runner Terry Fox who died while running across Canada to raise money for cancer research. It was known as the Marathon of Hope and since 1980 the Terry Fox Run has been held in Canada and numerous other countries raising millions upon millions of dollars to fight cancer. The brain trust at NBC were right on the ball and quickly identified Betty Fox as the mother of Canadian actor Michael J. Fox…complete with pictures. Ouch!
Now that the shock, horror and utter disbelief has dulled a little, I thought I’d take a moment share my thoughts on the story that not only rocked my own community but the entire Country. 
For eleven days the people in and around the Bay of Quinte region wondered what had happened to 27-year-old Jessica Lloyd. She just vanished and despite a massive ground and air search that involved family, friends, complete strangers, police and search and rescue aircraft from 8-Wing Trenton, she couldn’t be found. Her image was everywhere you went with posters in restaurants, factories, coffee shops on the side of transports and in the windows of people’s cars. If she wasn’t going to be found, it wouldn’t have been for a lack of trying. On Monday morning February 8, 2010 bits and pieces of information started to come to light that had everyone believing there might be a break in the case, although it didn’t look like the outcome was going to be a positive one. Police had cordoned off an area near Tweed, Ontario, not far from where she was living and in a community that had seen two women forcibly confined and sexually assaulted just last September. Our worst fears were soon realized as the body of beautiful Jessica had been located in a remote area with thick underbrush. How could this have happened? Why did it happen? Tragedies like this are very rare in our community but it had happened again. You see, as recent as last November, the body of 38-year-old Cpl Marie-France Comeau had been found in Brighton, Ontario. 
She worked as a flight attendant at the base in Trenton. All of these events were taking place in a rather small area of Eastern, Ontario and all around the Air Base at CFB Trenton. As if all of this wasn’t shocking enough, it was soon learned that a suspect had been arrested in Ottawa which is about three hours away. How did they find this evil person so quickly and what was he doing in Ottawa? There in lies the twist. You see, he had a home in Ottawa and he also had a home in Tweed. The dots were starting to be connected. Then the bombshell was dropped that would jolt the Canadian military community from coast to coast and around the world and leave the citizens of Trenton and the surrounding area stunned in amazement. The man that had been charged with all of these crimes and is alleged to have committed other home invasions was none other than 46-year-old Col. Russell Williams, the top dog and commander of 8-Wing at CFB Trenton, the largest Air Force Base in Canada. The announcement left everyone stunned. It didn’t matter if you wore a uniform of the Canadian Forces or were just a local resident; we were all left with feelings of disbelief, astonishment, rage and a sense of loss. It didn’t take long for the news to travel and everywhere you went it was all anybody could talk about. A short time later the national news broadcasters had the story and it became the story of the day and week. I spoke with friends who are in the military and many of them were embarrassed to be seen wearing their uniform. There was a report that someone in their uniform was spat on at a local gas station while filling their tank. Stories like this were few but they infuriated me to no end. This evil man may have worn a uniform but it wasn’t the uniform that made him wicked. That most likely began long before he first put on the Air Force dress blues. Those details may eventually be unearthed and could shed light on what led to his alleged horrific acts. Already we’ve learned that he was a pal of infamous Canadian killer Paul Bernardo back in school. A strange and sickening coincidence…I think not, but only time will tell there. It has been reported that Williams gave a full confession and it was he that led police to Jessica’s body along the side of a rural road. If that isn’t an admission of guilt, then I don’t know what is. It’s my hope that the community will rally around the members of our neighbourhood who work in the military and in particular those who work at 8-Wing CFB Trenton. They are likely in as much or more disbelief than we civilians. They should in no way share any of the guilt or face any negative repercussions because one of their own has been charged. This past Saturday, Jessica Lloyd was laid to rest in Belleville with family, friends, representatives of the Police and Military in attendance to provide support. Approximately 300 mourners attended the funeral with many not able to find room inside the chapel but instead having to stand outside and listen to the service over loudspeakers. The questions are starting to be answered for the families of those affected by these horrifying acts of violence but the wounds left by the evil actions of one sick individual will remain forever.
I figured that since I'm going to watch the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, I might as well share my thoughts on what I see with the rest of you. You may agree, disagree, strongly disagree or incredibly disagree with disgust with what I have to say and as always you're more than welcome to leave your thoughts by adding a comment.
I will be watching the Canadian broadcast of the ceremonies so if the Americans do something different I'm afraid I won't know about. So, lets get to it.
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12:19am - And the cauldron is lit, the games have officially begun and I'm out of beer. I think this would be a good time to call it a night. Thanks everyone for following along, leaving comments and sharing this moment with me. I may have been alone here but I didn't feel like it. Enjoy the Olympics everybody. Go Canada Go!
12:15am - Honestly...don't you think if this was any other country those people wouldn't have gotten anywhere near Wayne or whomever was carrying the torch?
12:11am - You can tell we're in Canada. Gretzky is probably perfectly safe...unless somebody gets run over and he falls out from the human speed bump.
12:08am - Gretzky looks like he's worried about the flame blowing out. Either that or the rain might extinguish it. Oops.
12:05am - So the flame has to be visible outside and Gretzky will light the external outside cauldron now. Wayne is a great choice....pardon the pun.
12:02am - So it was a team effort to light the Olympic flame. Did I see that correctly?
12:01am - First noticeable glitch of the night. Who designed that thing.
12:00am - Gretzky hands off to...come on already!
11:59pm - The Great One..you knew he would be there. He shoots he scores.
11:58pm - Well it won't be Nancy Greene as the last torch bearer.
11:57pm - And Doan hands off to Steve Nash.
11:55pm - Here comes Rick Hansen with the flame.
11:54pm - My French sucks so I'll have to pretend I know what he's singing. Something about the Montreal Canadiens being the best hockey team ever and Poutine being the tastiest meal ever.
11:50pm - Good choice for the oath for the Athletes. Hayley Wickenhi...um, Wickenhuiser...I never could spell her name.
11:49pm - The minute of silence was a nice touch.
11:47pm - I used to be able to sing like that...then puberty killed my chances of a career as a soprano.
11:46pm - Speaking as a Canadian...I have been very impressed by the opening ceremonies so far. Excellent flag bearers and so representative of Canada from sea to sea to sea.
11:44pm - I'm picking (guessing) actor Michael J Fox from Vancouver will light be the last torch bearer. He has to be there somewhere.
11:42pm - Guess Betty Fox is out for carrying lighting the torch. There's Anny Murray...I knew she'd be there. And number 4, Bobby Orr.
11:37pm - kd lang is done singing.....Hallelujah!! :-)
11:34pm - Hey..it's little k little d little l a n g. kd lang. I wondered where she went.
11:32pm - I don't have a clue what Jacques Rogge is saying. I'll just assume he's saying "Canada is awesome and that guy Bundy is the coolest dude ever."
11:28pm - OK...enough with the drums already. It's getting a tad old.
11:27pm - Nicely done Mr. Furlong. Now lets get that flame lit and get the party started.
11:24pm - Somebody please give Michael Jean a nudge and wake her up.
11:23pm - We are indeed a melting pot....filled with poutine.
11:21pm - What's with the drums everyone is pounding? I missed the reason for them. Beats the heck out of the thundersticks though.
11:18pm - A sad and touching moment. Simple, poignant and well done.
11:15pm - That was a great speech, poem or whatever you want to call it. I am a proud Canadian and that was a great way to sum us up. Well done. The beard was king of ugly though.
11:13pm - "Please and Thank You"...I love it. So Canadian. Zed and not Zee...fantastic.
11:12pm - Anybody else getting dizzy watching the skiers spin and the skates go round and round and round?
11:08pm - Huh...the Canadian feed just stopped so I flipped over to the NBC feed for a moment just in time to hear Bob Costas say the organizing committee has succeeded in putting on a great show. Thanks Bob.
11:07pm - Mount Bundy in the middle of BC Place. Cool
11:06pm - I love a good thunderstorm.
11:02pm - It's a good thing they didn't ask me to fly around like that. I don't think those wires would hold up under the strain. I'd end up falling into the wheat fields below :-)
11:01pm - I have to say...I'm not hating the show so far. Not what I expected and I'm pleasantly surprised. You don't know how shocked I am.
11:00pm - I think that's supposed to be wheat fields of Saskatchewan. Holy crap he's running fast.
10:56pm - While they take a break...let me say thanks to those of you who have taken the time to leave your comments. I appreciate you doing so.
10:53pm - Ashley MacIsaac kicking some ass with the fiddle. Go man go. He's well known in Canada by the way..for those who don't know him.
10:50pm - I left my fiddle and tap shoes in the car or I could join in. Oh well, I'll just have to drink some Newfie Screech instead.
10:48pm - It's a little known fact that Samuel de Champlain actually played the fiddle as he discovered Canada.
10:45pm - Uh oh...looks like the bad rainy weather moved inside the dome. They just can't win right now.
10:43pm - Isn't that the music from the movie Platoon? Sure sounds a lot like it. Watch out for the napalm coming soon.
10:41pm - I'm looking forward to RUSH performing. I wonder if Cirque du Soleil will be involved in any way. A great Canadian group of performers.
10:39pm - Sarah McLachlan singing. A true Canadian songbird. I wonder if Anne Murray will sing a little Snowbird for us tonight.
10:38pm - Any thoughts on who will be the last torch bearer?
10:37pm - The Killer Whales blowing water out of the stadium floor was well done. Seriously...I liked it. Now it's salmon swimming upstream. Cover the eyes of the kids...we're about to spawn.
10:36pm - Uh oh....global warming has hit the opening ceremonies and the ice is melting. Damn you greenhouse gasses!!!
10:35pm - OK...the bear looks pretty cool. It used to be a Bart Simpson balloon in the Macy's Parade until they did some work on it.
10:33pm - The White Buffalo, the Eagle, The Bear and...what no Beaver? Come on...you're killing me.
10:31pm - Now back to my critique. I hope this picks up soon.
10:30pm - By the way, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has been stopping by to read my thoughts. I appreciate it and it's nice to see so many from different parts of the world. Glad I could do my part to bring the world together for just a little bit.
10:28pm - Ahhh..more of Donald Sutherland's voice. I like that. Now it's time for more Aboriginal stuff. Shocking.
10:25pm - So what...they lip-synced the song. It's better than having some technical issues with microphones. At least they didn't have Ashley Simpson's sound guy picking the wrong tune.
10:22pm - Nelly Furtado had her dress painted on for this special occasion. Meanwhile Brian Adams forgot to do up his tie. Oh wait...that's what cool rockers do. I forgot.
10:21pm - Just a quick fun fact...the dancing natives have lost a combined 600 pounds while dancing that whole time.
10:19pm - Prime Minister Harper looks like a proud father. Hey dad, can I borrow the keys to the private jet?
10:17pm - Go Canada Go! I love the simple red outfits and toques. I think I have a tear in my eye. Nope...just some leftover dust from work today. Wave that flag Clara!
10:16pm - Canada is next!!!!
10:14pm - Oh...The Americans did send a team. I thought they'd boycott over Alberta beef and softwood lumber. Guess they got over that. I kid my American friends.
10:13pm - Mmmmmm Turkey.
10:12pm - If all of our clothes are made in Taiwan, where are their clothes made? Hmmmmmmmm
10:10pm - Peter Forsberg carrying the flag for Sweden. I guess he's going to play for their hockey team. Sadly it won't improve their chances of repeating as Gold Medalists. Actually...I'm not sad about that at all.
10:07pm - There sure are a lot of countries with only one or two athletes. I should move to one of them and become a citizen and then I could compete. Can't you see me in a bobsled? Me neither. I'd need a welding torch to get me out of the darn thing.
10:05pm - The Big Bad Russian team enters the stadium. Funny how times change. They don't seem nearly as big or as bad as they used to. I miss the Cold War.
10:03pm - I will say one nice thing about the Natives....they sure can hop around for a long time.
10:01pm - And here comes Norway. We must crush Norway. Day old Timmies only for them.
9:58pm - Sorry for the slow update...I was talking to my brother on the phone in Florida. He's as happy as I am that Canada is being portrayed as a land filled with Natives, Inuit and Aboriginals. It isn't of course. We are of course a land of hookers, french strippers, comedians and hockey players.
9:52pm - Not bad...30 minutes into the parade of athletes and we're up to Korea already. That's quicker than a Tim Horton's drive-thru.
9:50pm - Jamaica enters the stadium. Anybody check them for ganja?
9:49pm - Those green pants on the Irish Team take me back to the neon glow of 1984.
9:45pm - Another Commercial break. Hope I'm not missing anything important.
9:44pm - I don't know who this guy is from Ghana but he's my dark horse pick to win a medal in alpine skiing. He could be the next Eddie the Eagle Edwards.
9:41pm - Nice of Georgia to still participate and wear armbands in respect for their countryman that died today. Nothing funny to say here. A tough moment for them.
9:40pm - The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Now that's a mouthful for the name of a country.
9:39pm - Seriously...Ethiopia? Do they even know what snow looks like?
9:37pm - The flag bearer from Denmark is going to rip her arms out of their sockets if she keeps waiving the flag like that.
9:36pm - Jaromir Jagr looks great gnawing away on that gum. Spit it out you bum. I mean...welcome to Canada Jaromir.
9:34pm - Nice hats on the Croatian team. They double as a Frisbee.
9:33pm - China entering the stadium. Of course Vancouver is also known as Hongcouver so this is just like a home Olympics for them.
9:30pm - Damn, they go to commercial as Bermuda is coming out. I heard they were going to enter the stadium in the nude. Now I'll never know.
9:27pm - Is it a rule that all athletes have to be good looking? I haven't spotted an ugly woman yet. Believe me...I'm looking hard.
9:23pm - Here come the athletes. Canada will be last as host country. That should happen in an hour or so. :-)
9:20pm - At some point they should welcome the "Welfare Tribe" and the "Protest People of Ontario". OK...that might be a low blow but I just can't help myself.
9:19pm - I would just like to go on record to say that my ceremonial head gear is still at the dry cleaners.
9:15pm - And now, let the Aboriginal Ceremonies begin.
9:13pm - They're in a dome...where's the wind coming from to move the flag? It's magic.
9:11pm - Hang on...I have to stand for the National Anthem. Hang on that isn't the tune I know. Guess they have to fancy it up a bit for the occasion.
9:10pm - Mounties looking sharp in their dress uniforms. I don't see a turban but they do have one black guy. So I guess it's sorta politically correct.
9:08pm - Nothing like a little God Save the Queen / O Canada mash-up to get things going.
9:07pm - Governor General looks good. Eating Seal gives you a healthy glow I guess.
9:06pm - Snowboarder jumps through the Olympic rings....that was cool.
9:05pm - Boy that snowboarder is going to have a tough time getting to the ceremonies without any snow in Vancouver. :-)
9:02pm - Give me a friggin' break...they're speaking in French first. I'm going to be sick.
9:00pm - As the Blackeyed Peas say..."Lets Get It Started".
8:59pm - Interesting how many Canadians have been hired by other countries to train their athletes. I guess we really are that good. Come on...I'm allowed to brag on my own blog.
8:58pm - High expectations for the Canadian athletes on home turf. No Canadian has ever won a gold medal at an Olympic games in Canada. Hoping that changes in a big way this time.
8:55pm - Another Canadian "Raw Raw" video to get us all pumped up for the show. I'm sure all countries broadcasting are doing the same thing.
8:53pm - I didn't think Jennifer Hedger could look any better. Best looking female sports broadcaster in Canadian history. OK...hormones are back under control. Now back to the show. :-)
8:50pm - Prime Minister Harper is sporting some interesting hair tonight. I don't think it ever moves.
8:45pm - 15 minutes to go and I'm already sick of seeing the Bell commercials and I'm sure the Tim Horton's commercials will grow old very quickly over the next 17 days.
8:42pm - Great to see the troops in Afghanistan in good spirits and waiting to watch the ceremonies. Support The Troops. One guy yells "Move the camera". I guess he wants to be on TV.
8:41pm - Please tell me that CTV didn't rent a blimp to cover the opening ceremonies at a domed stadium.
8:38pm - Hayley Wickenhis, Wickenhaus, Wicken...how the heck do you spell her name? Gotta Google it.
8:37pm - I see we spared no expense for a light show. What were they waiving in the crowd....disposable flashlights?
8:36pm - Babcock is the man that's going to get the job done. It's gold or nothing for the Men's Hockey team. A lot of pressure on them but they can do it. I hope. :-)
8:33pm - Is there a better voice than Donald Sutherland to get you pumped up?
8:29pm - Commercial break...time to grab a beverage and take care of another little issue. :-)
8:26pm - Glad to hear they're going to do a moment of silence and make reference to the death today. But I hope they also celebrate and party down. Bow-chick-a-wow-wow.
8:24pm - Couldn't they find anyone better to get the crowd pumped up prior to the show beginning than Ben Mulroney. At least he had a spray tan.
8:18pm - Brian Williams is great. It wouldn't be an Olympic broadcast without him.
8:11pm - Furlong is making his way to the ceremonies. Such a long wait and a lot of hard work to lead up to this day. Sadly it won't be as much of a celebration as it might have been after the accident that claimed the life of the Luge competitor from Georgia today. Very sad indeed.
8:00pm - They just showed protesters not far from B.C. Place doing what protesters do. What a bunch of idiots. Do they really think they can make a difference by standing in the rain and singing protest songs. Oh well, it's their right I guess.
