EDITORIAL: Take torch run for what it is: a nice community moment
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Updated: October 29, 2009 4:37 PM
Forget the protesters or the bureaucrats
It’s time.
Whatever your thoughts are on Vancouver hosting the 2010 Olympics, the reality is they’re coming.
When the Olympic torch touched down at the Victoria International Airport today (Oct.30), it marked the beginning of something much more meaningful than the digital clock counting down the days outside the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Forget the protesters and their anti-Olympic message, or the bureaucrats tasked with making us feel good about spending tax dollars on a sporting event. This is certainly not about the dubious club that makes up the International Olympic Committee or even the elite athletes training hard to impress us. This is about connecting our towns, our streets and our homes with something whose reach touches most of the planet.
Here, on the edge of our continent, we’re no strangers to events using Mile 0 as their starting point. This is just one on a grander scale. We deserve to enjoy the attention we get because of the luck of our location, but it’s probably best not to get too carried away. There’s no need to re-hash the icky origin of this modern tradition (if you’re not familiar with the story, the first torch run was held before the 1936 Berlin Olympics and, some say, was meant to depict an imagined lineage between Nazi Germany and the ideals of ancient Athens).
This isn’t China or even the U.S. -- both places where symbolism has gotten out of hand pretty quickly. We don’t need to put on a prettier smile or have the bravest face. This is Canada.
The fact we’re also basking in the world spotlight is nice, but it’s not the point.
The torch’s arrival here is not about some kind of mythical connection to an ancient flame. Friday’s party is about a reason for Canadians to gather together in communities and share a moment. Let’s hope it’s the first of many as we countdown to February.
