By Kassandra Linklater - @Klinked on Twitter

I decided to take a stroll through my favorite public market east of Montreal’s Jean Talon to check out the mayhem of the Olympics.

Despite the barrage of patrons strolling around the ‘island,’ it wasn’t as crowded as I imagined inside. In fact, it felt like a normal Saturday afternoon. Thinking that everyone must momentarily be at one of the fabulous shows at the Atlantic Canada house, or shimmying away at the Place de la Francophonie, I thought I should investigate.

I asked one of my favorite delis, ‘how’s business?’ “Eh, people aren’t really looking to buy more than something they can eat while they walk. The pepperoni sticks are a big hit.”

I wandered over to Duso’s to find a similar response. “The locals are staying away, and I guess the tourists forgot to back their kitchen,” was a common answer.

As I continue to stroll, I looked up to find a common theme: pride. Each vendor seemed to bring their spirit for the Olympics to their stalls whether through flags,  ‘Go Canada Go’ signs, or simply a big, toothy smile.

As Jean Pierre of Maison Cote, spice-master extraordinaire, stated, “What did we expect?” With a cheeky expression on his face, “Are we really expecting hockey fans to be making tenderloin, or should they be microwaving nachos.”

Jean-Pierre is all smiles despite disappointing sales.

So back to my theme: the changing face of Canada during the games. I can’t reiterate how important it is for us to realize that, for good and for bad, it took all of us to bring the games here. The sacrifices have brought hardships but also great reward. So to all of the local produce places on Granville, the boutiques on Broadway, and the coffee shops on the Cambie line. We thank you.

“We reforest what we clear because we believe in generations beyond our own, knowing now that so many of us have grown past what used to be, we can stand here today.” -  Shane Koyczan, Opening ceremonies 2010

Signing off for now,

Kassandra

Check me out @Klinked or walking around the city in looking for your story.

Kassandra is currently the News Editor of Kwantlen’s independent student newspaper – The Runner, a member of Kwantlen’s President’s Ambassadorial Team (PAT) and the Vancouver Board of Trade’s Mentor program - Leaders of Tomorrow.