by Judy Bishop - The Travelling Eye

'Judy Bishop – The Travelling Eye’ is a Vancouver-based photographer specializing in travel and experience photography. Her stock images are sold worldwide by Getty Images,   Judy was a board member of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics bid, and is a keen Whistler skier.   She is a long-time business/marketing columnist for Business in Vancouver newspaper, and sits on corporate boards.

Judy is also a strategic marketing expert, and managing partner of Bishop + Company, a 20-year old management consultancy providing corporate & market strategy for technology and growth companies.  Contact info & story summary available. Follow Judy on Twitter @travellingeye.  EM: judy@judybishop.ca

By Des Dougan

I was very fortunate this evening to have attended the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. BC Place was packed, colourful and loud. Seated high in the nosebleed seats with two of my children, we had an amazing view of the stadium floor as first the audience preparation then the main show kicked off. Clad in pale blue ponchos (there were ponchos around the stadium in 4 or 5 different colours) and armed with reflective gold cards and pompoms with build-in orange lights, we were prepared by the pre-show MC as he rehearsed when and what to do. Of course, once the main show kicked off, most of his instructions went by the wayside, especially in the use of the pompoms. When the stadium had darkened, and everyone (and I mean everyone) started shaking the lit pompoms, the sea of flickering orange lights was a sight to behold.

And did I mention the noise? As well as the excellent sound system, the cheers and screams of support from the crowd left my ears ringing as the performers strutted their stuff. Each country's athletes received loud applause and approval as they moved across the stadium floor. Finally, of course, the host nation entered the arena last and if I thought it had been noisy prior to this - the ovation for Canada's athletes was long and heartfelt and wonderful to see.

The emphasis on the future, showcased by the majority of performers being children, was an interesting and creative direction that differentiated the ceremony quite clearly from its sibling last month. The mix of able-bodied and disabled performers was well managed and brought home how physical challenges are no barrier to people with talent.

Lloyd Robertson's section on Terry Fox was extremely moving and emotional and led well into the lighting of the Paralympic flame, which ended the wonderful event on an excellent high note.

You never know what to expect of events such as this; and the show's directors had a huge challenge to create an event that could stand out on its own. That they did so with zest and some excellent performances is a credit to the entire team behind the show.

Downsides for me - the national anthem seemed to have been tweaked again (it wasn't clear in the stadium other than there appeared to have been an extra chorus added). It's fine as it is (actually, it's a great anthem), so why mess with it?? The second downside was John Furlong's absolutely awful French. I'm sure he's very relieved that he won't have to attempt speak the language ever again after next weekend!

Des Dougan is Principal of Dougan Consulting Group, which provides technology support services to small businesses in the Metro Vancouver area. Des can be contacted here and via @ddougan on Twitter.

By @MoniKanada

The Torch Arrives

Last night I stopped by Robson Square to see whether I could watch part of the 24-hour non-stop Paralympic Torch Relay. I got lucky and my timing was perfect! I barely waited for a minute until the torchbearer arrived with the torch safely travelling in a special mount attached to his wheelchair.

The Two Torchbearers

Despite the cold temperatures and that wet stuff falling out of the sky (I had almost forgotten that we sometimes get this here!) there were may be 100-150 people at Robson Square. Together with the crowd I witnessed how the Paralympic flame got passed on to the next torchbearer before it resumed its journey around downtown Vancouver. Today at 2pm the 24-hour torch relay will come to an end and the flame will be taken to BC Place for the Opening Ceremony to the Paralympic Winter Games.

Torchbearers and Their Flames

For me this brief episode last night was a touching one, for two reasons: First of all, there is something about this flame and what it stands for that gets to me every single time. I was similarly moved by the Olympic Torch Relay, which I watched close to the PNE one month ago, in the morning of February 12th, the day of the opening of the Olympic Games. 

Guy and his Inukshuk

And then, besides the flame there was something else that brought back emotions and memories of ‘good old Olympic times’: an Inukshuk made of cardboard boxes, painted in the proper Olympic colours travelling on his owner’s back or ‘posing’ for photo opportunities with Paralympic torchbearers.

Torchbearer and Inukshuk

According to his owner, Guy, this Inukshuk has travelled around town throughout the Olympics and has seen almost all of the official sites. Guy has assembled a proud collection of over 1,000 pictures of the Inukshuk and himself, which he’ll take back to his work place, the BC Cancer Agency. He hopes that he will be allowed to share these Olympic moments and impressions with the patients on a screen where they continuously rotate through. What a great way to bring the Olympic/Paralympic spirit to some of those many, many people that were/are unable to participate in and enjoy the Olympics/Paralympics in our city. Thank you, Guy, for your meaningful initiative! Our world is a better place because of people like you that make a difference in other people’s lives!

Monika Becker is the owner of Clear Directions – Consulting & Life Coaching in Vancouver BC, where she assists her clients in articulating and achieving important life goals with caring clarity, passion for possibility and soul-infused service. One of her specialties is the work with female entrepreneurs that are open to a holistic approach to business and life. For more information please visit www.ClearDirections.tel

by Judy Bishop - The Travelling Eye

During the 2+ weeks of the Olympics, I shot alot of photos of people having a blast ... cutting loose ... letting their inner 8-year old out for a romp.

The equation was simple:  take Whistler's general tendency for good times + the mad rush of Olympic revelry + international visitors = a potent mix of fun, frolic and some truly bitchin' attire.

The photos speak for themselves ... what a blast !

'Judy Bishop – The Travelling Eye’ is a Vancouver-based photographer specializing in travel and experience photography. Her stock images are sold worldwide by Getty Images,   Judy was a board member of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics bid, and is a keen Whistler skier.   She is a long-time business/marketing columnist for Business in Vancouver newspaper, and sits on corporate boards.

Judy is also managing partner of Bishop + Company, a 20-year old management consultancy providing corporate & market strategy for technology and growth companies.  Contact info & story summary available. Follow Judy on Twitter @travellingeye.  EM: judy@judybishop.ca

By @MoniKanada

Thanks so much to all of you that participated in our poll “Do you think the 2010 Games will transform Canada?” Here are the results: The majority of voters, 84%, answered ‘Yes’ while 8% said ‘No’ and another 8% opted for ‘May be’.

Let’s take a look at Canada’s transformation together, shall we? Transformation sounds like a big word to me. What does it actually mean? “Transformation” stands for “a change in the shape, form or behaviour of”. The word has Latin roots and is a composite of ”trans” = “across, over, beyond” and “formare” = “to form, to mould, to shape”.

Externally, I can see the results of huge pre-Olympic construction efforts (extra venues, Sea-to-Sky Highway etc.) and I assume that some post-Olympic results will be higher number of visitors coming to Canada/Vancouver and possibly more people applying to become Canadian residents. All of that will affect Canada’s outer appearance and its internal structures. Will there be other external modifications that were triggered by the Olympics? Possibly – time will tell.

Much more interesting for me is another aspect of transformation though, the change in behaviour initiated by the reshaping of our personal inner  landscape. Canadians have been touched and inspired by the Olympics in an unprecedented way and have developed an unknown sense of patriotism. What will that translate into?

Some questions come to mind:

~ If we say Canada is being transformed, is this transformation something that is happening to us? Or are we playing an active role in the process?

~ Can the transformation even happen anywhere else but within each individual person? Where else will it take place if not in us?

~ What will Canada, what will we transform into?

~ How much of the transformation work are we willing to do? To what extent are we embracing a shift within us?

~ Who were we before the Olympics, who are we now, and who will we be in the future?

~ How do we see ourselves as the Canadian people now? Has our ‘sense of self’ changed?

~ In which way will we demonstrate our transformation to the world? Who will we be in the months to come?

~ How have you personally been transformed? What shifted for you, essentially, at your core?

~ How do we know that real transformation is taking place? When will the transformation be over? Will it ever?

~ What will it mean in the future when we say ‘I am Canadian’? What emotions will a label ‘Made in Canada’ evoke in the beholder?

My hope is that we may use the newly gained patriotism in a positive and inclusive way rather than it being a means to separate ourselves from others and feeling better than them. That it may be the foundation for warm Canadian spirit expressing and holding high the values Canada stands for.

That we may step into the world, which is full of new friends now, with distinctively Canadian souls, opening ourselves up to the beauty and richness in all people, regardless of their origin or nationality. That we put our glowing hearts and our transformed Canadian spirit to good use as gracious, friendly and cheerful hosts to the 2010 Paralympics – in a truly transformed and transforming way. In my eyes that would be truly meaningful!

Enough about my reflections! It’s time to find out what YOU were thinking when you gave your vote. What aspect of transformation did you have in mind when you said ‘Yes’, ‘No’, or ‘May be’? What would be a significant outcome of Canada’s transformation to you?  Let me know your thoughts – I’d love to hear from you!

Related Posts: 

Cari-Lee Stevens "Connecting with the Locals" - transformation at work, quite inspiring!

Monika Becker 'Olympic Wish'

Monika Becker is the owner of Clear Directions – Consulting & Life Coaching in Vancouver BC, where she assists her clients in articulating and achieving important life goals with caring clarity, passion for possibility and soul-infused service. One of her specialties is the work with female entrepreneurs that are open to a holistic approach to business and life. For more information please visit www.ClearDirections.tel

- by Rich Patterson

Tonight the power of the Olympics really hit home. And it hit me in a way that two weeks of non-stop athletic events, parties and happy streets could not have (although those ways hit me hard too, trust me).  Tonight I met Sergey, a Moscovite working for a major international consulting firm. He’s been here in Vancouver since early February helping the Sochi group at Science World prepare to host the world at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

Sergey Sirotenko board member Big Brothers/Big Sisters Moscow and Rich Patterson board chair Big Brothers Greater Vancouver

Sergey is also part of the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization in Moscow – his little brother is in an orphanage and statistics for orphans in Russia are scary. Sergey says after they are released from state care most orphans aren’t ready for the “real world” and don’t know how to socialize – so they end up in gangs, in trouble, on drugs and often dead.  The Big Brothers/Big Sisters mentorship programme makes a big difference because it boosts self esteem, socialization, education and well-being.

As well as volunteering as a Big Brother, Sergey sits on the board of the Moscow Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. In his role as board member he decided to look up a counterpart in Vancouver and that’s how I met him.

We just had dinner tonight. It was amazing to compare stories on mentoring youth in our two very different cultures. They tend to focus on at-risk youth (in state care) while Vancouver’s Big Brothers programme is aimed at youth in one-parent homes (most likely without significant male role model).  I won’t bore you with all the talk at dinner but we did delve into budgets, fundraising, staff, leadership and board strategy.  It was really great to meet another board member from a brother organization halfway round the world.  We agreed that using technology tools like Skype we would introduce our boards to each other and continue discussions in the months ahead.

I want to thank VANOC and the people of Vancouver for not only staging an excellent Olympic games (helluva party!) but also for making an opportunity for businesses and organizations from around the world to meet. We are all the better for it.

Rich Patterson, has a twenty years experience in Public Relations, Marketing & Sales. Rich owns a successful Licensing, Apparel & Promotional Product company and is partner in a social media consultancy based in Vancouver. Contact Rich at rich[at]pattersonbrands.com or follow twitter @pattersonbrands

By  @MoniKanada

After all the buzzing excitement and fun we’ve had during the Olympics, Vancouver has come to a state of content exhaustion, just like nature after giving birth to a raging thunderstorm or a heavy rainfall. I personally feel this way, too: Calm and exhausted, yet utterly content for having been part of something meaningful that has provided joy and inspiration to so many people.

Do you feel a bit empty and abandoned, too? I sure do. Where is everybody? The city seems so empty. Many of the special venues and sites have been dismantled, and all our cheerful friends are gone. For all of us that are suffering from POA (post-Olympic abandonment) here is the good news: Apparently, we don’t have to wait very long before we will see more friendly guests here in Vancouver and Whistler who want to celebrate with us!

YVR Airport has already started to provide a warm welcome to the first Paralympic athletes, their officials and spectators. We are expecting approximately 1,350 athletes and officials from 40 countries and 44,000 spectators in Vancouver and Whistler to celebrate outstanding athletic achievements, true passion for sport, and the greatness of human spirit and all it makes possible.

Are you ready for the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from March 12-21? Today, three days after the Olympic Flame is extinguished in Vancouver, a new flame will light in Ottawa, sparking the official start and inspirational journey of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay. And in just 10 days, on March 12, her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, will officially open the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games at BC Place in downtown Vancouver.

Now that we are on the radar of the world in such a positive light, can we prove that Canada is a country where the Paralympics are supported and celebrated as enthusiastically as their big brother, the Olympic Games? Do we have it in us to be ambassadors for the true meaning of the word “Paralympic”, which is “alongside the Olympics”?

I realise there will be less athletes and spectators, less entertainment, less disciplines for athletes to compete in etc.  The Paralympics will run on a much smaller scale, at least on the outside. However, on the inside, where courage, determination, passion and persistence live, the Paralympics might actually outshine the Olympics when it comes to the extent of inspiration and valuable lessons they will offer to all that are open to see.

I challenge us to do our part and create a welcoming, joyful and supportive environment for all athletes and guests of our Paralympic Games. Don’t put those red clothes, the mittens and the Canada flags away quite yet. Let’s take some of that newly gained Canadian spirit and paint Vancouver and Whistler red again, and let’s have some more fun – we know how to do that now! Go Canada Go!

Related Posts: Vancouver Olympics done. Paralympics here we come!

Monika Becker is the owner of Clear Directions – Consulting & Life Coaching in Vancouver BC, where she assists her clients in articulating and achieving important life goals with caring clarity, passion for possibility and soul-infused service. One of her specialties is the work with female start-up and seasoned entrepreneurs that are open to a holistic approach to business and life. For more information please visit www.ClearDirections.tel

by Judy Bishop - The Travelling Eye

During the Olympics' 17 days, the Robson Square celebration site saw a staggering average of 75,000-100,000 daily visitors for concerts & entertainment, with approx 700 of them riding the zipline, 1,00o people skating, and 4,500 - 5,000 daily guests at the B.C. Pavilion and free admission to the Vancouver Art Gallery - daily.

Urban planners have long griped that Vancouver lacked a central gathering place, in the European style.  I think the new and improved Robson Square may well serve as our downtown heart - especially if you throw in lasers, explosions and flamethrowers !

Given the smash success of this celebration site, the BC Government is wisely re-opening the Robson Square free celebrations - including fireworks, light show and the Zipline - for a second run, during the Paralympics, March 12th through 21st.

I was fortunate to gain access to the BC Pavillion's upper deck to shoot a spectacular collection of images over the 17 days of the Games ...

'Judy Bishop – The Travelling Eye’ is a Vancouver-based photographer specializing in travel and experience photography. Her stock images are sold worldwide by Getty Images,   Judy was a board member of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics bid, and is a keen Whistler skier.   She is a long-time business/marketing columnist for Business in Vancouver newspaper, and sits on corporate boards.

Judy is also managing partner of Bishop + Company, a 20-year old management consultancy providing corporate & market strategy for technology and growth companies.  Contact info & story summary available. Follow Judy on Twitter @travellingeye

Well, the crowds have thinned, many of the event locations have been dismantled, and I haven't heard a "WOO-HOO!" or "LUUUUUUU!" for two days now.  But the memories of the Vancouver Olympics - ah, those are forever burned in my heart and mind.  I've never been so proud, so moved, so GRATEFUL to be a Canadian, to witness, to me at least, a coming-of-age of our national identity as a proud, beautiful, spirted, GREAT country.

It's impossible to list all of the wonderful memories I have from the Games, but here are some real highlights for me, in no particular order.

1. Clara Hughes' brilliant, stunning last race in her speedskating career - a bronze medal win that put her in the Olympics history books as the ONLY athlete ever to win multiple medals in both Summer and Winter Games.  I'll never forget her smile.
2. Joanne Rochette's heart-breaking and brave performance in women's ice skating that earned her a spot on the podium and a place in every Canadian's heart.  Her late mother was her guardian angel for sure.
3. The love and support shown Alexandre Bilodeau by his severely disabled brother as he STOOD without his wheelchair to watch him win our very first gold medal on Canadian soil.  I bawled.
4. The unbridled joy of Jon Montgomery when he won gold in skeleton - and his walk to the podium as he chugged a pitcher of beer.  I laughed out loud.
5. The love so evident between speedskaters Marianne St-Gelais and Charles Hamelin as they watched each other medal, laughed and cried for each other, and embraced as if the whole world wasn't watching.  It gave me goosebumps and a lump in my throat.
6. k.d. laing singing Hallelujah during the Opening Ceremonies.  Best. Performance. Ever.
7. People everywhere, every age and colour, breaking into O Canada and waving Canadian flags at every opportunity. Soul-stirring.
8. Heather Moyse, Kaillie Humphries, Helen Upperton and Shelley-Ann Brown ruling the bobsleigh track at breakneck speed with gold and silver medals - and making it look easy and graceful and FUN!
9. Gold in hockey for our men and women and gold and silver in curling - what more can I say?  The ultimate high.
10. Finally, Vancouver - my new home, gorgeous, welcoming, vibrant - so deserving of your own gold medal.  I love you!

By Marc Smith

It’s been a couple of days since the Olympic flame was extinguished here in Vancouver and the city is quietly getting back to normalcy.

I’m exhausted! I was out every single day enjoying the energy and excitement that was so evident throughout our city. I’m so proud that Vancouver and Canada represented in a way that no one saw coming. Here are a couple of cool links to stories from some international press that I think sums up how the world felt we did.

Brian Williams (NBC) Leaving behind a thank you note

Bill Plaschke (LA TImes) Canada is a Winter Games Wonderland

So to wrap up my 17 day experience here’s a short video.

I promise to be just as excited and proudly Canadian for the Paralympics and I look forward to watching those athletes excel and reach for Gold.

Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting

By Cybele Negris

In the eyes of most Canadians today, Canada truly does "own the podium". Fourteen gold medals; the most gold ever in a winter Olympics and the most gold ever won by a host country! 

During one of the performances at the Olympics closing ceremonies, Comedian Catherine O'Hara  poked fun at how Canadians say "sorry" alot.  Well, let's not apologize for truly owning the gold! Yes, we have shown the world that a large country with diverse cultures and backgrounds can come together; whether it is on public transit or just out on the streets, singing the Canadian National Anthem. Yes, we have shown the world we can laugh at ourselves (nice touch by closing ceremonies producers playing off the opening ceremonies mechanical failure).

Now we can show the world Canada is at the top. Canada is the best. We are a nation of winners and "I believe..." this experience has transformed us forever!

Image of Canadian Flag by Jared Grove

More about the Own the Podium Program:

http://www.ownthepodium2010.com/

Related Posts:

Gold Gold Gold  By Richard Earl

Who Owns the Podium Now  By Howard Olsen

Cybele Negris is Co-Founder of Webnames.ca, Canada’s Original Domain Registrar. She is on the Boards of the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, Small Business BC, Government of BC Small Business Roundtable and the Vancouver Economic Development Commission. More information is available at cybele.tel or webnames.tel. Follow on Twitter @cybelenegris and @webnames

by Judy Bishop - The Travelling Eye

"Am I in Vancouver, or Las Vegas?"  That was the question posed on Twitter by Dick Hardt, Vancouver technology entrepreneur and now San Francisco resident.   Who can blame him for wondering?  Our little city by the sea has behaved in a most energetic, sophisticated,. Canadian fashion - showing an ability to party hearty that few would have believed a fortnight ago.  Can we win gold?  You betcha.  Can we rock ?   Here's a few images to show that .... yes, we can !!

'Judy Bishop – The Travelling Eye’ is a Vancouver-based photographer specializing in travel and experience photography. Her stock images are sold worldwide by Getty Images,   Judy was a board member of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics bid, and is a keen Whistler skier.   She is a long-time business/marketing columnist for Business in Vancouver newspaper, and sits on corporate boards.

Judy is also managing partner of Bishop + Company, a 20-year old management consultancy providing corporate & market strategy for technology and growth companies.  Contact info & story summary available. Follow Judy on Twitter @travellingeye

By Marc Smith

With the influx of tourists and locals alike into the DT core many long established restaurants made the decision to increase their prices along with adding auto-tipping onto the bill. Reason's for these practices have included increased staff and food costs and a tourist crowd not used to North American style tipping. Many traditional journalists have covered this story and you can click here to read one of them.

This post is not about the validity of the restaurant claims or even if it was right or wrong. What this post is about in essence is the power of social media and it's near immediate impact on a business or organization. How a business responds to it's customers and their feedback  says a lot about them and the people using Social Media aren’t shy about making their views known.

One such chain is Earls. Locally grown here in BC, Earls has come under some major fire for it's pricing and auto-tipping policies. An example is a gentleman who had an unpleasant reaction to the price and tip increases immediately went onto Twitter to voice his thoughts. Within 10 minutes over 20 responses and conversational engagements occurred creating a slew of online heat for Earls. Click here to see some of the conversations if you use the search terms Earls and Tip. What some businesses don't understand is that each person engaged in a Twitter conversation potentially has at least 300 followers and upwards of 10,000 +. That is a very large reach.

Earls Restaurants gets it and has a person dedicated to following the conversation online and is responsible for taking the pulse of its customers good bad or indifferent. After much criticism here is the response from Earls about the price increases and tipping policies for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

Earls Yaletown will be hosting a special locals-only event on Sunday, February 28th. On Sunday morning, Earls Yaletown will be opening one hour early, at 9 am for a complimentary brunch for local patrons only.

From 9 am to 11 am, Earls Yaletown will only be open to locals with a BC Drivers License or other form of BC Identification. All locals will receive a free brunch, they will get a chance to ‘take their seat back’ and amidst all of the madness, they will be able to secure a table for the Olympic gold medal hockey game at 12:15 pm.

We would also like to share with you that as 9 am this Sunday, February 28th, all menu prices will have officially returned to normal, and automatic gratuities will be removed from ALL BILLS.

Earls Yaletown will not be taking reservations for the locals-only event on Sunday morning. The event will be on a first-come-first-serve basis, so get there early, get your free brunch and enjoy the last day of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games at Earls.

So you decide. Is this effort by Earls enough to win the locals back? Only time will tell. I’ve talked here about Earls but trust me they are not alone in creating a backlash of anger and disappointment from their local customers.

I would really love to hear your thoughts and trust me I will be sure to pass them on the the management team at Earls.

Marc Smith is Vancouver based event planner and will be reporting daily on various events happening around Vancouver. http://twitter.com/amuseconsulting

Own the Podium dream over. That's that's the head line that read in a CBC /  National Post article on Feb. 22 2010 And certainly there has been a lot of talk about Canada's uncharacteristically bold statement and the public declaration of its  Big Hairy Audacious Goal:  To be a world leader in high performance sport. Own the Podium or OTP, quite clearly set its goals for these 2010 Games as follows:

• Place first in the total medal count at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games
• Place in the top three in the gold medal count at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games

OTP has been for more than a commitment to Athletes is has been our battle cry to the world that we intend to dominate these games.  That's why it was like an elephant left the room when Canadian Olympic Committee CEO, Chris Rudge, said Monday that Canada wasn't going to finish first at these Games.  Our National Pride was beaten and the media attention around it didn't do our top contenders any favors.

But I'd like to take the opportunity of  looking at this program, which is at risk of being unfairly seen as a failure simply because of its own wildly optimistic measure, through a different lens.  I think if we look at the entire context,  we'll see that OTP and our Olympic Team has been a HUGE success.

Limited Time First off, OTP has only been in effect for 5 years and with limited funding of just $117 M.  "The limiting factor here was time," Roger Jackson, the CEO of OTP, said in an interview Friday.   Own the Podium did not have enough time to guide a solid amateur up to international level, he said, and so the spending was focused on athletes who were already "in the system," and especially in sports with an already deep talent pool, such as curling and hockey.

Limited Selection Ratio The other factor that I have never seen acknowledged anywhere is country population and the selection ratio we have to draw from.  Let's put this in perspective and take a look a the populations of Top competing countries in these games.  Here are the Top 10 in Population in order:

• China  1.3 Billion  population,   20 % of world Population
• United States  309 Million  4.5% of world population
• Russia  142 Million   2.1 % of world population
• Japan  127 Million  1.9% of world population
• Germany  82 Million  1.2% of world population
• France  65 Million  .96% of world population
• UK - GBR  62 million  .91% of world population
• Italy  60 Million  .90% of world population
• South Korea  50 Million .73% of world population
• Ukraine 46 Million  .68% of world population

Canada isn't even on the list.  Simply from a population perspective of nations participating in these games  Canada isn't even in the top 10.  For the purposes of this post I'm not going to get into the funding, politicism or retirement incentives that many countries offer its top athletes, I just want to look at the talent pool to draw from. Simply from a selection ratio perspective Canada is at a huge disadvantage with a population of just 34 million.

At the time of this writing Canada is sitting number 3 in total medal count (21) and is sitting in 1st Place for Gold (10) ahead of the USA and Germany (tied at 8).  The games aren't over yet and we are guaranteed at least 3 more medals and are contention for Gold for each.  If you look at the limited time frame of the OTP program, our small population, limited athletic funding, and focus on "athletes already in the system" I think it's a fair statement that OTP has been a Huge Success.

Let's return briefly to the original vision and Mission for OTP:

Vision
For Canada to be a world leader in high-performance sport.

Mission

To lead the development of Canadian sports to achieve sustainable podium performances at the Olympic and Paralympic Games

If those were the goals and you look at the results we achieved, I'm proud to scream out  Go Canada!  - We Do Own The Podium!

Keep it up and with a continued commitment to develop and nurture yet undiscovered talent, we will own the podium for many generations to come

Howard Olsen  is President of High Output Training Systems and is one of Canada’s leading sales performance experts . He is on the Board of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and every year his perspective shifting keynotes and profit producing training programs help thousands of business people and their companies positively impact their bottom lines.  For more information visit high-output.com and HowardOlsen.com Follow Howard on Twitter @howardolsen

by @bsainsbury and @mande2

How did you get involved with the Metro Blenz News Squad?

I had actually planned on spending this time in Palm Springs avoiding the Olympics.  That's where I was when I received a call from Adam Schelle,  a professional photographer I have known for some time. I have some background as a Photojournalist for the Vancouver Courier and the North Shore Weekend, and  this project gave me the opportunity to pursue my passion and do some street photography...which I couldn't resist.

Which of you blog posts was your favorite ?

My favorite post was also the most challenging blog post, so far, and had to do with Religion at the Olympics. My first encounter of this occurred when I was out-and-about with my daughter, and we came across a man who was using collectible pins as the lure for his own brand of religious dogma.  I listened and observed, and had to question his approach as he 'pitched' to passersby, attracting children with his 'gifts'. The price was in the listening, as he skillfully wove his own brand into the story he was telling. That made me wonder what other religions where doing at the Olympics, and I noticed a big difference as I encountered representatives of other faiths.

The Jehovah's Witnesses were very transparent about their purpose, and the Ismailis could not have been more helpful - like the other great volunteers we met.

I have been surprised at the sheer number of stories I have bumped into, so far, and there are still a few days to go.  It's all about the people, like meeting the parents of a French mogul skier, looking for directions.  Best of all has been the opportunity to explore Vancouver with my Son and daughtet and to share this Olympic experience with them.

What’s your Olympic memory so far?

I have been surprised at the sheer number of stories I have bumped into, so far, and there are still a few days to go.  It's all about the people, like meeting the parents of a French mogul skier, looking for directions.  Best of all has been the opportunity to explore Vancouver with my son and daughter and to share this Olympic experience with them. To write my own blog post about it was rewarding and then to have it published let me show off for my kids!

What’s your take-away from the Olympic /MBNS experience?

My take-away from the MBNS 2010 experience has been that I can write, as well as take photographs. My wife Jessica is a talented writer, so I have tended to rely on her for commentary.  Now I am inspired to do more writing myself, and to revive my how-to photography blog.

More about Toby

Toby is a freelance photographer/writer based on Mayne Island, BC. His passion for photography is photojournalism and is always looking for an opportunity to find and record the story behind the story. His art photography is available through hiswebsite or retailers on the Gulf Island and Sidney, BC. Currently he is writing a book and maintaining his blog "How to turn snapshots into photographs". On March 20 he will be giving a lecture   and demonstration in Victoria, BC entitled Provocative Exposure: The moment intensified focusing on high dynamic range photography, a new and exciting way to expand the dynamic light range of a photograph.

Bonnie Sainsbury and Marilyn Anderson are co-founders of Duet Media, a Social Media Marketing company based in Vancouver