Canada’s 143rd birthday is behind us. For most of us it’s a day off and a chance to celebrate with our family and friends all the things we love about Canada but in 2000 Canada Day took on a different meaning for me. 2010 marks the 10th anniversary of my Father’s passing.

Now I don’t share this for you to feel sorry for me or even to suggest that this years Canada Day was a day of sadness for me. On the contrary, I celebrate Canada Day and make room for a quiet moment to remember my Father and thank him for the many gifts he gave me.

I share this with you because the one regret I have about my Father’s passing is the lack of family photos I have that capture my family together. We were not a “snap” happy family and I always thought that I would never refer back to photos anyway. Well I was wrong. The one family photo I do have is from when I was 3 years old and it takes pride of place on my bedroom wall. It’s the first thing I see every morning when I wake up.

Why is this relevant? Well I recently discovered an amazing opportunity for families to capture those special moments and help those that are less fortunate than themselves at the same time. Kids of Vancouver is the brainchild of Jeff & Tanya Harrison of Veridamo Photography. The Kids of Vancouver 2010 is a photographic art book in it’s 2nd year and hopes to raise over $15,000 for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society & SHARE Family & Community Services. 100% of your $100 consultation fee is donated to one of the charities. If you have more than on child not to worry each additional child is only $25!

Jeff & Tanya came up with the idea when after the birth of their first child in 2008. They decided to refocus their photography business towards family portraits and less towards weddings & events. A fellow photographer & friend in Australia had created the Kids of Brisbane Photography Book to much success and inspired the Kids of Vancouver project. A photographic Art Book celebrating over 100 families from Vancouver.

When I asked Jeff what the feedback has been so far from the participating families he said the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Many families want to capture family memories but have not made it a priority. The benefit of the $100 consultation fee going directly to charity has prompted many parents to get off the fence and capture those special moments.

Here’s how it works: Click here to Nominate your child & family

Step 1: Nomination -The first step is to fill out the online Nomination Form and we will call you back to arrange a quick consultation. Or if you prefer call us directly at the studio at 604 910 7020.

Step 2: Consultation - The consultation is an opportunity to learn more about your family and what you expect from a photography session. We discuss location, clothing options, your child's likes and dislikes, props to bring, pricing and whether you are interested in albums or gift prints or custom art pieces to hang on your wall.

Step 3: Photo Session - Next of course is the photo session, to be done at an outdoor location in Metro Vancouver (a favourite park or beach or playground or even your own home). If you would like to have a family portrait sitting at the same time, this is a great opportunity as well.

Step 4: Viewing - Approximately 1-2 weeks after the photo session you visit the studio for a Viewing Session where we unveil the images that have forever captured your child. This is when you decide which images you must have and whether they hang on the wall, go into a small album or maybe are given as gifts for Christmas.You are under no obligation to purchase any prints.

At the end of the year Veridamo will publish the Kids of Vancouver 2010 coffee table book and included in the book will be one image from your child's session. (pre-order to reserve your copy)

If you have more questions about the Kids Of Vancouver project or Veridamo Photography please check out their website and the FAQ. Click here to Nominate your child & family today.

I recommend taking some time out this summer and capturing a moment in your families life. It will be something that is treasured forever.

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 @bsainsbury

Hasn't this been a party? Everyone I speak to says the same thing. The Olympic experience is so far above anything they could have imagined. Yes, there are long line-ups and packed skytrains, endless security checks and people everywhere you go. It's an opportunity to be meet new folks and to renew old friendships and celebrate as a family. Last night I gave directions to three women from Langley who hadn't been to the downtown core for at least 10 years! Welcome and I hope you come back soon.

As the games wind down, it's time for all of us to personally thank the folks who made our party possible; the bus drivers, the smurf volunteers, the policemen, traffic control and yes the folks who manned the endless security checks. Anyone I've forgotten?

My challenge to you is to take the time to chat up and thank three people each day who made it possible for you to enjoy the games. Okay, don't chat up the bus driver while he/she is driving, but don't forget to shout out "Thank You" as you exit the bus. It's a Vancouver thing.

See .. wasn't that easy? And you're going to meet the most amazing people.

Bonnie Sainsbury is a Social Media Strategist and co-founder of Duet Media who's thankful for all those folks who helped make her Olympic experience as great as it has been.

By Marc Smith

On My way to a client meeting today I decided to skip the crowds on Granville and and instead walked along Howe St. Now I walk this street all the time so I'm pretty familiar with all the businesses and what their windows usually display.  When I came by the Urban Barn I noticed the store looked remarkably bare compared to normal and yet a lot of people were inside lounging and talking. I had to check it out.

Home On Howe Window Display

When I walked in I discovered the store had been converted to a "Right at Home on Howe"  a 3,600 sq ft retail space transformed into a 17 day temporary home for Urban Barn employee Robbie Romu. Robbie was handpicked by Urban Barn President Rick Bohonis to live in the store 24/7 for the during of the 2010 Olympic Games. Knowing that the store would not be a destination during the Games they decided instead to create a respite from the chaos for both locals and visitors alike to enjoy.

Urban Barn invites the public to stop by anytime during the extended Olympic hours to hang with Robbie. You can watch TV with friends, sit and relax, play Wii, check email, you name it! In keeping with the spirit of the Games Urban Barn has used this opportunity to raise funds in support of the Canadian Paralympic Foundation (CPF), a registered Canadian charity dedicated to raising funds to support the development of sport for the benefit of Canadians with physical disabilities. The Goal is to raise $20,010.00 by March 21st. Please click here to donate or to learn more.

Here's my exclusive chat with Robbie Romu himself. Hear in his words what the experience has been like.

Here are just some of the fun events planned to keep Robbie and his guests occupied for the rest of the Games.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 Store Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Wii Winter Games Daily Challenge
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. “Are You Smarter than Robbie?” Game Show

Thursday, February 25, 2010 Store Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Wii Winter Games Daily Challenge
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Rock Band Challenge Night

Friday, February 26, 2010 Store Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Wii Winter Games Daily Challenge
8:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Comedy Night: Christopher Molineux hosts a night of laughs with
some of Vancouver’s top comedy acts. (Limited space; visit
www.homeonhowe.com to RSVP.)

Saturday, February 27, 2010 Store Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
9:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Wii Winter Games Daily Challenge
8:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. Closed Event (Urban Barn Staff Slumber Party)

Sunday, February 28, 2010 Store Hours: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Wii 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Winter Games Daily Challenge
Right at Home on Howe Wrap/Closing Party

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

by @bsainsbury

Even at Myriam Laroche's Eco Fashion Show on Friday night, Olympic red was evident. Red has taken over the city. Today on the 4th Avenue bus there were two very well dressed women wearing their homage to patriotic red. Puffy quilted designer vests, a red silk scarves paired with Rock & Republic jeans and Stiletto boots. I admire anyone who can wander around Granville Island wearing Stiletto boots.

I walked from the Main Street Skytrain station to the Yaletown Skytrain station looking for Olympic Red fashion. The outfits ranged from over the top hockey jersey and matching wigs to the fashionable woman I met near Soich House in her red wool jacket and white Quebec house scarf. The youngest fashionista was out for a walk with her dad in her chic hockey jersey and toque.

Bonnie Sainsbury is a Social Media Strategist and co-founder of Duet Media. She ventured out in non-designer jeans (on sale), a long-sleeved red T-shirt she found in her closet, her favorite black vest with a white fleece scarf (also on sale).

By Jessica Evans

I’m scrambling to finish up work for the day.   I've scored a ticket to the Molson Canadian Hockey House from Molson; they sponsor Timeraiser and donated a few passes for the volunteers.  A text comes in from Jen, the Timeraiser Manager who just arrived at the Hockey House with some of the other volunteers:

“It’s a sea of red here”

Oh no.  I look down.  Purple with grey.  How could I have messed this up?  How can I cheer on Team Canada wearing purple?

My transportation has Canadian colours...

The irony is, Red has played a large part in my life, and many of my friends would identify me with the colour.  I have red glasses, red jackets, red shoes and three red bikes.  One would think that I could put together something a little more Canadian.

I post a self conscious tweet with a picture of my Red and White bike/helmet combo now desperately trying to compensate.

Going to the Molson Canadian Hockey House is a big treat – something I wouldn’t indulge in on my own and I’m grateful for the comp ticket.  It’s actually my first time out in the Olympic mania since the start of the Games; I can see the cauldron from the office, but other than that I'm only out to grab a quick java.  Most of my clients are American, so it's busy-ness as usual.  I seem to have missed the dress code memo.

I navigate my way east, making my way to the Hockey House.  The energy is magnificent;  everyone's smiling and R.E.M's "Shiny Happy People" queues up in my mental playlist.  I bask in the roar of fans while riding by Canada Hockey Place and the VPD officer I approach for directions is very friendly.  He prefaces his instructions with “Well, since you’re on a bike…” , and then directs me through a few pedestrian shortcuts so I can get around the road closures.

Can someone split a piece of that jersey off for me, please?

My comp pass gains me access to the Hockey House and I feel like a little grey grinch treading water in an ocean of red and white.  Someone bumps into me.  It's probably because I'm wearing grey, I think.  This wouldn't happen if I was wearing red.  Or maybe I really should just watch where I'm going.  I seek out one of the employees to get a maple leaf painted on my forehead or something to show I'm Canadian.  I could have brought a prop polar bear, or worn a toque.... what was I thinking?

All in all, the game and the experience was fantastic.  It's "Alberta Night" at the hot dinner buffet so I balance my Molson Canadian with bacon wrapped chicken, a large chunk of beef, and bean salad.  The place is packed, and we're sitting down at the very front watching the game projected above us.  When Team Canada gets a goal,  a gaggle of photographers jump in front to capture shots of the frenzied crowd.   It’s Canada v. Switzerland, which goes through overtime to a shoot out.  I’m biting my nails… sure I’ve been busy at work but an Olympic level hockey shootout?  Now that’s pressure.

Red & White Confetti, FTW

I was expecting the atmosphere of a tied game to be tense, but everyone’s amped up with support.  Chants of CAN-A-DA surge through the crowd.  I’m a bit nervous though.  I turn to Jen – “we have to win this” – she nods.

Crosby gets our winning goal and the crowd … well…. “goes wild” would be a gross understatement.  There’s a popping noise on either side of the stage and we’re showered in confetti.   I thoughtfully cover my drink to protect against digesting one of the papery projectiles and the place turns into a dance party.

I'm part of something Big.  No matter what colour I'm wearing, you can tell who I'm cheering for.

Jessica Evans loves life in Vancouver - especially the parts that involve volunteering, riding bikes, or any combination thereof.  Follow her on Twitter as @jessicers.

By Guacira Naves

On Thursday, an anxious crowd gathered at Caprice Nightclub, here in downtown Vancouver. Most of the people in attendance had two things in common: their devotion to the Canadian hockey team in the Olympics, and their enthusiasm about Twitter as a social network, for both business and social purposes. Shane Gibson has written a great post about that evening.

You see, here in Canada, winning in hockey is a question of national pride. I remember attending a World Cup of Hockey final in Montreal (my old hometown), and one sign summed it all-so-well: "we breed them, they buy them". No need to explain whom that sign was referring to! We Canadians may have a reputation of being polite and understated, but get us talking about hockey, and you're hitting the national ego. Tread lightly!

After the game itself, Twitter celebrity Guy Kawasaki arrived at the venue to meet some Vancouver tweeps in person. If you are active on Twitter, your number of followers expresses the number of other individuals who find your microblogging updates interesting enough to, well, follow what you have to say. At the time of this writing, Guy Kawasaki had an astounding 215,990 followers. Trust me when I say that this is a lot.

Guy Kawasaki, Mitch Baldwin and yours truly. Photo credit: Kemp Edmonds

If you missed the opportunity to meet some of Vancouver's finest social media participants on Thursday, fret not. Another gathering, smaller and more intimate, is taking place on February 25th. View the details and RSVP here.

Come and join us while you're in the 604 area code. Guy Kawasaki won't be there, but we promise to make you feel at home.

Guacira Naves is the founder of The Online Strategy House. She's an online marketing pioneer with 19 years of professional history with the Internet and 13 years of experience as an online marketing strategist.  She serves on the board of the Social Media Club Vancouver. Follow her on Twitter (@OnlineStrategy) or find her at OnlineStrategy.ca

(more...)

Marilyn Anderson, Duet Media

You have to see this from my perspective, a Prairie kid who grew up watching Hockey Night in Canada at my Dad's knee.  It was a regular occurrance - part national sport, part social occaision with friends, and part necessity too, I suppose - what else do you do when it's 40-degrees-below-zero and you are miles from town?

And here I am today, in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, in the Caprice Lounge on Granville Street to watch another kind of  "Hockey Night in Canada" game.  This is a much bigger party....with a couple of hundred other people, many creatively dressed in 'fan attire' and lots of Canadian flags and clothing in red.....watching the Canada-Swiss game on a very big screen!  What a difference a generation makes, eh?

It was a great evening, even for the non-hockey fans in the crowd (you're a good sport, Bonnie!) who were there waiting for Guy Kawasaki's appearance later on - check out Twitter, it will all make sense then.  From "scoreless tie" to "Canada leads!"...to OVERTIME NERVES......the tension built, the crowd enthusiasm grew, the flag-waving exploded....until overtime ended and the score was still tied 2-2!

What do we do?  Well, I didn't know the answer to that until it happened: after one scoreless 5-minute overtime period, the ruled dictate a Shoot-Out! Not quite the O.K. Corral, but exciting none-the-less, the Canadian and Swiss stars took their turns.....1 -2 -3.....the goalies win, the score stays tied........so the goalies are changed and Canada's Sidney Crosby gets a second chance.  As the famous commercial says "He shoots - he scores!" and the room went wild! Cheering, smiling faces, much hugging and slapping of backs, toasts were raised and flags were waved!

Marc Smith, of Amuse Consulting, took the mic and we all stood and sang a rousing chorus of 'Oh, Canada', and it all seemed 'right', and a bit surreal.  Outside, the party on the street was wild; every possible patio location on the strip was full of people celebrating something - and even those not hockey fans were caught up in it all. 

Wasn't that a party?! and the night was still young......

Marilyn Anderson is a Communications Specialist and Co-Founder of Duet Media.

by Judy Bishop - The Travelling Eye

Whether they're helping us park, eat, drink, laugh, be safe or be silly, we wouldn't get far at Whistler during the 2010 Olympics without the people who work long hours in a wide variety of roles.

That's not to say it's all work and no play ... far from it.  From what I've observed, working the 2010 Games might be almost as much fun as being a visitor.  Thanks guys and gals .. you're our unsung heroes !

'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

Last night I went to check out Buck 65 at Live City downtown.  I got there a few hours early and found the line ups a lot faster then I anticipated.

The venue was at capacity but when I got inside there was a group called Fresh I.E. on stage who are Christian rappers from Winnipeg.  I grabbed a spot at the front of the stage and took some shots of these guys, who sang about life changes from what I gathered.

It was clear that people were pumped to see Buck 65 as the area in front of the stage became packed quickly when Fresh IE named their last song.  The audience was ecstatic when Buck 65 finally walked on stage.  He played two amazingly entertaining songs at the start of his set, one about Zombies and the other with reference to Michael Jackson.  Both he mentioned were new but it didn't deter the crowd in the least.  Part way through the show someone handed him a stack of fake money which he proceeded to share with the audience and went into a tune about what a nice guy he is.  This was my first time seeing him play live and I thought he was incredibly charismatic and appreciative of his cheering fans.  He signed autographs and grabbed reaching hands, and played several additional encore songs, even when he lost power to his laptop, he used his finger to tap the mic for a beat and rapped over top.  I thoroughly enjoyed the show and by the force that held me up against the stage wall throughout the concert, I believe that was the general consensus!

I grabbed some footage of a few of his songs and posted one below of the last song before his encore:

Article & imagery by Leigh Righton

Follow on twitter: @madmannequin Website: www.madmannequin.com

This post is a part of a photography project we at Nordica Photography are doing throughout the Games. It's called Faces of the Games, and essentially we are taking pictures of various people everyday that have a connection to the Olympics. Everyday we pick a different theme, so there's quite an eclectic collection of faces starting to build! You can read more about the project here.

Peaceful protesters, peaceful party-goers – It’s all good in our books. So for today’s theme, we’re throwing on our diplomacy hat and giving them equal exposure on our Faces of the Games site.

The masked man on the left was out front of the Vancouver Art Gallery during a anti-Games protest last week. It was a raucous affair indeed! One tip that a little bird whispered in our ear though somewhere along the line is that un-masked protesters are apparently more respected then masked ones. Go figure.

The lovely girl on the right was part of an equally raucous – yet fun-lovin’ – in Yaletown right before opening ceremonies. They were waving the kind of ‘fun flag’ that is blowing over the entire city!

Comment and Pictures by Toby Snelgrove

Taking in Vancouver's North Shore on Sunday, I noticed an unusual sight: a large sailing vessel. It turned out to be Russia's tall ship brought to Vancouver to promote the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.  As I walked amongst the crows eastern european chatter filled the air. Multigenerational family groupings snapped pictures with the tall ship in the background. The images to follow include a Russian news team, a grandfather (visiting from Russia) and his grandson from Richmond, and a young girl attempting to get a close look at the ship using the wrong end of the installed binoculars.

Canada v Russia in the Gold Medal Game on February 28th 2010, is Doug Blackman's Olympic Wish!

Why: To re-kindle all the wonderful memories of the Soviet-Canadian Hockey Summit of 1972.

Perhaps the most amazing eight (8) game series ever played between two nations in ice hockey.

Our Canadian emotions were stretched to the limit in August & September of 1972, when the Soviets who were considered far inferior to our hockey skills & strengths, took an early lead in the series at the four games played in Canada.

SHOCK! DISBELIEF! our hockey players were running rough shod over our emotions!

It took Phil Esposito in Vancouver to steady the ship and call out the Canadian fans to continue to support our boys, despite the poor showing in Canada.

What became the most memorable games in Canadian Hockey History, would unfold in Russia, to amazing results with the most unlikely Canadian hero scoring goals in three games, at the most opportunistic times, to salvage games and the series for Canada - Paul Henderson.

From that point on Russia v Canada in hockey took on  more significance than any other game or tournament - Canada Cup 1976; Montreal Canadians v Red Army, & Canada Cup 1987.

Canada's best against Russia's best - names like Lemieux, Gretzky easily come to mind - now in 2010 the torch has been passed to Crosby & Ovechkin, to represent their respective countries in the game we all love.

Personally, I will be one of 33,000,000 Canadians rooting for Canada & Steve Yzerman's team.

I was attending Ottawa Law School in September 1972 - watched every Canada/Russia game, & in a slightly inebriated condition (after Henderson's miraculous goal to secure a Series win), lead a small delegation of Law School buddies up to the Russian Embassy in Ottawa, to offer condolences to the Russian fans residing there.

To our amazement, the Russian Ambassador came out to shake our hands and offer his congratulations to Canada & our fans, (the event was photographed & our pictures were published across Canada the next day. The RCMP kindly led us back to campus in afriendly & constructive manner).

During the Cold War, sports knew no borders & we came together as fans of hockey - it is too bad we could not come together so easily for other more important issues - PEACE!

Perhaps if Canada & Russia meet in two weeks time, we will be entertained & feel exhilarated again like in 1972! Here's Hoping!

Doug Blackman

Posted by Richard Earl

by Judy Bishop - The Travelling Eye

Apparently our non-stop, no-holds-barred mountain town cares little about ever-changing weather and simply gets on with the business of partying on a world scale.  A few scenes from a Whistler Village weekend walkabout helps show how very different the celebrations are from the Vancouver crush.  Although only 90 minutes' away, they're worlds apart, partly due to restricted access and accommodation. Less people and geography overall, and a higher percentage of foreign visitors, are giving this town a distinctive patina - and a late-night, passionate energy of a different kind.  Foreign visitors are drooling over what they're seeing.  I thought one German guy's head was going to explode, he was raving about Whistler.  Or maybe it was too many Jagger Bombs. Dunno.  Just saying.

Oh and remember: Whistler is the only magnet known that can attract plastic....

'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.  email:  judy@judybishop.ca