Yesterday CTV was looking for news and events surrounding any kind of Vancouver 2010 anniversary events. Turns out, there’s plenty going on around town and so far 10,000 people have signed up on Facebook for a simple gathering on Granville — anywhere on Granville between Drake and Georgia. 

Photo credit: Mananetwork on Flickr

Cauldron
The Olympic cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza will be lit at 4:00pm on February 12th, 2011

Breakfast with John Furlong
VANOC CEO John Furlong will be at the Vancouver Convention Centre West Saturday February 12th, 2011 from 9:30am until 11:30am. Meet Mr Furlong, have breakfast, and grab a copy of his new book. Tickets are available for $35 or $55.

Robson Square
Free skating and with other free & family-friendly activities planned from 9:00am – 11:00pm February 12th. The entertainment line-up includes: Four Host First Nations (with representatives of the Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh), Mark Donnelly – Mr. O Canada, Uzume Taiko, Koan, Public Dreams, Inez, The Shirleys, En Karma with South Asian Arts, Jets Overhead, Dustin Bentall, and Said the Whale.

There will also be free admission to the Vancouver Art Gallery February 12th.

Olympic Glory Relived on Granville
Beginning at noon and running until 9:00pm on February 12th, Granville Street will be activated from Smithe to Dunsmuir. Enjoy buskers, street hockey, and the Lunar Festival parade. Organized by the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association. There will once again be street closures along Robson, Seymour, and Granville. The Facebook event with the unstoppable momentum will culminate on the same date at the same locations.

Granville and Smithe will be home to the “Centre Ice” celebration site and Canadian figure skate Patrick Chan will be doing meet and greets at the McDonald’s as well.

Olympic Street Hockey on Granville
On February 12th while Robson and Granville Streets will be closed to traffic and there will be a charity street hockey game in the afternoon.

LunarFest
Lunar Fest will take place February 3rd until the 13th as well. You may remember the lanterns and art from Lunar Fest last year that were on Granville between Robson and Georgia. 

Illuminate Yaletown
Illuminate Yaletown will be back February 11th at 12th with features contemporary light art installations.

Whistler
Two events in Whistler are outlined by Tourism Vancouver. 

With Glowing Hearts Film Screening
There will be a free screening of With Glowing Hearts on February 12th. This documentary followed social media documentarians, protestors, journalists and more throughout the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Canucks
There will be a “salute to 2010″ at the Vancouver Canucks game February 12th.

Volunteer Reunion
Olympic “blue jackets” or “smurfs” (or whichever name everyone had for the beloved and tireless volunteers) will have a reunion at Jack Poole Plaza February 12th at 4:00pm. Torchbearers are also encouraged to come out for their own reunion event at the same time and location.

Olympic Village, Creekside
Creekside Community Recreation Centre will host a free family-friendly community event in the Creekside gymnasium from 11:00am – 3:00pm February 12. The event will feature a range of Olympic and Paralympic themed activities including a hockey sledge race, winter sports on Wii, pin trading, 2010 memorabilia on display and a big-screen TV showing Games highlights. Organized by Vancouver Parks and Recreation.

Grouse Mountain
Grouse Mountain will be open for 24 hours between February 12th and 13th to celebrate the Olympic anniversary. Activities will include a torch parade of skiers, a one-day kids hockey tournament on the outdoor rink.

West Vancouver
The Columba Light Festival will take place February 11th and 12th with performances by Mother Mother and Said the Whale along with drumming, dancing, and ice skating at the Park Royal outdoor rink.

Irish House
Doolin’s Irish Pub is bringing Irish House back February 26th.

Closing Ceremony
The TD Winter Carnival at Robson Square will commemorate the closing ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics with a day of midway games, skating, free hot chocolate and more. Join the fun Sunday, February 27th, 2011 from 12:00pm until 4:00pm.

Thinking back on all of the amazing memories, free celebrations, and impromptu gatherings, I have recently spent some time going through my Olympic and Paralympics posts and photos.

I’m not sure what everyone is expecting, or what else they would like to see, but I’m sure the public will create their own event regardless of anything that might be formally setup (eg. the Facebook event mentioned above). O! Canada will be sung and hands will be sore from high-fives, that’s for certain.

Stay tuned to @Miss604, @OlymGlryRelived, @DowntownVan, and the tag #ReliveIT on Twitter for event information which will also be posted here as announcements are made.

On October 22nd the Olympic Cauldron will be lit during the dedication of Jack Poole Plaza. While the flames have been ignited since the Games for Canada Day and a few other occasions, this celebration will commemorate the memory of Jack Poole, architect of Vancouver 2010, as the plaza has finally been completed.

The ceremony will take place at 7:30pm and everyone is encouraged to bust out their red mittens for the occasion.

Even though it’s been eight months since we hosted the world, and plush toy mascots are now in the clearance bins of local stores, many who were unable to see the cauldron during the Game will now have a chance. If the event also manages to rekindle a bit of the spirit that was around town in February, be prepared for a sea of red shirts, maple leafs, and a whole lot of high-fives.

Jack Poole Plaza is located at the North end of Thurlow at Burrard Place (just North of Cordova).

In related news, the Canadian Paralympic Committee will host its first Awards Ceremony the following night to celebrate the accomplishments of those who made an impact at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

During the Vancouver 2010 Games, everyone became a reporter in their own way. Photos, videos, podcasts, tweets, and Facebook updates allowed anyone in town to share what they were experiencing with the rest of the world. While all of the high-fives were happening and the streets flowed with flags and colours of all nations, Andrew Lavigne was making a documentary about social media creating social change.

Today is your chance to view this film at the With Glowing Hearts Unfestival. They are doing a screening at 4:00pm that will be free for the community and then again at 7:00pm for $12. The paid screening will include a larger event with silent auction, drinks, Q&A and every ticket-holder will receive a producer credit on the film for contributing to its production.

If you’d like to support this film, the social media community, and the continued story-telling of what went on in town during the Vancouver 2010 Games, this is definitely an event not to miss.

Next week a local non-profit is selling off leftover Vancouver 2010 gear along with lost & found items in one giant Olympics blowout sale.

Photo credit: rocketcandy on Flickr

VANOC is offering up office supplies and furniture from the athletes’ village while lost & found items include anything from red mittens to cell phones, umbrellas, jackets, and hoodies. All proceeds from the sale will support families through the Network of Inner City Community Services Society.

The Province also reports that the Olympic street banners will be sold in the coming weeks:

“Proceeds will support a workshop called the Fab Shop, at 1220 E. 2nd Ave., formerly the Vancouver 2010 fabrication shop, designed to provide training and work experience to people from the Downtown Eastside. The City of Vancouver has donated the 1,600 banners, a number of which will be signed by VANOC head John Furlong.”

The sale runs Monday through Saturday, 11:00am to 6:00pm daily at 875 East Hastings.

Yesterday I received a copy of the official 2010 Winter Games commemorative book, which probably has one of the longest titles I’ve seen: With Glowing Hearts: The Official Commemorative Book of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games/Des plus brillants exploits: Le livre commémoratif officiel des XXIes Jeux olympiques d hiver et des Xes Jeux paralympiques d hiver.

Cracking open the hardcover I was met with a quote from John Furlong that immediately choked me up. All that I felt during the Olympics and Paralympics came rushing back. It was much more than emotion, sometimes it was even the stress of covering a global event in my backyard for 14 hours a day (which was all completely worth it).

The pages in this book and the beautiful photography evoke a sense of pride and nostalgia, even though it commemorates something that was mere months ago.

I wrote 118 blog posts during the Olympics (not including the Paralympics), uploaded over 600 photos and received 2180 comments on my site over the span of the event. Every single word, image, and video compilation I put together has a story behind it and looking at this book only adds to that experience. With 400 pages and 1,200 photos, it’s pretty stunning.

The book kick-starts memories and showcases everyone from gold medal athletes to blue jacket volunteers (who are all listed within). There’s a profile on Shaun White, concert photography from Live City, a tribute to Nodar Kumaritashvili, a complete section on the Paralympics, and even Tweets have been pulled in for some of the photo gallery pages.

One of my favourite elements is that it showcases the fans quite a bit. There are full-page spreads featuring nothing but maple leaf painted faces, waving flags from all nations, and swarms of people in good spirits.

The book is currently available on Amazon, from Wiley (the publisher) and in bookstores across Canada. I would recommend this for anyone who experienced the Games in any way and especially those who couldn’t. It’s about our city, province, and our nation that bonded through the torch relay, supporting our athletes, and the collective experience.

“The spirit and soul of all 33 million Canadians has been sewn into the fabric of these Winter Games. This journey has not been about the few but rather the many.” – John Furlong.

Disclosure: cmp.ly/1

Update June 11, 2010 I have just been offered another copy of the book to give away to one of my readers.

If you would like to enter to win this book, please leave a comment below with your favourite Olympic memory. I’ll draw a winner on June 16th and have the book shipped over to you.

I just wanted to stress how much this book has grown on me. It’s almost like a yearbook that I want to take around town and have people sign, it’s pretty great.

Update June 16, 2010 I have drawn a winner at random from the entries and it is Michelle (June 11th comment / @depechemama on Twitter). Thank you so much for sharing your favourite moments. The highlights for many were the feeling of togetherness and the pride we felt for our athletes and our nation. It’s just amazing to see that so many people will have memories like this to last them a lifetime.

The mascots for the London 2012 Olympic Summer Games have been revealed and coming fresh off a Quatchi-high in Vancouver, I can’t help but compare.

© Locog – posted by Mandeville

The Vancouver 2010 mascots were revealed in 2007 as Sumi, Quatchi, Miga and their unofficial sidekick Mukmuk appeared in a West coast inspired cartoon introduction. The London 2012 mascots have been presented with a similar way, with a full background story about the chosen pair, Wenlock and Mandeville. They came from the molten steel in Bolton that was used to build the Olympic stadium and were lovingly hand-crafted for two lucky children. They then sprung to life thanks to a magical rainbow and are now blogging up a storm.

From Roger Mosey’s BBC blog:

Now the mascots feel the need to be in London for 2012 – and the creative teams are working on the journey they’ll make to be there in time for the Games. As I’ve said before, the mascots are entirely owned by the London Organizing Committee (Locog). But we’ve been aware for some time of what was being planned and – if creatures made from steel can be said to evolve – we’ve followed their evolution. So do I have a view on them? Well, in this case it’s irrelevant what I think. The judges are the people of Britain and beyond.

Matt Dunham/AP Photo

Miga, Quatchi, and Sumi made it across the province, were the highlight of the Olympics for some, and wound up in some pretty interesting places around town. In fact 42% of my readers said the mascots were their favourite symbols of the Vancouver 2010 Games.

I’m curious to see how the one-eyed Wenlock and Mandeville will be accepted but for now, I can follow both on their official Twitter accounts (@iammandeville @iamwenlock) to see what they get into leading up to 2012.

The Olympic and Paralympic Village in Vancouver will open to the public for a community showcase Saturday, May 15th.

Photo credit: kpwerker on Flickr

The real estate development known as Millennium Water is hosting the Grand Opening celebration. They’ll have live music, activities, snacks, and more. The Olympic and Paralympics medals will also be on display and more than 35 Olympians (including Ashleigh McIvor) will be on hand for meet and greet opportunities.

Grand Opening events:
10:00am – 5:00pm. Enter off West 1st Avenue & Manitoba Street or Millennium Water at the Seawall.

Autograph sessions with Olympians:
11:30am – 12:30pm, 1:30pm – 2:30pm, 3:30pm – 4:40pm at the Salt Building.

Self-guided tours:
Pick up an “Avenues of the World” passport at the presentation centre to run a self-guided tour of the community. You can also enter to win a $20,000 grand prize or one of ten Electra commuter bicycles.

Photos by PiscesDreamer on Flickr

This is the first chance the public will have to check out the community since it hosted Olympic and Paralympic athletes earlier this year.

Update Last Saturday, May 15th, an estimated 15,000 people gathered for the Grand Opening of the Olympic Village at Millennium Water on Southeast False Creek. Home to our Olympic athletes during Vancouver 2010, Avenues of the World, a collection of new residences were finally back on the market. Approximately 200 suites were released and 38 units were sold by Sunday evening. [source: Press Release].

The City of Vancouver is releasing several of its 2010 Olympic and Paralympic street banners to local non-profits who wish to use them for fundraising.

Photo credit: rwill on Flickr

Non-profit organizations are encouraged to fill out applications for use of the banners to propose how they would use them for fundraising. The city is specifically looking for campaigns that would benefit the Downtown Eastside, Downtown South and Mount Pleasant.

Photos © Susan Gittins on Flickr

You can view a PDF of the banners and download the PDF application form on the City’s site. Deadline for submissions is May 19th, 2010.

The Sport BC Athlete of the Year Awards are being awarded this week as the province’s top athletes receive recognition for their stellar performances. Nominees and finalists have been selected and winners will be announced March 31st at the River Rock Show Theatre.

Award categories include: Athlete with a Disability, Coach of the Year, College Athlete of the Year, High School Female Athlete of the Year, High School Male Athlete of the Year, Junior Female Athlete of the Year, Junior Male Athlete of the Year, Master Athlete of the Year, Official of the Year, Senior Female Athlete of the Year, Senior Male Athlete of the Year, Team of the Year and University Athlete of the Year.

Winners from 2009 already announced are: Jim Armstrong for the Harry Jerome Comback Award, Mitch Berger for the Best of BC Award, KC Emerson for the Daryl Thompson Award, and John Furlong with Sportsman of the Decade.

Since 2009 wasn’t an Olympic year — and boy did 2010 start off with a bang — they have added Fan Vote categories to be able to include Olympians and Paralympians at this awards presentation.

The Fan Vote poll is up online and it’s up to the public to select their favourites. You can select Ashleigh McIvor, Denny Morrison, Scott Niedermayer, Maëlle Ricker, or Shea Weber for the Olympics category. For the Paralympic Fan Vote award, Team Armstrong – Curling, Josh Dueck, and Lauren Woolstencroft are on the ballot.

The 44th annual Sport BC Athlete of the Year Awards gala will begin with a reception at 6:30pm and the ceremony will begin at 8:00pm. I have two pairs of tickets to give away to those who are interested in attending.

Please leave a comment on this post to enter or re-tweet the following:

I will draw two winners (who will each receive a pair of tickets) tomorrow by 12:00pm.

Update The two winners are Stephen (comment entry) and @NatashaCarpio (Twitter entry). Congratulations and see you tomorrow at the awards.

Just when I thought I had wrapped up my Vancouver 2010 coverage, I discover an amazing video on YouTube by director Trevor Meier, featuring the Olympic Torch Relay. Comissioned by VANOC, they have an entire series of videos from the relay, the following is from Days 64 – 70.

The Torch Relay was one of my favourite, if not the best, highlights of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. I was lucky enough to ride along in my hometown of Surrey and that memory will be with me always. The Paralympic Torch Relay began today and the flame it will find its way to Vancouver again March 12th.