By Karen Laharty   |       March 3, 2010

An interesting thing happened on the way to Vancouver: patriotism showed up unannounced at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and rooted itself in the hearts of Canadians for two weeks like a loud and raucous house guest who gets louder the longer he stays.

We’ve shown support for our athletes in past Olympic Games, both winter and summer. But the rumours may be true. These Olympics may be record breaking and not just concerning medal counts and personal bests.

The monumental display of the love for one’s country has not simply been overwhelming but refreshingly liberating. Canadians are typically known for their reserve when it comes to most things but not anymore. We are Canadian and proud to be so. Hear us roar!

An event such as the Olympics where the world truly is watching not only unifies us through our common love of sport and competition but as humans, together on this planet. Nothing is lost on the fact that the world is seeing its fair share of insurmountable hardship, from earthquake devastation to economic decline, genocide to global warming, dwindling resources to soaring divorce rates. Now would be a good time to come together as global citizens.

Public opinion however was not favourable at the beginning of the games, especially in British Columbia. Being asked to tighten the proverbial belt farther still was a risk taken by those who hold the balance of the province in their hands. Many saw these games as a two-week party gone horribly over budget. A mere 30 percent of British Columbians saw the Olympics as a positive thing for the province. Potential disaster loomed at the opinion polls.

So what happened? We did what Canadians do best: we got over it. We put aside our very real concerns in favour of being the host with the most. Hardship, imposed or unforeseen, ebbs and flows like the tides on our coastlines. We are not the only ones feeling the pressures of life in the 21st century. To not let those pressures get the best of us and resent the events of the past 17 days speaks volumes about the people of this province and the country.

Our athletes paved the way for a record breaking Olympic Winter Games, putting Canada on top for winning the most gold medals (14) ever by a host country. We as a nation gave our all in support of every athlete who has trained long and hard to share with the world the determination of the Canadian spirit.
 

Sooke presented a popular display at the 2010 Winter Olympics O|Zone venue in Richmond, BC.

2010 Winter Olympic Games ~ Medal Count: United States 37 medals (9 gold, 15 silver, 13 bronze); Germany 30 medals (10 gold, 13 silver, 7 bronze); Canada 26 medals (14 gold, 7 silver, 5 bronze).

Tourists will start turning their attention to Sooke for literary-related events being planned by the Sooke Literary Association. Story Feb22/10. |  Story Mar.3/10. 

New Sooke Community Development Association started in January, aiming to respond to the District of Sooke on various items related to property developing including zoning and development cost charges.

Article about Sooke and Greater Victoria real estate trends for 2010. Increased sales expected leading up to mid-year, then a sag is likely as the 12% HST (starting July 1, 2010) puts additional financial burdens on home buyers.