It was a great Olympic experience. Last Saturday (Feb. 13) – day two of the Olympics – I was lucky enough to attend the first Victory Ceremony at the Whistler Medals Plaza. Seeing the male ski jumpers and the women biathletes take to the stage to claim their hard-earned Olympic medals brought home the reality that the Olympics are here.
And to give the evening a distinctly Canadian flavor, actor Fred Ewanuick, who played Hank in the hit television series Corner Gas, was Master of Ceremonies for the evening. Leading up to the medal presentations, Olympian Rob Boyd ran into the plaza carrying an Olympic torch to light the large cauldron on site. Then, just before the medals were presented, VANOC CEO John Furlong and other dignitaries were on hand to begin the evening.
It was unmistakably a Canadian night, attended mainly by corridor locals. An American guest who attended the evening with us said that was what made the evening special for him — the fact that it was clearly a locals’ event. Tickets had been awarded in an online draw for residents of the Sea to Sky Corridor.
To cap the evening off, the All American Rejects brought to the stage a concert better than I ever expected. Lead singer Tyson Ritter epitomized the term “showman” as he wooed and teased the crowd, all while delivering a performance marked by his impressive vocal ability and the talented band. Even getting soaked in the B.C. rain that marked the evening didn’t dampen his high energy. The venue, with a capacity of only about 5,000, made for a cozy evening with great views of the stage from all over the plaza.
The ceremony was a well-constructed and organized event. No waiting around for the band to show at this venue. Following the medal presentations, it was mere minutes until the Rejects took to the stage. They may be an American band, but we knew we were at a Canadian venue when we spotted the sign near the stage that said “Mosh Pit” and, in French, “Fosse.” Where else but in Canada eh?
So if you’re lucky enough to possess tickets to one of the Whistler medal ceremonies, don’t pass the opportunity by.
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The first night of the Pemberton House Party kicks off this Saturday (Feb. 20) at the Cottonwood Community Centre at 8 p.m. until 1 a.m. with Appaloosa live and special guests D’ale and the Coolers. For the party’s second time around on Feb. 27, Three Legged Ginger will appear as special guests. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased at the Cottonwood Community Centre, the Legion, Pemberton Valley Supermarket and Home Hardware.
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Coming up on Tuesday (Feb. 23) from 7 to 10:30 p.m., the second performance of The Old Music Hall Dinner and Theatre takes place at the Cottonwood Community Centre. The evening features dinner and Vancouver’s own Bella Luna, a theatre group that has been creating and performing physical, comic theatre since 1998, drawing inspiration from current affairs.
Tickets are $25 each and are available at the Cottonwood Community Centre. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For more details on Pemberton House events during the Olympics visit www.pembertonwinterfest.com.
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