Olympics creates pride at home and away

When the 2010 Olympic Winter Games first came to Vancouver, my attitude towards the Olympics could be summed up in one word: indifferent.

I was cynical and skeptical about the games because there were a lot of unknowns. How much money was being spent on the Olympics? What would happen to the poor and destitute in Vancouver during and after the Olympics?

But, even with my skepticism, I wanted to support the athletes of Team Canada.

I love winter sports, especially hockey.

So with my conflicting feelings about the Olympics, Team Canada hockey jersies and Vancouver 2010 cowbells, I headed for Hong Kong for some much needed rest and relaxation.

More than 10,000 km away, I was sure I’d be insulated from the Olympics and my indifference would be kept intact.

How wrong I was.

I watched Canada win its first gold medal on home soil live and it gave me a sense of Canadian pride that I have never really felt before.

I returned home the day before the big gold medal hockey game and, immediately, I could feel the energy in the city.

The overtime goal by Sidney Crosby was probably the defining moment of the Olympics for me and probably for most of Canada.

Following the goal, CTV showed the reaction of the goal from across Canada: from Robson Street in downtown Vancouver to Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia to Yonge Street in downtown Toronto.

It was amazing to see what everyone had been talking about in the news for the past few days, how the Olympics had united the country and how proud we all were to be Canadian.

Now that the Olympics are over, I hope that that the wave of patriotism that has swept this country will continue indefinitely.

If nothing else, I’m sure we’ll find a Canadian way to express ourselves. The Olympics showed the world a side of Canada perhaps they have never seen before.

It gave Canadians an outlet to show the world what we are capable of and how awesome Canadians are.