It could not have been better

What just happened?

The long-awaited creation and permanent entrenchment of an accurate and patriotic Canadian identity is what just happened.

The 17 days of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games achieved what 142 years of being a country could not: a sense of belonging among Canadians, a connection between east and west and most importantly, a clear definition of what and who Canada is.

As I got carried away in seas of red and white Cowichan sweaters that clogged up the streets of Vancouver every day I ventured downtown, I realized for the first time in my life that I am proud to be Canadian.

I’m not a sports fanatic, but I cried along with the thousands of others present as Joannie Rochette skated a bronze medal performance just days after her mother died.

I’ve hardly watched hockey, but I sat on the edge of my seat and shouted at the TV screen as Team Canada played Team USA in overtime.

I am one for fashion, but despite that I wore my two-fingered woolly Canadian mittens with an awkward sort of pride.

Sure the buildings, Canada Line and other infrastructure built to accommodate the various Olympic events are wonderful spinoff benefits of having the games in Vancouver. And the worldwide promotion of our city and the millions earned in revenue are great, too.

But having the games in our hometown, more than anything else, has given us the right to be patriotic, and the desire to show the world that we are Canadian.

And why shouldn’t we be proud?

There’s nothing wrong with beer, hockey, being a little chilly once in a while and cute furry little creatures.

And the fact that a country with the population size of the state of California can dominate the gold medal count on an international level is nothing to scoff at.

What just happened was the awakening of a fiercely-loyal, fiercely-patriotic and highly-competitive nation that has finally been brought together as one.

Watch out world, we are Canadian.