Modeling Journey

Vancouver's Olympics are a success, and a great one at that. Now John Furlong, the driving force behind the herculean efforts to organize the games and make sure they were successful, will be looking for something else to do, after a well deserved rest.
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Seems Jacques Rogge, IOC president, thinks that the Olympics should be conducted on a fairer basis than they are at present, at least when it comes to some sports. And he has ignited a firestorm with some hamhanded and discriminatory comments:

"Let's ban them from the Olympics post-haste, because there's a new logic, a new rule that states There Shalt Be No Lopsided Competition at the Olympics.

News broke today that Mayor Robertson is considering holding a referendum next year on whether to build a pedestrian/bicycle bridge over False Creek. The news shows a very unimaginative bridge crossing the Creek to join the two sides:

"The proposed 15-metre-wide suspension bridge would cross the entrance to False Creek just west of Burrard Street, linking Kitsilano at Vanier Park with the West End at Sunset Beach.

Architect Gregory Henriquez presented the plan to the mayor after the two talked about the idea a few months ago.

The proposed span was "very elegant and modern," according to Robertson, who compared it to the popular pedestrian-only Millennium Bridge that crosses the Thames River in London.

"It's an infrastructure project and these kinds of bridges have actually been quite positive economic generators in London and Paris and we would be among the leading cities in North America to do something like this," said Robertson on Thursday night after the proposal was publicly released.

Taxpayers could vote on the idea during a referendum in the next civic election, said Robertson, who is also hoping the federal and provincial governments will help with funding."

Let's hope that the Mayor does not blow this opportunity to provide something spectacular, instead of the ugly bridge proposed in the article.

The Cat's advice to the Mayor is to think of the beauty of the Ponte Vecchio, in Florence.

Instead of a single purpose bridge, Mayor Robertson should be aiming at building a bridge over False Creek which includes stores for restaurants (dine while watching the cruise boats sail beneath you), for local musicians to use as a venue to perform, and for local artists to not only use to display their art, but to create their art.

Imagine tourists flocking to watch local artists paint the lovely sunsets, and enjoying a glass of wine while doing so. And being able to listen to writers and artists explain their works? All in an edifice which soars over the Creek, and has little rooms tacked onto its sides, like the famous Ponte Vecchio!

That would kill two birds with one stone: provide for pedestrians and cyclists to cross, and become a major tourist draw. To make sure it appeals to tourists, the bridge might have to be located a little bit closer to English Bay, where there is plenty of room for it to disgorge the people.

And, of course, where those on the bridge would have a good view of the annual fireworks display at English Bay.

So, think bigger, Mayor Robertson, and think Florentian while you do so. No doubt PM Harper could find a few hundred million for such a project.

Toronto, Montreal, Newfoundland, Nunavut, PEI and Vancouver...Don't allow yourself to get shut out of a Conservative majority government


We need representation in all parts of Canada. Today's article in the Globe is especially important. Areas where you can vote strategically Conservative to insure a representative in government include:

Toronto - Don Valley West John Carmichael and various ridings in the GTA
Northern Ontario - Kenora Greg Rickford and Thunder Bay Rainy River Neumann
Newfoundland - Avalon Fabian Manning
Prince Edward Island - Egmont Gail Shea
Montreal area - Vaudreuil-Soulanges Michael Fortier
Vancouver - Vancouver Quadra Deborah Meredith and North Vancouver Andrew Saxton
North - Nunavut Leona Aglukkaq

Of course in Newmarket-Aurora the same argument holds. If you want a voice in the government; Lois Brown and the Conservative Party are your choice. There has been a lot of talk of strategic voting to stop Harper. I think more intelligent strategic voting would be to make sure your riding and region has a voice in the government benches and cabinet. Newfoundland, PEI, Montreal, the North, Vancouver and Toronto being shut out of a majority government would not be helpful in any way to the residents of these places. The national outcome is decided and Harper will remain Prime Minister. At best it will be a majority government. At worse it will be a much stronger minority. NDP is close to second place and with 10 days to go, it is hard to imagine all of the gains made by May, Duceppe and Layton will consolodate behind Dion's weak leadership in these final days of the campaign. Vote strategically and vote Conservative. We are now in the final days of this campaign. Over the next ten days Harper will try and close the deal on a majority. For that to happen, the real focus will have to be on each of the individual battlegrounds that are considered "too close to call" by Democraticspace.com and Electionprediction.org. Keep working hard Conservatives...victory is so close you can almost taste it. The dream of a united right coming together and governing this country with a majority is within reach.
-Darryl