Alberta at the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad
With the entire world focused on Vancouver and Whistler in February, the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games was an exceptional opportunity for this province to raise its international profile as a successful business and investment destination, thriving arts and cultural hub, and a tourist destination offering an abundance of travel options. Alberta joined all other Canadian provinces and territories and a handful of foreign countries in developing cultural pavilions and contributing to the Cultural Olympiad. In the end, Alberta's cultural contributions can be summed up in the following three initiatives: Vancouver Cultural Olympiad, Alberta House and Plaza, and Alberta Train.
The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad was a three-year program that celebrated Canadian culture and showcased international talent. It was the first time a multi-disciplinary arts festival was held during the two-years leading up to an Olympic Games. Audiences were treated to both free and paid events featuring music, dance, theatre, visual arts, film and digital media. Over 50 Albertan artists and art organizations were provided with performance opportunities before and during the Olympic and Paralympic games. Notable Albertan participants included Alberta Ballet, Corb Lund, Feist, Tegan and Sara, Theatre Calgary and Catalyst Theatre.
Alberta House and Plaza were the province's official cultural pavilions during the Games. Located directly across from BC Place on the corner of Robson and Beatty Street, Alberta Plaza was a public meeting place, while Alberta House hosted business meetings for dignitaries, athletes and media. Both areas were filled with art works from the Alberta art collection and exact replicas of dinosaur fossils from the Royal Tyrell Museum. While almost all other provincial and international cultural pavilions were simply housed in temporary big-top tents, Alberta's was modeled for environmental sustainability and was one of the more stark gathering spaces.
"Alberta Plaza was a beautiful venue. The first day I arrived at the Games, I was walking around looking at the other cultural pavilions, and they didn't even compare to how awesome Alberta Plaza looked. It made me really proud to be an Albertan," said Jenn Beaupre, a Calgary-based singer-songwriter who performed at Alberta Plaza.
"Alberta Plaza was definitely the most professionally operated pavilion at the Games, and the location was incredible. The open-air concept that they had was spectacular," said Leeroy Stagger, frontman for the Lethbridge-based rock band Leeroy Stagger and the Wildflowers, who also performed Alberta Plaza's stage.
The structure of Alberta Plaza was built using Albertan cedar wood, which was later recycled by local gardening and student groups, while the floor tiles were created from recycled tires.
Guests at Alberta House and Plaza were treated daily to free performances from 40 Albertan musical acts over the 17-day period. Aside from Leeroy Stagger and the Wildflowers and Jenn Beaupre, notable performers also included Asani, Heather Blush and the Uppercuts, Bomba, The Dudes, and Marie Dunn.
"We were treated very well, and the people running Alberta Plaza and House were very professional," said Staggard, referring to the hard work put in by the Arts Branch's Allison Kwan, Arts Development Consultant, and Allison Carter-Nitchke, Projects Assistant.
Also, a food and beverage menu showcasing Albertan ingredients was developed by Brad Smoliak, Executive Chef of Alberta House and Plaza, who is best known as the executive chef of Edmonton's Hardware Grill. The menu's theme was Healthy Alberta Comfort Cooking, and the most popular dishes included Cowboy Trail Chilli, Prairie Chowder and caesars with bacon infused vodka.
Finally, the Alberta Train was the only railway service between Vancouver and Whistler and was the only alternative to commuting on a chartered bus. A total of six railcars, each decorated with the Government of Alberta brand and colours, were used in a partnership with Rocky Mountaineer Vacations. Railway commuters were treated to spectacular mountainous and ocean views, professional concierge service, and fine dinning courtesy of Brad Smoliak's Alberta House and Plaza menu.
Day six of the Games (February 17) was an important milestone for this province, as it was officially designated Alberta Day at the 2010 Olympic Games. Prior to the medal ceremonies at BC Place that evening, where Canada's Maëlle Richer received her gold medal for Ladies' Snowboard Cross, audiences were treated to an eclectic mix of performances by Alberta musical artists Allez Ouest, Cadence Weapon, DJ Jay Mak and Raghaw, before country music star Paul Brandt closed off the evening with a one-hour performance.
"The fact that Alberta provided so much great talent was a huge part of their success, and I was very grateful to be a part of this experience," said Beaupre.
In the end, the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games unified Canadians coast-to-coast. From the record setting gold medal wins in a Winter Games, to the hundreds of inspiring performances from Canada's athletes, to the entertaining opening and closing ceremonies, Canadian pride was in no shortage. Alberta's athletes and artists contributed to the festival atmosphere that filled Vancouver's streets, and without their contributions, the experience may not have been so memorable.