Mayor Robertson, VANOC's John Furlong, and Vancouver Tourism CEO Rick Antonson Celebrate Olympic Countdown with Large Crowd at Robson Square

Cathi Atmadjaja

Posted: Feb 5th, 2010

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Mayor Robertson with Tourism Vancouver CEO Rick Antonson(left) and VANOC CEO John Furlong(right) in a photo by Cathi Atmadjaja

The mayor of Vancouver, the CEO of the Vancouver Olympics Organizing Committee, and the CEO of Tourism Vancouver joined chefs and a large crowd at Robson Square to celebrate the seven day countdown to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. The chefs came from some of Vancouver's finest restaurants and stood with city officials as the “You Gotta Be Here” Supernatural British Columbia Vancouver 2010 commercial played on a big screen, showcasing the province.

Antonson asked if Vancouver was ready to host the Olympics. The crowd responded with cheers and shouts.

“[The world will be]watching our every move where this is our chance as a destination and as a province and country to make our mark…and it is now upon us,” Antonson said.

Furlong quoted CEO and President of the Lillehammer Games in Norway: “What we manage to do is to get every Norwegian and every citizen to care and put a smile on their face, smile to everybody and embrace the world. If you want to make a difference, smile even when you’re not having a good day. Smile and embrace the world.”

"It will be the little things that they[tourists] take home, the things that happen when they meet you on the street, at the hotel, on or off the bus, at a restaurant. It will be meeting that stranger on the sidewalk asking for help."

"Give a warm, happy Canadian hug,” he said.

Robertson called Furlong a leader in helping to “oversee a team of steel to run the best organizing committee.”

Furlong confirmed that “we are in terrific hands” and had Mayor Robertson hand out 2 tickets to the closing ceremony. The winner was a member of the audience.

Officials spoke of a visual-interactive display and a 30-second live video feed/pictures that can be sent through a touch screen pad on locale at the Olympic Village, Whistler and Robson Square among other venues. Visitors will be able to film themselves and then send the film to friends around the world.