Canada looks ridiculous embarrassing the Netherlands
The Dutch have this party tent idea they bring with them and set up at the Olympics and other major sporting events called the Heineken Holland House. It’s a bigazz orange party tent for the athletes and their fans to have a drink, watch Dutch athletes perform on TV and party. It’s been a hit for years and of course the Dutch want to bring the party over to the Vancouver winter Olympics 2010 to watch stars like Sven ‘Svencouver’ Kramer kick all the men’s asses at speed skating. For three weeks, people would get to hang out with Dutch athletes, celebrities, politicians and maybe even Dutch royalty while enjoying a Heineken and some choice Dutch junk food.
But oh no. Canadian bureaucrats in the province of British Columbia and in Ottawa at the national level are being more difficult than the Chinese were in Beijing about permits, building codes, Canadians losing potential jobs to Dutch people and an array of other undiplomatic stupidities.
I’m truly embarrassed for British Columbia and Canada right now. Sort that out!
(Link: vancouversun.com, Photo by Quistnix, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 1.0.)
Anyone who’s been to Whistler/Blackcomb would have seen that they celebrate a day’s skiing at European style outdoor cafe at the bottom of the mountain. Why their Olympic Committee would put up obstacles to the Dutch Olympic team’s tradition seems contrary to the Canadian values I come to know.