For six years my husband Dene and I held onto the vision of emigrating to Canada. That vision was the key focus of all our decisions and activities prior to our departure from South Africa on 18 January 2000. We arrived in Canada on the 20 January 2000. It was midnight. That too was symbolic for me, the night turning into day, like a promise of something new. There we were in Toronto airport. I recall the precise moment when our initial papers were exchanged and we were given our official landed emigrant papers. My heart swelled with gratitude as tears of relief flowed down my cheeks. It had been a long time of planning, preparing and waiting for that day. And that day had finally arrived.
We entered Canada with glowing hearts, excited by the promise of what our future might hold!
As immigrants, we, like so many Canadians, left behind a large network of friends and family to build our future in Canada. We began in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and after five years re-established ourselves here in Vancouver. Starting afresh, twice, in a new country required us to re-build a network of contacts and to establish a new circle of friends. And, because we have had the good fortune to live in both Nova Scotia and Vancouver, our friendship circle is made up of a far richer and more diverse mix of people than ever before! And for this, I am extremely grateful!
So why am I writing about this today? Because Vancouver, as host city for the 2010 Winter Olympics, is preparing final details before the Games begin on the 12′th. Having won the Olympic bid four years ago, the city of Vancouver embarked on a mission to get the city ready to welcome hundreds of guests who will visit here during these Olympics. It’s taken foresight, commitment and teamwork to follow through on its vision to create a successful Olympic experience.
A diverse group of people, here in Vancouver, have spent vast amounts of time, energy and commitment in a myriad of industries to make the VANOC Vision a reality. All of us in Vancouver represent a diverse workforce and are representatives from many countries. Though we may have left our countries of origin for good reasons, we are nonetheless who we are because of where we came from. And, though many may carry dual citizenship, we are truly grateful and proud to be citizens of this richly diverse country we now call home!
Just as we were welcomed into Canada as emigrants in 2000, we now as Canadians take our turn to welcome others to our wonderful city of Vancouver. My hope is that everyone who participates in these Games, in whatever way, will experience Canada, and especially Vancouver, with glowing hearts, excited by the promise of what the future might hold!
