With precipitation levels low and the temperatures high, Vancouver’s cherry trees welcomed February with a display of delicate pink blossoms that, in years past, remained hidden until April. In marked contrast to most of the Northern Hemisphere, winter never arrived here, and spring has already sprung. It’s a glorious time to be in Vancouver, save for one nagging little fact — we’re hosting the winter Olympics. | Read the article

Its inevitability has, for a decade now, been forced into my consciousness and my subconsciousness. It’s become a part of my Id, my Ego, and my Super-Ego. Its costs, benefits, politics and promise have permeated local news outlets since I first moved to Vancouver at the dawn of the 21st century. “It” is the XXI Olympic Winter Games and, in four days, “it” finally arrives in my downtown neighbourhood — on the very streets that I traverse each and every day. | Read the article