Yukon spirit was alive at the Olympics

VANCOUVER – For many, it was a trip Outside to take in the winter Olympics on what was for Yukoners a warm summer day, but for others it was a chance to see old friends and reminisce.

VANCOUVER – For many, it was a trip Outside to take in the winter Olympics on what was for Yukoners a warm summer day, but for others it was a chance to see old friends and reminisce.

“It’s just like Old Home Week,” former Whitehorse mayor Bill Weigand said inside Northern House on Saturday.

As he spoke, he and his wife, Jeri, were greeted again and again by Yukoners who had flown in on the Air North charter to celebrate Yukon Day at the Olympics.

“It’s a great day for the Yukon; what else can you say?” the former mayor asked.

While the Weigands only had to make a short trip from their Vancouver home to Northern House, back in the Yukon, early on Saturday morning an excited 120 passengers climbed aboard Air North’s 737 jet.

Each seat was filled with those who had paid more than $400 for the flight to and from Vancouver to take in the Olympics.

Passengers arrived before 6 a.m. and onwards to board the 7:30 a.m. flight.

They were greeted by Air North staff with a blue and orange scarf that guaranteed priority admission into Northern House and a bag of swag.

Each bag bore their name tag with a coloured stripe showing what group they’d be with as they strolled the streets of Vancouver through the afternoon.

For many, the excitement of heading down to the Olympic-host city was hard to contain.

Some had flags – Canadian and Yukon – draped around them or held in their hands.

One passenger proudly showed off the shirt he was wearing, a souvenir from 1988 Olympics in Calgary, the last time the Games happened in Canada.

The excitement continued as passengers moved through security, on board the plane and through the two-hour flight to Vancouver.

Along with breakfast, door prizes were handed out and an Olympic torch was passed around as everyone sang the national anthem.

In between all of this, many talked the Olympic experiences they’d had in the past or, in Air North marketing manager Debra Ryan’s case, didn’t have.

In her case, third time appears to be the charm in making it to the world event. In 1976, when the Olympics went to Montreal, she had been set to go with her boyfriend at the time. By the time the Games came around, they had broken up and she didn’t go.

By the time the Calgary Olympics came around she was pregnant, and once again didn’t make it.

This time around, she said, she told the family she was going.

From the Vancouver airport, the Yukoners – decked out in their blue and orange scarves – caught the SkyTrain to the final stop on the route at the waterfront station and walked fewer than five minutes away to Northern House.

There, a line of people snaked around the corner of the building.

While those in the line were said to be waiting more than two or three hours to get into the pavilion showcasing the three territories, those wearing the blue and orange scarves were able to jump the que, being greeted inside by Duane Aucoin and Sharon Shorty drumming and performing the Entrance Song.

While the pair could be heard off to the side, in front on a small stage was a Mountie decked out in red serge standing next to an Inukshuk, fireweed surrounding it.

“We’re welcoming all Yukoners,” Aucoin said after the Yukoners were in and their performance wrapped up.

The two have been at Northern House since Feb. 11. They have been pleased to welcome and showcase the North for visitors from around the world, but Saturday seemed especially special, they both said, as they got to welcome the Yukoners.

“It’s our people,” Shorty said.

It wasn’t long before she and Aucoin were on the stage past the main entrance to entertain the packed crowd, this time appearing as Gramma Susie and Cash Creek Charlie.

“Welcome to the Vancouver Summer Olympics,” Charlie said to laughter as the pair went on to inform the crowd that in the Yukon, if you’re first nations, you’re either part of the wolf or raven clan.

It wasn’t long before the audience was making the sounds of ravens and wolves.

The show continued with a couple of dances, with Cash Creek Charlie getting the men to do the Grouse Dance Song while Gramma Susie had the women waiving their arms to another drum beat.

“Remember, men, it’s not the size of your tail that counts, it’s how you shake it,” Cash Creek Charlie informed the men before the Grouse Dance Song.

The women appeared a little more reluctant at first to follow Grandma Susie’s instructions.

“You can’t say no to an elder,” she said to finally convince them, and launched into suggestions as to how they could do it.

You can wave like you need a ride somewhere, or like you’re saying hello or even freestyle, she said.

“Well, that’s our Indian Olympics,” Granma Susie said as she finished the dance.

She and Cash Creek Charlie also made a point of addressing the Yukon crowd throughout the performance.

“Yukoners, I’m surprised your first stop wasn’t KFC,” Cash Creek Charlie said, wondering aloud just how long the fast food restaurant had been closed in Whitehorse.

Gramma Susie was also happy to show off her Olympic slippers, bearing one of the mascots who, she told the crowd, she plans to marry.

He’s furry, cute and he has a job, she pointed out though soon realizing it won’t be long before he’s unemployed.

As Gramma Susie’s Yukon flag fell off the microphone to the floor of the stage, she took it as a sign.

“I guess the show’s over,” she said.

The pair was one of many Yukon performers on stage throughout the day, with Sasquatch Prom Date being the next to entertain the crowd.

Others, like the Ross River Drummers, Kevin Barr, fiddlers, and Arctic sports, among many, would be perform through the rest of the day.

Officials took a moment in between some of the entertainers to formally address the crowd before the delegation from the Yukon left on their walking tour.

“Today is all about celebrating the Yukon,” Tourism and Culture Minister Elaine Taylor said after being led in by two Mounties with Vancouver Organizing Committee CEO John Furlong.

More than 80,000 people have visited Northern House, Taylor said after acknowledging all the other Yukon MLAs and Whitehorse Mayor Bev Buckway who were down for the day or, in some cases, had been there a few days.

Taylor also expressed her thanks to Air North for the charter flight and the airline’s support in taking a number of media in Vancouver for the Olympics up to the Yukon for the day.

“You are to be commended for bringing the Yukon to the world,” she said.

Furlong was also pleased to have the Yukoners in town for the day.

“It’s a fantastic pleasure to have you all here,” he said, as he recalled VANOC’s original vision to involve as many Canadians as it could in the Games.

The Olympics were planned to be something that would unite all Canadians.

“It has worked beyond our wildest dreams,” he said.

The work to do that began largely with the torch relay, bringing the flame to many small communities so residents there could experience the Games at home and feel they were part of it.

One very personal moment for him happened with the flame went into Old Crow. It was then he learned the event would also mark the first time a jet had landed in the Yukon’s northern-most community.

And it wasn’t so much that it was the first time a jet had landed there that made it significant for him, but it was knowing the community’s population grew by 50 per cent as officials and others were in the village for the relay.

“We knew then this was going to be great,” he said.

As the entertainment continued, visitors took in the sounds and displays of the North

Paintings displayed legends of the Inuit. A stuffed polar bear appeared in a glass case and a narwhal tusk were among the displays showing off the wildlife of the North. Airplanes showcasing the North’s aviation present and past dangled from the ceiling, with photos showing off sites like Kluane National Park.

“The North is a land of opportunity,” read one of the panels on display on the main floor of the building. “Take advantage of a growing economy to find your perfect fit: start your own business, obtain a career with advancement possibilities and reach your economic potential.”

The basement of the building was dedicated to the Yukon and the business opportunities, showcasing art and first nations wear, including that of Ann Smith.

Businesses like Yukon Brewing were also showcased, and the territory was shown off in film on a big screen set up for viewers.

Along with the Weigands, former Yukoner Ken Taylor also spent much of his time reconnecting with old friends and was handing out information on the upcoming Vancouver Yukoners’ Association’s annual banquet in Vancouver, set for April 17.

The banquet typically draws anywhere from 300 to 350 people, mostly former Yukoners now living in B.C. wanting to reconnect.

A lot of people who haven’t lived in the Yukon, Taylor said, don’t realize the impact it has on you after you leave. This gives those who have that experience a chance to get together.

Northern House wasn’t the only site celebrating all-things Yukon.

Inside the Inuit Gallery, a few blocks away, paintings, sculptures and other pieces produced by Yukon artists like Jean Taylor, Shirlee Frost and Ken Anderson, among others are on display for the first time.

As the day continued, the four groups with the Yukon delegation moved through the city taking in the sites and sounds.

While some opted to wait in long lineups to get into the pavilions of other jurisdictions – Quebec, Alberta and many more – others chose to take the excitement in at street level watching games of ball hockey played on streets shut down for pedestrian traffic and events.

They moved with the crowd, herded among the many red and white Canada jerseys, hats and other wear, also occasionally bumping into the supporters from elsewhere around the world, decked out in their own home-land jerseys and gear.

Police stood at the ready, directing both vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

It wasn’t until just before 6:30 p.m. that the entire Yukon delegation came together again, taking their seats in the nosebleed section of BC Place, which was hosting the Vancouver victory celebration.

While the medals for the day were handed out in Whistler, including the gold to Canadian Jon Montgomery, who won in skeleton, it was telecast to several screens set up in BC Place.

Before that got underway though, the Yukon once again held the stage before a small audience.

In the stands, Yukoners applauded and showed their pride throughout a presentation that combined the big screen with the stage at the event.

Scenes and descriptions of the territory, mainly around Whitehorse, showed off groups like the Yukon Urban Dance Ensemble as they leaped into the Yukon River before they appeared on stage showing off their skills.

On the big screen, Soir de Semaine performed on Fish Lake after a “cab” – aka dog sled – arrived for the show. It wasn’t long before the band appeared on stage for the live show.

As each performer appeared, the enthusiastic Yukon crew waved their flags, cheered and rang their cowbells.

That enthusiasm remained as the Whistler telecast began, the crowd standing for each national anthem and a loud cheer erupting as Montgomery accepted his medal.

As the Stereophonics of the U.K. took to the stage to perform, many of the Yukoners left the stadium to get one last jaunt through the busy streets of the city before catching the SkyTrain back to the airport.

Those who had yet to see the flame made that their last stop, weaving their way through vocal Canadian-supporting crowds down to the waterfront to see the flame light up the night sky.

All told, Air North president Joe Sparling is deeming the charter a success.

“I think it went very well,” he said in an interview this morning, noting many he spoke to were happy with everything, despite the huge line-ups that sometimes prevented them from seeing certain attractions.

Indeed, passengers expressed their thanks to the airline for hosting the charter in thank-you cards passed around the return flight Saturday night.

While some of the thank-yous noted the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take in the Olympic city, others were more specific, down to the brie that was included in the breakfast provided on the flight.

The charter also proved an excellent business opportunity for the airline in more ways than one. Many visitors to Northern House from Vancouver now know the Yukon is just a couple of hours away, and the event was an excellent advertising opportunity too, he said.

For Sparling as well, it meant he got to take in some of the Olympic spirit downtown.

The president of the airline said the airline is looking into other charter flights, including the possibility of flights geared to the Kelowna Wine Festival, Victoria Marathon as well as longer flights to Palm Springs or Las Vegas.