Launch 

Thank you, Vancouver!

The spirit was alive Friday, March 30 when over 500 of you turned out in support of the Spirit of Vancouver. The launch marked the start of a year-long campaign to re-ignite the passion we all feel for this beautiful city of ours.

Whether it's promoting existing events, creating new ones or bringing back the ones we've lost over the years, we owe it to ourselves to get involved and harness the enthusiasm for something that has captured the imagination of so many.

It's time to get down to business. The Board is in the process of soliciting and organizing the volunteers while looking ahead to planning the next event under the Spirit of Vancouver banner.

View Vancouver city councillor Lynne Kennedy's speech at the Spirit of Vancouver launch.




"We're going to build a new and exciting reputation for Vancouver from the inside out... one that will restore the life and exuberance of all that our city has to offer."
Harri Jansson, chair, The Vancouver Board of Trade and CEO, Coast Capital Savings


Classic Jazz Band members Lloyd Arntzen, Bob Erwig and Dick Lazenby kicked back and played some fun tunes at the launch.

"In addition to our very powerful natural environment are the cultural, sport and entertainment activities that we all enjoy. I happen to believe that public celebration is part of what makes a city strong. That really gives a community a personality. All of us have a role to play here. You know, I was sitting back saying, 'Gosh, I wish somebody would do something about this,' and you know you can only say that for so long before you look in the mirror or look around the room and say maybe we should try and do something about this."
— Carole Taylor, chair, Spirit of Vancouver Task Force

Kennedy, Nightingale, Sanatani, Skulsky, Startup
Spirit of Vancouver Speaker Panel (L-R): Lynne Kennedy, John Nightingale, Suromitra Sanatani, Dennis Skulsky and Mark Startup

"Good morning Vancouver. Vancouver's never looked so good. Vancouver has an attitude problem." "Let's remember that any city without a thriving arts and cultural community is simply a bunch of boxes with mindless people. Our former prime minister, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, once said that 'People who live at the foot of great mountains are often the last to climb them.' I could paraphrase that and say that 'People who live in great cities are often the last to discover them.'
— Rick Antonson, president and CEO, Tourism Vancouver

Michael Francis"The root of a vibrant professional and amateur art scene is innovation and prosperity. Innovation alone is not enough. It's the poverty of the artists that allow us to enjoy the richness of cultural life and that's just not fair."
— Michael Francis, chair, BC Film


"The next generation of British Columbians find nothing unusual about the global setting that we're living in today because they've experienced that from elementary school on up through university. We have to understand that many of the things we are asking for, such as more flexible rights at the airport, trade and convention centre, are not just good for us but we are a major component of Canada's future."
— Michael Goldberg, Herbert R. Fullerton professor of Urban Land Policy and Dean Emeritus of the Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration, UBC

"I moved to Vancouver on purpose, and I intend to stay here. I'll be darned if I'll live in a city that its livability is decreasing in some way. Vancouver seems to have a harder time celebrating than any city I've lived in. We're stuck being Canadians, then we're British Columbians and then we're Vancouverites on top of it. We've got the triple whammie when it comes to celebrating what we're doing and enjoying our city."
— John Nightingale, executive director, Vancouver Aquarium Marine Sciences Centre

Suromitra Sanatani

"I believe that in order to reawaken Vancouver's entrepreneurial spirit, we need to restore some common sense to the development of regulations and not just celebrate and enjoy the fact that we are creating red tape."
— Suromitra Sanatani, vice-president for BC and Yukon, Canadian Federation of Independent Business




Launch Sponsors

The Art Department
BC Business Magazine
British Columbia Lottery Corporation
Business in Vancouver
Coast Capital Savings
The Fairmont Waterfront
Finning International
Focus Audio Visual Services Ltd.
HSBC
Lawson Lundell
London Drugs
Marathon Development
Vancouver International Airport Authority
Web Profile

BC Lions / BC Place Stadium

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Website: www.bclions.com

Established as a team in the spring of 1953, the BC Lions Football Club began playing in the Canadian Football League in 1954. The team is committed to making a difference in the province and community we share with our fans.

The BC Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium and was recently announced as the host to the 2005 Grey Cup, Canada’s largest professional sporting event. BC Lions’ season ticket holders will have first priority on their seats for Grey Cup.

For information on BC Lions Tickets, please call: 604-589-ROAR (7627) or visit our web site. 

For information on BC Place Stadium, visit www.bcplacestadium.com.