With the exception of a breathless few minutes in the afternoon, Vancouver lay washed in a citywide tidal wave of patriotism yesterday after the men’s victory in the gold-medal hockey game.
An estimated 150,000 took part in the street party.
“This was the greatest game I’ve ever seen,” said Waterloo, Ont., resident Ryan Carmichael, who took in the game at Robson Square. “It’s Canadian history.”
From immovable crowds of Canadian faithful to high-fiving on-duty police officers along Robson Street and an impromptu game of street hockey in Yaletown, the Olympic frenzy that ran through the city yesterday was unlike anything this town has ever seen.
“This is unreal,” said Jeff Hathaway at the LiveCity Downtown site. “We came down from Chilliwack at 4 a.m. just to be a part of this.”
Hathaway and his table of four were not the only early morning travellers hoping to be a part of yesterday’s madness.
“We took the first ferry from Nanaimo this morning, we almost missed it,” said Doug English.
“It’s been great though, just an awesome time. ”
