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The city of Vancouver is alive with Olympic spirit. People have been filling downtown. Just like in Salt Lake City, the tall buildings are wrapped in images of the mascots and Canadian athletes.
Jenny Bovine and her family spent the day in downtown Vancouver, among the towering buildings.
"Everyone is getting all excited," she said. "To see all the artwork and tourist action, it's pretty neat."
People even seemed happy while waiting in long lines. We found Suzanne Boychuck waiting in line, and she managed to get tickets to the Opening Ceremonies. "I have no idea, were all speculating. We don't even know who will be bringing the torch in. It's just a surprise," she said.
Even at night the city sparkles with the Olympic fever. Bill Harkema said, "There's a vibrancy in this city I haven't felt for a long time, and I've lived here for 45 years."
US speedskater Catherine Raney Norman told us, "Every day here in Vancouver gets better. They have done a fantastic job with this entire Olympics."
Hockey is all the talk. Everyone is wearing hockey jerseys with the maple leaf on them, and we found the hot item: mittens.
"They're Canadian, and they're warm!" Penny Docherty said.
"Look at the price, look at the design," Allen Herbert said. "Everybody can wear them. Everyone loves them. I bought these for friends of mine in the states, and I get back e-mails saying, ‘Thank you! I'm going to wear them and I'm going to love them!'"
A big part of the International Broadcast Center in Vancouver is the space where NBC sets up shop. The network holds the rights in the United States to air the Olympics. All the events and coverage you watch on your TV comes out of this building. Expect a visual feast during these games.
"This is the first all-HDTV Winter Games. The pictures are stunning, I think, what you'll see on opening ceremonies, hopefully on an HDTV," said Dave Mazza, with NBC Universal.
The opening ceremonies will be held at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver. While most of the events have been kept secret, sources say there will be a light show, dancers, skaters and ice-like totem poles.
The opening ceremonies will be broadcast Friday evening, Feb. 12, at 8:00 p.m. on KSL-5.
E-mail: abutterfield@ksl.com
