There’s No Place Like This

At the beginning of the Games, we found out CODE gave Ontario House permission to screen Spring and I immediately dashed down to check out the venue.

With an outer faux-wall constructed of blue and white dripping ropes, the pavilion has a massive screen visible to all passersby that continuously plays scenes featuring Ontario artists.

The Ontario House pavilion at the 2010 Vancouver Games truly set a new standard increativity and innovation. After waiting in a forty-minute lineup, the 4D film was the best of any 3D film, blowing away flicks by BC Pavillion and even Panasonic. What made it 4D? It’s an all-sense experience. The seats poke and jiggle you, snow and water is spritzed in your face and they waft in the sweet smell of pine and, yes, even the stink of hockey gear… yep, truly a Canadian film.

How can you not get a kick out of using brain your beta and alpha waves to manipulate the lights on the CN tower or Parliament or Niagara Falls? After 3pm PST you could control the lights live… concentrate and you spin the lights faster; relax and you change the colour.  I scored the CN tower and text my sister who can see it from her window.

It was hard not to go back every day. Walls were plastered with HD television broadcasting all the events, warm inviting lighting and reasonably priced snacks (such as ontario beer and wine at the cheapest of all venues at 5$/glass). They featured many other exciting and original exhibits (one nifty one from Toronto’s Nuit Blanche – the waterfall of plastic water bottles), events and performances; showcased made-in-Ontario products and services; and be technologically state-of-the-art while being supported using environmentally sustainable systems and technologies. And best of all… clean, indoor, flush toilets… coveted in an Olympics full of outdoor johnny-on-the-spots.

“There’s No Place Like This…”

Of all the pavilions, Ontario House rose as the coolest. Trust me I am born a Quebecer, so this is an honest, unbiased opinion. Thanks to OMDC for helping fund our  wee film Spring. We are proud to be contributing artists representing Ontario at the 2010 Cultural Olympiad.

Tags: 2010 Cultural Olympiad, CODE, Lynne Kamm, OMDC, Ontario House, Ontario Pavilion, Spring