If you haven’t heard already Shane Koyczan who wrote and performed the poem “We Are More” at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony was born in Yellowknife and has become an overnight sensation. If you want to know more about where Shane will be check out his Tour Group on Facebook.
VANCOUVER, B.C. – As Shane Koyczan stood obscured behind a curtain atop B.C. Place’s centre stage on Friday, only then did it hit him.
The opening ceremonies. The Olympics. The billions of people who were about to listen to him deliver his poem, “We Are More,” while preaching from a platform raised high in the air.
“I was, like, ‘You either go for it, or jump.”‘
Born to a French mother and a father of First Nations heritage, Koyczan grew up in Yellowknife, where he was raised by his grandparents.
He first began writing as a way to deal with his social awkwardness.
“Not knowing how to speak to people, I decided it might be best to go home and write some prepared speeches,” he recalled.
“Because somebody would ask me a question like, ‘How’s it going?’ Which I realize now is a very benign question, but at the time, it was: ‘Oh my god. I can’t believe this person just talked to me.’
“So I’d go home and write prepared speeches so when people would be like, ‘How’s it going?’ I’d be like, ‘Cheese is my favourite food and I’ll tell you why.”‘
Koyczan said the poem is about what he loves about Canada and Canadian people, and what he hopes for his country.
The genial, soft-spoken 34-year-old said he arrived in Vancouver a week before the speech and said that he managed several hours sleep – in total – over those seven nights.
And he wrestled with the idea of performing, not simply because of nerves. He has serious misgivings about the current Canadian government, specifically with the decision to cut arts programs.
“It was a moment I can’t even define in my life right now. I think I still need to process it. It was an absolute honour to be a part of it.”
If you missed his performance you can watch it below.
A couple months ago 19 year old Darryl Tait was in a serious snowmobiling accident, as you may know. Well he is now in Vancouver on the long road to recovery.
His friends here in Yellowknife will be putting on a fundraiser for him on Wednesday November 25. The event will be filled with awesome performances by Fish Be?, Priscilla’s Revenge, and The Skinnys! With special guest speakers Ross Mercer and Blake Wildfong.
For those in attendance there will be complementary pizza and refreshments. All the proceeds will go to retro fitting a Handi-van for Darryl.
Here is a very well done video of the Torch Relay here in Yellowknife. I like this video because it was made by folks who are from Yellowknife and it just proves what kind of place Yellowknife is.
I just received a e-mail from Sarah Morgan, the coordinator of Yellowknife Torch Ceremony, passing along a message from the Vancouver Sun.
______________
I am contacting you on behalf of the Vancouver Sun. We are covering the torch relay and the torch will be coming to your community.
The Sun has a website that is tracking the torch and I am trying to get your local residents to send images (with information) into the Sun so that we can post it on our website. And “as fast as possible” is our deadline.
Images: looking for images that show:
a) something interesting – the queen charlotte islands sent the torchbearer being paddled in a canoe…or
b) a torch bearer celebrity in your area – ….or
c) something that shows the torch by something interesting in your community
Info needed:
• pls put in “Olympic torch run”
• your town, or community name
• and a little info using the 5w – who, why, what, where and when.
• and finally , your photo credit
I hope that we can compile images from all of the communities, but it is a challenge.
but if you are having problems with that, as a last resort you can send them to these two email addresses: sungraphics@vancouversun.com and sunphoto@vancouversun.com
• In the email subject line, put “oly torch” and the “name of your community” and “citizen journalism”
ex. : oly torch – N’dilo – citizen journalism
Thank you for considering
rgds
Cheryl Shoji
Cheryl Shoji
Photo Assignment Editor Vancouver Sun____________
So if you have any photo from the Ceremony on Thursday night send them in and get Yellowknife recognized as well as yourself.
Tonight (Friday) and Saturday night Leela Gilday will be preforming at NACC. She will be sharing her musical talent both nights starting at 8pm. If you have
Leela Gilday MySpace
never heard Leela play, I encourage you to try and get out for one of the performances.
Leela was born and raised in Yellowknife and is currently living in Vancouver where she is pursuing her music.
If you haven’t heard already Shane Koyczan who wrote and performed the poem “We Are More” at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony was born in Yellowknife and has become an overnight sensation. If you want to know more about where Shane will be check out his Tour Group on Facebook.
A couple months ago 19 year old Darryl Tait was in a serious snowmobiling accident, as you may know. Well he is now in Vancouver on the long road to recovery.
