Vancouver 2010 Olympic Cauldron Behind a Fence
byThe Olympic flame is burning strong in Jack Poole Plaza overlooking Coal Harbour with a beautiful North Shore backdrop. Unfortunately, no one in Vancouver can get close enough to it to experience its warming glow as its captured behind an unfriendly chain link fence.
I heard from Bob Mackin that VANOC was considering changing the fencing but as far as I know, the inspiring flame still burns, isolated behind bars.
The reasoning is that it’s to protect the structure from vandals although while I’m sure many are just as concerned about security, I’m sensing most just want to get up close for a loving look.
Lucky for us, a few have been able to poke their lenses through the grid far enough to capture some amazing and much more appealing views of the cauldron.
Photo credit: Derek Miller on Flickr
Until the flame’s majesty is freed for better public viewing, I’ll be looking through the fence and past the barriers thanks to these photos. Should you have any images to share, please feel free to add them to the Miss604 Flickr Group.
Update February 17, 2010 I had the chance to check out the cauldron today with my mom, dad, niece and nephew.
It looks like they cut a space in the fencing so that photos can be less obstructed and it seems the barrier’s been pushed a little closer to the cauldron.
Update February 20, 2010 Hosea from the 24 Hours reports (via twitpic) that the bottom half of the fence is now plexiglass window materiel while the top half is still metal.
Update February 24, 2010 I snapped the following shots from the Can Fund Athlete House in the Shaw Tower.
You can see the queue for the elevated viewing area in the some of these shots.
31 Comments — Comments Are Closed
The fence is indeed an eyesore in an otherwise a beautiful setting with the water and the mountain as the backdrop. I am suprised VANOC did not pay attention to detail here. Your first first photo on this blog makes my point in that the flame with the fence showing makes for a very indistrial look and setting. It brings down the value of the flame and makes it look veyr cheap
It’s not just the fencing, which, BTW, on Saturday was obscured by banner material, but the mess within the enclosure. At least when I was there, construction materials and a hoist of some sort were still within the enclosure. The whole place had the look of a construction zone. No, the City should be ashamed of itself for permitting this. We are paying the gas bills. Let’s at least feel a modicum of the warmth. Nothing against Jack Poole but perhaps Gretzky Plaza might be a more a-propos name. Surely it was 99’s trek by vehicle to this location that is drawing visitors to the spot.
@Peter Just wanted to add however that if not for Jack Poole there would be no Olympic flame in Vancouver.
With the number of security officials patrolling the perimeter of the fence, I’m surprised they haven’t thought of taking the fence down and stationing security directly next to the cauldron. Running security patrols 24/7 may not deter vandals completely, but with ever present security it will make it a lot more challenging for people to deface the base of the cauldron. I think the fence is overkill.
I totally get the need for security, as the poor display of community-building by a few aimless troublemakers certainly threatens the flame. This being said, with the thousands of security personnel in Vancity these days, I’m pretty confident that anyone trying to vandalize anything would be healthily spear-tackled before they got even close to spray-paint range.
How have other cities handled this?
I am wondering if it is not so much an issue of protecting the flame, but more related to how close it is to the International Broadcast Centre (aka the new Convention Centre).
I always thought that is why the whole plaza was blocked off even before the cauldron was there.
Just to clarify, I heard that the ‘vandalism’ reason was a rumour. It’s actually because it’s located next to the Media Centre or something that requires the security. May just be another rumour, but just putting it out there.
Miss 604, I’m surprised you’re not able to get past the fence to take an up-close pic! I’ve heard that media are allowed to get past the fence.
I’m accredited at the Robson Square media centre, not the big official one at the convention centre 🙁
Looks like overnight they’ve moved the fence a bit, and will be opening the observation deck on the West side…Woo!
http://www.ctvolympics.ca/news-centre/newsid=44245.html#public+gets+closer+look+olympic+cauldron
Fence is definitely necessary to protect the cauldron and flame from vandals!
Watched the news lately….protestors people!!
Imagine what those ignorant protesters who were vandalizing property last week would do to the cauldron….we’d have other things burning people HELLO??
@TC Yes, all are aware that this is because of security concerns (including but not limited to protests). It’s just a shame they didn’t think of setting up a secure viewing area ahead of time.
I can totally understand why they have the fencing – it’s a major attraction and therefore ripe for sabotage. Having security only makes good sense. It’s unfortunate that it ruins the pretty look, but just think how much worse it would look if someone put a protest banner over it, or worse.
[…] rounded out the day by meeting up with some family members to check out the Olympic cauldron. As the sun set, casting a pink glow over the snow-capped mountains, the flickering flame was […]
It’s a shame that a few bad apples spoil the access for everyone else. Take what we can get I guess.
I am ashamed as a Canadian to see this…… what are we becoming when we can’t be allowed to visit such a monument. Reminds me of something military or aspects of war.
I am so shocked that anyone would agree to lock such a beautiful thing up looking like a ww2 camp.
some one in charge please fix this abomination and soon. DJ
I read an article in the Globe stating this is the most accessible Olympic cauldron ever. They’re usually up high on a building or tower. While the fence is an eyesore, the location is beautiful.
Wouldn’t it be more Canadian of us to focus on the positive than the negative like our US & British counterparts?
Go Canada!
[…] has a great shot of what all the hoopla was about with the cauldron being behind a chain link fence down at the new convention center. There is the whole issue with it looking like it’s stuck […]
Canadian in whole history never had freedoms, they were, and they are a colonial state of American & British. Thus when it comes to certain words, they have no ability whatsoever to understand those words, such as Olympic… if you ask all Canadians “What is Olympic?” All will reply Medals, and is you ask how you can get one… they would say “with any way …drug or bribe…just give me one”
The whole spirit of the Olympic and its true definition is FREEDOM; and the second definition is Freedoms & FRIENDSHIP Of ALL NATIONS; but as you can see in the photos “Canadians have put Olympic Spirit” behind the BARS and sentenced it life time in JAIL as they have no idea what FREEDOMS is…
Also Canadian’s negligence killed an “Olympian” Luger from Georgia, and Canadian instate of APOLOGY and paying damages to the poor parents of the Victim accused him to be Inexperience, careless, stupid whereas everyone in the World knows that each nation send to the Olympic its BEST that’s why ALL Olympians all best of best of their own Nations and it is a great Honour just be selected as “OLYMPIAN”
These Canadian are big pain in ass of all of us, hopefully they will be free like Russia and each province will have its own freedom and dignity and Canada would die in a history as never exited ….
Hey man, whenever I try to load up pages I only end up seeing half of the site?s post. I do not understand if it is caused by my browser(Safari) or not, is anyone else having this problem?
That cauldron looks like something out of a Nazi era concentration camp.
Big waste of money and gas. The fence is so barbaric. We have security devices that work much better. We, the ordinary folk are insulted — we do not need chain link fences. AND– if they are so worried about vandalism then maybe the Olympic Committee ought to invest in some better public relations.
[…] Olympic cauldron in Coal Harbour […]
Seems like a simple solution to an obvious problem.
Let me say that the protesters are paid by big business and that Albino freak got huge money to disrupt the games. They were out not to hang banners on it but to destroy it. They only stopped the protests after the people in downtown beet the crap out of them on the first Saturday of the games. They know that they don’t have public support. They are also in the thousands so not just a few bad apples. Also that entire area is a high security area. The fence needs to be there until the games are over.
Major N sounds like a MAJOR pain… if you don’t like Canadians and Canada, then why are you living here?
Where exactly is the cauldron?
What exactly is the cauldron supposed to be?
I’m sure the fence was there knowing right after what happen on the first day of the games on Georgia street.
I’m sure there’s a lot of people who want to get super up close.
[…] Vancouver 2010 Olympic Cauldron Behind a Fence […]
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