Headmaster's Blog on the Olympic experience

Somewhere in the last few weeks, some time seems to have disappeared and a blog or two has been missed in the process! Perhaps I could blame the Olympics on our doorstep for being so absorbing in every way and my penance will be to write about that Olympic experience (readers' penance is to read what I write!).

Swelling with pride at the grace and humanity of so many moments in these Games, I felt that Canada finally stood up and admitted to the fact that it is one of the finest countries in the world, a sublime blend of natural splendour and the human spirit at its best. We've laughed at ourselves for so long about our politeness, our correctness and our essential fairness (and long may that conitinue!) that it has been refreshing to see us unashamedly show that "nice guys don't have to finish last" and that there's nothing wrong with unaggressive patriotism, especially if you've got something to be proud of! The support for our athletes was incredible and everywhere that you turned, there were red-and-white bedecked well-wishers and there was good-humoured enthusiasm. I've long felt that Canada has a leading role to play in what Romeo Dallaire termed 'the era of humanity' and perhaps this Olympic experience can help convince us that we are a nation that can have a unified voice as well as something important to say. People may well look to us for leadership and example.

I see the success of Vancouver 2010 as another huge step in having the older, more established nations take us seriously; it's almost a modern 'coming of age' for Canada and this somewhat decrepit Canadian for one remains very proud!