Plastic wading pool is liberal response t G-8 pavilion.

It appears that fake lakes are springing up all over Canada. First the 1.9 million dollar Muskoka Lake look-alike in the Toronto G-8 pavilion. The simulated lake was created to maximize the experience of reporters who couldn’t make it to Huntsville, Ontario. Liberals, not to be outdone have responded with a faux lake of their own. Their’s ringing in at less than $20.

The difference? While Harper’s display includes cityscapes meant to highlight our economic success as a nation, a bar and a serene backdrop for all-important telecasts Ignatieff’s version is a little less extravagant. It’s made up of a blue plastic children’s wading pool in the Liberal leader’s front yard. The $20 dollar lake comes complete with a “No Diving” sign and life vests for anyone hoping to take a dip in the 3-inch deep water.
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Photo Credit: Toronto Star

The coming year will be integral to the rebuilding of Canada’s international image. Regardless of one’s views concerning the Copenhagen climate summit, it is unarguable that Canada’s position in the world has been damaged due to it. The perceived image of Stephen Harper’s government put forward by the majority of the international press was overwhelmingly negative. More importantly, it was seen as a fall from grace by a country popularly looked upon as America’s more liberal, and green, cousin, particularly in Europe.

I recently attended an orientation for a job at the 2010 Winter Olympics. As expected, one of the central themes was the history and tradition of the Olympic Games, from their beginnings in ancient Greece to the global brand of the new millennium. However, it was one particular aspect of the presentation that strikes a chord with Canada’s needs coming into 2010. I was informed that the Olympic movement is a celebration of three pillars: Sport, Culture and Sustainability. It is this last pillar that it is necessary for Stephen Harper and the government to grasp in the forthcoming year.
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