| shenmecar | 11-26-2009 11:48 AM |
Light: All night, every night
Quote:
Vancouverites learned Wednesday that 20 high-powered searchlights will light up the night from dusk to dawn over English Bay during the 2010 Olympic Games.
Residents say they've been kept in the dark about the details of the project by the Vancouver Olympic Committee, which will see searchlights installed in Vanier Park and Sunset Beach to flood the sky over Vancouver with an Olympic light show.
"What's going on here?" bristled Brent Granby, president of the West End Residents Association, when told of Wednesday's announcement by city hall and VANOC.
"There's nobody else in this city that would get this sort of permission to have a light show with no consultation.
"Is this the way the Olympics is going to be run?" In fact, no residents contacted Wednesday by The Province had any inkling of the Olympic lightfest -- featuring 20 10,000-watt spotlights -- that is slated to run all night every night from Feb. 4 to Feb. 28.
Vancouver-West End MLA Spencer Herbert said his constituents fear the searchlights will shine in their windows as part of the nightly art display.
"It sounds exciting, and it could be very beautiful if it's done artistically, but my constituents are worried about lights coming in their bedroom windows," said Herbert.
"I already get complaints about the Olympic security helicopters doing their training, circling around and around the West End, shining bright lights on the buildings." Vancouver Coun. Tim Stevenson said he believes that Vancouverites will be spared the spotlight.
"From what I know, the light is going upward into the sky, and won't be going into the buildings," said Stevenson. "I think people will be very excited.
"There will be a lot of people coming down to see it, but we have a lot of other Olympic events around the city for people to see." The light show, called Vectorial Elevation, will be "a unique, magical work that local residents, visitors and people from around the world can enjoy," bubbled Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson.
"The installation will not only brighten our night skies, but also bring the Games to the world in an unexpected, interactive way." Robertson said the high-powered searchlights shining from Vanier Park and Sunset Beach will move and create patterns silently and be visible within 15 kilometres of the city's downtown core.
The 20 robotic searchlights will also be programmable for the public via the Internet.
"Vectorial Elevation is a quiet, contemplative display of light sculptures that will connect many countries around the world with Vancouver," said Montreal-based Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, the artist in charge of the installation.
"When I saw English Bay I knew it would be the perfect spot to create our largest canopy of light to date -- and for the first time we are also able to use renewable energy." Lozano-Hemmer has put on similar light shows in Mexico, Spain, Ireland, and France.
Ron Singer of Nav Canada -- which helps ensure planes reach their destination -- said the floatplanes that fly the route do not make night flights.
"It doesn't seem to present any problems -- it's a non-issue," said Singer.
Rick Hill of Helijet Airways -- which does fly at night -- doesn't foresee navigational problems.
| http://www.ctvolympics.ca/mm/photo/v.../20630_m15.jpg |
