Vancouver, Canada: Vancouver Enjoys Opening Ceremony of Beijing Olympics on Inflatable Movie Screen

More than a thousand people gathered at Richmond's Aberdeen Mall on August 8, 2008 to watch the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on a giant inflatable screen -- and share a pancake breakfast.

The crowd rushed from the parkade as the mall doors opened, filling the space with cheers as the Chinese flag crossed the Bird's Nest Stadium. Councilor Bill McNulty helped pour batter as roughly 300 volunteers served the crowd, which far outnumbered the pancakes available.

City Director of Public Works Dave Semple noted that events like this -- drawing a diverse mix of longtime residents and recent immigrants -- reflected how Richmond had grown. Attendee Mandy Lee called the shared viewing experience “great and amazing,” while Helen Fung was struck by the mixed crowd. Many stayed through the full ceremony; others slipped away to start the workday.

For Richmond, it was also a warm-up: McNulty described it as a mobilization test ahead of the city's role in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.