EDITORIAL — ‘Om the Bridge’ could easily have been resolved
Clark on the bridge earlier in week. (B.C. Govt)
EDITORIAL — Down in Lotusland, they live in a different world. It’s denizens must make the difficult choices, on a daily basis, between such things as whether to take the bus or the Canada Line train, pack an umbrella or sun screen, go to a Lions game or a FIFA match under the cover of B.C. Place, or to protest a pipeline or yoga on a bridge.
Yes, yoga on a bridge.
Plans for an event called “Om the Bridge” were cancelled Friday in the face of public backlash over closing the Burrard Bridge on June 21. It happens that the International Day of Yoga falls on the same day as National Aboriginal Day, and spending $150,000 on yoga instead of on marking Aboriginal Day chafed on a lot of Vancouverites.
It’s been quite the embarrassment for Premier Christy Clark, who only a few days ago stood on the bridge and announced the Province’s support for the Om event.
Thursday, she lightheartedly tweeted about “yoga haters,” which wasn’t quite the right approach. Friday, she took a different approach, first saying she wouldn’t be attending, then following up with a more detailed statement.
“Unfortunately, the focus of the proposed Burrard Street Bridge event has drifted towards politics — getting in the way of the spirit of community and inner reflection,” the premier said.
Then, organizers of Om the Bridge called the whole thing off, promising to come up with something “more meaningful.”
Om the Bridge, of course, was conceived with the best of intentions, colliding with National Aboriginal Day completely by accident. That this miscue couldn’t be amicably resolved is unfortunate indeed — all that would have been required would be for the two things to link up.
A yoga event in honour of National Aboriginal Day, building bridges, would have been a natural.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
In celebration of not about politics day in BC , stay away from cess-pools and murky waters !
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I personally think a more peaceful and park like setting would be best suited for yoga and I always get nervous when bridges are shut down for events in case emergency vehicles need access. I think moving the venue was the right decision because yogis may have faced heckling or even a demonstration to detract from their practice if it went ahead on the bridge.
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Mel, I’m surprised by your superficial treatment of this issue – it was not simply a problem of timing, attention seeking by First Nations or backlash in response to the bridge being closed.
If you look closely at the event it is apparent that this was a gift to two large Liberal party sponsors: Lululemon and AltaGas (fracking company). These corporations in partnership with YYoga were being provided free* use of the Burrard St. Bridge with taxpayers absorbing the policing/closure costs of $150k. (*Altagas was paying $10k for ‘sponsorship’, billionaire Chip Wilson’s company and YYoga – nothing.)
A major, free, public yoga event was already planned for a different venue, and I understand that will still be going ahead along with National Aboriginal Day and Father’s Day festivities. There are several reasons people were opposed to Om the Bridge – not least of which was the cost of the event. Many felt it was not congruent that the practice of yoga be co-opted in this manner, particularly by an energy company engaged in the controversial use of fracking. In addition there is a great deal of suspicion that the ‘event’ was merely a diversion from the recent media and opposition calls for a public inquiry into the Health Worker firings and subsequent suicide of one of those fired.
If you research this topic a little further you will see that a Vancouver city councillor reported that this idea was foisted upon council by the premier and that it came out of nowhere. Mike Smyth of the Province did several columns on it that you might find interesting, one is here: http://www.theprovince.com/health/Smyth+Premier+insisted+bridge+closing+yoga+event+says+Vancouver+councillor/11125879/story.html
I agree that it we should be building bridges between cultures and that sharing cultural activities are a way to accomplish this. However, I’d argue that the last minute staging of a phony event to deflect bad press – while shutting down a major transportation corridor to provide taxpayer funded publicity to political sponsors – is not the way to go about doing so.
Bread and circuses.
Only this time the public wasn’t fooled. I think that would be a topic worthy of writing about.
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Right on!
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Well said Kim. Lets not forget about the major yoga event already planned downtown by the ” authorized ” group already. This was just going to be a cheap ( in every sense of the word ) photo op, and pay back to a couple of supporters.
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It also coincided with Fathers Day, but as a dad and grandpa, I had no issue with Yoga on the Bridge.
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