What was the atmosphere like in the Canadian part of the Olympic Village?
Absolutely fabulous. The Village was first rate, the food was good, and the entertainment was fun. The team had very high morale, and I think that was helped by the fact that our NHL players wanted to stay in the Village. Also, I sound a trifle chauvinistic in saying this, but I think we had by far the best uniforms. Everybody wanted to get the Canadian uniforms. They were well designed, and I think some of the success stemmed from the fact that we let the athletes have some input into the design, including the parade uniforms. We heard a lot during the Games about Japanese hospitality. The people of Nagano were very friendly. Media people say that when they go to Olympic cities, they use what they call the “thumb test.” If you miss the last bus from the main press centre, you wear your accreditation and stick out your thumb. In Atlanta, you would probably get mugged or beaten up, but in Nagano, taxi drivers would stop and take you where you wanted to go without charging you. Police ca
