Olympic rings made out of cranberries to float in the Fraser
By Matthew Hoekstra - Richmond Review
Published: December 02, 2009 11:00 AM
Updated: December 02, 2009 3:59 PM
Richmond's iconic berry—13 million of them—will be dropped into the Middle Arm of the Fraser River to form a floating tribute to the Olympics next February.
The berries will float in a form carrying the design of the Canadian Olympic Committee's logo, including a giant maple leaf and set of Olympic rings, in the river offshore from the Richmond Olympic Oval.
City officials are going one step further by filling the water feature outside Richmond City Hall with cranberries to give the public an up-close look at the island city's No. 1 agricultural industry.
"The idea was the world is going to be here and we want to tell the stories of Richmond, particularly around our industry, culture and heritage," said city spokesperson Ted Townsend.
It's part of a new program called Richmond Revealed, a series of public displays showcasing Richmond industries to the world during the Games.
Townsend said the program involves a series of partnerships and is "cost-neutral" to the city. Cranberries are being donated by local growers for the displays, which will last throughout the Games.
Townsend said last month city officials gave international media a successful sneak peak of the display by flooding the oval's water feature with cranberries.
The Richmond Revealed program will also include a seven-storey inukshuk to be built out of shipping containers. A room-sized model of the Canadarm, Canada's contribution to the International Space Station designed by Richmond-based MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates, along with other aerospace projects will also be featured.
And on Feb. 14, 2010, a special Chinese New Year celebration will be staged, featuring a mass tai-chi performance and a dragon dance led by two dragons—150 metres and 75 metres long.
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Olympic cranberry display
-13 million cranberries weighing 13,600 kilograms (30,000 pounds) will form the logo of the Canadian Olympic Committee in the Middle Arm
-It will cover 3,210 square metres (34,550 square feet)
-Over 30 anchors will hold the display in place
-All berries will come from Richmond farms
-Richmond is Canada’s largest producer of cranberries with more than 60 family-owned farms, the majority of which are part of the Ocean Spray co-operative
-Cranberries will be composted at the end of the installation