That news reader was the esteemed George Mclean. over a decade in Vancouver reading the news (TV and radio) rowing a boat into the middle of English Bay to cover a story.
And a (slightly British-accented news reader for documentaries galore (Massey Tunnel anyone) seen in many BC schools)
We were sad when he went to Toronto. He knew everything about BC, and unlike McElroy, corrected himself when making mistakes/gaffes. Many decades reading the National.
In contrast to your glowing review of the German train system, a lot of the reports I’ve read and heard from European have said just how much it’s, relatively, in a mess. Underfunded and not nearly as efficient as it used to be.
“Journalism is the first draft of history” is a great line. Your remarks on the lack of regulation and paternalistic control are spot on and still confuse me. I remember thinking “if the same amount of beer consumed at Oktoberfest in Munich (without notable consequence) was poured into the lower Mainland, planes would be falling from the sky, downtown in flames, and full on Lord of the Flies behaviour would be everywhere.” How do they do it? I also wonder how Germans feel about the rise of very right wing politics in Europe, north America, and many other places. They spend a lot of effort not forgetting and feeling accountable and then…everyone else forgets.
Great observations on the impact the Euros have on cities. Especially after the round robin matches, cities can suffer if they host games with smaller travelling fan bases. The tourism and hospitality industries need to be cautious and not view the World Cup as something that will solve all their problems in 2026. It’s an opportunity to showcase the destination, but can backfire if all people talk about afterwards is how much prices were jacked up during the month long tournament. In my thirty years at a global hotel company we learned to always advise caution to hotels in cities that hosted these types of events. View 2026 as a marketing opportunity, not simply an opportunity to pad the coffers.
That news reader was the esteemed George Mclean. over a decade in Vancouver reading the news (TV and radio) rowing a boat into the middle of English Bay to cover a story.
And a (slightly British-accented news reader for documentaries galore (Massey Tunnel anyone) seen in many BC schools)
We were sad when he went to Toronto. He knew everything about BC, and unlike McElroy, corrected himself when making mistakes/gaffes. Many decades reading the National.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_McLean_(journalist)
Great writing! You bring your travelling experiences to life in ways your reader can feel like they are there. Continued safe travels.
In contrast to your glowing review of the German train system, a lot of the reports I’ve read and heard from European have said just how much it’s, relatively, in a mess. Underfunded and not nearly as efficient as it used to be.
Good thing my focus was on them was mostly their breadth and openness and not about their timeliness! 😅 I’ll make a note of that though
“Journalism is the first draft of history” is a great line. Your remarks on the lack of regulation and paternalistic control are spot on and still confuse me. I remember thinking “if the same amount of beer consumed at Oktoberfest in Munich (without notable consequence) was poured into the lower Mainland, planes would be falling from the sky, downtown in flames, and full on Lord of the Flies behaviour would be everywhere.” How do they do it? I also wonder how Germans feel about the rise of very right wing politics in Europe, north America, and many other places. They spend a lot of effort not forgetting and feeling accountable and then…everyone else forgets.
The truth, like many quotes attributed to someone as being the first, is a little murkier: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2010/08/on-the-trail-of-the-question-who-first-said-or-wrote-that-journalism-is-the-first-rough-draft-of-history.html
Great observations on the impact the Euros have on cities. Especially after the round robin matches, cities can suffer if they host games with smaller travelling fan bases. The tourism and hospitality industries need to be cautious and not view the World Cup as something that will solve all their problems in 2026. It’s an opportunity to showcase the destination, but can backfire if all people talk about afterwards is how much prices were jacked up during the month long tournament. In my thirty years at a global hotel company we learned to always advise caution to hotels in cities that hosted these types of events. View 2026 as a marketing opportunity, not simply an opportunity to pad the coffers.