(E/m)^-2 =

People are surprised to learn that I was actually born in Vancouver. As if to be granted with instant celebrity status, they explain how everyone they know moved here from someplace else. Vancouver has always had its share of migrants looking for a piece of the proverbial greener pasture. Even during the economically dark periods, transients still drift back and forth; their westward treks terminated only by the pacific ocean. Back in the late 1990's, when B.C. was so economically backwards that it managed to miss out on the single greatest period of economic growth in history, it felt a whole lot more desperate then. Perhaps that's contributing to Vancouver's present boom-town phenomenon. The fact that B.C. was so underdeveloped and undervalued has only helped to underscore the present boom with the 2010 Winter Olympics serving as the focal point for it all. Some changes are welcomed: Bridges that should have been built 20 years ago are finally being constructed and unemployment is at an all time low. There is no doubt that 2010 has brought investments back to B.C. that would not have otherwise been forthcoming. It seems that the lead up to 2010 will put Vancouver on the map financially in a way that even Expo 86 did not. It is said the bigger they are, the harder they fall, and I can't help but wonder how far that fall will be. Once the party is over, what will be the ultimate legacy of 2010?