Arnie conquers
Date: 31-05-2007
Posted by: Anabolic Info TeamUnited States |
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Whether he was talking to construction workers, first nations dancers, businessmen, Special Olympics athletes, or cigar store managers, Arnold Schwarzenegger brought a touch of Hollywood with him on a whirlwind visit to Vancouver today.
An entourage of 20 to 25 people accompanied the California governor on his Canadian trade mission.
The groomed men and women in tailored black suits and sunglasses looked a little out of place at his tour of Canada Line construction under the Cambie Street bridge.
But Schwarzenegger strode confidently past forklifts, stacks of piping, steel wires, and the gaping hole that will one day be a rapid transit line linking downtown Vancouver with the airport.
Dressed in grey pinstriped pants, a white short-sleeved dress shirt and a lime-green tie, Schwarzenegger exuded a hint of his inner action hero. Neither his bulging muscles nor his distinctive Austrian accent appeared to have softened much since the days of Terminator or Conan the Barbarian.
After joining Premier Gordon Campbell to discuss a mutual commitment to public-private partnerships and environmental issues, the two jumped into a black GMC Yukon XL.
The huge sports utility vehicle, selected by the RCMP to meet security requirements, was not a hybrid.
Before leaving, Schwarzenegger took time out to greet a group of construction workers who had taken a short break from preparations to bore the second tunnel of the line.
The governor shook hands with each in turn - even one worker who was black with dirt.
Miguel Rosinha, a Portuguese worker who's laboured on the project for a year, said the governor put his arm around his shoulder for a photograph.
"It's a special feeling," he said. "I was a little boy when I went to see his movies, so I'm a big fan. I saw all of them."
For Rosinha, Schwarzenegger's appeal is all about his Hollywood past, not his political present.
"To me, he will always be an actor."
Later, Schwarzenegger stopped to buy cigars at Cigar City Emporium on West Sixth Avenue - a store he'd been to during his last visit to Vancouver when he made The Sixth Day.
"It was all very exciting," said Lianne Ashley, Cigar City's manager. "He came in with a huge entourage of security and there were cameramen -and, oh yeah, I forgot, Gordon Campbell."
Ashley declined to say what kind of cigars the governor purchased, saying the preferences of her customers are always confidential.
Schwarzenegger also joined Campbell and Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan to watch a Special Olympics demonstration at the Sutton Place Hotel.
The governor grinned and clapped as he watched a rhythmic gymnastics and power lifting demonstration, then hugged, high-fived and shook hands with the athletes.
"I just wanted you to know how proud I am to see such great champions lifting all these weights. You are going to do some serious butt-kicking!" he said, referring to the upcoming Special Olympics in China.
Tim Lord, a 28-year-old Special Olympics power lifter from Richmond, said he was excited to meet the bodybuilding icon.
"I am a little bit nervous but I'm really honoured," Lord said. "I'd like to meet him and I'd like to shake his hand if possible. I also want to say thank you for everything he's done for the Special Olympics."
Outside the hotel, a small crowd gathered to see the movie-star-turned-governor.
"Definitely from his movies I paid attention to his career," said Stephen Dyrgas of Vancouver. "It's interesting to see this jump into politics. He's leaving quite an impression on people."
Earlier in the day, Schwarzenegger was given a traditional welcome by a group of aboriginal leaders and performers, prompting the California governor to call the first nations "the first, original environmentalists."
Chief Gibby Jacobs of Squamish First Nations presented him with a ceremonial paddle and joked "I knew he [Schwarzenegger] would be back" - a reference to the line made famous by the governor in his movies.
