Raymond Greenwood: Celebration of Light, Celebration of Community

Ep 254

Guest: Raymond Greenwood

Headline: Celebration of Light, Celebration of Community

 

As they have every summer for the past 29 years, the skies over English Bay played host to an enormous public spectacle. That was the scene from the water under the fireworks on July 27, 2019. 

 

In an era when so many people have their faces buried in their phones, I am left wondering why so many people turn out to watch explosives go boom in the night sky. Does the Celebration of Light represent an element in modern society we are all crave? That’s what Ray Greenwood thinks when he says, “We want to be a part of the community; it’s been that way since the very first night.”

 

It’s an interesting observation, one that is both local and global. Fireworks shows have attracted large audiences for longer than mobile devices have been ubiquitous. But why, in a digital world, are the audience numbers growing?

 

Could it be that we yearn to rub shoulders with others? Feel the swell of emotion that a crowd of people creates? Do the fireworks force us to interact with one another? Do they create a focal point, a shared experience?

 

We invited Raymond Greenwood, the man who got the whole thing started, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about major city events, why they’re good for the community and how to make them happen.

 

Conversations That Matter is a partner program for the Center for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. The production of this program is made possible thanks to the support of the following and viewers like you.

 

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