While the Olympics brought a sense of pride to residents of Vancouver, it also represented opportunities for one specific group in the area - small business owners.
In the lead-up to the Olympics, the small business ministry of British Columbia introduced the 2010 Commerce Centre, which, prior to the games, sought to help small businesses become familiar with opportunities. The Globe and Mail reports that the Centre hosted 252 workshops, which sought to connect business partners throughout the area.
"We're very fond of saying the Olympics were not a landing pad, they were a launching pad," said Iain Black, Minister for Small Business, Technology and Economic Development, in an interview with the news source. "We were overwhelmed by the degree to which the British Columbia business community – almost exclusively the small business community, actually – responded."
Small businesses have also benefited from the actions of people in the government. The government announced it would be sponsoring 33 more internships for students that are post-secondary graduates in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
