When the Games began, there were lots of Canadians who weren't impressed by the hype surrounding the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Our own Josh Freed wittily called them "the UnCanadian Olympics," decrying the "U.S.-style boosterism" surrounding the Torch Relay and the opening ceremonies. Josh must have been hiding under his couch as the gigantic bear bounced into the pneumatically-sealed stadium! And how did he feel about the ice totems and the dancer flying above a prairie patchwork! And don't mention the negative reaction to "Own the Podium."

There are Canadians who prefer to see us as more reserved. They want our athletes to be gifted amateurs who win their events almost by accident and then apologize to everyone. "I'm sorry I won this event. I'm Canadian. I only came to participate. I really don't want the medal." Wanting to win, striving to win, creating a winning mentality for competition, these don't figure in this version of Canadian. Winning is American.

But even if you do think the Own the Podium campaign put too much emphasis on winning, it comes straight out of standard coaching theory. You have to visualize yourself winning to win.

And today's professional athletes train to win: they are not paid to lose. We don't live in the Gifted Amateur Age. You don't train five hours a day to be a good loser. Canadians aren't losers.

I even had an email from an old teacher colleague who now lives his blissful retirement on the island of Cortes in B.C. He writes: "I confess to ... not being a fan of the Olympic madness. I feel for the athletes, but generally despise the blatant greed of the Olympic committee and its sycophants."

Take that Dr. Rogge.

But if we didn't have the immensely talented (and professional) producers and entertainers and athletes who put on this Olympic show, producing their modern versions of Canada, how would all the thousands of immigrants we receive every year know what being Canadian is all about?

How would they find out about Bobby Orr, Anne Murray, Rick Hansen, the Great One and k.d. lang?

My own first big revelation about Canada was watching neighbours and colleagues reacting to Canada's eventual victory over the Russians in 1972. So, I said to myself, that's what being Canadian means!

And the big breakthrough in these Olympics is the prominence of the First Nations. Even though Canada is a "young" country, we are beginning to realize through our First Nations that Canada is an ancient place with deep roots in its immense geography.

John Furlong in his impassioned speech hit the note as he proposed "to share, if even for a few minutes, what it feels like to be a proud Canadian."

I've only lived in Canada for 40 years but many of the mythic Canadians of those 40 years were part of the opening show. Of course, the opening spectacle was an opportunity to broadcast Canadian culture to the world but it was also a show for us, Canadians and for thousands of new Canadians who weren't born here, who haven't evolved here.

A lot of Canadians obviously don't need to discover the idea of Canada, but thousands of newer Canadians do.

I think Ian Brown in the Globe and Mail got it right when he described the spectacle as "a strange and moving play about the wavering but rooted experience of being a Canadian."

What did we witness: "an abstract Canada, a place that has more collective interests than it does people to explain and reinforce them. It's a country that is an idea as much as it is a country, a strange and surreal and often lonely and sometimes surprisingly serious idea."

After all, Canada is an idea, complex and ambitious. And the Olympics have been a pageant celebrating the diversity of all its elements.

No wonder there were so many of us shivering with goose bumps as k.d. lang sang Hallelujah!, as Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won their dance medal, as Joannie Rochette mourned her mum with icy perfection, as Clara Hughes celebrated the end of her glorious career and as Canada skated through the sublime Russians! And then came Crosby's conclusive goal. Hallelujah, brother!