Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Olympic relay divides couple in tiny B.C. town

Damian Inwood, The ProvinceJanuary 26, 2010

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic torch relay is pitting a husband against his wife in this southern B.C. town. While Ann Rexin was busily buzzing around organizing the community torch-relay celebration Sunday night, a lone protester stood on a corner across the street. Holding a sign reading "Human Needs Before Olympics" was her 75-year-old husband, Vern Rexin. "I think it's a big farce, the whole damn thing," said the retired logger. "I mean, when we've got to be spending $1 billion on security, there's something wrong somewhere." Bill Baird, electoral director of the town of 300, said the Rexin family feud was "kind of ironic." "She does all the work and he protests," he chuckled. "He's anti-taxes and every time I have a town meeting and see him coming I go, 'Oh no!' " At the community event, Ann was organizing free chili, a concert, a display of murals and a whole raft of community activities. "I told him if he protested, to stay on the other side," she giggled. "What he never told you was that he helped set all this up yesterday and today." And when confronted with that, Vern admitted he'd helped out. "Don't mention that," he said. "I don't tell her what to do and she don't tell me what to do. But she told me not to go on her side at all." "In fact, I don't understand her at all. She seems to agree with me on this subject at times and then she goes and joins this B.S." After the torch had gone, Vern and Ann were together -- she holding an Olympic torch and he his protest sign.

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