We've got our game faces on!

Hard to believe it’s only a few days until the 2010 Olympic Winter Games descend on Vancouver; more than 350,000 visitors are expected to visit Vancouver and Whistler over the two-and-a-half weeks of the games. You can’t imagine how much we want to see some of those folks come through our doors…

The only problem? We’re not exactly rich, so we don’t have a million-dollar marketing budget. Buying advertising during the Olympics? Not unless you’ve got a sizable pile of cash. Guerrilla advertising? Risky, to say the least, since the rules are (understandably) super-strict for events like this. Do nothing? Seems foolish when so many people are coming to town.

Swiss House, German House, and... Big House?

So, what *is* our Games-time strategy? We can’t pay for advertising, but thankfully nothing beats word-of-mouth. We hope that our friends, both online and offline, will help us spread the word that we’re open, we’re worth visiting, and we’re up to interesting things during the Olympics.

We are offering our popular Sins of the City tour every day during the Games; we’re also extending our hours by staying open on Sundays. Some have even suggested that we re-brand ourselves as the “Big House” for the Olympics. (Not so sure about that idea… but if you want to get your mugshot taken here, we’d be happy to oblige!).

So, to put it as plainly as we can, we need your help.

Not for you. (But you can have a great t-shirt!)

Do you have a great idea on how we can promote ourselves or our walking tour over the next few weeks? Do you know someone (who knows someone) who’s profoundly influential and willing to let people know we exist? Can we put our logo on the side of your poodle? If so, or if you have a better idea, post them in the comments below or send us an email at chris@vancouverpolicemuseum.ca. We’ve got a stack of “Sinner” shirts looking for new homes, and we’re happy to pay (in apparel, not in cash… although $1.2 million looks appealing, doesn’t it?) for your great ideas.

An interactive map of the locations of all the finds is available here: http://www.vancouversun.com/maps/sixfeet.html

It makes much more sense for feet to wash ashore than hands, because feet are protected (by shoes) unlike hands or other body parts. Additionally, shoes float, which keep the feet away from bottom-dwelling scavengers, like crabs. Hands are much more vulnerable, which makes this find even more unusual.

This remains a mystery worth watching. Hopefully the RCMP or the BC Coroner’s Service provide additional information soon.

I guess that with the high cost of fuel these days, it’s becoming more common to enjoy a so-called “staycation” instead of a vacation. Because of this, Paul wanted to interview us as one of the small, but exciting, attractions in the city. I’m always thrilled when people think of us when they’re doing segments like this…

Update: I’ve now posted the interview on the blog. Follow this link to listen to it.

This story has gained international attention, with an Associated Press news item being published across the US, as well as in the UK, Russia, China and India. Theories abound, with the newscasts suggesting Asian gangsters, plane crashes, a serial killer leaving a signature, or medical students playing a cruel hoax as some of the various possible explanations. Experts in oceanography, botany, forensic taphonomy, entomology and geographic profiling have been contacted for their opinions.

On Thursday, the Police Museum was contacted by CBC News for an historical perspective on this case. I gave a short radio interview that focused on the following questions:

• What’s so compelling about this mystery?
• What are my preferred theories?
• Will this case ever be solved?

The next day, after hearing the CBC interview on the radio, a reporter from CTV got in touch and did their own on-camera interview, focusing on similar themes. (Go here, click on “Friday, June 20th”) and fast-forward to 12:35 to see the segment).

This is, of course, not the first time a foot has washed ashore in the Vancouver area; local lore says that in 1887, a leg (in a boot) washed ashore on False Creek–and it was put on display, in the hopes that someone could identify the owner. A mystery that remains unsolved…

There’s something about stories of this type that tug at people–the “Babes in the Woods” case we have on display is an excellent example. In both cases, there’s no story that fits perfectly, no obvious explanation, no way to “close the circle”. We have a deep-seated need to make sense of our world, to apply a narrative to everything we experience and these kinds of mysteries leave us unsettled and unsatisfied.

Time will tell if investigators will be able to solve this modern mystery; perhaps a explanation will make itself known sometime soon, or perhaps it’ll remain an unusual little footnote in the history of our area. (Pun not intended.)

It’s quite possible that there are now five (and counting) victims of foul play out there–we cannot forget that this is a serious event involving real lives. It sure captures the imagination, though, doesn’t it?