Terry McBride, owner of the YYoga chain.Rafal Gerszak/The Globe and Mail
Yoga is supposed to be tranquil, peaceful. But in British Columbia, it has lately been associated with the rhetorical equivalent of a wince-inducing hockey brawl.
The spark was Premier Christy Clark's announcement that the Burrard Street Bridge in Vancouver will close for seven hours on Sunday, June 21, so hundreds of yoga buffs can mark International Yoga Day by stretching out on the bridge deck.
The goal of the initiative, with the slogan Om The Bridge, is to hold the largest yoga day celebration outside India, considered yoga's birthplace.
Ms. Clark said she raised the idea with India's Prime Minister during his recent visit to Canada and has framed it as a bid to bolster ties between the two countries.
But critics have raised concerns about the expected $150,000 cost of the closing, and the fact that it falls on National Aboriginal Day has prompted threats of demonstrations against the event. Some have pointed to sponsor Lululemon's donations to the B.C. Liberals.
Raffi Cavoukian, the acclaimed childrens' songwriter and singer and no fan of Ms. Clark, has been especially pointed on social media.
He recently wrote on Twitter: "her govt is an embarrassment to BC," and has been credited with launching the hashtag #shunthebridge. Mr. Cavoukian this week declined an interview request from The Globe and Mail. A spokesperson wrote in an e-mail that the performer preferred just to tweet on the issue.
On Thursday, Ms. Clark fired back at critics with a tweet that pictured her in front of a Tai Chi studio in Parksville, B.C., with the comment, "Hey Yoga Haters – bet you can't wait for International Tai Chi day."
That set off a new round of criticism, although Ms. Clark told reporters on Vancouver Island her tweet was a joke.
Terry McBride is not laughing at all the fuss. The CEO of yoga-studio company YYoga, one of three corporate partners in the effort. He was at Ms. Clark's side when she announced the plan. He did not say much then, but spoke to The Globe and Mail before Ms. Clark's the Tai Chi tweet.
What have you thought of the response to the plans to celebrate yoga on the Burrard Street Bridge?
People have politicized it for their own reasons and taken away really from what is a simple and true intent, which is celebrate yoga with 100-plus other countries on International Yoga Day.
Did you see this coming?
No. It's unfortunate. I am kind of saddened by it. People want to politicize things that aren't really political. That's really unfortunate.
What do you think is driving the politicization of this?
Because you have Christy Clark involved, which means that people have to criticize everything government does. I understand the politics of it, but they are really losing sight of what this is. People have called it a PR stunt. They have called it a spectacle. I disagree with both of those things. It was inspired by what's been happening in New York for the last five to six years where they do this in Times Square. They take a very, very busy part of the city and they shut it down for a couple of hours. And people become mindful and present and practice yoga. There's been a divinity to it. I think it's really good for people to sit and pause and do this. I have been very cognizant in conversations with the province and city to pick a time and bridge that doesn't have a lot of traffic at that time. It's not going to inconvenience anybody.
You mentioned New York City. Have you ever seen that gathering?
Yeah. It was beautiful. You took a place that was chaotic and probably one of the busiest intersections in the world, with six or seven streets coming into that one area. And just paused it. It was awesome to witness.
When did you become aware of this plan and what did you think of it?
Probably about three weeks ago. I had a conversation with the Premier, saying, "You know what? We should do something really, really special." Vancouver is a huge market for yoga. We have some of the best teachers here. Yoga studios are an amazing part of the community. They are all focused on wellness.
Who said, "Ah ha," about the Burrard Street Bridge?
Ms. Clark came at me based on a conversation she had with the Prime Minister of India, saying, "Hey Terry. What do you guys think about doing something big for International Yoga Day? What have you seen in the past?" I mentioned Times Square. She said, "What about, like, doing it on a bridge?" I said, "Well, I think the Burrard Street Bridge would be magical. It's, like, busy, but its actual view is stunning."
Was this a dinner you were at with the Premier?
No, no. Phone conversation.
Was any thought given to doing it in a park?
There is, but there is a reason why it's done in Times Square and not Central Park. The whole purpose is to take a busy place and make it stop for a couple of hours to basically reflect and pause. It has much, much more meaning.
If you can get past the criticism, what do you think that image of people doing yoga on the bridge is going to be like?
Hopefully, it's absolutely beautiful, because that was the intent behind it. I have seen criticisms from people within the aboriginal community like, "How dare you do it on our day." It was never about that. International Yoga Day was set by the UN. I didn't pick the day. I definitely didn't pick it to go up against First Nations, who I absolutely respect massively. I think their culture embodies so many amazing things that are very parallel to what yoga is. Non-judgmental. Health and wellness. Spirituality and all of that stuff. Doing it on the Burrard Bridge at 8:30 in the morning keeps it far, far away from all of their celebrations at Trout Lake, which I believe happen in the afternoon. I think to celebrate two amazing things on the same day is awesome. It's not really a matter of having one over the other.
Some people have pointed to Lululemon's donations to the B.C. Liberals as suggesting a connection to all this.
You have a $10-billion company that makes a $10,000 donation. And two years later, or whatever it is, International Yoga Day happens to happen and the province is behind it? C'mon. Please. That's a real stretch.
How long have you practiced yoga?
Eleven years now. It really calms the mind. I used to go to the chiropractor every six weeks because my hips would lock out and I was in pain. Typical 40-year-old male at that point. Nine months into yoga, I got a post card in the mail from the chiropractor, saying. "Where have you been?" And that was the realization that I was no longer in pain.
One of the criticisms raised is the sense that this is a promotional exercise by the yoga industry. What's your response to that?
Absolutely not. Frankly, with all of the effort this has taken, it would be better to put it into my business. I haven't even got a single teacher from my studios teaching at this. And that was on purpose. I wanted this to be a community event.
There have been reports this will cost $150,000. Should the companies be paying for that?
Government should support initiatives in the community that make it a better place. YYoga employs hundreds of people who pay taxes, who live in this community, who are a vibrant part of it. Why should we be deemed different than other reasons and other causes? There are some great causes, which might not be getting funding right now. I get that, but this is not about us and them. It simply isn't.
Do you hope to do this again, either on the Burrard Street Bridge or other locations in the Lower Mainland?
That would be a really good question to ask me after this because this has not been a really easy event to pull off, especially on such short notice.
Are you going to be on the bridge?
Absolutely. I've been lucky enough to practice with up to 1,000 people. The energy is absolutely amazing.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Ian Bailey