The Occupy Calgary movement has been, well, occupying Calgary’s headlines for the past few weeks.

What started out as a pretty interesting, engaging and seemingly organized protest, quickly turned into a dirty, dangerous and complicated mess.  

Four weeks later, the protesters have essentially wasted their opportunity to educate Calgarians on whatever they were protesting about. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that the Occupy Calgary movement hasn’t really changed my perspective on Canadian government or banks.

But what the Occupy Calgary movement has done is shine the spotlight on Olympic Plaza, a place that up until now, has never been on my radar.

Olympic Plaza does not get enough respect. For as long as I’ve lived in Calgary, I’ve been told to stay away from the place that once held the world’s top athletes. Over the years, it’s essentially exchanged gold medals for drug needles.

I did take my cousin to Olympic Plaza this summer to see the Canada Day fireworks, but the stress of having to hold on to him for dear life was not something I’d be interested in doing again.

With the Occupy Calgary protesters essentially mocking homelessness and taking over this once historic plaza, it’s inspired me to give it another chance … once the tents and human waste have been cleaned up.

For years, aside from the odd outdoor show, it has sat vacant; a hub for loiterers and, recently, confused protesters.

As Calgarians, we can no longer allow the lowest of the low to scare us away from a plaza that, when you think about it, is centrally located, basks in the summer sun and turns into a winter skating wonderland during our coldest months.