It made its backers rich. Financiers in the Washington,D.C., area also knew what canals meant to cities like Venice in Italy and Tsaritsyn - later called Stalingrad and Volgograd - in Russia.

VOA: standard.2010.04.29

And while he said his booth on B.C.Street was not necessarily an advertisement for tourism, he hopes - like others displaying their regions on B.C.Street at these Olympics it will inspire visitors from around the world to one day visit his community.

VOA: standard.2010.02.23