I’ll have some pictures and more detailed updates later this afternoon but, for now, a few random convention observations on Day 1:

Thursday 9 am: The (provincial) Liberal signs here are blue…go figure.

Thursday 11:45 am: Michael Ignatieff shows up to register, drawing dozens of excited “Michael! Michael!” chants. I suspect the signs, noise makers, chanting, and “spontaneous” demonstrations we saw in Montreal won’t be as common this time around.

Thursday 12:00 pm: I’m in line to register as media for the convention…I spend 5 minutes explaining to local reporter behind me the different between “right wing” and “left wing”.

Thursday 12:30 pm: No chants. No tambourines. But there are buttons! And t-shirts!

Thursday 2:00 pm: The common consensus appears to be that the free delegate souvenir bags are not as nice as those given out at the last convention. But there is free Liberal stain remover in them! (insert own joke here)

Thursday 8:00 pm: No Michael Ignatieff t-shirts anywhere but there are dozens of blue “Vote Steve” shirts. Yes, they’re in reference to the VP English party position race, but they seem a bit out of place at a Liberal convention.

More to follow later…