‘Today’ show may visit Vancouver for segment

Effort to distinguish it from B.C. city gets national notice

NBC’s “Today” show may soon be in town for a segment on our Vancouver’s effort to distinguish itself from the one that’s getting all the attention for hosting the Winter Olympics.

A “Today” producer on Wednesday confirmed that the show may conduct interviews here as early as Monday for a Vancouver-vs.-Vancouver segment to air during the Olympics in February. The taping schedule, however, is up in the air as NBC marshals its resources to cover the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

Planned interviews include Mayor Tim Leavitt, Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce CEO Kim Capeloto and Fort Vancouver National Trust President Elson Strahan.

The attention from NBC follows a December story in The New York Times, “Vancouver is talking tough to itself.” The story addressed the idea of renaming Clark County’s largest city Fort Vancouver. The story caught the attention of “Today” show producers, who thought it would make a fun segment.

Strahan said he realizes his time on TV will be brief, but he hopes to highlight Vancouver USA’s history.

“Economic trade and development and the growth of the region really emanated from here,” he said. “The discussion about Vancouver versus Fort Vancouver is a fun dialogue. The fact of the matter is it provides an opportunity for us to remind our own community and others that we have been a strong and vibrant region since Hudson’s Bay landed here in 1825.”