Vancouver Organizing Committee

The following is a statement from Dave Cobb, Executive Vice President and Deputy CEO for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (VANOC), clarifying VANOC’s employee retention program.

“We know and take with great pride the responsibility to all Canadians to stage great Games in 2010 and, to do so, it’s critical we retain every member of our workforce and their specialized knowledge base right until the end.

“To ensure this happens, several years ago we put in place a retention program for our employees – something we have been open and transparent about and has always been in our operating budget. This program, which is our equivalent of a severance plan, helped us recruit employees into jobs that have a definite end-date and helps reassure our employees they can complete their VANOC work responsibilities without the pressure of trying to find a new job or responding quickly to recruitment calls in the final months before the Games. The amount of severance payable to employees in this plan is comparable to industry norms in both the public and private sectors.

“Programs like this are not new. Without similar programs, major international events and previous Organizing Committees such as Sydney 2000, lost many skilled employees in the final months before their Games. Employee retention programs were put in place for the Calgary 1988 Olympic Games, the 1994 Commonwealth Games and Expo ‘86 to ensure employees could focus their entire attention on a successful event, right to the end.

“Our retention program will be drawn from our operating budget, which is almost entirely funded by the private sector. We ensure every cent of our budget is being spent responsibly and we know, and trust the public understands, that this program contributes to keeping the best team to be able to stage Games that all Canadians can be proud of and that will leave lasting legacies.

“To not have such a plan would be irresponsible, and would put the delivery of the Games at risk.”

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC — General Electric, a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Games, and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) announced today that GE Healthcare is providing a state-of-the-art mobile medical unit for medical emergencies for athletes and officials in the Sea to Sky region during the 2010 Winter Games. 

The $4.5-million USD mobile medical unit is funded through GE’s sponsorship value-in-kind agreement with VANOC. 

“We’re delighted to provide this mobile medical unit to Vancouver 2010 for use at Olympic and Paralympic Village Whistler,” said Peter Robertson, general manager, GE Healthcare Canada. “Medical providers, athletes and officials will now have improved, immediate access to outstanding diagnostic, patient monitoring and operating room equipment from GE — it’s a great example of the kind of innovations we’re proud to bring to Canada.” 

During Games time, the GE mobile medical unit will work within the security parameter of the Olympic and Paralympic Village Whistler as an extension of the on-site polyclinic centre staffed around the clock with doctors, specialists and nurses. The unit will provide immediate access to high-quality, diagnostic and patient monitoring equipment in addition to a surgical area that can be used in dire emergencies. 

“GE’s mobile medical unit is a perfect fit for our needs in 2010,” explained Cathy Priestner-Allinger, VANOC’s executive vice president of sport and Games operations. “We need to be prepared for any event during the Games and this unit means we can ensure quick access to state-of-the-art surgical facilities and medical personnel in the event of an emergency or if the patient can’t be transported elsewhere.” 

The 15.9-metre tractor-trailer can expand to a 90 square metre unit with 12 beds, which includes a recovery/triage area and intensive care unit, as well as an operating room with two independent surgical beds. A support trailer will also be stocked with 72 hours worth of surgical supplies and other equipment. 

The GE technologies to be featured on the mobile unit include:

• LOGIQ e Compact Ultrasound
• Centricity Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS)
• IVent ventilator for Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
• Dash 5000 monitoring for the ICU
• CIC – Central Station Monitoring
• S/5 Aisys Anesthesia Carestation
• S/5 Anesthesia Monitor and accessories 

The staffing of the mobile medical unit will follow the VANOC volunteer model for the Games, with enhanced support from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Office of Health Emergency Response Teams (NOHERT) and the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. 

The GE mobile medical unit finalizes VANOC’s medical services requirements from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to provide enhanced capability in the Sea to Sky region during the Games. 

Following the Games, the Province of British Columbia will purchase the unit from VANOC.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

About GE and the Olympic Games
GE is the exclusive provider of a wide range of innovative products and services that are integral to staging a successful Olympic Games. GE works closely with Host Countries, cities and Organizing Committees to provide infrastructure solutions for Olympic Games venues including power, lighting, water treatment, transportation and security and to supply hospitals with diagnostic imaging equipment to help doctors treat athletes. In addition, NBC Universal, a division of GE, is the exclusive U.S. media partner of the Olympic Games, with its partnership also extending through 2012. For more information, please visit www.ge.com/olympicgames. 

About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.

Our “healthymagination” vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality and efficiency around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a $17 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 46,000 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC— As unique as the world’s top athletes and their awe-inspiring performances, every medal won at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be a one-of-a-kind work of art. The medals, revealed today, each feature a different crop of larger contemporary Aboriginal artworks and are undulating rather than flat — both firsts in Games history. 

The dramatic form of the Vancouver 2010 medals is inspired by the ocean waves, drifting snow and mountainous landscape found in the Games region and throughout Canada. The Olympic medals are circular in shape, while the Paralympic medals are a superellipse, or squared circle. Both are equal in size. Their significant weight — between 500 grams to 576 g depending on the medal — represents the magnitude of the athlete’s accomplishment. The Olympic medals are 100 millimetres in diameter and about six mm thick, while the Paralympic medals are 95 mm wide and about six mm thick. They are among the heaviest medals in Olympic and Paralympic history. 

The gold, silver and bronze medals were designed with direct input from Olympic and Paralympic athletes who shared their experiences about medals they won at past Games and what they would like to see in future medals. Their stories and dreams helped shape the medals, which are being produced and supplied by Vancouver 2010 Official Supporters the Royal Canadian Mint and Canadian mining and metals giant Teck Resources Limited, in collaboration with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). 

“An Olympic or Paralympic medal is a cherished possession for every athlete — it’s what we all strive for when we train and compete,” said Jill Bakken, an Olympic gold medallist for the United States in bobsleigh at the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games. “To feel it being placed around your neck on the podium or seeing children’s eyes light up when you show it to them are experiences that defy words. Seeing these beautiful medals today makes me wish I was competing again in 2010.” 

Daniel Wesley, a five-time Paralympian and 12-time medallist for Canada in alpine skiing and wheelchair racing at the Summer and Winter Games, agreed. “Every one of my medals has meaning and motivation because of the memories attached to them and the people I’ve been able to share them with, from family and friends to the crowds in the stadiums on those days. The 2010 Paralympic medals — and the care taken by the design team to ensure they’re equal in size to the Olympic medals yet still unique in their artwork and shape — demonstrates to me, the public and other Paralympians how greatly our accomplishments and stories are valued.” 

The medals are based on two large master artworks of an orca whale (Olympic) and raven (Paralympic) by Corrine Hunt, a Canadian designer/artist of Komoyue and Tlingit heritage based in Vancouver, BC. Each of the medals has a unique hand-cropped section of the abstract art, making every medal one-of-a-kind. 

For example, each medal will include its own signature elements of the orca and raven artwork, such as the suggestion of the orca’s eye, the curve of its dorsal fin, or perhaps the contours of the raven’s wing. A silk scarf printed with the master artwork will be presented to each Olympian or Paralympian with their medal enabling them to see how their medal connects with those awarded to other athletes at the Games to make the whole design. 

Internationally renowned Canadian industrial designer and architect Omer Arbel, also of Vancouver, used his extensive knowledge of materials and fabrication processes to create the innovative undulating design of the medals, which are struck nine times each to achieve the distinctive look as part of the 30-step medal fabrication process. The Organizing Committee asked Hunt and Arbel to join their creative talents together on the medals project after they submitted separate designs proposals that both contained compelling elements. VANOC received 48 medal design ideas from across Canada and internationally after issuing a request for proposals in December 2007. 

“The ultimate symbol of a dream come true for an athlete is an Olympic or Paralympic medal,” explained VANOC’s Chief Executive Officer John Furlong. “They are the reward for years of effort and sacrifice on the part of the athlete and have the power to inspire children and lift the spirits of an entire country. 

“This two-year project has been a truly collaborative effort between inspired designers, artists and craftsmen who dedicated themselves to the challenge of finding beautiful, uniquely Canadian designs to honour the medallists and tell the stories of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games,” he added. 

The orca, designed across four panels in the style of a traditional West Coast First Nations bentwood box, is often associated with the attributes of strength, dignity and teamwork. The sleek and powerful black and white whales are common to the waters off Canada’s West Coast but are also found in all the world’s oceans. 

The strong black wings and proud beaked profile of the raven appear in a three-part composition in the style of a totem pole. The bird, species of which can be found around the globe, is often associated with transformation and healing abilities and represents determination, creativity and wisdom. 

The full descriptions explaining the design and artwork, as found in the materials presented to the athletes with their medals, are available at www.vancouver2010.com. 

In addition to the Aboriginal art, the obverse side of the medals is embossed with the Olympic Rings or Paralympic agitos and the hand-cropped section of the orca or raven design is lasered on with a subtle wood grain effect. 

On the reverse side, the medals contain the official names of the Games in English and French, the official languages of Canada and the Olympic Movement, as well as Vancouver 2010’s distinctive emblems and the name of the sport and the event the medal was awarded in. On the Paralympic medals, braille is also used. The entire medal is protected to prevent tarnishing, nicks and scratches. 

The Games motto With Glowing Hearts/Des plus brillants exploits is written in white lettering on the medal’s blue and green ribbon where it will rest at the base of the neck. 

The Royal Canadian Mint will produce 615 Olympic and 399 Paralympic medals at their headquarters in Ottawa, ON, for the 2010 Winter Games. They started striking the medals in July 2009 and will finish the historic task in November. The Mint also manufactured the medals for the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games. 

“The Mint assembled a tremendous pool of talented engineers, engravers, die technicians, and press operators to channel decades of experience into bringing the Vancouver 2010 medals to life,” said Ian E. Bennett, president and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. “These medals are the pinnacle of metal fabrication and craftsmanship and worthy tributes to the athletes who will triumph here mere months from now.” 

Teck Resources, a Vancouver-based diversified metals company, is supplying the metals used in the production of the Olympic and Paralympic medals. The metals are from Teck’s operations in Canada, including British Columbia, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as Alaska, Chile and Peru. 

“Our employees worldwide are honoured to supply the metals for the medals that will be cherished by the world’s best winter athletes in 2010,” said Teck’s president and CEO, Don Lindsay. “We’re also excited that these medals will contain recycled metal recovered from end-of-life electronics, consistent with the sustainability philosophy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.” 

For more information on the medals for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, visit www.vancouver2010.com. The materials include a making of the medals video, photos, backgrounders, as well as feature stories on a variety of topics. Video will also be posted to a FTP site, which can be accessed by e-mailing

mediarelations@vancouver2010.com for password information. 

Note to Photo Editors:
Images of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic medals are available as high resolution downloads from the media centre image gallery at www.vancouver2010.com. 

About the Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint, an ISO 9001-2000 certified company, is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada’s circulation coins. The Royal Canadian Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high-quality coinage products and related services on an international scale such as foreign circulation coins, numismatics, bullion and refinery services. For more information on the Royal Canadian Mint, its products and services, visit www.mint.ca. 

About Teck Resources Limited
Teck is a diversified resource company committed to responsible mining and mineral development with major business units focused on copper, metallurgical coal, zinc, gold and energy. Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, its shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbols TCK.A and TCK.B and the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TCK. Further information about Teck can be found at www.teck.com/vancouver2010

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC — The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Transportation Team (OPTT) released the second phase of its Games-time integrated transportation plan today providing residents and businesses with the most up-to-date information available on how to start planning now for their day-to-day travel needs during the 2010 Winter Games. The plan requires reducing vehicle traffic by at least 30 per cent in downtown Vancouver, the Lions Gate and Iron Workers’ Memorial (Second Narrows) bridges, the Sea to Sky Highway, and in Whistler. 

This phase of the integrated transportation plan, which builds on information released in March and rolled out in venue communities on an ongoing basis, includes updated information on peak hours, street and road closures, the Sea to Sky Highway checkpoint, transportation plans for the Paralympic Winter Games, Olympic bus network, and advice on the movement of goods and services for businesses. Please see attached backgrounder for details. 

The plan is based on the need to transport athletes, officials and all Games participants safely, reliably and efficiently throughout the Host Region, while also taking into consideration the transportation needs of  local residents, businesses and visitors. 

“Our message to every resident and business owner is that we need everyone to pull together to make this a success by doing their part,” said Terry Wright, VANOC’s executive vice president of services and Games operations, on behalf of OPTT. “We know the public wants this to work and wants our guests from around the world to have a great experience here and see the region in a positive light. 

“This means we need everyone to think of ways to reduce vehicle traffic into downtown Vancouver, on the Lions Gate and Iron Workers’ Memorial (Second Narrows) bridges, on the Sea to Sky Highway, and in Whistler by at least 30 per cent. Also, keep in mind the easiest way to get around will be public transit, which will increase greatly with more buses and trains and enhanced hours of service, as well other sustainable modes such as walking and cycling.” 

“The best way to get where you need to go and avoid delays is by planning ahead, avoiding peak travel times and knowing your transportation options now before you step out the door in February 2010,” he added. 

Although use of public transit and other sustainable modes of transportation are key to having a successful transportation experience, there will be peak travel times no matter what mode you choose. If trips must be made, travellers are encouraged to avoid peak travel times from February 12 to March 1.

• In Vancouver, this means, whenever possible, travelling into the downtown area before 7:00 am or after 9:00 am and leaving by 2:00 pm; or, for those who want to stay later and enjoy the fun, leaving after 7:00 pm.
• In the Sea to Sky corridor, this means travelling northbound before 6:00 am or after 6:00 pm on the Sea to Sky Highway 

To help residents and businesses plan ahead, the OPTT today launched www.travelsmart2010.ca, a website portal with the most up-to-date transportation information available now and during the Games. The portal directs users to the appropriate website containing the information they are seeking, such as the City of Vancouver, Resort Municipality of Whistler, TransLink, BC Transit, or the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). 

Fine-tuning of the transportation plan will continue up until Games time. Over the last year, VANOC has contacted over 900 businesses, residents, associations and organizations, schools and community associations throughout Metro Vancouver and the Sea to Sky region to share Games-time transportation plans and answer questions from the public. In addition to its stakeholder outreach, this fall the Organizing Committee, together with its partners, will host another series of Game Plan open houses in communities near Games’ venues. Visit www.vancouver2010.com/gameplan for the schedule. 

About the OPTT
Members of the Olympic and Paralympic Transportation Team (OPTT) are VANOC, the City of Vancouver, Resort Municipality of Whistler, TransLink, BC Transit, the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit. Planning is also supported by other partners, including Transport Canada and the municipalities of Richmond and West Vancouver.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

VANOC offers special ticket opportunity for residents in Squamish to Mount Currie region

• Residents must pre-register to take advantage of two-day sale
• Phase 3 of Canadian resident ticket sales to open November 7

Vancouver, BC — Residents of the Squamish to Mount Currie region who register a ticketing account before Friday, October 23 will have an exclusive opportunity to take advantage of a special “Locals” Whistler Olympic ticket offer starting Saturday, October 24. This two-day offer is the best remaining chance for residents in the region to get tickets for Olympic sporting events in Whistler and is in addition to the third — and final — phase of ticket sales in the Canadian market, which start November 7. 

“We’ve seen strong demand for tickets from the Sea to Sky community in the past, so we’re really pleased to make these tickets to events at Whistler Olympic Park, Whistler Creekside, The Whistler Sliding Center, and Whistler Medals Plaza available to the residents and families and ensure they have the opportunity to be a part of history happening in their community,” said Caley Denton, vice president of ticketing and consumer marketing for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).

The Olympic bus network (OBN), the transport system for spectators originating in Metro Vancouver, has reached maximum capacity in Whistler, and therefore Phase 3 of ticket sales to the Canadian public will largely be made up of sessions at city venues. 

“For those living outside of the Squamish to Mount Currie region, it’s time to start planning for our last phase of Canadian market ticket sales starting November 7 — we’ll have more than 100,000 tickets available exclusively to events at city venues,” continued Denton. City venues include Cypress Mountain, Canada Hockey Place, BC Place, Richmond Olympic Oval, Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Center, and the University of British Columbia’s Thunderbird Arena, also known as the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. 

1)  Squamish to Mount Currie “Locals” ticket sale: October 24 to 25

Key elements

• Program is open to residents with a mailing address within the Squamish to Mount Currie region.
• Customers must register a new account or edit existing account information prior to October 23 at 7:00 pm.
• Those with an existing account who live outside of the Squamish to Mount Currie corridor but who have a residence in the region can simply sign into their account and edit/update their address to reflect their secondary residence prior to October 23 at 7:00 pm.
• Tickets will be available for purchase beginning October 24 at 10:00 am and will remain on sale while tickets remain, or until October 25 at 5:00 pm. 

Special opportunity for Whistler Victory Ceremony tickets

• As an exclusive bonus while quantities last, account holders will also receive two Whistler Victory Ceremony tickets

  — the first time these in-demand tickets have been available — when they pick up their “Locals” Whistler event tickets at the Main Ticket Centre in Whistler by December 31. The Whistler Main Ticket Centre will open November 26 in a location near Whistler Medals Plaza. Whistler Victory Ceremony tickets will be available while supplies last.

Program restrictions

Tickets purchased through this special ticket program will be subject to certain restrictions:

• The tickets must be picked up in person at the Whistler Main Ticket Centre; as such, ticket accounts will not be charged a delivery fee.
• Tickets purchased through this program cannot be resold

  through the fan-to-fan marketplace at www.vancouver2010.com, which will launch later this fall.

• Tickets cannot be used to access the Olympic bus network. Tickets will have “No Olympic bus network access” printed on them, however tickets will still provide access to local public transit on the date of the event.

Important reminders

• The only official sources in Canada for tickets to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are www.vancouver2010.com/tickets and CoSport.
• In order to ensure access to the Vancouver 2010 ticketing website, previously registered customers who live in the Squamish to Mount Currie region are advised to sign into their ticketing account before October 23 to ensure their username, address and password are up-to-date and functional.

• There is no public parking at any of the Games venues.
• In recognition of Visa's longstanding support of the Olympic Games, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games proudly accepts only Visa cards.
• • Plan ahead for purchases and ensure you have sufficient credit available in your account as purchases will be charged immediately.
• Ticket purchasing by phone is also available at 1.800.TICKETS (1.800.842.5387), and a TDD/TTY service is available for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing at 604.629.7140. 

2) Phase 3 Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Ticket Sales: starting November 7
More than 100,000 tickets to sessions, including numerous prime events at all city venues and Cypress, will be made available for purchase by Canadian residents starting November 7 and will remain on sale while supplies last. Further details will be released in the coming weeks.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC— Looking for a Vancouver 2010 employee or volunteer during the Games? Keep your eyes peeled for people wearing bright blue winter jackets with the Olympic Rings or Paralympic agitos on the back. 

The jackets, in a vibrant blue called Wave with a subtle pattern found in the Look of the Games, were revealed today as part of the official workforce uniform by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) and the Hudson’s Bay Company, which designed and produced the six-piece set.

In addition to the waterproof jackets, the estimated 30,000 members of the workforce, including volunteers, will be kitted out with navy pants, as well as a toque, two long-sleeve inner layer T-shirts with the same pattern as the jacket and a vest (all in Wave) — perfect for layering. Three specific staff groups will also be uniquely identified with full sleeve armbands for easy recognition: medical in red, event services in yellow and anti-doping personnel in purple. 

The Vancouver 2010 workforce uniform was designed by the Hudson’s Bay Company design team, led by fashion director Suzanne Timmins, in collaboration with VANOC. The palette of blues is inspired by the breathtaking scenery of the Sea to Sky region linking Whistler and Vancouver, the Host Mountain Resort and Host City of the 2010 Winter Games, respectively. 

“Designing a workforce uniform for the Winter Games is a tough task,” said John Furlong, VANOC’s CEO. “They need to be functional and warm with lots of layers for working in all types of weather and they need to be stylish and show up against a white landscape. The Hudson’s Bay Company has once again hit it out of the park, after the successful launch of the 2010 Canadian Olympic Team apparel, and produced a uniform that our workforce will be proud to wear and will always treasure as a keepsake of the Games.” 

Jeff Sherman, CEO of the Hudson’s Bay Company, added: “Much like the official 2010 Canadian Olympic Team uniform and torchbearer uniforms, we wanted to create something timeless in style yet functional for the role with great attention to detail, including the latest fabric technology.  And, as always, we worked to create a keepsake for every individual who will welcome the world to Vancouver and Whistler as part of Canada’s Games.” 

The fingertip-length jacket is standard for all workforce members and features a high collar to keep out the wind and snow, attached full hood, silver reflective details, and a slightly longer back length for warmth. The only difference between city and mountain workforce uniforms is the pants. 

The heavier “mountain pants” are designed for colder weather on Cypress Mountain and in Whistler and are made out of the same waterproof fabric as the jacket and have fully-taped seams, reinforced knees and ankles, and a breathable lining. Vancouver 2010 is written down the right leg in reflective silver. The lighter weight “city pants” are wrinkle resistant and have Vancouver 2010 written in a slant across the right back pocket. The workforce can supplement their uniform with their own choice of gloves and footwear and they may also purchase a coordinating backpack for $50 including tax if they choose.

An ingenious twist in the design allows the uniforms to be used for both the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games — a significant cost savings. On the back of the jacket, six snaps are positioned to allow a patch with the Paralympic agitos to cover the Olympic Rings come March and the beginning of the Paralympic Winter Games. On the front of the jacket, a Velcro and rubber patch will enable the wearer to switch out the Vancouver 2010 Olympic emblem for the Paralympic emblem. 

The clothing is made out of eco-friendly bamboo, cotton and spandex (T-shirts), acrylic (toque), polyester (vest), and nylon with polyurethane coating (jacket and mountain pants). Workforce members will officially start wearing the Olympic uniform on February 4, 2010 and the Paralympic uniform on March 6, 2010. 

The cost of the workforce uniforms is funded through the Hudson’s Bay Company’s value-in-kind sponsorship agreement with VANOC as described in the Organizing Committee’s business plan.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

About the Hudson’s Bay Company
Hudson’s Bay Company is a Premier National Partner and the General Retail Merchant of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. In partnership with Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), the company is designing and manufacturing the official uniforms for the Games-time workforce; it will also be outfitting the athletes’ villages, in both Vancouver and Whistler, with quality products to make the athletes comfortable in 2010.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC — The public will have a chance to meet over 50 of the artists behind some of the awe-inspiring installations of Aboriginal art permanently installed at Vancouver 2010 Winter Games’ venues and view a selection of their paintings, carvings and photography at a two-day exhibition starting next Saturday, October 17. An auction of highlighted artworks will be held Friday, October 16. 

With the support of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), the exhibition and auction will feature more than 50 artworks by master and emerging First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists from every region in Canada. The artworks up for auction include: paintings by Sammy Kudluk of Nunavik, QC, and notable Mi’kmaq artist Alan Syliboy of Millbrook, NS; a woven human figure and traditional Nuu-chah-nulth hat by Delores Bayne of Hesquiaht, BC; an intricately carved silver bracelet by Rodney Sayers of Hupacasath, BC; Smudge and Smog by Métisphotographer Sara Roque of Shebahonaning (Killarney), ON; a pink resin cast buffalo skull by Kevin McKenzie of Vancouver, BC; a 2-D abstract abstract elk by Jason Baerg of Toronto, ON; and Colleen Cutschall’s One Horned Buffalo Curling Rocks sculpture from Brandon, MB. 

The pieces on display as part of the exhibition will be displayed in February and March at several venues as part of a larger celebration of Aboriginal culture during the 2010 Winter Games. 

There are close to 140 individual pieces of original artwork produced for the Vancouver 2010 Venues’ Aboriginal Art Program at Games venues from Richmond to Whistler. As part of the $3-million program, whose participants were announced by VANOC in June 2009, over 40 of the artworks will be part of the permanent legacy of the 2010 Winter Games at the venues. Installation of the works started in late 2008 and the majority of the art will be installed by this week.

“The striking new works created by Aboriginal artists across Canada for the 2010 Winter Games through the Venues’ Aboriginal Art Program are being taken a step further with this exhibit and auction,” said Tewanee Joseph, chief executive officer of the Four Host First Nations. “Our goal is twofold: to increase public understanding of the diverse works being created by First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and to raise funds for our young people so they can follow their dreams, which may include becoming successful Aboriginal artists themselves. We hope this develops into an annual event. 
“This exhibition and auction, as well as the artwork in general, are made possible through the strong partnership between the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) and the Four Host First Nations,” Joseph said.

“We’re proud to support this important initiative to highlight and celebrate the unique talent of Aboriginal artists in Canada,” said the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians. “Our Government is committed to working with our partners to enhance artistic recognition and promote economic opportunities for Canada’s Aboriginal artists.”  

The program was convened with funding from INAC. Five showpiece artworks created through these workshops, including a large, colourful tapestry from the Arctic, were acquired by VANOC through the program and are among the venue permanent art installations. The Nuu-chah-nulth Arts Association, Mi'kmaq Association of Cultural Studies, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Manitoba Aboriginal Arts Council Inc., and the National Indigenous Media Arts Coalition (Métis 10) participated in the program and the resulting higher profile from their 2010 work is encouraging other cities to consider sister sculptures of their own. 

“The excellence of artwork from the Aboriginal communities is truly astonishing,” said Dan Doyle, VANOC’s executive vice president responsible for Aboriginal participation. “Each master work featured in the Vancouver 2010 Venues’ Aboriginal Art Program is a testament to the vibrancy and diversity of the Aboriginal peoples across this country.” 

"When the world comes to British Columbia in 2010, they will see the incredible talent, skill and vision of Aboriginal artists from throughout our province and across the country. That worldwide exposure will create new opportunities for Aboriginal artists for years to come,” said BC Premier Gordon Campbell. “Not only will many of these permanent artworks continue to greet and amaze visitors to these venues long after the Games end, the abilities these Aboriginal artists have honed through this program will grow and inspire younger First Nations, Inuit and Métis to carry on in their footsteps.” 

The Aboriginal artworks displayed in the venues will be featured in O Siyam: Aboriginal Art Inspired by the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games,published by John Wiley & Sons Canada Ltd. The full-colour coffee table book will be available in stores on November 2 — the first official Games-related book to be published. Copies of the book can be pre-ordered at the exhibition. 

Proceeds from the auction, to be held on Friday, October 16, will go towards the Vancouver 2010 Aboriginal Youth Legacy Fund. Admission to the exhibition at the Vancouver Convention Centre is free. For table purchase inquiries for the auction, please email info@vancouver2010.com

What: Aboriginal Art Auction
When: Friday, October 16 from 5:30 pm to 10 pm
Where: Pan Pacific, Vancouver
For table purchase inquiries, please email info@vancouver2010.com

What: Aboriginal Art Exhibition
When: Saturday, October 17 from 9 am to 8 pm, and Sunday, October 18 from 9 am to 6 pm
Where: Vancouver Convention Centre, Hall A, located at 999 Canada Place, Vancouver
Admission is free

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

About the Four Host First Nations Society
The Four Host First Nations Society is a not-for-profit organization that has been established to coordinate the participation in the 2010 Winter Games by the Lil’wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Visit www.fourhostfirstnations.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC — As Canada prepares to host the world’s best, Vancouver 2010 and The Globe and Mail are partnering on a unique project inviting the public to flex their intellect via podcasts by some of the country’s best minds on topics related to the 2010 Winter Games. 

Starting today, the first podcast in the Intellectual Muscle: University Dialogues for Vancouver 2010 series will be available for download at www.vancouver2010.com/edu and www.globeandmail.com/intellectualmuscle. The podcasts on a diverse range of topics — such as what the Games contribute to society, gender stereotypes in sport and how Canada defines itself through international events — will be specially produced in either French or English at 25 universities across Canada. 

The English podcasts will live on The Globe and Mail website, while Vancouver 2010 will host the French podcasts. At least two new podcasts will be added online each week — on Tuesdays and Thursdays — up until the start of the Games in February 2010. The first French podcast will be posted on November 30. 

“The Vancouver 2010 Winter Games are about celebrating the highest levels of achievement of the `body, mind and spirit,’” said Burke Taylor, vice president, culture, education and celebration programs with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). “We want to create a new forum for Canada’s best and brightest academics and public intellectuals to engage.”   

“It’s a rare event to bring both French and English Canadian universities and a broad range of thinkers together around a single topic of national interest,” explained Don Black, education programs director with VANOC. “Our partnership with the University of British Columbia Continuing Studies, participating universities and The Globe and Mail is helping us achieve this and we hope it serves as a model for future collaborations.” 

Jim Jennings, the Globe’s general manager and associate publisher British Columbia, added: “The Globe and Mail is pleased to provide an online platform for Canadians to engage in the national discussion on the Games. This is not only a first for Canada, the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, but also expands The Globe’s commitment to provide our readers in-depth coverage of the issues of the day on a variety of platforms.” 

Starting today, listen to the University of Toronto’s Bruce Kidd talk about what the Games contribute to society. This outstanding Olympian and academic was Canada’s premier middle-distance runner in the early 1960s and is currently dean at the university’s faculty of physical education. On Saturday, October 10 Vera Pezer, chancellor of the University of Saskatchewan and a four-time Canadian curling champ, will speak on what inspires us about sport and whether there are better ways to discuss success. 

Upcoming podcasts in the Intellectual Muscle series will be produced by educational institutions across Canada, including: Carleton University, Dalhousie University, McGill University, Memorial University, Queen’s University, Simon Fraser University, University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, University of Guelph, University of Manitoba, Université de Montréal, University of New Brunswick, University of Northern British Columbia, University of Ottawa, University of Prince Edward Island, Université du Québec à Montréal, University of Waterloo, University of Western Ontario, University of Victoria, and Wilfrid Laurier University. 

For more detailed information on upcoming podcasts, including professors, topics, and dates, visit www.vancouver2010.com/edu. As a legacy of the Games, many of the podcasts will continue to be used by participating universities, academics and students after 2010. 

About /EDU
/EDU is the Canadian online school portal for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. On the website, teachers can find resources related to school curricula across Canada, find ways to connect students to the 2010 Winter Games and share with the world innovative projects already happening in their schools. /EDU features five main themes: sport, culture, sustainability, the Olympic Movement and the Paralympic Movement, plus the overarching theme of global citizenship. Visit www.vancouver2010.com/edu.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Copenhagen, Denmark — With just 128 days remaining before the start of the 2010 Winter Games, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) presented its final progress report to members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today in Copenhagen. 

“We have achieved many milestones over the past year. As Olympic and Paralympic athletes from around the world set their sights on being prepared to give their very best in Canada in February and March 2010, they can be confident that we, too, are well prepared,” said John Furlong, VANOC’s CEO. 

Furlong last reported to the full IOC Session in Beijing, China in August 2008. In today’s update to IOC members on the past year of activities and milestones, Furlong highlighted: 

Venues and Operations

·The Vancouver 2010 sport venue program was officially completed in February 2009 with the opening of the Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre, the venue for curling at the Games. Construction and upgrades on all sport competition venues were completed on time and within the $580-million budget Cdn.

·All facilities and upgrades have been planned to leave lasting legacies for their communities.

·VANOC conducted operational testing at 17 sport events held at its venues where approximately 2,400 athletes from more than 30 countries competed. Total estimated on-site spectator attendance was approximately 70,000.

·The acquisition of buses for the Olympic period is almost complete and contracting for VANOC’s Vancouver depot and parking sites is nearing completion.

·VANOC has secured 100 per cent of its contractual Games-time accommodation requirements in Vancouver and Whistler for its constituent groups and is finalizing arrangements for workforce accommodations.

·By July 2009, VANOC had a full-time workforce of 1,302. By Games time, the number will grow to more than 55,000, including 1,400 paid staff, 3,500 temporary staff, 25,000 volunteers, 10,000 contractors, and 15,000 ceremony participants. 

Ticketing

·Within five weeks of being invited to submit requests for tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games in October 2008, Canadian residents submitted requests for more than $345 million in tickets. During Phase 2 of Olympic ticket sales, Canadians again purchased tickets in record numbers, with more than 22,000 orders for 130,000 tickets processed in the first four hours.

·The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad will feature more than 600 ticketed and free performances and exhibitions in 50 venues in Metro Vancouver and the Sea to Sky corridor. 

Torch Relay

·The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay will cover 45,000 kilometres and visit every province and territory in Canada, making it the longest domestic torch relay in Olympic history. The Olympic Flame will travel within a one-hour drive of more than 90 per cent of the Canadian population. The white torch’s curved design was unveiled in Whistler, BC, during the one-year countdown to the Games.

·The lighting of the Olympic Flame in Olympia, Greece will take place in 15 days and the torch relay will start on October 30, 2009 in Victoria, BC. 

Look of the Games/Olympic Spirit

·The graphic identity of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games was introduced in September 2008, drawn from Canada’s natural and urban environments and rich cultural diversity. The elements of the design will become a key part of the Games-time experience.

·With Glowing Hearts/Des plus brillants exploitswas introduced as the official Games motto also in September 2008. 

Sustainability

·The 8th World Conference on Sport and the Environment, convened by the IOC and held in partnership with the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), discussed the opportunities and issues for sustainable sport. At the conference, VANOC announced a target of neutralizing 300,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from the Games.

·The Vancouver 2010 Sustainability Report 2007-2008 received a commendation for innovative reporting by an independent network of investors and public interest organizers.

·Over 140 individual works of art by more than 90 Aboriginal artists will be showcased at the venues, with over 40 becoming part of the Games permanent legacy.

Infrastructure

·In March 2009, the first phase of the integrated transportation plan was announced. Travelling smart by “knowing before you go” and preparing for “life as unusual” will be the key to a successful transportation experience. 

Although not budgeted VANOC Games infrastructure, the following long-term transportation projects will contribute significantly to the success of the Games

·The Sea to Sky Highway improvement project has continued to increase the road’s safety, reliability and capacity. As of July 2009, the project was 95 per cent complete, with all bridges and structures finished.

·Originally scheduled to open in November 2009, the new 16-station, 19-kilometre Canada Line started carrying passengers as early as August 2009, connecting a number of key 2010 Winter Games’ venues, including the Olympic and Paralympic Village Vancouver and the Richmond Olympic Oval.

·In August 2009, the Vancouver International Airport (YVR), the Official Airport of the 2010 Winter Games, added a new link to its transportation network with the opening of the Canada Line. 

Upcoming Milestones

· Fall 2009: Phase 3 ticket sales (in Canada) and launch of the ticket resale site

· Fall 2009: Launch of www.vancouver2010.com in its Games-time version

· October 14: Release of Phase 2 of the integrated transportation plan

· October 15: Unveiling of the Olympic and Paralympic medals

· October 22: Official Olympic Flame lighting ceremony in Olympia, Greece

· October 30: Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay starts in Victoria, BC

· January 22 to March 21, 2010: Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad

· February 12 to 28, 2010: Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games

· March 3, 2010: Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay starts in Ottawa, ON

· March 12 to 21, 2010: Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games

VANOC’s full progress report is available at www.vancouver2010.com.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC —The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) congratulates the Rio de Janeiro Bid Committee for earning the honour today of hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in 2016. It marks the first time a South American country will host the Games. 

The Brazilian city was selected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at its 121st Session in Copenhagen, Denmark out of a pool of four cities that also included: Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago. 

“We congratulate the people of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil in their successful bid to host the 2016 Games — the first time the Games will ever be held in South America,” said John Furlong, VANOC Chief Executive Officer. “It’s been six years since Vancouver earned the right to host the 2010 Winter Games and now our Games are less than five months away. We know full well the excitement you’re feeling right now and the incredibly rewarding challenges that lie ahead. We look forward to sharing our experiences and knowledge with the IOC and the Rio de Janeiro Organizing Committee as they prepare to wow the world in 2016.” 

“We also wish future success to the cities of Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago who gave their hearts to this challenging endeavour. The world has recognized your passion for sport through this bidding process and your commitment to someday welcoming the world as hosts of the Games,” he added. “In 2010, we look forward to welcoming all of you in Canada.” 

Furlong and VANOC’s deputy CEO Dave Cobb are attending the IOC’s 121st Session and XIII Olympic Congress this week in Denmark to present Vancouver 2010’s final pre-Games report on October 7.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC— Two leading businesses, Accenture and Pharmasave, are the latest to offer their employees the ultimate team building exercise and a chance to be a part of the 2010 Winter Games as they confirmed their participation today in the Vancouver 2010 employee loan program. 

The announcement was made at a Vancouver Board of Trade luncheon featuring John Furlong, CEO of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), who provided highlights on the progress to date of the VANOC secondment program. 

Accenture, a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, will loan 100 “person months,” which as details are finalized could mean 33 employees for three months, or 50 employees for two months. Pharmasave also confirmed their support, and will work with VANOC in the coming weeks to determine final numbers of employees that will participate in the program. 

“The Games are all about high-performance teams working together to achieve greatness,” said Furlong. “Businesses like Accenture and Pharmasave also need strong teams to reach their goals. This employee loan program initiative creates an environment for unique team building opportunities full of rewarding and beneficial experiences for our business partners and their talented employees. We welcome their support as we all work together to stage great Games on behalf of all Canadians.” 

“VANOC’s employee loan program provides a great opportunity for organizations to supercharge their employees’ skills and become a recognized employer of choice in the community,” said Sue Paish, chair of the Vancouver Board of Trade and CEO of Pharmasave. “I encourage all of our members to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” 

The corporate initiative is part of a larger secondment program offered by VANOC. In July, the Organizing Committee launched a private and government employee loan program to fill most of its remaining 1,500 short-term jobs. Until the launch of the program, VANOC already had 45 seconded staff from about 20 different partners, including Deloitte, the Canadian Tourism Commission and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. Similar secondment programs have been used at previous Olympic and Commonwealth Games, including Calgary in 1988. 

In the past two months, 200 employees from the BC Public Service have received offers to join the VANOC team for this once-in-a-lifetime professional experience. Jobs remain available in 32 of VANOC’s 53 departments. For a full list of positions available, visit www.vancouver2010.com. 

While the final value and number of loaned employees will not be known for several months, the program will result in significant savings to VANOC’s operational budget. 

Blake Hanna, managing director of Human Capital and Diversity for Accenture in Canada, added: “Our employees in British Columbia and across Canada are proud of Accenture’s support of the 2010 Winter Games.  Accenture employees from around the globe have already enrolled to participate in the 2010 Olympic volunteer experience and VANOC’s secondment program offers yet another way for our employees to apply their skills in support of the Games.  Accenture looks forward to working with other private and public sector partners to deliver a world-class event.”

Companies offering to loan groups of employees join the ‘Friends of the Games’ corporate secondment program. By loaning 10 to 50 employees for at least eight weeks to VANOC, a company will have the opportunity to showcase their teamwork skills and run a complete project or function, such as a parking area, venue function or transport staging site. 

In return, the company will receive a number of torchbearer positions, sport event tickets and seats at the dress rehearsal for the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games based on the number of employees it provides. 

“The impetus for this secondment program is for us to maintain a balanced budget for the Games — the use of seconded employees will ease some of the pressure on our budget as we navigate this extraordinary downturn in the economy,” Furlong added. 

Interested businesses and employees can find additional information on getting involved in the program by e-mailing teamworkforce@workforce.vancouver2010.com.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC — Everything Vancouver 2010 under one roof: that is the vision behind the Olympic Superstore opening today on the main floor of the Bay in downtown Vancouver. The 1,890-square metre (21,000 square foot) location houses more than 1,000 pieces of official licensed merchandise for the Games, including plush mascot toys, T-shirts and toques and thousands of pins waiting to be bought and traded. 

The location at the Bay, Canada’s largest retailer, marks the first time in Olympic history that an Olympic Superstore is housed within an existing bricks and mortar establishment. The Olympic Superstore is an independent retail operation licensed by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). 

“The store is quite simply amazing and we owe a great deal of thanks to all our partners, especially the Hudson’s Bay Company for providing us with this fantastic downtown location,” said John Furlong, VANOC’s Chief Executive Officer. “This opening is a major milestone for the 2010 Winter Games and is an opportunity for all Canadians and visitors to join in the excitement of the coming Games and take a little piece of Vancouver 2010 home with them.” 

Jeff Sherman, CEO of the Hudson’s Bay Company, added: “Hudson’s Bay Company will bring a world-class department store experience for Canadians and international visitors to the Games.  Our company is proud to partner with VANOC on offering consumers the largest assortment of Vancouver 2010 products and Vancouver 2010 Canadian Olympic Team Apparel.” 

“We’ve seen interest in the 2010 Games merchandise growing steadily and are pleased to now offer more choice than ever before at this Superstore,” said Caley Denton, VANOC’s vice president of ticketing and consumer marketing. An estimated 10,000 people are expected to visit the store daily during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. 

The opening of the Olympic Superstore coincided with the official unveiling of the 2010 Canadian Olympic Team uniform by the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Hudson’s Bay Company. The 28-piece collection marries vintage Canadian designs with the latest high-tech fabrications in a palette of red, vintage white, black, and heather grey and will be sold to the public at the downtown Olympic Superstore location. 

The uniform “makes a great statement about Canada and our athletes. It speaks to our official colours and heritage but with a modern, youthful spirit. These items are a perfect way for Canadians to feel a part of Team Canada and show their support of the athletes on home ice and snow in 2010,” Furlong said. 

Visa, a proud partner of the Games and the Olympic Superstore, along with the Hudson’s Bay Company, have dressed the downtown building’s upper exterior panels facing Seymour and West Georgia streets with almost 40 banners celebrating the Games and Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The banners, unveiled today, are 16 metres high and approximately five metres wide and feature Canadian medal-winning athletes such as speed skater Clara Hughes, bobsledder Pierre Lueders, as well as American Lindsay Jacobellis, a 2006 Olympic silver medallist in snowboarding. 

Inside the Superstore, customers will find the Happiness café and official pin trading centre from Coca-Cola, the city’s largest pin wall and the latest Games-related products from sponsors such as Swatch, Panasonic, Birks, Nike, and the Royal Canadian Mint. In light of VANOC’s goals to neutralize the carbon footprint for the 2010 Winter Games, the Hudson’s Bay Company is working with Offsetters — the first Official Supplier of Carbon Offsets in Games history — by voluntarily offsetting the operations of the Olympic Superstore. 

Among the Olympic Superstore’s most interesting features at Games time will be a concierge service for shoppers wanting to ship purchases overseas or within Canada using Purolator, the exclusive supplier of courier services for the 2010 Winter Games. The company will take purchases to hotels in downtown Vancouver for those in a rush to get to a sport or Cultural Olympiad event, as well as those who want the convenience of not carrying their parcels home. 

The Olympic Superstore at 674 Granville St.will operate during regular operating hours at the Bay leading up to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, with extended hours starting February 12, 2010 when the Games begin. The Superstore will close at the end of the Paralympic Winter Games in late March 2010. 

In recognition of Visa’s long-standing support of the Olympic Games, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Superstore proudly accepts only Visa cards and cash.

About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

About the Hudson’s Bay Company
Hudson’s Bay Company is a Premier National Partner and the General Retail Merchant of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. In partnership with Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), the company is designing and manufacturing the official uniforms for the Games-time workforce; it will also be outfitting the athletes’ villages, in both Vancouver and Whistler, with quality products to make the athletes comfortable in 2010.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC — The world’s largest dinosaur is the first landmark in Canada to sport Vancouver 2010 Red Mittens — the “it” souvenir of the Games — as the Alberta town of Drumheller steps up to show the country that they know how to wear their hearts on their hands to support Canadian athletes. 

Drumheller residents joined their red-mittened hands together today with other communities across the country, including a street hockey team in Windsor, NS, and young Olympic Torchbearers at a school in Mississauga, ON, to show their support of the Vancouver 2010 Red Mittens initiative. 

The official Red Mittens, which retail for $10 a pair, are one of the must-have mementos of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and match those that will be worn by the 12,000 torchbearers who will carry the flame to more than 1,000 communities, including Drumheller, Windsor and Mississauga, during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, starting in just one month in Victoria, BC. 

Red Mittens go on sale tomorrow, Thursday, October 1, and net proceeds from every pair sold will help complete the funding of the five-year Own the Podium 2010 initiative, which provides Canadian athletes with top equipment and training for the 2010 Games. Any additional funds raised through the Red Mittens campaign will support a variety of athlete- and sport-based initiatives. 

Earlier today, Tara Semchuk of the Drumheller Downtown Merchants Association climbed aboard the tower ladder of a local fire truck with the giant homemade drawstring fleece mittens, each three metres long and 1.8 metres wide, and placed them on the town’s most famous resident — a giant female Tyrannosaurus rex that towers over downtown Drumheller at 26 metres high and weighs a whopping 65,250 kilograms. 

“It was amazing to be up so high and see everyone down below cheering as I helped our T. Rex get her giant mittens on,” said Semchuk, owner of a local quilting shop who came up with the idea to create the mitts. “This is Drumheller’s way of showing our excitement about Canada’s Games. Today, we’re issuing a challenge to other communities across the country to find unique ways to use these Red Mittens to welcome the Olympic Flame and support our athletes as they go for gold!” 

The official Vancouver 2010 Red Mittens feature a white Maple Leaf in the heart of each palm (perfect for cheering and waving!) and the Olympic Rings and Vancouver 2010 stitched on the outside. The Red Mittens are a unifying element to knit together Olympic Torchbearers, Canadian athletes, Canadian fans, and Olympic supporters around the world. 

At Tomken Road Middle School in Mississauga, a balloon drop and countdown created a hero’s entrance for the school’s 18 student torchbearers chosen for the historic task by RBC, a presenting partner of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. The Vancouver 2010 Mascots presented the young torchbearers with their Red Mittens, a part of their official torchbearer uniform. The students and their teachers were awarded their coveted team torchbearer spot through RBC’s partnership with the Canadian Olympic School Program, which brings the Olympic values into classrooms across the country. The event also marked the first time the students carried the white curved torch in front of their friends and teachers at a school assembly. 

The Red Mittens were also spotted in action on Water Street in downtown Windsor, NS, as local minor hockey teams enjoyed a game of pickup street hockey. Mayor Paul Beazley presented the young players with their Red Mittens and then conducted the ceremonial puck drop. Coach Danny Dill’s family owns the farmland where Long Pond is located, considered by some sport historians to be the birthplace of hockey in Canada over 200 years ago.

“Hockey is incredibly important to our town,” said Mayor Beazley. “We’ll all be cheering until we’re hoarse for Canada to take hockey gold on home ice in 2010. If we can help them out just by wearing these Red Mittens then we’ll do it.”

The Vancouver 2010 Red Mittens are available at  www.vancouver2010.com/redmittens and at Olympic Stores at the Vancouver International Airport and in Whistler, BC. The Hudson’s Bay Company, Canada’s largest retailer and General Retail Merchant of the 2010 Winter Games, is playing a vital role in manufacturing and retailing the mittens at its Zellers, the Bay and Home Outfitters locations across the country. Red Mittens will also be available for purchase while supplies last in a selection of the almost 200 celebration communities along the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay route. 

The sale of Red Mittens is supported by VANOC’s television and print media partners. CTV, Canada’s Olympic Network, will support the campaign with its on-air talent and stars from hit network series to raise awareness and generate excitement. Tune in today, when CTV kicks off National Red Mittens day. CTV and /A\ hosts across Canada will don Red Mittens including local weather personalities, anchors and talent from eTalk, Canada AM and CP24.

In addition, a 30-second promotional spot created by the award-winning CTV Creative Agency will air on the main network, CTV Specialty channels, radio stations, and online with strategic on-air placement in Olympic-themed programming. Online, a custom landing page will live at www.CTVOlympics.ca and www.RDSolympiques.ca to direct site visitors on where to order Red Mittens and find out more about the campaign, while The Globe and Mail and www.globeandmail.com will feature advertisements in support of the Red Mittens initiative.

Canwest Publishing Inc.’s regional daily publications and their online sites will also feature “Wear Your Heart on Your Hands” Red Mittens advertising. Gesca Ltee will also feature online and print advertising for les mitaines rouges.

For more information, visit www.vancouver2010.com/redmittens.

Note to Photo Editors:
Images of the Drumheller red-mittened dinosaur, torchbearers at Tomken Road Middle School in Mississauga and Windsor’s pickup hockey game are available as high resolution downloads from the media centre image gallery at www.vancouver2010.com. Images of the “Wear Your Heart on Your Hands” Red Mitten campaign artwork, as well as the Vancouver 2010 mascots wearing the mittens are also available on the site.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC — It was announced this morning by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) that Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, has accepted the role as patron of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Truce.
“The Olympic Truce is an opportunity for all of us to contribute to a more peaceful society. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to stand with the Governor General to share this message and encourage people to express what peace means to them,” explained John Furlong, VANOC’s Chief Executive Officer. “Our hope is that by reflecting on that question, we are inspired to act on it, thereby creating an ongoing legacy of the 2010 Games.”

“The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Truce provides us all with a wonderful opportunity to expand the circles of peace and solidarity in communities across Canada and abroad. Through a call to action, it challenges us to channel our creative energy towards ensuring that respect and tolerance prevails in our families, our schools and our neighbourhoods. I encourage all Canadians to get involved,” said the Governor General.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Truce Program is taking a grassroots approach through initiatives that centre on the belief that lasting peace starts at the local level. The program will promote dialogue, inclusion and mutual understanding through a number of projects, including a youth forum taking place in Burnaby, BC this afternoon. In the spirit of the Governor General’s Youth Dialogue Series, Her Excellency is calling on young people to become ambassadors of peace and solidarity and inviting all generations to ensure youth are given a pivotal role in efforts to create a more compassionate, just and fraternal world.

As part of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Truce Program, two unique initiatives created by VANOC with the goal of engaging youth, were announced today and aim to extend the Olympic Truce experience beyond the Games period.

CanadaCODE Challenge

All Canadians can get involved in the Olympic Truce by responding to the question: “In your life or community, how do you “Make Your Peace?” and posting words or photos at www.vancouver2010.com/CODE. Canada CODE is a bilingual website collecting the words and photos of Canadians to create an online portrait of the country as we welcome the world in 2010.

Make Your Peace:  An Olympic Truce Guide For Educators

Designed for classroom teaching, the guide seeks to engage Canadian youth in the Olympic Truce by learning about the value of sport and inspiring them to act on the principles of Olympism in their everyday lives through fun, interactive, and reflective school projects. Designed by /EDU, the online Canadian school portal for the Games created by VANOC, the educators’ guide will be available in the coming weeks at www.vancouver2010.com/edu.

A selection of some of the best poems, photos, school projects, and short text messages submitted through these projects will be displayed at Games time in Vancouver to inspire all who see them to carry on the legacy of the “Make Your Peace” message in their own lives and home countries.

The Olympic Truce
The Olympic Truce helps further dialogue and understanding based on the principle that sport can inspire peace. In 2010, athletes will set aside their political, religious and social differences and compete on a level playing field in the pursuit of excellence. Their sportsmanship and behaviour is an example of how countries and individuals can find constructive ways to uphold the Olympic values of respect and friendship.

This marks the first time Canada has been responsible for leading Olympic Truce efforts since the ancient tradition, dating back to 776 BC in Greece, was revitalized in 1992. For more information, visit www.olympictruce.org.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC — As the nations of the world prepare to send their top athletes to compete in Canada at the upcoming 2010 Winter Games in the spirit of peace and friendship, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) encourages everyone to make the Olympic Truce meaningful in their own way in the lead up to the Games.

A grassroots program created by VANOC aims to extend the Olympic values of friendship and respect through an open invitation to ‘Make Your Peace’. Initiatives will encourage individuals to create everyday peace at home, schools, work, and in the community, based on the belief that lasting peace starts at the local level.

Details of the program, which will promote dialogue, inclusion, mutual understanding, and peace through a number of initiatives, including a youth forum in Burnaby, BC on September 28, will be rolled out over the coming months.

“The ability to inspire peace is in the choices we each make. We can always choose a more peaceful route in this world if we take a moment to think about the impact of our actions on others,” explained John Furlong, VANOC’s Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of the International Olympic Truce Foundation. 

“The Vancouver 2010 Winter Games are an opportunity to highlight sport as a catalyst for peace among nations and among people,” he continued. “Every athlete is held to account on the playing field where the values of respect, fair play and inclusion must prevail. The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Truce is about harnessing the values of sport and the Olympic Games as instruments of peace in our everyday lives.”

The philosophy of the Olympic Truce is simple: sport can inspire peace. In 2010, athletes will set aside their political, religious and social differences and compete on a level playing field in the pursuit of excellence. Their sportsmanship and behaviour are examples of how countries and individuals can find constructive ways to uphold the values of respect and friendship. 

The 2010 Winter Games mark the first time Canada has been responsible for leading Olympic Truce efforts since the ancient tradition, dating back to 776 BC in Greece, was revitalized in 1992. For more information on the Olympic Truce, visit www.olympic.org and www.olympictruce.org.

As part of commemorating the Olympic Truce, it is the tradition for the Host Country to present a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly calling for a truce during the Olympic Games. The truce encourages a peaceful environment and ensures safe passage to, and participation of, athletes at the Games and serves to mobilize the youth of the world to the cause of peace. The Government of Canada intends to present the resolution for the 2010 Winter Games at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in October.

VANOC is also working on a Canadian interpretation of a truce “wall” in the athletes’ villages. At past Games, these walls have largely been places for athletes and officials at the Games to sign declarations expressing their wish for a more peaceful world. The Vancouver 2010 version will be in the same spirit and details will remain under wraps until revealed closer to Games time.

About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC — Stay toasty warm this winter and show your support of Canadian athletes in their quest for gold at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games and beyond by heading to a Zellers, the Bay or Home Outfitters store to don a pair of Vancouver 2010 Red Mittens — the “it” souvenir of the Games.

The knitted mittens, which retail for $10 a pair, starting October 1st,  are one of the must-have mementos of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and match the mittens that will be worn by the 12,000 torchbearers who will carry the flame to more than 1,000 communities during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, starting in just one month. Net proceeds from every pair sold will complete the funding of the five-year Own the Podium 2010 initiative, which provides Canadian athletes with top equipment and training for the 2010 Games.  Any additional funds raised through the Red Mittens campaign will support a variety of athlete- and sport-based initiatives. 

The mittens go on sale Thursday, October 1, at www.vancouver2010.com/redmittens and at Olympic Stores at the Vancouver International Airport and in Whistler.  The Hudson’s Bay Company, Canada’s largest retailer and General Retail Merchant of the 2010 Winter Games, is playing a vital role in manufacturing and retailing the mittens at its Zellers, the Bay and Home Outfitters locations across the country. Red Mittens will also be available for purchase while supplies last in a selection of the almost 200 celebration communities along the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay route.

“This is a way for every Canadian to feel a close personal connection to Canada’s Games and to each other by supporting our best Canadian winter athletes,” said John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). “We’re hoping that everywhere the Olympic Flame visits in Canada it will be greeted and cheered on its journey by a sea of Red Mittens waved proudly by Canadians in the crowd.”

The mittens feature a white Maple Leaf in the heart of each palm (perfect for cheering and waving!) and the Olympic Rings and Vancouver 2010 stitched on the outside. They are a unifying element that knit together Olympic torchbearers, Canadian athletes, Canadian fans and Olympic supporters around the world.

“As an athlete, it’s incredibly motivating to see the support of Canadian fans in the crowd at the Games,” said Veronica Brenner, a silver medalist in aerials at the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games, who is responsible for on-site Games-time planning for Own the Podium 2010. “The Red Mittens campaign takes that support even further — it’s a visible reminder that the wearers of the mittens believe in you as an athlete and are supporting your efforts to fulfil your dreams in 2010 and beyond.”

“It’ll be incredibly exciting to see the crowds in 2010 waving their Red Mittens in the stands to cheer on the athletes or while watching the Games at home on TV,” she added. “But knowing Canadians, I’m sure they’ll come up with other ways to creatively use and show off their Red Mittens to let the world know the Great White North knows how to get behind its athletes!”

The sale of Red Mittens is supported by VANOC’s television and print media partners.  CTV, Canada’s Olympic Network, will support the campaign with its on-air talent and stars from hit network series to raise awareness and generate excitement. Tune in on September 30th, when CTV kicks off National Red Mittens day.  CTV and /A\ hosts across Canada will don Red Mittens including local weather personalities, anchors and talent from eTalk, Canada AM and CP24.

In addition, a 30-second promotional spot created by the award-winning CTV Creative Agency will air on the main network, CTV Specialty channels, radio stations, and online with strategic on-air placement in Olympic-themed programming. Online, a custom landing page will live at www.CTVOlympics.ca and www.RDSolympiques.ca to direct site visitors on where to order Red Mittens and find out more about the campaign, while The Globe and Mail and www.globeandmail.comwill feature advertisements in support of the Red Mittens initiative. 

Canwest Publishing Inc.’s regional daily publications and their online sites will also feature “Wear Your Heart on Your Hands” Red Mittens advertising. Gesca Ltee will also feature online and print advertising for les mitaines rouges.

For more information, visit www.vancouver2010.com/redmittens.

Note to Photo Editors:

Images of the “Wear Your Heart on Your Hands” Red Mitten campaign artwork, as well as the Vancouver 2010 mascots wearing the mittens, are available as high resolution downloads from the media centre image gallery at www.vancouver2010.com.

About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC — Some of the world’s most artistic and nimblest athletes on skates will conduct their final training sessions for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games on the ice at two brand-new community arenas, officially opening this week in Vancouver.

The $15.9-million Trout Lake Centre, which opens today to the public, will host training sessions for the world’s top ladies, men, pairs, and dance figure skaters, while the $14.9-million community arena at the Killarney Centre, which opens Friday, will host training for short track speed skaters. The Pacific Coliseum will hold the Games-time competitions for both sports.

The arenas are managed by the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation and were funded by the board, the City of Vancouver, the federal and provincial governments via the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), and the Grandview Community Association and Killarney Community Centre Society. Construction started at Killarney in November 2007 and in March 2008 at Trout Lake. The arenas, which are both located in east Vancouver, replace and upgrade older community facilities.

“Congratulations to the Vancouver Park Board, the City of Vancouver, the surrounding communities, our venue team, and all of the workers on a job well done,” said Dan Doyle, VANOC’s executive vice president of construction. “These important training venues, built with the highest environmental standards in mind, will not only serve an important role during the Games but also continue as much needed community facilities for recreational athletes young and old — a fitting legacy of the Games that will last for years to come.”

“These are stunning state-of-the-art ice arenas that will offer invaluable training space for athletes working to perfect their technique in the crucial days before they compete at the 2010 Winter Games,” added Jan Damnavits, VANOC’s director of event services and venue management, city operations. “These excellent training venues will have the same international ice size the athletes will compete on at the Games, as well as crash pads for the speed skaters at Killarney instead of the regular dasher boards used in hockey.”

On January 15, 2010, VANOC will take control of the arenas to prepare them for their Games-time usage. Both will open for daily training from February 4 to 26 on Olympic-sized ice sheets (30.5 metres by 61 metres). Close to 150 athletes and 250 team officials representing 35 nations will use Trout Lake, while approximately 120 short track speed skaters representing 20 countries will use Killarney. In order to ensure the athletes can completely focus on their training these daily sessions will be closed to the public.

The Trout Lake facility is bathed in natural light and features stunning wooden panelling in the lobby and corridor ceilings milled from Douglas firs felled in a 2006 windstorm that devastated Vancouver’s picturesque Stanley Park. The building’s other sustainability features include, reusing heat generated by the arena’s refrigeration system to preheat hot water systems and change rooms warmed using heat pipe energy.

Blue vintage glass window panels are one of the most striking characteristics of the Killarney Centre’s new arena. Salvaged from the site’s original 1963 rink, the glass has been recycled into a beautiful work of Aboriginal art by Dionne Paul of Sechelt, BC, called The Eyes of the People, as part of the Vancouver 2010 Venues’ Aboriginal Art Program. Additional sustainability features include, using waste heat generated by the arena’s refrigeration system to warm spectator seating and change rooms.

Both buildings were constructed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards and will be converted to community recreation use after the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games.

Note to Photo Editors: Images are available of Trout Lake Centre and Killarney Centre at http://vancouver.ca/parks/news/download/recfacilities.htm.

About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC — Residents of seven British Columbia communities received a special preview today of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay convoy and celebrations as the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) put their operational plans to the test in a simulation exercise representing an actual day along the national relay route.

“The training exercise was tremendously valuable for the team and the communities to validate our plans. For the most part, our major planning assumptions were proven correct,” said Jim Richards, program director for the Vancouver 2010 Torch Relays. “We’ll use the next several weeks to incorporate what we learned today, including the need to fine-tune media operations, torchbearer transitions, as well as ensure we have continuous communication with our route communities on any last minute changes. We are very thankful to the communities and media who participated in this event today and the residents for their patience.” 

With a main convoy of vehicles that stretched the distance of a football field, staff, observers and partners rehearsed an actual day from the relay route to refine and ensure the proper coordination of the many staff and vehicles it takes to stage this pan-Canadian celebration. 

Approximately 150 volunteer stand-in torchbearers experienced first-hand what it will feel like for the 12,000 Olympic Torchbearers involved in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and supported by the Government of Canada.  

“We’re no longer counting the months until the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay begins, we’re counting the days,” said Richards. “Staging such an engaging and inclusive relay, we can’t do all of our planning in boardrooms or in meetings. An Olympic Torch Relay is a complex project with many moving points that need to work within precision timing. We had to take our plans and test them out on the very streets the Olympic Flame will pass through on its way to light the Olympic Cauldron in Vancouver.” 

Similar to when the relay will visit each of the 1,036 communities across Canada, the host communities and local law enforcement provided rolling road closures to allow the torchbearers and convoy to travel through the community. Residents in Chilliwack and Abbotsford also saw a setup of the celebration stages that will be used at the nearly 200 community celebrations over the course of the 106-day relay. 

Key lessons from the training event included:

Convoy operations

• A vehicle in the core convoy had a dead battery this morning causing a departure delay of 10 minutes. All vehicles will be outfitted with booster cables for relay time.

• Advance vehicles responsible for management of arrivals and departure of the convoy during the day will require double the amount of pylons to help manage this process.

• Unexpected road construction in Chilliwack did not delay the convoy but at relay time the team will double-check with communities to ensure they are aware of the routes and road projects on the relay day.

Torchbearers

• Confirmed our pacing for torchbearers and the convoy was accurate as the team was always within five minutes of projected times.

• Ensure torchbearers are provided with clear direction to understand the exchange with the next torchbearers, as well as torchbearers with special needs.

Media operations

• Position media zones on the same side at celebration site to ensure unobstructed camera positions for photo opportunities.

• Clearly identify media relations staff at celebration sites.

Media One Vehicle in core convoy

• Further retrofits to vehicle are required to accommodate additional camera positions.

• Pre-registration of media interested in being on Media One vehicle will be required to ensure smooth transitions between segments. This registration will need to be separate from the torch relay registration that closed mid-summer 2009.

Celebration site

• Adjustments to some set elements will be required. 

The 45,000-kilometre route, which will bring the Olympic Flame within one hour of over 90 per cent of the Canadian population, has now been mapped out metre by metre and each day more torchbearers are receiving official notifications offering them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame. While communities put the finishing touches on lively and entertaining celebrations that showcase local talent, torch relay staff, including flame attendants and escort runners, continue their rigorous training to prepare physically and mentally for the challenges of a relay through a Canadian winter. 

With less than a month to go before the Olympic Flame is lit in Olympia, Greece in a time honoured and celebrated ceremony, communities are getting ready to welcome the world and showcase their part of Canada through the torch relay which will begin in Victoria, British Columbia on October 30, 2009. 

Planning for the torch relay has been ongoing since 2006, VANOC has been working in close collaboration with relay partners including the provinces, territories, communities, RCMP, and many sponsors and suppliers who have loaned their time, talent and energy to stage the longest domestic torch relay in history.  

Those wanting to follow the Olympic Flame online, see video and video highlights and read daily stories from the road can do so at www.vancouver2010.com/torchrelay.  An enhanced interactive map of the national relay route will be unveiled in mid-October and updated continuously to provide detailed maps of the Olympic Flame’s path through each community in the days before the exciting celebrations take place in every corner of Canada. 

NOTE: Photos taken during the torch relay training event are available to interested media on request. 

About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Tickets on sale now at www.vancouver2010.com/culturalolympiad

Vancouver, BC — The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, presented by Bell, is adding more international flair to its impressive lineup of music, theatre, visual arts, dance, and digital programming in its largest announcement of 2010 projects to date — more than 70, including hardcore troubadour Steve Earle, an inspiring Ugandan dance troupe and an all-star lineup of emerging Canadian talent brought together by an American music producer, often called the inventor of the modern tribute album, saluting the godfather of grunge: Neil Young.

In addition to the more traditional stage and gallery presentations, Vancouver streets and unexpected nooks (such as a concrete plant) will buzz with a number of groundbreaking interactive public installations, like a thumping party with some of the best DJs in the world spinning electronic music into the early morning hours and a path of LED lights that react to a person’s every move.

The third and final edition of the Cultural Olympiad festivals will start on January 22, 2010 and run throughout the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, concluding on March 21. The extensive program will include more than 600 ticketed and free performances and exhibitions in 60 venues in Metro Vancouver and British Columbia’s Sea to Sky corridor. The shows announced today join the 55 Cultural Olympiad projects previously announced for 2010, including highlights such as The Blue Dragon/Le Dragon Bleu by Robert Lepage, Delusions by Laurie Anderson, Moon Water by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, and Tundra Songs by the Kronos Quartet featuring Tanya Tagaq. Tickets and information are available now at www.vancouver2010.com/culturalolympiad.

“A cultural celebration of this magnitude is the work of an outstanding partnership featuring our presenting sponsor Bell, the federal, provincial and territorial governments and a wide range of national cultural agencies and arts organizations,” said David Guscott, executive vice president of celebrations and partnerships for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). “With their assistance we have assembled an unprecedented program of contemporary Canadian art and artists.”

Burke Taylor, VANOC’s vice president of culture and celebrations, added: “Our vision for Cultural Olympiad 2010 is that it be eclectic, bold and breathtaking. Whether it’s onstage, online, in a gallery, or on the street we want people to have an extraordinary Olympic and Paralympic experience and feel a personal connection to the cultural program of the Games. It’s part of the celebratory atmosphere we’re creating with our many partners to welcome the world.”

The hot new projects include:

Music

If a theme can be applied to this diverse mix of artists, it is collaboration and connection between iconic artists with up-and-coming musicians.On January 23, country and rock musician Steve Earle pays tribute to an equally gifted songwriter in Townes Van Zandt, with Canadian alt-pop crooner Joel Plaskett opening, as he did for Paul McCartney this past summer. In Hal Willner’s Neil Young Project, Willner uses Broken Social Scene, Joan as Policewoman, Ron Sexsmith, and Iron andWine to illuminate the hits and obscurities from Young’s massive catalogue of work.

The music list is rounded out by Juno-nominated breakout Canadian band Stars, known for its atmospheric, literary pop; the Hilario Duran Latin Jazz Band, led by a man who learned his craft at the centre of Cuba’s vibrant Latin jazz scene, performing with saxophonist Jane Bunnett, pianist Phil Dwyer and master percussionist Changuito — all band leaders and international jazz icons in their own right; and the double-bill of K’Naan (a young Somali-Canadian rapper) and Tinariwen (a collective of poet-guitarists that has rocked the south Saharan since the late 1970s).

For something completely different, try Sound Gallery and its unique blend of improvised music and video mixing or Taiwan’s Chai Found Music Workshop and its revival of Chinese chamber music called sizhu.

Performing Arts

Spain’s María Pagés, lauded for her development of modern flamenco, reveals her FlamencoRepublic at the Orpheum, while the Spirit of Uganda, a company of 22 young artists orphaned by AIDS or civil war, brings their uplifting and spirited East African dance and music to Canada for the first time. Go down the rabbit hole in Alice and Other Heroes, where Daniel Janke’s Whitehorse-based ensemble plays a live score for a series of short films, including vignettes from the animated classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

For a taste of something closer to home, the National Arts Centre does the country and its more than 30 million inhabitants proud with Made in Canada, a concert celebrating the rich cultural landscape of the Great White North through music, dance and song.

Visual Arts

Step back in time and view a Vancouver Island Aboriginal family’s history and stories through beautifully painted ceremonial curtains in Backstory: Nuu-chah-nulth Ceremonial Curtains and the Work of Ki-Ke-In, or watch cutting-edge videos and films by some of the world’s best visual artists on a huge screen on the Vancouver Art Gallery’s Robson Street façade during CUE.

For a unique meld of avant-garde music and art with a personal twist supplied by the audience seek out Metcalfe/Lewis: Ikons. In a forest walk like no other, be entranced by the provocative sculptures of Vancouver’s Eric Metcalfe while listening to a composition of acoustic sounds by New York-based trombonist George Lewis. The forest and music respond to the actions of the people around it. Get lost and found again in Tracing Night, Ed Pien’s maze-like installation that turns day into night, using fanciful creatures pulled from Chinese and Inuit mythology to confront uncertainty and fear.

CODE Live

For digital innovation look no further than CODE Live, an 18-day event that is part of CODE, the Cultural Olympiad’s digital edition. It will showcase a diverse range of works fuelled by digital technology and audience interaction. The exhibitions and performances are in venues around Vancouver and most are free.

From around the world, these works draw the audience into the creative experience: a cellphone turns into a musical instrument, enabling the user to create a symphony of sound; a green thumb goes to new levels playing with virtual acoustic plants; paparazzi robots offer up 15 minutes of fame to passersby; a telepresence performance makes it possible to reach out to friends across Canada; and a pathway of reactive LEDs respond as audiences make their way to late night performances featuring DJs and electronic music.

About the Cultural Olympiad
The Cultural Olympiad, presented by Bell, is a series of multidisciplinary festivals and digital programs showcasing the best in Canadian and international arts and popular culture. Launched in 2008, the program culminates in the 60-day Cultural Olympiad 2010 (January 22 to March 21, 2010), which begins before and continues throughout the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. CODE is the Cultural Olympiad’s digital edition, a series of programs developed to creatively engage national and global audiences through the use of digital technology.

Partnerships

Bell
Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and business with solutions to all their communications needs, including Bell Mobility wireless, high-speed Bell Internet, Bell TV direct-to-home satellite television, Bell Home phone local and long distance, and IP-broadband and information and communications technology (ICT) services. Bell is proud to be a Premier National Partner and the exclusive Telecommunications Partner to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For information on Bell's products and services, please visit www.bell.ca. For corporate information on BCE, please visit www.bce.ca.

Government
The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad is grateful for the support of the Government of Canada and the governments of all of Canada’s provinces and territories and their respective cultural agencies: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and Yukon. In addition to the Cultural Olympiad’s government and corporate partners, CODE is proudly supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and the National Film Board of Canada. New Media BC and Wavefront Innovation Society are also both active participants in the project. The National Presentation and Touring Program is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Arts Partners in Creative Development

Arts Partners in Creative Development (APCD) is a strategic investment partnership to assist BC arts and cultural organizations create and develop new works or further develop existing works, with the intent of producing, presenting or exhibiting them at the highest standard. Organizations can apply for funding to create, commission and develop original work in the performing, visual, media or literary arts. With an initial investment of $6.5 million over three years, APCD facilitates the creation and development of new work to showcase both locally and worldwide. APCD funding partners include VANOC, the Province of British Columbia, 2010 Legacies Now, the City of Vancouver, the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Vancouver Foundation.

About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com

Vancouver, BC — The board of directors for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) met today in Vancouver to discuss an exceptionally busy fall schedule full of operational activities and major announcements leading up to the opening of the Games, as well as updates on standing agenda items such as ongoing financial management, Games-time planning and the Olympic Torch Relay.

The members of the board, as well as VANOC Chief Executive Officer John Furlong and executives, spoke largely via teleconference today. This change in format may be replicated at the handful of remaining board meetings because it provides more flexibility for the board and management in the final months before the Games.

“The Organizing Committee is now in the midst of an exciting and extraordinarily busy time before the Games begin in just 147 days,” said Rusty Goepel, acting chairman for the meeting. “Huge milestone projects that have been worked on for years are now just days and weeks away and the VANOC board of directors is confident the management team has preparations well in hand to ensure the delivery of great Games in 2010.”

Already, VANOC’s overlay teams have started the complex process of making Games venues ready for the world’s top winter athletes. The work, which involves installing temporary items such as additional seating, lighting, banners, and cables, will continue into 2010.

John Furlong also provided the board with a rundown of major announcements and events the Organizing Committee will make in the next six weeks, which include: the start of the 106-day Olympic Torch Relay; the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Truce program; the international unveiling of the Games’ medals; the second phase of transportation plans; and the largest announcement to date of projects added to the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad.

“We’ve been running at full steam for the last year but this fall we’ve kicked our activities into an even higher gear as we put the finishing touches on our plans to host the world at Canada’s Games,” said Furlong, who will present Vancouver 2010’s final pre-Games report at the 121st International Olympic Committee Session in Copenhagen, Denmark early next month.

“For our team, the Games really start on October 22 when the Olympic Flame is lit in Greece and begins its journey to Victoria, BC, for the start of the Olympic Torch Relay on October 30. The 105 days after that will no doubt pass in a blur of activity and feelings of pride as we witness the excitement Canadians feel when they see the Olympic Flame in person.”

The board also received the following updates:

• Finance: The Organizing Committee is continuing to proceed with procurement and is in final contractual negotiations for numerous goods and services for accommodation in the Sea to Sky region, snow management and food services. Information will be posted at www.vancouver2010.com once contracts are finalized.

• Venue Construction: The City of Vancouver provided an update to the Finance Committee on the positive progress being made on construction of the Olympic and Paralympic Village Vancouver. Both athlete villages, located in Vancouver and Whistler, are on schedule to be handed over to VANOC this fall. The Trout Lake and Killarney training venues are complete and will open to the public next week.

• Torch Relays: With 42 days left before the Olympic Flame arrives on Canadian soil, the Organizing Committee is locking down final details for the torch relay’s 106-day journey across Canada, including: confirming celebration community plans and torchbearer data. More than 2,000 journalists, photographers and videographers from across Canada and internationally have registered to cover the relay. The Olympic Flame will be officially handed over to VANOC officials on October 29 in Greece before flying to Canada for the start of the relay in Victoria, BC, 24 hours later. Meanwhile, planning for the Paralympic Torch Relay continues; further details on the route will be announced later this fall.

• Cultural Olympiad: On Monday, September 21, VANOC will reveal more than 70 new projects added to Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad’s lineup of music, theatre, visual arts, dance, and digital programming. The announcement is the largest unveiling of 2010 projects to date.

• Olympic Truce: VANOC will announce details shortly on the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Truce program, which includes an innovative project to involve Canadians of all ages, especially young people, in promoting peace in everyday life.

• Accommodation: The Homestay Volunteer Program, launched by VANOC in February 2009, has seen excellent results to date. The program will provide more than 650 beds during the Olympic Winter Games from 550 host families. More than 220 beds secured through the program will also house volunteers during the Paralympic Games. Applications will continue to be accepted from additional host families until Games time. Those who apply before September 30 will qualify for event tickets as an added incentive.

• Transportation: The second and final phase of the integrated transportation plan for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games by the Olympic and Paralympic Transportation Team (OPTT) will be released in mid-October.

• Sport: Approximately 28,000 spectators attended the women’s Hockey Canada Cup from August 31 to September 6 at GM Place. The sport event, featuring the top four ranked countries in women’s ice hockey, was the last of 18 sport events in the 2008-2009 season where VANOC conducted operational testing in preparation for the Games. Each event has resulted in key learnings and refinements to VANOC’s plans for the Games and valuable feedback from international sport federations.

The next scheduled VANOC board meeting will be held on November 17, 2009.

VANOC Board of Directors Background
The VANOC board of directors is made up of 20 members nominated by: the Canadian Olympic Committee (seven); the Government of Canada (three); the Province of British Columbia (three); the City of Vancouver (two); the Resort Municipality of Whistler (two); the Canadian Paralympic Committee (one); a joint appointment by the Band Councils of the Lil'wat and Squamish Nations (one); and one member nominated by the other 19 members.

The board is scheduled to meet six times per year, and more often at the call of the chair as required. The meetings are generally held at the VANOC offices in Vancouver, although they are occasionally hosted by our Games partners in other locations. The board’s responsibility is to oversee the conduct of the business of VANOC as it works toward achieving its Mission: to touch the soul of the nation and inspire the world by creating and delivering an extraordinary Olympic and Paralympic experience with lasting legacies.

As part of its commitment to public transparency and accountability, the VANOC board of directors has made today’s agenda, discussion topics and decisions available to the public on www.vancouver2010.com, subject to conditions of confidentiality related to personal information and/or competitively sensitive or privileged information. VANOC is also committed to hosting media briefings following each board meeting with the board chairman, the CEO and other director(s) or members of the VANOC senior management team to elaborate further on matters.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Press Contact
If you are a member of the media, please contact mediarelations@vancouver2010.com

For all other inquiries, please contact info@vancouver2010.com