Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

About 40 years ago, as a young law student and competitive athlete at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Doug Mitchell learned many of the principles that would guide him through his life as a husband, father, lawyer and citizen. At UBC he discovered the true meaning of teamwork and the importance of perseverance. These lessons would shape his relationships and his drive to give back to sport.

In recognition of his profound experience at UBC, Mitchell, with a team of his family and friends, recently donated $10 million dollars to the university to support the further development of sport.

“Playing sports taught me that none of us can thrive alone; we need a team,” said Mitchell at the ceremony on August 21, 2009 outside the UBC Thunderbird Arena, the venue for the Olympic ice hockey and Paralympic ice sledge hockey during the 2010 Winter Games. “It also taught me that it’s not the falling down, it’s the getting up that counts!”

The Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre

University President Stephen Toope announced that the facility would be named the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in recognition of Doug’s gift and his lifelong commitment to amateur and professional sport in Canada, especially ice hockey.

The financial pledge — among the largest-ever to a Canadian varsity athletics facility — will support UBC’s share of the costs in building the new winter sports complex and help to provide one of the best university winter sports facilities in the country for UBC students, athletes and the community.

Doug Mitchell and his wife, Lois, who live in Calgary (host city of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games) are longtime supporters of UBC sports. In 2006, Lois Mitchell established the Hayley Wickenheiser Thunderbird Ice Hockey Endowment to support the UBC women’s ice hockey team, and in 2007, Mitchell established the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Scholarship Endowment to support UBC athletes.

A Refurbished Arena

Opened in September 2008, the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre contains the refurbished Father Bauer Arena, a new practice ice rink and 7,500-seat arena that will host ice hockey and ice sledge hockey during the 2010 Winter Games. About 40,000 people use the centre every month, with more than 230 hours per week devoted to community use, including hockey leagues, youth instructional programs, high school rentals, community rentals and drop-in programs. The centre is accessible for adaptive athletes and spectators with physical disabilities. It is also home of the UBC Sports Hall of Fame. VANOC will maintain the name UBC Thunderbird Arena for the 2010 Games given the advanced stage of our publications and naming systems, but will ensure the new name is noted in select public communications such as vancouver2010.com and news releases.



The Olympic Games unite the world. No matter what country we’re watching them from, we all comprehend both the joy and sadness that come with sport. It’s heard in the roaring cheers from the crowd, seen in the waving of a nation’s flag or felt with tears shed in the sting of defeat.

Sport serves as a platform for peace by giving all nations and all competitors a common ground. Recognizing the need for peaceful sport, the Olympic Truce was established during the ancient Olympic Games in Greece. Originally known by the Greek word Ekecheiria, the ancient tradition of the Olympic Truce was revitalized in 1992 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Olympic Truce has since become a globally recognized title for inspiring peace through sport.

The Olympic Truce and Vancouver 2010

John Furlong, VANOC CEO The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games mark the first time Canada has been responsible for leading Olympic Truce efforts. Each Games has its own interpretation of the Olympic Truce. For Vancouver 2010, athletes will set aside their political, religious and social differences and compete on a level playing field in the pursuit of excellence. And to make this message more relevant to everyday individuals, beyond the athletes and participants, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) created the Make Your Peace Program.

Make Your Peace

The Make Your Peace Program extends the Olympic values of friendship and respect through an open invitation to make your peace. In essence, individuals are encouraged to create everyday peace at home, school, work and in the community, based on the belief that lasting peace starts at the local level.

On October 19,2009 the Government of Canada and VANOC presented the Olympic Truce resolution for the 2010 Winter Games at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York. In front of the UN, VANOC Chief Executive Officer John Furlong introduced the resolution entitled “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideals,” which was adopted by consensus by the 192 UN member nations.

“The Games are an opportunity for all of us to uphold sport as an inspirational means to promote a culture of peace among nations and people everywhere,” Furlong said. “Just like every athlete is held to account on the playing field where the values of respect, fair play and inclusion must prevail, we urge all UN member states to observe these values individually and collectively as we welcome the world to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in February and March 2010.”

Safe Passage

Commemorating the truce ensures a peaceful environment and safe passage to, and participation of, athletes at the Games. It also serves to mobilize the youth of the world in the cause of peace. The Vancouver 2010 resolution also specifies that the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games will take place with the aim to uphold sport as an inspirational means to promote peace, inclusivity, indigenous participation, social and environmental responsibility, and meaningful legacies for future generations.

Truce Exhibition

On Tuesday, October 20, the 2010 Olympic Truce exhibition at the UN was unveiled. The exhibition will give a preview of VANOC’s interpretation of the truce “wall” traditionally incorporated in the athletes’ villages as a visual token of the Olympic Truce and the promises made.

Vancouver, BC — Celebrated Canadian authors Douglas Coupland and Roch Carrier are among the major contributors to the Vancouver 2010 Official Souvenir Program, which goes on sale this week across Canada.

Designed as a keepsake for Canadians and visiting spectators, the program — in both English and French editions — contains a compelling mix of stories and features capturing the unique spirit of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the athletes and memorable moments from past Games. The 148-page program, priced at $17.85 Cdn. plus taxes, also includes a comprehensive guide to Games venues, schedules, sports, and maps.

“This publication featuring some of this country’s best writers is a great souvenir and introduction to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games for spectators and Games fans alike,” said Dennis Kim, director of licensing and merchandising for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). “Whether you’re looking for information or inspiration, this program delivers and also shows a real sense of the spirit and excitement of Canada’s Games!”

The Vancouver 2010 Official Souvenir Program is available at Olympic Stores in Vancouver, Whistler, at the Vancouver International Airport, and online at www.vancouver2010.com/store. They are also available, along with several other Games-related VANOC licensed publications, at the Olympic Superstore at the Bay Downtown Vancouver, as well as Hudson’s Bay Company stores, and select retailers across Canada.

The program was produced by Vancouver-based Glacier Media Inc. under exclusive license from VANOC.

Among the major highlights:

• The complete Olympic Games competition schedule, sport profiles for each Olympic sport, maps showing the location of the competition and ceremonies venues in Vancouver and Whistler, and a variety of light-hearted trivia and information about the 2010 Games.

• International bestselling novelist and Vancouverite Douglas Coupland, author of Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture and The Gum Thief, takes readers on a vivid journey through his Vancouver;
• Quebecnovelist Roch Carrier, author of the Canadian classic The Hockey Sweater, traces hockey’s historic roots and its significance in today’s Canada;
• Acclaimed Canadian TV sportscaster Brian Williams shares his most cherished memories of past Olympic Winter Games;
• Allan Maki, a sports columnist at The Globe and Mail, uncovers the stories of remarkable Paralympians achieving remarkable results in their sports and private lives;
• Stephen Brunt, also a sports columnist at The Globe and Mail, examines the lasting values and true ideals embodied by athletes in previous Games; and
• National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar Steve Nash shares his memories of competing for Canada at an Olympic Games.

“The history of hockey is also the history of Canada,” explained Carrier. “One of the fascinating aspects about hockey is how diverse communities within our great country contributed to create our game. Right now our hockey players are preparing to showcase their skills to the world and it’s an honour for me to have been invited to reflect on our treasured sport.”
Coupland added: “It dawned on me in the middle of this that the Olympics was going to be happening maybe a mile from my front door, and that doesn’t happen too often. So I cancelled the trip to Hawaii. I’m here.”

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. Please visit www.vancouver2010.com for more information.

About Glacier Media Inc.
Glacier Media Inc. (GVC-T) is a dynamic, Vancouver-headquartered information communications company focused on delivering news, information and related services in print and online.

Glacier, listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, is pursuing this strategy through two core business segments: local newspaper and trade information markets, and business and professional information markets. These operations include: BIV Media Group, Glacier Newspaper Group, Business Information Group, Western Producer Publications, Farm Business Communications, and JuneWarren Publishing. The operations in the business and professional information group include Specialty Technical Publishers, CD-Pharma, Eco Log, and a joint venture interest in Fundata.

Michelle Bartleman

Michelle Bartleman is an accomplished skeleton athlete who has been competing for Canada for three seasons. As a 2014 Olympic Winter Games hopeful, she’s a passionate and busy person, splitting her time between training, web and graphic design, blogging, competition, volunteering, travel, fun, friends and flying — yes flying.

Currently living in Squamish BC, she is a proud Canadian who has come to understand the importance of French/English bilingualism. “I am a big supporter and enthusiastic proponent of Canadian bilingualism, a subject that is often treated with a lot of contempt and mockery out here in Western Canada,” she writes in her blog.

Originally from Montreal, Bartleman grew up in an English-speaking home and is the oldest of four children. In her early years, her family moved to Alberta where she attended a French immersion elementary school. Growing up, she didn’t understand the full scope of her parents’ insistence on bilingualism and like most children, didn’t care for French in school.

“No English kid likes going to school in French in Alberta because, you know, it seems irrelevant. I didn’t understand why it mattered or why it was relevant,” Bartelman recounts. “My dad made me do the Concours d’art oratoire (public speaking contest) from the time I was six. So to me everything was an effort and I saw no real world relation, especially because I come from an Anglophone family.”

Despite her dad’s best efforts to enforce “French night” at home, Bartleman still didn’t get why it was so important to speak both English and French.

Around age 11, she and her family moved back to Montreal where she attended an English high school. “It’s different when you’re in Montreal once you get to high school. You go to French class in high school in Montreal and sure you might hate it, but then you go out with your friends who are French or who speak French and it translates right . . . no pun intended.”

While Bartleman went on to pursue her life’s passions, she began to understand her father’s insistence on her learning Canada’s other official language. As she travelled across the country, she noticed that a whole lot of people speak French in Canada. “I go other places in Canada and meet all these francophones and I think it’s really cool.”

As she started participating in international competition, Michelle understood the importance of her second official language even more, meeting other athletes from around the world, making friends and picking up other languages in the process!

Now Bartleman is invited to speak at major events like La journée de la francophonie, a day celebrating French-Canadian culture regardless of geographical location.

“I recently had this enlightenment, after speaking at the Jour de la francophonie where there were all these BC francophones,” she says. “I had the realization that I’m their counterpart. I’m an anglophone Quebecer, an anglo-Québecoise.”

As guest speaker, Bartleman delivered her speech in French. Some other speakers were unable to deliver their speeches in Canada’s other official language. She describes this in her blog: “I couldn’t understand why the francophones, on their day, were still pandering to the anglos. And then it struck me. The BC francophones at this event get it. They understand the give and take needed to perpetuate understanding and appreciation between different cultures. They realize that, even on their day, they need to respect and accommodate anglophones in they same way that they as francophones hope to be accommodated and respected every other day of the year.”

The world is coming to Vancouver and Whistler for a two-week stay. What an extraordinary opportunity to not only showcase our unique identity, our linguistic duality and our cultural diversity, but also to foster cultural understanding and appreciation. Canada is home to more than 9 million French speakers, and almost 300,000 British Columbians speak French. Bartleman is one of those people and proud of it. Recently, she found out she would be a volunteer at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games and is glad to be representing her country in both official languages as part of the 2010 Winter Games bilingual experience.

Since the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay began its 106-day journey a month ago, more than 1,800 torchbearers have carried the flame over 19,000 kilometres, while many community choirs have performed There’s a light/Cette flamme — an original musical piece composed by Canadian choir master Gregory Charles — during daily community celebrations.

Performances, which include community choirs, during the 189 community celebrations on the Olympic Torch Relay route showcase Canada’s diverse culture, accomplishments, beautiful landscapes and its proud history.

Community choirs bring together people of all ages, races and religions, and the relay is a tremendous and unique opportunity to give them a voice. “When I think that hundreds of thousands of choir members across the country can unite their voices to celebrate the union of peoples, it’s just beautiful,” said Gregory Charles when asked what he loves the most about this project.

Charles and the Choeurs du Nouveau Monde, with the support of the Government of Canada, worked with local choral groups from each celebration community to prepare their performance. “All choirs learned the song based on the composition of their members: children, women, men or mixed,” explained Charles. There’s a light/Cette flamme is performed just after the arrival of the final torchbearer who lights the cauldron in each community.

Canadian choir master, Gregory Charles performing a song The meaning of the song
Charles wrote and composed There’s a light/Cette flamme in French, English and some parts in Huron. The theme of light mainly inspired Charles: “Light is a recurring theme in art history. It represents the will to know, to understand the world and others. The flame, like a lighthouse, becomes the catalyst, the world’s vector for change. This is what the world’s athletes inspire. It is also the promise that the world will be a better place if all men stand by each other. Light also implies that good triumphs over evil.” said Charles.

The introduction of There’s a light/Cette flamme is a call from the north to participate in a modernized choral arrangement inspired from the introduction to Greek plays in ancient times. The second part of the song is simply pure energy — a simulation of the act of running and the hope to harness the power and wisdom of fire to bring humanity closer to perfection and freedom.

“Choral music is a citizen art; it’s representative of our country and civilization and fraternity in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. There are more choir members than athletes in our country, ” said Charles.

Spectators experience up-close viewing at largest curling venue in Winter Games history

Vancouver, BC –The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) successfully completed its operational testing today at the curling sport event at the Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre­—the 108,000-square-foot facility that will seat approximately 5,000 spectators during the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and is the largest curling venue at any Winter Games to date.

“Our goal is to create an optimal environment for athletes and an experience of a lifetime for spectators at the 2010 Winter Games,” said Jan Damnavits, VANOC’s director of event services and venue management. “Over the course of the last two weeks, our venue team has had the opportunity to test the venue’s operational readiness for both Olympic and Paralympic competition while fine-tuning the conditions and systems.”

The World Junior Curling Championships, which ran from March 5 to 15, were the second sport event to be held at the Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre and showcased the talent of over 100 athletes from 13 countries competing in two parallel events: both a women’s and a men’s tournament.

“We’ve really enjoyed the experience,” said USA Junior Women’s team member Tabitha Peterson, who has been curling for almost a decade. “The ice is great, the atmosphere is fantastic—it’s been fun playing and fun cheering in the stands.”

VANOC focused its operational testing on the following areas: ice maintenance, venue systems, spectator experience and workforce operations.

Field of Play

In keeping with the wheelchair curling sport event, VANOC concentrated on testing the ice and ice maintenance. Humidity levels in the building can affect the quality of the ice, so operational adjustments were made to the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in anticipation of various environmental conditions including spectator numbers and outdoor conditions.  Testing to date will allow VANOC to develop a systems baseline for future reference in order to optimize the field of play during Games time.

“The playing surface is excellent and we have been working with stakeholders, including the athletes, to achieve steady improvement with the new stones,” said Les Harrison, president of the World Curling Federation. “We are very excited about the calibre of competition we can expect to see a year from now.”

Venue Operations

Spectator seating at the venue is extremely close to the field of play, making it an exciting and up-close experience for spectators and athletes alike.

A workforce of approximately 600, including around 400 volunteers, consisted of both technical sport volunteers and event services personnel.  Workforce training was highly attended and workforce check-in went smoothly using electronic scanners.

In keeping with previous sport events, VANOC also successfully tested press operations, timing, scoring and results, medical services and anti-doping functions.

Vancouver 2010 Sport Events

The World Junior Curling Championships are one of the last four sport events of the 2008/09 winter season, all four of which are being held this weekend. Since February 2008, VANOC has conducted operational testing at 17 sport events, with 16 taking place from October 2008 through March 2009. The final sport event, the Hockey Canada Cup – Women’s Hockey, will be held at UBC Thunderbird Arena and Canada Hockey Place from August 31 to September 6, 2009. Sport events (international competitions, such as World Cups or World Championships) have provided VANOC the opportunity to test Games-time operations and train potential Games-time volunteers. The sport events have brought the 2010 Winter Games sport venues to life, offering Canadians a chance to enjoy the sport disciplines that will be showcased at the 2010 Winter Games. The events have familiarized sports fans with the world’s best winter sport athletes likely compete in 2010 and given media, officials and athletes a chance to experience their Games-time environment.

Over the course of the 17 events, the 2010 Winter Games host region has welcomed over 2,400 athletes from more than 30 countries, with an average of 120 accredited media covering each event (domestic and international) and a total estimated on-site spectator attendance of approximately 70,000.  The total budgeted cost for sport events is approximately $16 million.

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.

choose the most outstanding achievement of a Canadian winter Olympian, what would it be? What is your favourite goosebump-raising, spine-tingling Olympic memory? Is it Cindy Klassen’s five medals at the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games? Or maybe it’s a throwback to Grenoble 1968 when Nancy Greene won gold and silver in alpine skiing?

Vote for the Top 10

The Royal Canadian Mint and Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium are inviting Canadians to celebrate Canada’s history at the Olympic Winter Games by voting on the Top 10 Canadian Olympic Winter Moments of all time. Each vote provides a chance to win one of two trips for two to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

“Canadian Olympic athletes have the profound ability to make an emotional connection with fans and instill a tremendous amount of national pride,” said Keith Pelley, president of Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium. “We celebrate and pay tribute to Canada’s Olympic heroes who have helped shape the Olympic Winter Games for Canadians nationwide.”

Featured on the Canadian quarter

Once the votes are tallied, the top three moments will each be featured on 25-cent coins and will enter into circulation in the fall of 2009. They will then be revealed in a one-hour prime-time broadcast special, in English and French, in September 2009 on CTV, TSN and RDS.
The Top 10 Canadian Olympic Winter Moments finalists, as selected by an independent voting panel are (in chronological order):
•Nancy Greene — gold medal and silver medal, alpine skiing, Grenoble 1968
•Gaétan Boucher — two gold medals and one bronze medal, speed skating, Sarajevo 1984
•Marc Gagnon — gold medal, short track speed skating, Salt Lake 2002
•Catriona Le May Doan — gold medal, speed skating, Salt Lake 2002
•Men’s Hockey Team — gold medal, Salt Lake 2002
•Women’s Hockey Team — gold medal, Salt Lake 2002
•Jamie Salé and David Pelletier — gold medal, figure skating, Salt Lake 2002
•Beckie Scott — gold medal, cross-country skiing, Salt Lake 2002
•Cindy Klassen — one gold medal, two silver medals and two bronze medals, speed skating, Torino 2006
•Clara Hughes — gold medal, speed skating, Torino 2006

From the 10 finalists above, Canadians can rank their favourites and share their personal memories from each moment. A random draw will take place in early April to determine two winners, each of whom will each receive a trip for two to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

“We’re proud to give Canadians the opportunity to determine the most extraordinary Olympic Winter Games moments to complete our Vancouver 2010 circulation coin program,” said Ian E. Bennett, president and Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Canadian Mint.