Expert Advice

To reinforce its commitment towards ensuring that both of Canada’s official languages are well represented and celebrated at the 2010 Winter Games, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) has created a Board Advisory Committee on Official Languages.

What is this Committee?

For everyone attending the 2010 Winter Games, be it for a figure skating competition or the dramatic Opening Ceremonies, VANOC is committed to ensuring that the atmosphere and services for athletes, spectators and other visitors is warm, welcoming and bilingual.

The Committee, which met for the first time on April 24, 2009, provides strategic advice to VANOC on the delivery of its official languages objectives, the francophone culture in the context of the Games, and assists in collaborations between key stakeholders and Canada’s French-speaking community partners to ensure their full participation in Canada’s Games. The panel meets periodically until Games time.

Jacques Gauthier, Committee Chair; Francine Bolduc, Director Official Languages; Jean-Pierre Raffarin, member of the French Senate — Vienne (Poitou-Charentes); Alexandre Garcia, Consul general de France; Donna Wilson, Executive Vice President, Workforce and Sustainability

Who are the members of the Committee?

- Jacques Gauthier, committee chair, member of VANOC board of directors

- Jean-Pierre Raffarin, member of the French Senate — Vienne (Poitou-Charentes)

- Judith A. LaRocque, Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage

- Michel Matifat, associate member, Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue

- Serge Corbeil, Vice President, Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique

- Donna Wilson, Executive Vice President, Workforce and Sustainability, VANOC