Team Spirit
Bringing bilingual Games to life is no small task! VANOC would like to acknowledge the invaluable support of the following organizations in helping to make the bilingual experience of the 2010 Winter Games a reality:
Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Federal Secretariat
VANOC has been fortunate to work closely with the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Federal Secretariat to ensure the experience of the 2010 Winter Games is a bilingual one. Created within the Department of Canadian Heritage, the 2010 Federal Secretariat is responsible for the coordination of federal departments engaged in the Games on behalf of the Government of Canada.
What does that mean? It means that the 2010 Federal Secretariat provides support, advice and ongoing evaluation to help VANOC deliver on its official languages commitments as stated in the MPA.
The Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue and the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique
Not everyone knows that British Columbia is home to a significant francophone population — almost 300,000 British Columbians speak French. In Canada, over 9 million people speak French. That’s why The Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue (Foundation) and the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique (FFCB) signed a collaborative protocol with VANOC in order to help bring the Games to every Canadian, regardless of their mother tongue. Working together, the Foundation and FFCB are behind such initiatives as the Place de la Francophonie on Granville Island and Bonjour le monde!, a website dedicated to engaging Canada’s francophone communities and making sure that every Canadian can experience the Games in their language of choice.
Linguistic Legacies
Education
VANOC is proud to offer its education resources in both of Canada’s official languages to ensure lasting legacies for future generations. The online Canadian School Portal for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, /EDU, offers a wide range of resources, ideas and classroom activities for teachers and students alike, whether studying in English, French or both. Schools all over Canada are learning about the Olympic and Paralympic Movements and getting involved. Why not learn a little something too! Check out /EDU.
Arts and Culture
Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad is back and bigger and better than ever. In its signature edition, the Cultural Olympiad promises even more projects and events, featuring both anglophone and francophone artists (among a host of talent from around the world), event listings and programs, as well as hosting in both French and English. Robert Lepage’s The Blue Dragon, Florence K, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, and Juste pour rire 2010 are just a few of the many acts gracing the stage and showcasing Canada’s linguistic duality and rich culture. Check out all the listings, in English or French, and plan your cultural experience.
Sharing our culture doesn’t stop there. Canada CODE also offers an opportunity for Canadians to showcase their artistic side in the official language of their choice. With CODE Live, CODE Screen 2010 and CODE Motion Pictures, you’ll be sure to find something that will ignite the creative spark. Show the rest of the world who we are. CODE: Connect. Create. Collaborate.
