1,170 kilogram Olympic and Paralympic time piece under installation: Free noon hour celebration and unveiling, Vancouver Art Gallery Monday, Feb. 12

What’s six metres high, three metres wide, weighs 1,170 kilograms and is wrapped in a 15 metre by 12 metre gift box from Omega on the Vancouver Art Gallery’s northwest corner in downtown Vancouver? 

It’s the new Vancouver 2010 Countdown Clock, presented by Omega, Official Timekeeper. Preparations are underway to unveil it to the citizens of Vancouver, rain or shine, in a fast-paced noon hour celebration on Monday, February 12 – the three-year anniversary to the start of the 2010 Winter Games.

The Countdown Clock will log the hours, minutes and seconds remaining until the Games begin. An impressive sculpture, it will be permanently located on the Georgia Street Plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery – a fixture that residents of Vancouver and visitors alike will be able to enjoy both before and after the Games. 

The site is a hive of activity for the final few days before the celebration and clock unveiling on Monday. Later today the large white box will be removed to reveal a smaller white box that will conceal the countdown clock until it is unveiled. The Countdown Clock will be fully installed and tested this weekend and surrounding landscaping will be completed.

The clock will be unveiled at a lively event featuring the sonorous sounds of one of the world’s leading Alphorn players in honour of Switzerland-based Omega’s visit to Vancouver for the clock unveiling. It will also include a First Nations welcome, remarks from distinguished guests including Olympic and Paralympic athletes and video showcasing great sports finishes in Games history, culminating in the grand finale – the Countdown Clock unveiling.

Distinguished guests and athletes in attendance will include:

Officials

• The Honourable David Emerson, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics
• The Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier, Province of British Columbia 
• His Worship Sam Sullivan, Mayor, City of Vancouver 
• Stephen Urquhart, President of Omega 
• Jack Poole, Board Chair, VANOC 
• John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer, VANOC 
• Representatives from the Four Host First Nations

Olympic and Paralympic medallists 

• Jeff Pain, Silver Medallist, Skeleton, Turin 2006 Olympic Winter Games 
• Lauren Woolstencroft, gold and silver medallist, Alpine Skiing, Turin 2006 Paralympic Winter Games

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.

Contact

VANOC Communications
mediarelations@vancouver2010.com