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.

Discover the 2010 Winter Games Bilingual Experience

Bartleman’s Athletic Achievements:
Her skeleton competition highlights include a fourth-place finish at the 2008 Americas Cup in Park City, Utah and a sixth-place finish at the 2008 Europa Cup in Winterberg, Germany.

Vancouver, BC — A Russian prima ballerina known for portraying the fleeting final moments of a dying swan and an acrobatic New York youth dance troupe that dodges swinging cinder blocks and “flies” through glass like action heroes are adding some muscle to the Vancouver 2010Cultural Olympiad, presented by Bell, which starts in just 64 days. 

The 36 new Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad projects announced today include: Passion of Russia starring famed ballerina Uliana Lopatkina in her Canadian debut and viola master Yuri Bashmet in an evening marrying music and ballet from the Host Nation of the 2014 Winter Games, a soulful double-bill of R&B crooners Raphael Saadiq and India.Arie, as well as Phoenix, an alternative rock outfit from France with early links to Daft Punk. For those more interested in seeing the riskier side of show business, STREB’s dancers will perform acrobatic and show-stopping jumps, falls and live action dance stunts using found materials and bizarre contraptions in Raw. 

“Amazing feats of athleticism at the 2010 Winter Games won’t be restricted to the snow and ice — they’ll also be on our stages throughout the Games region as some of the world’s premiere dancers, actors and musicians join our cultural celebrations,” said Burke Taylor, vice president of culture and celebrations for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). 

“Strength is often found by exploring vulnerability and taking risks, and the artists involved in our Cultural Olympiad are known for pushing the limits — both physically and artistically — in incredibly exciting and rewarding ways for the audience,” he continued. 

Starting in January, international visitors and locals alike will also encounter contemporary art by simply stepping out their door and walking through downtown Vancouver as they happen upon one of the most visible Cultural Olympiad projects — Endlessly Traversed Landscapes—featuring large-scale versions of  dozens of works of art by Canadians on transit shelters, the SkyTrain and other public spaces 

The festival of music, theatre, visual arts, dance, and digital programming kicks off January 22, 2010 in Metro Vancouver and British Columbia’s Sea to Sky corridor. Tickets and information are available on all 186 projects announced to date at www.vancouver2010.com/culturalolympiad. 

“Having the Cultural Olympiad here is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — it’s not like typical festivals,” added Robert Kerr, the Cultural Olympiad’s program director. “We’re bringing together literally thousands of some of the best musicians, dancers, actors, and artists from all across the cultural sphere, from Canada and around the world, to create something of a magnitude that has not been seen here before. It will be new, it will be breathtaking and it will be memorable for everyone who shares in it.” 

The new projects added today are: 

CIRCUS/STREET ARTS 

Artcirq
From the roof of the world comes a circus like no other. The Nunavut-based arts collective combines big-top thrills — acrobatics, juggling and clowns — with Inuit throat singing, drumming and traditional games. 

LunarFest: Soul, Art, Life
Be dazzled by 2010 lanterns in a forest of light, a bright public art display designed by schoolchildren, Aboriginal creators and professional artists from Taiwan and Canada. And on February 13, visitors can make their own lanterns and join the magical Public Dreams procession. 

COMEDY 

Majumder/Cullen/Payne: Laugh it Out!
Three of Canada's funniest performers embark on an adventure to an alternative kingdom of stand-up comedy punctuated by much musical naughtiness. With multiple Canadian Comedy Award-winners Shaun Majumder, Seán Cullen and Nikki Payne.

DANCE 

The National Dance Company of Korea: The Scent of Spring
A story of star-crossed lovers, based on a Korean folk tale, becomes a world-class piece of dance theatre. Choreographed by Jung-hye Bae, this national treasure, 50 years in the making, reveals and updates the glamorous, delicate artistry of traditional Korean dance. 

STREB: RAW
Do not try this at home! The New York dance company STREB Extreme Action designs bizarre, prototypic contraptions, puts them together with found building materials, and then uses them as launching pads for acrobatic and show-stopping jumps, falls and live-action dance stunts. 

We yah hani nah Coastal First Nations Dance Festival 2010
The Dancers of Damelahamid, a traditional Gitksan group from northwestern British Columbia, present masked dances, stories and songs — some stretching back thousands of years — that depict their peoples’ origins and welcome visitors. 

DANCE/MUSIC

In Situ
This three-dimensional art experience from Aeriosa Dance Society and the Vertical Orchestra presents aerial dance choreography and original spatial music at various heights throughout the Vancouver Public Library, inside and out. 

The Passion of Russia: Uliana Lopatkina & Yuri Bashmet
The Host Country of the 2014 Winter Games presents a divine evening of ballet and classical music — Tchaikovsky, Paganini and Stravinsky — performed by some of the country’s leading artistic figures: viola master and conductor Yuri Bashmet; Uliana Lopatkina, principal dancer at the Kirov Ballet/Mariinsky Theatre, who personifies the Russian school of ballet; the Moscow Soloists, a Grammy-winning chamber ensemble; and performers from the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theatres. 

LITERARY ARTS 

Striving for Excellence in the Homeric Times
Dramatic readings from one of the world's greatest poems, Homer’s The Iliad, bring to life the action, excitement and suspense of an ancient athletic contest. 

MUSIC 

Amir Koushkani and Rahim AlHaj
Music that brings people and cultures together. Virtuoso oud player and composer Rahim AlHaj, born in Iraq, has found in his ancient instrument a unique voice that translates into music the suffering and joy he has both witnessed and experienced. Vancouver-based Amir Koushkani is a forward-thinking Iranian musician, composer and singer who has mastered the tar, a Persian lute. His "expressive and heartfelt" work introduces fresh sounds to the centuries-old traditions of Iranian/Persian music. 

CODE Live Night Life: Bell Orchestre Presents: Sound and Screen
Montreal’s Bell Orchestre brings together members of Arcade Fire, Torngat, Ark of Infinity and [iks] to blur the lines between chamber music and jazz. 

Damien Robitaille
The Franco-Ontarian singer-songwriter is a born showman. He mixes instruments — piano and guitar — and musical accents: 70s groove meets funk, soul and rock. 

Mes Aïeux
Mes Aïeux has a feel-good style that musically fuses Quebec folk legends, electrified traditional fiddle tunes and 1970s rhythm and blues. 

MoscowStateChamber Choir
Experience the richness and opulence of Russian choral music, a centuries-old tradition. This ensemble of distinguished soloists, formed almost 40 years ago by the maestro who leads it today, Vladimir Minin, is one of the world’s greatest a cappella choirs. Hear and feel a selection of authentically sung classics, from sacred and secular masterpieces to rousing Russian folk songs. 

The Mississippi Sheiks Tribute Project
The Mississippi Sheiks live on. The country and blues string band has been called the Radiohead of its era, recording over 60 hugely influential songs between 1930 and 1935, including Sittin’ On Top of the World. Producer/musician Steve Dawson leads an all-star lineup — John Hammond, Jim Byrnes and the Sojourners, Oh Susanna and many more — in this tribute to the trail-blazing Sheiks of the South. 

Nathan and The Deep Dark Woods
Slow-burning tunes to heat up a cold winter night. The Winnipeg quartet Nathan plays ethereal, acoustic pop with hand-warming melodies. Saskatoon’s The Deep Dark Woods playfully sift through the shadowy side of roots music. 

Paul Plimley Solo/Trio
Vancouver’s Paul Plimley plays the piano, guitar, vibraphone, marimba and synthesizer. Over three very active decades he has released more than 30 CDs, LPs and music documentaries, written hundreds of original compositions, and toured the world to perform with other great jazz and new-music improvisers. 

Phoenix
The four core members of this dance-rock band started playing music together in grade school, in Versailles, France. They collaborated with the electronic duos Daft Punk and Air before taking the name Phoenix to specialize in music that is full to bursting with hooks and smarts. With special guests and Vancouver indie favourites You Say Party! We Say Die! 

Porn Flakes
The ultimate cover band, the Porn Flakes tackle classic rock with a Quebec twist. 

Radio Radio
A hot hybrid. The New Brunswick outfit feverishly fuses electro with hip-hop, and raps in Chiac, an Acadian dialect that combines French and English. 

Raphael Saadiq and India.Arie
Vintage rhythm and blues by potent young artists. India.Arie's Grammy-winning R & B, which recalls such soul masters as Roberta Flack and Stevie Wonder, makes "faith, goodness and positive thinking seductive," according to The New York Times. Raphael Saadiq is a throwback, a retro-soul practitioner who has mined a rich vein of old-school R & B and Motown cool since his days with 80s hitmakers Tony! Toni! Toné! 

Soir de Semaine
Francophone folk fusion, straight out of Whitehorse. The festive Yukon band has a distinctive sound, combining folk, rock, funk and reggae to keep the all-ages party going. 

Tanya Tagaq: Tuusalangna
A true original. The Nunavut-born Tagaq combines Inuit throat singing with orchestral and contemporary influences, creating a primal and ­dynamic sound that is all her own. She has toured and recorded with another unique talent, Björk, and wowed festival audiences across the globe. 

Umalali: The Garifuna Women’s Project
An entrancing journey into the heart and soul of a unique and inspiring culture,blending the rich vocal textures of women from the Garifuna communities of Central America with echoes of rock, blues, African and Caribbean music. 

Yelo Molo
Quebec’s Yelo Molo has carved out a special place in the Canadian music scene, combining ska, pop and jazz influences with a distinctive brass-laden sound. 

THEATRE 

ParadiseGarden
Playwright Lucia Frangione’s modern romance finds free-spirited local boy Day living next door to worldly Layla, a career-driven intellectual. Over time these divergent souls come to understand each other in a way neither thought possible. 

VISUAL ARTS

Before & After
This group exhibition featuring work by Emily Carr University of Art and Design alumni, guest curated by Sophie Brodovitch, reflects on transformations in the social, cultural and environmental spheres on British Columbia's northwest coast. 

Culture Shock: Video Interventions at the QET
The lobby of this historic arts venue will be transformed by film and video artists. Curated by Stephanie Rebick, the exhibit invites viewers to consider the relationship between the work on its screens and the theatrical setting. 

David Hoffos
Truly special effects. David Hoffos is an Alberta artist who investigates and reveals illusions found in genre movies, stage magic, museum displays and theme-park attractions. 

Endlessly Traversed Landscapes
A public poster project, curated by Natalie Doonan, featuring works by Canadian artists placed throughout Vancouver. Appropriating advertising spaces such as billboards and bus shelters, these images draw attention to the myriad functions of public space. 

Etienne Zack: Name, Medium, Size, Year
Montreal artist Etienne Zack turns a painting into a three-dimensional sculpture, a wood and canvas wonder that stylistically links the factory-like production processes underlying the cultural and sporting industries. 

Isabelle Hayeur: Fire with Fire
The Montreal-based artist sends images flickering out through the windows of a Downtown Eastside building, connecting conditions in the neighbourhood today to its fiery past. 

Landon Mackenzie: Vancouver as the Centre of the World
For this Vancouver artist, any map of the world, though based in fact, is a template for the imagination. Mackenzie uses her creative license to chart geography, fact and fiction, in part as a response to the internet-ready Earth that is becoming familiar to us all. 

Out from Under: Disability, History and Things to Remember
This luminous and elegant display of 13 diverse objects pays tribute to the resilience, creativity and cultural contributions of Canadians with disabilities. 

The Syndicate of Public Speakers: Eight times an unknown quantity
Public Speakers, a collective of autonomous cells in five cities, brings together eight — or more — speakers in one idea-packed day. 

Trimpin: Sheng High
A beautiful thing — a wall of 24 bamboo pipes centred in vessels of water — that makes beautiful sounds. This ingenious sound sculpture, created by Seattle-based artist Trimpin, takes its form and inspiration from an ancient Chinese reed instrument. 

Note to Photo Editors:
Images of the latest Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad acts are available as high resolution downloads from the media centre image gallery at http://www.vancouver2010.com/more-2010-information/media-centre/image-gallery/cultural-olympiad-photos/.

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.

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

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Vancouver, BC — The board of directors for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) received a comprehensive update on Games-time planning today, including the need for more volunteers with accommodation in the Sea to Sky region and expanded traffic management plans to encourage the public to leave vehicles at home and use alternative forms of transportation leading up to and during the Games.

With close to 12 weeks to go until the start of the Games, Vancouver 2010 still needs at least 750 people with accommodation in the Sea to Sky region to donate their time and abilities to hosting the world’s top winter athletes and spectators from around the globe. Volunteer positions at Whistler-area venues include: drivers, reservation assistants, technology positions for IT and helpdesk specialists, press and photo assistants, and photo runners. Applications can be made online at www.vancouver2010.com.

“Some fantastic positions are still waiting to be filled. We’re simply looking for enthusiastic people open to sharing their country and province with the world,” said John Furlong, VANOC’s Chief Executive Officer. “We understand that for a great number of people in the Whistler area, Games time is their peak season for work, which is why we want to encourage anyone with a second residence in the Sea to Sky region or who can simply find a place to bunk with friends or relatives to consider applying today to volunteer.”

Starting in January, the Olympic and Paralympic Transportation Team (OPTT) is launching its 2010 TravelSmart Commuter Challenge. The goal is to encourage commuters travelling particularly into downtown Vancouver to leave their vehicles at home each Friday in January and practice their Games-time travel plan by taking public transit or other alternative forms of transportation in preparation for street and road restrictions leading up to and during the Games period. The Games-time integrated transportation plan requires reducing vehicle traffic by at least 30 per cent in key areas including downtown Vancouver, Burrard crossings, Sea to Sky Corridor, and Whistler.

With the challenge of moving up to 200,000 spectators and celebrants onto the downtown peninsula each day, it is essential that existing vehicle traffic be reduced to ensure that athletes, media and spectators are able to reach their destinations on a timely basis. Following each Friday in January, the OPTT team will report on how much traffic was reduced and how much more will need to be done to reach the target. The message is simple: TravelSmart and everyone wins in 2010; everyone must do their part to ensure a positive transportation experience. To find out how, visit http://www.2010travelsmart.ca.
Today’s meeting also marked the first time the VANOC board of directors has gathered since the death of its chairman, Jack Poole, on October 23. In honour of his leadership and the role he played in bringing the Games to Canada and guiding the 2010 Bid Corporation and VANOC through the critical stages of organizing the Games, and the ongoing influence his leadership will play, the board honoured Poole by designating him founding chairman.

In addition, the board also appointed Rusty Goepel as chairman today. Goepel is a Province of British Columbia nominee to the board and was also a member of the board and executive committee of the 2010 Bid Corporation.

“I am honoured by the board’s support and will endeavour in the remaining months before the Games to carry on with the same vision and attention to excellence Jack Poole set for us since the beginning of our journey towards 2010,” said Goepel.

In addition to workforce and volunteer updates, the board also received updates on standing agenda items such as ongoing financial management, Games-time planning and the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.

“At this time, we are dealing with thousands of small details — across all aspects of operations,” Furlong said. “In these final months, we have but one goal: to start the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games ready in every way to welcome the world and with the energy and enthusiasm to sustain ourselves right to the end — to the finish line. The work that remains is both compelling and challenging; we appreciate every note, call and message of encouragement and support from Canadians and Olympic fans around the world.”

The board also received the following updates:

• Torch Relays: The Olympic Flame is currently on Day 20 of its 106-day journey across Canada and the remarkable public enthusiasm and huge community celebration crowds are building momentum across the nation. Already, more than 1,800 torchbearers have carried the flame over 19,000 kilometres in 10 provinces and territories. Further details on the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay were released earlier this month. The relay will visit 11 communities over 10 days starting March 3, 2010 in Ottawa, ON and is presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and supported by the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada. Further details, including the national torchbearer application program, will be announced later this month.
• Venue Overlay: VANOC’s overlay teams are continuing to work on the complex process of making Games venues ready for the world’s top winter athletes and spectators. The work involves installing thousands of metres of cable and fencing across the Olympic theater. Hundreds of tents are being raised for use as Media Centres, dining halls and warming areas. Thousands of seats in temporary grandstands are being erected.
  Overlay also involves installing the Look of The Games elements everywhere, including: venues, retail outlets, YVR, and on thousands of fleet vehicles.
• Finance: The Organizing Committee is continuing with procurement and is in final contractual negotiations for numerous goods and services. Procurement is more than 98 per cent complete and VANOC is on track to complete all its significant procurement activities by November 30. Information is posted at www.vancouver2010.com once contracts are finalized.
• Sponsorship: VANOC will announce a new Official Supplier joining the Vancouver 2010 domestic sponsorship family later this month. Earlier this year, the Organizing Committee exceeded its domestic sponsorship target.
• Ticketing: The Vancouver 2010 ticketing website hosted more than 266,000 unique visitors on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15 when the third and final phase of ticket sales to the Canadian public opened. Tickets are still available for 11 ice hockey games, 10 curling matches and seven Vancouver Victory Ceremonies.
• Today, VANOC is opening its Main Ticket Centre in downtown Vancouver at Robson Square in the University of British Columbia bookstore. Customers can purchase sport and ceremonies’ tickets printed on thermal stock (not souvenir ticket designs) on-the-spot at this location.

Customers who selected the “will call” option purchase tickets online during the third phase of ticket sales can also pick up their tickets at this location. For hours of operation, visit www.vancouver2010.com. Purolator will start delivering Phase 1 and 2 tickets directly to spectators across Canada in early December.

• Commercial Rights Management: VANOC is pleased to announce its lawsuit with Roadtrips, initiated last spring, has been settled. The terms of the settlement are confidential. As part of the settlement, Roadtrips has agreed that, on a going forward basis, it will obtain all 2010 Winter Games tickets required for its customers from Jet Set Sports, VANOC’s authorized ticket reseller in Canada.
• Venue Construction: The Olympic and Paralympic Village Whistler was officially handed over to VANOC by the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) on October 30, with the Olympic and Paralympic Village Vancouver officially handed over by the City of Vancouver on November 4, marking 100 days to go until the Games. The city anticipates handing over the remainder of the building parcels and public spaces to VANOC by December 4.
• Cultural Olympiad: On November 19, VANOC will announce the addition of 36 new projects to Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad’s lineup of music, theatre, visual arts, dance, and digital programming. This announcement will bring the total number of projects to close to 200 taking place in Metro Vancouver and the Sea to Sky region, starting January 22, 2010.
• Licensing and Merchandise: Olympic merchandise continues to sell well as the Games draw closer and Red Mittens continue to be a hot item beyond expectations. More than 350,000 pairs have been sold since the launch earlier this fall.

The next scheduled VANOC board meeting will be held on January 20, 2010.

VANOC Board of Directors Background
The VANOC board of directors is made up of 19 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).

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 have been 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

]]> http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/vancouver-2010-ticketing-operations-running-smoothly--website-experiencing-high-volume-of-olympic-and-paralympic-ticket-fans-at-www.vancouver2010.com_186288EC.html Vancouver, BC ― Ticketing operations for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are running smoothly today and as expected, the site is experiencing a high volume of visitors at www.vancouver2010.com. VANOC would like to thank everyone for their patience in the virtual waiting room.

The wait time for customers today is comparable to the first sale days of earlier phases of the Games ticketing program held on June 6, 2009 and December 12, 2008.

The site opened at 10:00 am (Pacific Time) this morning to fans wanting to purchase tickets to city events. Over 100,000 tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis in the third and final phase of tickets available to Canadian residents for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

For tips and key updates this weekend on the status of the online ticket experience, prospective customers are advised to check www.vancouver2010.com and http://www.twitter.com/2010tweets

Click here to download audio file of brief comments in English of Renee Smith-Valade, VANOC spokesperson.

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. 

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

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

In a decision released on July 10, 2009, British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon found the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) is not in breach of Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in regards to women competing in ski jumping at the 2010 Winter Games. The decision was appealed by the female ski jumpers. 

“We appreciate the court’s time and careful consideration of these complex issues,” said John Furlong, VANOC’s Chief Executive Officer, in response to the ruling. “With 91 days remaining until the start of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, we must remain focused on our preparations to stage the 2010 sport program as set out by the International Olympic Committee, including a men’s ski jumping event. 

“We remain supportive of these remarkable young women and of having women’s ski jumping added to the roster of future Olympic Winter Games.” 

VANOC has taken numerous measures to support women’s ski jumping including: inviting Canadian women to all open/international training sessions at Whistler Olympic Park/Whistler Paralympic Park during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons (over 1,000 training jumps in total); hosting competitions such as the Canadian Championships and the North American Junior Championships) in January 2008 and the International Ski Federation (FIS) Ladies Continental Cup in December 2008; as well as offering Learn To Jump programs for over 80 participants. 

In 2010, three men’s ski jumping events will be held at Whistler Olympic Park/Whistler Paralympic Park starting February 12 and ending on February 22.

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. 

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

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

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;
• Quebec

  novelist 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.

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

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

Paralympic tickets for high-demand events such as the Opening Ceremony, ice sledge hockey and alpine skiing will also be available during Phase 3 ticket sales. 

Phase 3 ticket sales were originally scheduled to start last Saturday but the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) postponed the sale when Tickets.com, the official ticket service provider for Vancouver 2010, experienced difficulties with the configuration between the virtual waiting room and the ticketing transaction site. 

“We would like to thank everyone who tried to purchase tickets last weekend for their patience under difficult circumstances and we appreciate their understanding,” said Caley Denton, VANOC’s vice president, ticketing and consumer marketing. “We have worked closely with Tickets.com to ensure the configuration issue between the virtual waiting room and our online transactional site has been resolved. We’re confident we’ll see strong demand when tickets go on sale Saturday. 

“While fans will naturally still spend some time in the virtual waiting room, everyone will have an equal chance at tickets and we’ll be sure to communicate quickly as the day unfolds,” he continued. 

“Our primary focus this week has been on testing our systems ― which included extensive testing of the configuration and regular testing of extreme load on the site as we’ve done in the past two phases,” said Larry Witherspoon, CEO, Tickets.com. “We know that our systems are ready for fans wanting to purchase tickets to see the best winter athletes in the world.” 

VANOC also confirmed plans today to communicate faster and more regularly with prospective ticket buyers this weekend by providing tips and key updates when available on the status of the online ticket experience at www.vancouver2010.com and www.twitter.com/2010tweets

This final phase of ticket sales marks the last chance for spectators to purchase tickets in time to receive the highly collectable, full-colour and oversize tickets that prominently display Vancouver 2010 pictograms, sport and venue illustrations. The tickets are currently being printed and the window for purchasing these special tickets closes November 20. 

Important Reminder

• Canadian residents wanting to purchase tickets in Phase 3 are reminded to have a look at the competition schedules ahead of time and sign into their account prior to November 13 at 7:00 pm (Pacific Time) to ensure their information is up-to-date.

• First-time customers are also encouraged to register a ticketing account at www.vancouver2010.com by November 13 at 7:00 pm (Pacific Time) to save time beforehand.

• To ensure fair and equitable access to as many Canadian residents as possible, ticket customers visiting www.vancouver2010.com starting on November 14 will be directed to a virtual waiting room, where they will be randomly selected to enter the Vancouver 2010 ticketing website.

• Once signed into their account starting on November 14, customers will be able to purchase up to four events, with a limit of either four or eight tickets per event. If a customer wants to order more than the limit of four events, they will need to re-enter the virtual waiting room and start a new transaction.

• Visa is the only payment accepted.

• The full men’s and women’s ice hockey and curling schedules are available at www.vancouver2010.com.

• The curling draw includes all medal round matchups and preliminary competitions that feature Team Canada in nine of 12 sessions. Tickets are also available for all hockey games, including high-demand medal rounds in both men’s and women’s draws.

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. 

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

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

Employees of Bombardier are feeling a special bond with the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. The Montreal, Quebec-based company — manufacturer of state-of-the-art planes and trains — designed and produced the 12,000 torches that will be used in the epic cross-Canada Olympic Flame journey that embarked on October 30, 2009.

They didn’t have a handbook on how to build a torch. The torch design came from a team of over 50 engineers, industrial designers and other specialists from Bombardier Aerospace and Bombardier Transportation, working in collaboration with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). Beginning in November 2007, this design team was given the extraordinary task of creating a defining symbol of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, one that would ignite the imaginations of all Canadians, and inspire the 12,000 torchbearers who will carry it proudly.

“It’s one of the important highlights of my career,” said Bombardier industrial designer Daniel Deschénes. “I’m excited to see the torch put to the ultimate test in Canadian winter conditions.”

Contours of Canadian Winters

The torch design has fluid lines and elegant form. Designers were inspired by long horizons, graceful snowdrifts and delicate shadows that form the contours of a Canadian winter landscape. The shape also emulates the journey that will be traced by the torch relay across Canada and the lines carved by winter sport, such as ski tracks in fresh snow or the line left from a skate blade on ice.

Building 12,000 Olympic Torches

Bombardier was tasked to produce one torch for each torchbearer who will participate in the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay — more than 12,000 torches are being manufactured by the company in Canada. After the component parts are created, employees perform the final assembly of each torch by hand, give it their personal autograph of maker, and then expert assemblers ensure the correct fit of the components and inspect each torch before it is packaged and shipped to VANOC’s Torch Relays team.

Designers kept environmental sustainability in mind. As much as possible, recyclable materials were used during manufacturing, including the interior’s steel components and the torch’s exterior aluminum shell, and the cylinders inside every torch will be recycled after their use. Post-relay, VANOC and Bombardier are also committed to recycling any unused torch fuel.

Prepared for Extreme Conditions

Bombardier tested the torch design in a climate-controlled room to simulate the harshest Canadian winter conditions. That testing helped the Bombardier team come up with their dual burner system that withstands gusts of up to 60 kilometres per hour. Plus, a tiny opening for the flame enables it to withstand the rain and snow, while a tested blend of propane and isobutene will make it possible for the Olympic Flame to burn bright at lower temperatures than any other Olympic Torch in history. It’s made for Canada all right.

Discover the Olympic Torch Video

The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay Video

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) collaborated with YouTube to create The Best of Us Challenge — a new global, digital initiative geared at inspiring youth to share their Olympic Spirit. In personalized video messages, about 20 international Olympians present a unique challenge to their audience. Viewers may select any one of these challenges and then try to “best” that challenge and capture it on video for uploading to YouTube. Visitors to the site are also encouraged to upload a video featuring their own challenge to others around the world.

Silly Human Tricks

Participants don’t have to be natural-born athletes to take part, but continuous cartwheeling skills or experience in one-handed umbrella twirling could be an advantage. For example, Swedish track and field Olympian, Carolina Kluft, showcases her distance handstand walk, and American swimming great Michael Phelps sinks 12, five-foot golf putts in 60 seconds.

And what’s a contest without prizes? A range of prizes will be awarded to anyone who simply uploads a video or proposes their own challenge, and special prizes will go to those who beat or come close to beating an Olympian’s challenge. Prizes include:

• A trip for two to watch the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games
• A trip for two to watch the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games
• T-shirts signed by Olympians
• Official Olympic video games
• The Best of Us Challenge posters

The Digital Era

The Best of Us challenge was created in part because of a resolution from the recent Olympic Congress that the Olympic Movement should actively engage the next generation of Olympic fans through digital media. The challenge will appear on thebestofuschallenge.olympic.org, olympic.org and on the IOC YouTube channel.

Another IOC Competition

In addition to The Best of Us Challenge, the IOC also created a medal design competition in preparation for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games next summer. The public is invited to vote and determine the 10 best medal designs and an IOC jury will then select the best design from the top 10. The winning designer will get a trip to the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games and receive a gold medal replica of their design. The design deadline is December 4, 2009. Visit medaldesigncompetition.com for details.

Tickets.com, the Official ticket service provider for Vancouver 2010, experienced difficulties with the configuration between the virtual waiting room and the ticketing transaction site.

“On behalf of Tickets.com, we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience visitors to the Vancouver 2010 ticketing site experienced this morning,” said Larry Witherspoon, CEO, Tickets.com. “Our team is working hard to resolve the issue and appreciate the patience of Canadian Olympic and Paralympic fans.”

“We are disappointed that people wanting to purchase tickets today did not receive the chance to do so - this is the first time we have had such an issue,” said Caley Denton, vice president of ticketing for VANOC. “Even though it appears the problem is close to being resolved, we made the decision to postpone the sale of Phase 3 ticket sales for one week as our priority has always been to ensure fair access to Canadian residents and to allow sufficient time to plan accordingly.”

“We are also able to confirm a few hundred tickets were sold to customers primarily through the call centre. The equivalent number of tickets sold today for each event will be pulled from the Olympic Family contingency pool and added to the November 14 public ticket sale.”

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 for more information.

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

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

]]> http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/vancouver-2010-congratulates-city-of-toronto-on-winning-2015-pan-am-games_185382cz.html Vancouver, BC —The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) congratulates the City of Toronto for earning the honour today of hosting the 2015 Pan Am Games — marking the third time Canada will host the games.

“We want to congratulate the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan Am Games Bid teamand all Torontonians on their successful bid to host the 2015 Games — the first time the games will ever be held in Ontario,” said John Furlong, VANOC’s Chief Executive Officer.

“Given the enormously positive culture for sport that is growing in Canada and being supported by the 2010 Winter Games, this success is hugely encouraging for the country and for the City of Toronto. We know in 2015 Toronto will win top marks as a superb host to thousands of athletes, officials and media from the Americas and the resulting sport and infrastructure legacies will last for generations.

“The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee have members on VANOC’s board of directors and we hope their experience and valuable contributions gained in the planning for the 2010 Winter Games will help the 2015 Pan American team build and create a successful organizing committee. We also expect that many of the key Toronto 2015 organizers will attend the 2010 Winter Games to learn and observe and we will give them a warm welcome.”

Toronto was selected by the Pan American Sport Organization in Guadalajara, Mexico on the first ballot out of a pool of three cities that also included: Bogota, Colombia and Lima, Peru.

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 for more information.

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

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

]]> http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/statement-from-vanoc-with-regard-to-bc-ambulance-service-at-the-2010-winter-games_185254Bk.html Like any major international event that draws thousands of participants, safety is our number one priority. When athletes and the public are at our venues, we must ensure the necessary medical services are in place to provide a safe environment 

We have always maintained that paramedic support would be required to meet our medical services commitments at Games-time.  While we are hopeful that BC Ambulance Service will be provided, we understandably must plan for contingency scenarios. 

In order to complete our plans, VANOC requested confirmation from the Ministry of Health and BC Ambulance of the participation of BC Ambulance in our planning for Games time.  A September 14^th memorandum from Dr Mike Wilkinson, VANOC Director of Medical Services, asked for confirmation whether or not BC Ambulance Service would be available at Games-time as we need to make decisions about contingency plans. 

Again, while we are hopeful that BC Ambulance Service will be provided, we have the responsibility to make sure that the required medical services are in place for the safety of everyone attending the 2010 Games.

Cathy Priestner Allinger, Executive Vice President Sport and Games Operations

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

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

The relay, which heralds the opening of the first Paralympic Winter Games in Canada, will visit 11 communities in 10 days and culminate in the lighting of the Paralympic Cauldron at BC Place in downtown Vancouver on March 12, 2010, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) announced today. 

The community celebration sites are: Ottawa, ON (March 3), Quebec City (March 4) and an as yet unnamed community in Central Canada (March 5), as well as Victoria (March 6), Esquimalt and Squamish (March 7), Whistler (March 8), Lytton and Hope (March 9), Maple Ridge (March 10), and Vancouver (March 11 and 12) in British Columbia. 

“These 11 communities are sparks across this great land that shed light on and honour the remarkable athletic achievements of Paralympians and their triumphs over adversity,” said John Furlong, VANOC’s Chief Executive Officer. “As the Paralympic Flame approaches Vancouver, this light will only grow stronger as Canadians and people around the world join together with us in a celebration of what is possible if you dare to dream.” 

“We encourage all Canadians,” he continued, “to come out to see the Paralympic Flame when it visits a community near you.” 

VANOC is also pleased to announce today that the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay will be presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and supported by the Province of British Columbia. All three today are joining the Government of Canada as partners of the historic relay. Coca-Cola also announced today that it is signing on as an official partner of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. 

“Coca-Cola is proud to have been a Paralympic Games partner since Barcelona in 1992,” said Nicola Kettlitz, general manager, Coca-Cola Olympic Project Team. “We are delighted to announce Coca-Cola will be a partner of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay.” 

“RBC is honoured to support the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay as Canada prepares to welcome the world’s best winter Paralympians for the first time,” said Jim Little, chief brand and communications officer, RBC. “Paralympic athletes represent the height of human achievement — they persevere when the odds are against them and we’re proud to support their success.” 

An estimated 600 torchbearers will carry the flame in the curved steel blue torch designed and manufactured by Bombardier during the relay, which will start at the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, ON. A special Aboriginal-themed lighting ceremony with a uniquely Canadian flair will spark the Paralympic Flame, which has no ancestral home. Each of the 10 provinces and three territories will each name a torchbearer to participate in this ceremony on the historic front lawns of Parliament. 

“As Canada prepares to host its first Paralympic Winter Games, our Government is proud to be a partner in this incredible journey,” said Minister of State Gary Lunn. “On its 10-day journey, the Paralympic Flame will reach out to Canadians and invite them to celebrate our Paralympians and their achievements, as well as build excitement for its arrival at BC Place in Vancouver for the opening of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.” 

“As the provincial host of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, British Columbia wants to welcome all Canadians to join us in the celebration and ensure they have a chance to be inspired and play a role in these historic Games,” said Mary McNeil, Minister of State for the Olympics and ActNow BC. 

In March 2010, approximately 1,000 athletes and officials from more than 40 countries will take part in five sports (alpine and cross-country skiing, ice sledge hockey, wheelchair curling and biathlon) at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler. The big international sporting event comes just 12 days after the region hosts the Olympic Winter Games. 

Tickets for all Paralympic events, including the magical Opening Ceremonies, will go back on sale this Saturday, November 7 at www.vancouver2010.com, as part of Phase 3 of ticket sales for the Games. 

For more information on the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay, visit www.vancouver2010.com/torchrelay. 

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 the Government of Canada
The Government of Canada is proud to make 2010 a celebration for all Canadians. Through strategic investments in programming and funding, the spirit and excitement will be felt far and wide and leave lasting legacies for future generations. Through the Olympic Torch Relay and Paralympic Torch Relay, the Government of Canada is supporting citizen and community participation, as well as the inclusion of Aboriginal, ethnocultural and official language communities.  For more information on the Government of Canada’s contribution to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, visit www.Canada2010.gc.ca. 

About Coca-Cola and the Olympic and Paralympic Movements
The Coca-Cola Company has been associated with the Olympic Games since 1928 and is the longest continuous corporate supporter of the Olympic Movement. Through the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Coca-Cola encourages people to create their own path of “positivity” in everyday life by believing that anything is possible. The Coca-Cola Company is the exclusive non-alcoholic beverage provider to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. For more information about Coca-Cola Canada, please visit our website at www.cocacola.ca or our parent company’s website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com. 

About RBC
As part of our commitment to help create a better Canada, RBC sponsors amateur sport, from grassroots programs in local communities to national sport associations that support the development of amateur athletes who compete at home and abroad. As a long standing supporter of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams, RBC continues its sponsorship through the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and is proud to help showcase Olympic and Paralympic sport as presenting partner of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays.  RBC is also a premier sponsor of Hockey Canada, the Canadian Snowboard Team, the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team, Athletics Canada and the Canadian Paralympic Committee. Visit www.rbc.com/sponsorship. 

About the Government of British Columbia
The Government of British Columbia is the proud Host Province for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The Paralympic Torch Relay represents a significant opportunity to create understanding and awareness about people with disabilities and the Paralympic Movement. Through the Paralympic Torch Relay, the Government of British Columbia is promoting healthy communities, healthy lifestyles and individual excellence. For more information on British Columbia’s contribution to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, visit www.gov.bc.ca/themes/2010olympics.

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

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

]]> http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/pay-tribute-to-olympic-champions-and-enjoy-top-canadian-talent---all-at-an-affordable-price-with-nightly-victory-ceremony-tickets-on-sale-saturday--november-7_184994Yy.html VANOC releases ticket account survey results for Canadian and American customers

Vancouver, BC — This Saturday, Olympic fans are encouraged to be among the first to purchase Vancouver Victory Ceremony tickets at www.vancouver2010.com and reserve their place in 2010 to witness Olympians from around the world have their Vancouver 2010 medals placed around their necks for the first time. 

The tickets starting at $22 are available on a first-come, first-served basis to Canadian residents as part of the third — and final — major release of tickets to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which starts at 10:00 am (Pacific Time). More than 100,000 high-demand Games tickets are available, including gold medal hockey, curling, and the Opening, Closing and Victory Ceremonies. 

Along with paying tribute to the athletes, these nightly Victory Ceremonies at BC Place include a rocking hour of live music from some of the country’s top musicians. 

“The nightly Victory Ceremony tickets will be an inspirational and affordable chance to share in the celebration surrounding Canada’s Games in 2010,” said Caley Denton, vice president, ticketing and consumer marketing for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). “Along with watching history in the making at the medal ceremonies, these tickets also give spectators access to great entertainment.” 

The indoor ceremonies, which last just over two hours, will be held on 12 nights only in 2010 and will be sponsored each night by a province or territory on a specially constructed stage showcasing the dynamic green and blue palette of the Look of the Games. The lineup of bands and solo performers, as well as the schedule of provincial and territorial nights, will be released later this year by VANOC. 

There will also be a live video feed of the medal presentations at Whistler Medals Plaza shown at BC Place and vice versa so audiences in both locations can celebrate these history making moments together at the same time. 

Customers who act by November 20 will have the option to receive special souvenir versions of their Victory Ceremony tickets. The highly collectable, full-colour and oversize tickets prominently display a single Vancouver 2010 Olympic medal and its unique crop of a larger Aboriginal artwork of an orca whale. Each of the 615 Olympic medals awarded to the athletes will be a one-of-a-kind work of art and undulate rather than lay flat — both firsts in Games history. 

2009 Ticket Account Survey
The Organizing Committee also released results today from its Vancouver 2010 Ticket Account Survey, conducted from August 31 to September 19, 2009 by Angus Reid Strategies. Among the survey’s findings:

• The average ticket account holds approximately 10 tickets each

  — ticket accounts for customers in British Columbia who live outside of Metro Vancouver hold fewer (nine), while Canadian ticket accounts outside of the province hold more (14). The average American ticket account surveyed holds approximately 11 tickets.

• Virtually all of the tickets purchased will be used by the ticket account customers, their family and friends.

  Ninety-four per cent of the total Canadians surveyed, 93 per cent of Metro Vancouver respondents and 90 per cent of Americans said they will use all of their tickets.

• 61 per cent of Canadians surveyed indicated they are only visiting British Columbia because of the Olympic Winter Games, while 65 per cent for Americans surveyed said the same.

• Most ticket account customers travelling to the Games are not coming alone. The size of the travel party for out-of-town ticket accounts on average is approximately three people each for Canada and the United States, the survey suggests. The average Metro Vancouver ticket account is expecting approximately two visitors to attend events in the region or Whistler in 2010 with them.

• The profile of the travel party for Canadian ticket accounts from outside BC is younger (18 to 34 age group), while the rest of BC and the United States skews a bit older in the 35 to 54 age group.

• Ticket accounts have the bulk of their tickets in ice hockey, figure skating and curling events. A higher proportion of Canadian visitors from outside BC hold tickets for women’s ice hockey, curling and freestyle skiing. In contrast, a higher proportion of American ticket accounts will be taking in speed skating and mountain sports, such as ski jumping, sliding sports and alpine skiing events.

• For example, 53 per cent of Canadian ticket accounts and 49 per cent of Americans surveyed have tickets to men’s ice hockey. This jumps to 68 per cent for Canadians and 62 per cent of Americans when net ice hockey tickets are taken into account.
• Twenty-seven per cent of Canadians surveyed have ceremonies tickets (Victory, Opening or Closing Ceremonies) compared with 31 per cent of Metro Vancouver and 16 per cent of American ticket accounts.

The online survey used a random sample of ticket accounts in Canada (3,556 people) and the United States (275 people). The survey is considered accurate within 1.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20 for the Canadian statistics and within 5.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20 for the American results. 

A Reminder for Ticketing Customers
To ensure fair and equitable access to as many Canadians as possible, ticket customers visiting www.vancouver2010.com starting on Saturday, November 7 may be directed to a virtual waiting room, where they will be randomly selected to enter the Vancouver 2010 ticketing website. Once signed into their account, customers will be able to purchase up to four separate events, with a limit of either four or eight tickets per event. If a customer wants to order more than the limit of four events, they will need to start a new transaction. Visa is the only payment accepted.

For more helpful tips on purchasing tickets to the 2010 Winter Games, visit www.vancouver2010.com.

Important note: Access to the ticketing component of www.vancouver2010.com will close at noon today and will not open until the sale starts at 10:00 am on Saturday.

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.

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

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

"Today’s handover of the Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Village – with its green buildings, energy and water use reduction, sustainable transportation and remarkable public spaces – is an incredibly proud moment for our City,” said Robertson. “I’d like to acknowledge all of the hard work and dedication of the thousands of City staff, contractors, architects and workers who helped to make our dream of a sustainable community a reality, and we look forward to welcoming athletes and officials from around the world for the Games in 2010.”

In February and March 2010, more than 3,000 of the world’s top winter athletes and team officials will make the village their home as they go for gold at the Games. The village offers extraordinary city skyline, mountain and ocean views. It is a leading model of sustainability in North America.

 “Our thanks to the City of Vancouver and our Villages team for creating one of the most spectacular villages in Olympic and Paralympic history. It’s a neighbourhood where athletes from around the world can gather to prepare to compete at their highest level and feel embraced by the hospitality of the Host City of the 2010 Winter Games,” said Furlong. “This home away from home is where the most lasting friendships of the Games are forged and we know the memories they experience here will last a lifetime.”

VANOC will now make its final preparations of the village for the 2010 Winter Games. The village will offer an extensive number of amenities and services to athletes, a detailed list of which is available in an Olympic and Paralympic Village Vancouver backgrounder at www.vancouver2010.com. VANOC’s $30 million contribution to the Vancouver Athlete’s Village came from the Games capital construction budget, equally funded by the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.

The Southeast False Creek site, developed by the City and Southeast False Creek Properties Ltd. (Millennium Development Corporation), is a former industrial site that has been transformed into a mixed-use, mixed-income neighbourhood incorporating forward-thinking infrastructure, strategic energy use, high-performance green buildings and easy transit access.

The village will be handed back to the City and Millennium on April 7, 2010. Condominiums will be retrofitted for sale to their purchasers. Tenants in commercial spaces, including the Salt Building, will complete tenant improvements and open their businesses to residents and visitors of Southeast False Creek in late summer of 2010, and additional condominiums will be made available for sale. The civic centre gym floor will be installed and the facility will open to users in the summer of 2010. Park spaces are anticipated to be open to the public in May 2010.

After the Games, the site will become the newest addition to Vancouver’s network of interesting neighbourhoods. It will have approximately 1,100 residential units, including 730 market condos, 120 market rental apartments, and 250 proposed affordable housing apartments. The heart of the community includes a plaza ringed by restaurants, a grocery store, community centre and daycare, and a restored heritage building. Residents and visitors will be able to enjoy these spaces along with the 11 acres of redeveloped park and waterfront.

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

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

]]> http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/vancouver-2010-promises-bilingual-experience-so-all-canadians-can-share-in-excitement-of-vancouver-2010-olympic-and-paralympic-winter-games-_184724lk.html Vancouver, BC — Bienvenue and welcome to Canada’s Games in 2010! In exactly 100 days from now, visitors at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will enjoy a bilingual experience sharing in one of the world’s largest sporting and cultural events.

The Games offer an unprecedented opportunity for Canada to showcase its linguistic duality and unique cultural diversity as it welcomes more than 80 countries, 30 of which are francophone nations. Whether at home watching the spectacular Opening Ceremonies of the Games on TV or in a front-row seat at the thrilling gold medal ice hockey showdowns, French and English will be an integral ingredient in everything leading up to and during the Games, including colour commentary at sport events.

In a public awareness campaign launched today, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) has created a downloadable brochure and information kit available at http://www.vancouver2010.com/bilingualexperience outlining how the Games will offer services in both French and English to spectators, media, athletes, and dignitaries. Both are official languages of Canada, as well as the Olympic Movement.

“What does this bilingual experience really mean? It means that all Canadians and international visitors will be able to hear, see, touch, and feel the celebration of both of our official languages throughout the Games. This is our promise to Canadians and all visitors to our country during the Games,” explained Donna Wilson, VANOC’s executive vice president of people and sustainability.

“Whether you speak English, French or both, the 2010 Winter Games will make Canadians proud of our athletes and their accomplishments and instil a sense of national pride as we give the world a truly world-class welcome.”

Already, Games fans can follow the journey of the Olympic Flame, read the latest VANOC news, purchase Games tickets and publications, and apply as a volunteer in 2010 in French or English at www.vancouver2010.com.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay will also be a bilingual experience. Arriving in Quebec next Tuesday, November 10, in the northern Quebec community of Kuujjuaq, the Olympic Flame will be carried by 1,800 torchbearers and visit 195 communities and places of interest, including 11 Aboriginal communities during three separate visits to the province during the relay. The flame will visit Quebec first in early November, then for an extended period from November 29 to December 12 and again on December 31 where it will ring in the new year in Val-d’Or. The relay will also visit francophone communities across the country. VANOC has provided content in both official languages for the nearly 200 torch relay community celebrations across Canada.

Enjoying the 2010 Winter Games from home in both official languages is easier than ever thanks to a variety of platforms. With radio, cable and satellite television, mobile platforms and web resources, Canadians can enjoy every moment in either French or English. Athletes can also enjoy their 2010 experience in French or English, from medical services to the daily newssheet for the athletes’ villages.

In the Host Region, spectators to the Games in February and March 2010 will be greeted by Vancouver 2010’s 3,500 strong team of helpful bilingual staff (just look for workforce members wearing the “Bonjour” pin), as well as outside signage and venue wayfinding in both languages. Cultural Olympiad events throughout the Host Region of the Games and nightly Victory Ceremonies will also feature some of the country’s top francophone and anglophone artists.

“We are also striving to celebrate the bilingual experience at the Games by working with francophone communities and organizations across Canada, as well as the Government of Canada,” Wilson said. “Over the last several years of working with our francophone partners, we’ve helped make connections and bring people together, which is what the Olympic Spirit is all about. I’m confident these new connections will remain strong as a lasting legacy of these Games.”

A print advertisement campaign is underway themed A Portrait of Our Linguistic Duality/Un portrait de notre dualité linguistique to support this public awareness campaign and is running in The Ottawa Citizen, The Montreal Gazette, and Gesca Ltée’s publications: including La Presse, Le Soleil, Le Droit, Le Quotidien, Le Nouvelliste, La Tribune and La Voix de L'Est, as well as Cyberpresse.ca.

In support of a truly bilingual experience at the 2010 Winter Games, VANOC has executed a number of Games’ firsts, including:

• Signing a convention in August 2009 for the promotion of French at the Games with Pascal Couchepin, Grand Témoin de la Francophonie, that contains two major firsts: the extension of the Grand Témoin’s mission to include both the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the creation of a linguistic legacy through the production of a guide that lays out best practices for ensuring bilingualism at the Games. This knowledge will be passed on to subsequent Organizing Committees for use at future Games after 2010.

• The creation of a VANOC board advisory committee on official languages in March 2009, which includes prominent French Canadians with a proven track record and expertise in the field of bilingualism, as well as Jean-Pierre Raffarin, a former prime minister of France.

• The creation of an Official Languages function at VANOC, one of more than 50 functions within the Organizing Committee, that focuses on collaboration with francophone communities across Canada and promotes both languages at VANOC to capitalize on nation building potential.

• Signing of collaborative protocol in 2006 with the Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue and the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique. This protocol stipulates the French communities will provide VANOC with the support needed to deliver on its official languages commitments, particularly in volunteer recruitment, cultural and educational programs.

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.

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

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

]]> http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/do-your-part--national-youth-video-contest_184782Yt.html

It’s time again for the Do Your Part Canada-wide youth sustainability video contest. With the theme of environmental sustainability, kids, here’s your task: Get your video cameras out and get creative with your message of keeping planet earth healthy.

Do Your Part invites Canadian youth between the ages of 13 and 24 to submit a 30- to 90-second video or animation clip to show how youth could do their part to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle during and well beyond the 2010 Winter Games. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) partnered with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), the Government of Canada and Panasonic Corporation to launch this video contest.

Sport and Environment

Contest applicants are encouraged to involve sport in the content of their submission that demonstrates a variety of ways in which people could live more sustainably through recycling, conserving energy or using sustainable transportation.

Winners of the video contest will be announced in Vancouver on February 13, 2009. The grand prize winner will receive a Panasonic VIERA high-definition plasma television as well as an invitation to the 2010 UNEP TUNZA youth conference in Japan. TUNZA means “to treat with care or affection” in Swahili. Panasonic will also provide limited edition Vancouver 2010 Panasonic LUMIX digital cameras for the three runners-up. Winning entries might also be shown to spectator audiences during the 2010 Winter Games, or used in other promotional materials by VANOC, UNEP, the Government of Canada and Panasonic.

Submitting a Video

Eligible applicants can upload their video submissions to the web or a video-sharing site of their choice. Once uploaded, they are to send the link with their name, age and contact details to sustainability@vancouver2010.com.

Videos must be submitted by Sunday, December 6, 2009 to be eligible to win. Submissions by youth under the age of 19 require parental permission. Full contest details, including a list of contest rules and regulations, can be found at vancouver2010.com/edu.

Related Links:

Winners of the 2008 “U-reduce/U-produce” Video Contest

Watch the Sport and Environment vancovuer2010.com video podcast

VANOC and Sustainability

“This is an important milestone for the Organizing Committee to reach and frees up any remaining accommodation inventory for visitors with approximately 100 days to go before the start of the Games,” said Jacqui Murdoch, VANOC’s vice president of services and accommodation. “It’s an economic generator for the community and it’s a goal we couldn’t have reached without the amazing support of residents in the region who volunteered to open their homes to people from around the world and to community leaders who helped support our other accommodation solutions.

“In particular, we’re thankful for the support of the District of Squamish, the Resort Municipality of Whistler and Tourism Whistler,” she added. “The Sea to Sky community is playing a huge role in our ability to stage spectacular Games here in 2010.”

The accommodation will house volunteers, VANOC staff and contractors from outside the region coming to work at Games’ venues, including The Whistler Sliding Centre, Whistler Olympic Park/Whistler Paralympic Park and Whistler Creekside, starting in January and continuing until the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games end in late March.

Workforce Accommodation in the Corridor:

• The Homestay Volunteer Program, launched by VANOC in February 2009, is providing more than 590 beds during the Olympic Winter Games. The beds will be provided by 390 host families who are already preparing their homes to take in Games-time volunteers. More than 290 beds secured through the program will also house volunteers during the Paralympic Games. Applications will continue to be accepted from additional host families in Whistler until Games time.

• VANOC has chartered a cruise ship to house 1,100 people dockside in Squamish from late January through to the end of March. The same ship was used in a similar capacity during the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006.

• Quest

  University in Squamish will house 500 people in February and more than 100 people in March.

• Approximately 2,000 workforce members will stay in hotel rooms and condos in Whistler during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

• More than 300 workforce members will stay in hotel rooms in Squamish in February.

• An estimated 1,200 workforce members will stay in a separate zone in the Paralympic Village Whistler in March, along with athletes and officials, during the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

• Three modular temporary housing units will be placed on the property at 4500 Northlands Blvd. in Whistler. The three units will provide 268 beds for use between January and March. The Whistler Games Service Centre will be located at this site. Along with housing workforce, this location will be used as a uniform and accreditation centre, the homestay reception centre for Whistler and a workforce dining area. VANOC recently received a temporary commercial use permit from the Resort Municipality of Whistler for the Whistler Games Service Centre and related housing.

Earlier this year, VANOC secured the 3,000 rooms needed in the Whistler area during the Games for members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), broadcast rights holders, accredited print reporters and photographers, sponsors, National Olympic Committee members, and International Sport Federation members. 

Visitor and spectator accommodation information for Games-time visits to Whistler can be accessed at www.whistler.com. For information on Metro Vancouver visits see www.2010destinationplanner.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 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

]]> http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/partners-of-2010-winter-games-join-forces-to-help-make-canada’s-games-carbon-neutral-vanoc--offsetters-to-offset-air-travel-of-2010-olympians-and-paralympians-_184348Tv.html Vancouver, BC — On the eve of the 100-day countdown to the Games, 25 partners of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are among the first to join forces in an ambitious effort to leave Canada and the world an environmental legacy of carbon neutral Games in 2010, including offsetting air travel for Olympians and Paralympians. 

The partners, including corporate sponsors, governments and broadcasters, have volunteered to offset some of their own carbon emissions related to the Games; such as emissions generated by delegations travelling to and from the Games region. 

These partners will invest in a portfolio of British Columbia clean energy technology projects, as well as international Gold Standard offset projects. The 2010 Legacy Portfolio is developed and managed by Vancouver-based Offsetters, the Official Supplier of Carbon Offsets for the 2010 Winter Games, in partnership with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). 

The energy efficiency and renewable energy projects will help offset a newly updated forecast of 268,000 tonnes of carbon emissions — 118,000 tonnes from direct emissions and 150,000 tonnes from indirect emissions resulting from Games-time travel by participants and spectators. 

This updated estimate, prepared by the Centre for Sustainability and Social Innovation at the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business, was released today by VANOC at a breakfast event called “2010 Talks Carbon.” It reflects Games operational efficiencies and more accurate data on participants and spectators. 

In 2007, preliminary estimate prepared by the David Suzuki Foundation and reviewed by PricewaterhouseCoopers suggested the Games would produce approximately 330,000 tonnes (110,000 direct, 220,000 indirect) of carbon emissions. 

“We’re excited to announce that 25 of our partners are helping us make the 2010 Winter Games carbon neutral and we expect more to join in the near future,” said Linda Coady, VANOC’s vice president of sustainability. “What’s more, athletes at the Games will be the first carbon neutral athletes in Olympic and Paralympic history — the result of our partnership with Offsetters —where the travel and accommodation of close to 7,000 athletes, coaches and officials will be offset as part of the Games’ direct carbon footprint.” 

“The Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will not only showcase British Columbia to the world, it will also establish a carbon neutral legacy for future Games,” said John Yap, BC’s Minister of State for Climate Action. “We are really pleased to see the efforts of these 2010 partners and sponsors and encourage more to join in to make these clean, green and carbon neutral Games.” 

The first companies and governments participating in the 2010 Carbon Partner Program for voluntary offsets include: Acklands-Grainger, Afexa Life Sciences (COLD-FX), Aggreko, Atos Origin, Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC), BC Hydro, Bell, Bombardier, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium, Canadian Pacific, Canwest Publishing Inc., City of Surrey, Coca-Cola, Hudson’s Bay Company, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC), McDonald’s, Panasonic, the Province of British Columbia, Royal Bank of Canada, Resort Municipality of Whistler, Ricoh Canada, Samsung, The Globe and Mail, and Visa. 

In what is another first for the Olympic Movement, Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay presenting partners Coca-Cola and RBC have joined VANOC in offsetting all their emissions arising from the 45,000-kilometre journey across Canada, as well as from their entire operations related to the Games. 

The support of the 2010 Legacy Portfolio by these companies will not only reduce carbon emitted into the atmosphere, it will also showcase made-in-BC climate change solutions, explained Dr. James Tansey, president of Offsetters, a leading BC-based carbon asset management company and supplier of high-quality carbon offsets. 

“We’re proud to be the first Official Carbon Offsetter in Olympic and Paralympic history and have the opportunity to showcase how British Columbia is playing a leadership role within Canada and internationally in the fast growing clean technology sector,” he said. “We look forward to working with these companies to find environmentally friendly solutions to offset their Games-time carbon emissions.” 

“We also invite spectators participating at the Games, along with members of the public, to help play a role in making the 2010 Winter Games carbon neutral by voluntarily offsetting emissions from their travel to and from the Games region,” Tansey added. By clicking www.offsetters.ca they can calculate their carbon footprint and purchase carbon credits immediately online. 

As part of the offset portfolio for the Games, Offsetters is working with BC clean technology companies to establish demonstration projects, such as: biomass gasification systems for renewable heat and power production, manufacturing of cellulosic ethanol (biofuel made from wood debris), proton exchange membrane hydrogen fuel cell technology, computer controlled hybrid fossil fuel and electric building heating systems, and reduced carbon footprint silviculture. 

The 2010 Legacy Portfolio of carbon reduction projects for the Games will provide high-quality offsets consistent with the standards applied by new BC provincial greenhouse gas regulations, and have been designed to meet or exceed the highest international standard for carbon accounting and offsetting. 

About Offsetters
Offsetters is Canada’s first and leading integrated carbon management company. Since 2005, Offsetters has been helping individuals and organizations understand, reduce, track, and offset their greenhouse gas emissions. Offsetters uses carbon offset funds to develop and invest in high-quality, renewable energy and energy efficiency projects that would otherwise not take place. The goal is to create a mainstream shift toward clean energy systems, away from the fossil fuel dependence of today.

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

]]> http://www.vancouver2010.com/olympic-news/over-100-000-2010-olympic-winter-games-tickets-on-sale-november-7--including-gold-medal-hockey--curling-and-ceremonies-last-chance-to-receive-collectable-souvenir-style-tickets-_184346Tg.html Vancouver, BC ― The third and final phase of ticket sales for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games begins Saturday, November 7 at 10:00 am (Pacific Time) at www.vancouver2010.com.

More than 100,000 tickets to all city events including gold medal hockey, curling, Opening and Closing and nightly Victory Ceremonies events will be available to the Canadian public on a first-come, first served basis. Paralympic tickets for high-demand events such as the Opening Ceremony, ice sledge hockey and alpine skiing will also be available. 

This is also the last chance for spectators to purchase tickets in time to receive the highly collectable, full-colour and oversize tickets that prominently display Vancouver 2010 pictograms, sport and venue illustrations. The tickets are currently being printed and the window for purchasing these special tickets closes November 20. 

“The best winter athletes in the world will be here starting next February and the time to buy your Olympic and Paralympic tickets is now. This is the final major release of tickets to the Games and we expect demand will be high,” said Caley Denton, vice president, ticketing and consumer marketing for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). 

“To get a jump start, we suggest first-time buyers register a ticketing account with us beforehand and have a look at the schedules to determine what events work best for you. For return customers who want to purchase additional tickets, please log into your account ahead of time to make sure your information is up-to-date.” 

This final phase of ticket sales also marks a major sale of tickets to the nightly Victory Ceremonies. Further details on nightly Victory Ceremonies at BC Place will be released on Thursday, November 5. 

The full men’s and women’s hockey and curling schedules are available at www.vancouver2010.com. The curling draw includes all medal round matchups and preliminary competitions that feature Team Canada in nine of 12 sessions. Tickets are also available for all hockey games, including high-demand medal rounds in both men’s and women’s draws.

To ensure fair and equitable access to as many Canadians as possible, ticket customers visiting www.vancouver2010.com starting on November 7 will be directed to a virtual waiting room, where they will be randomly selected to enter the Vancouver 2010 ticketing website. Once signed into their account, customers will be able to purchase up to four separate events, with a limit of either four or eight tickets per event. If a customer wants to order more than the limit of four events, they will need to start a new transaction.

Tickets to Whistler events will not be on sale during Phase 3 because the Olympic bus network (OBN), the transport system for spectators originating in Metro Vancouver, has reached maximum capacity in Whistler.

Helpful tips:

• To save time, previously registered customers are advised to sign into their ticketing account at www.vancouver2010.com before November 7 to ensure their username and password are up-to-date and functional.New customers without an existing account can save time by pre-registering an account before November 7.

• The Competition Schedule, including the draws for the hockey tournaments for the Games and ticket prices, is posted on

  www.vancouver2010.com to make it easier for customers to plan their ticket buying strategy ahead of time.

• VANOC reminds customers that Visa is the only payment card accepted.

• Entry to the system is random — refreshing the web page will not reduce your wait time.

• Plan ahead for purchases and ensure you have sufficient credit available in your account as purchases will be charged immediately.

• Be wary of tickets offered for sale through unofficial channels. The only official sources for Canadians to buy tickets to the 2010 Winter Games are www.vancouver2010.com (in partnership with VANOC’s official ticketing services supplier tickets.com) and official 2010 Winter Games hospitality partners Jet Set Sports and CoSport.

• Be vigilant about individuals or companies offering “guaranteed” tickets for sale. For most people, even a “money-back” guarantee is little consolation for the disappointment, inconvenience and embarrassment they will experience if they discover at the gate that their ticket is invalid.

• Customers may also purchase tickets by phone 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.

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