Ottawa counting down to the Games

Sports and timing go hand-in-hand. Today in Ottawa, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) and the Government of Canada, a major partner of the 2010 Winter Games, unveiled the Vancouver 2010 Countdown Clock in Ottawa at the Capital Infocentre, located across from Parliament Hill.

The timing for the unveiling couldn’t be better as Ottawa’s famed Winterlude, or Bal de Neige, celebrations are in full party mode.

Just prior to the clock event, James Moore, Member of Parliament for the riding of Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, issued a statement in the House of Commons prior to Question Period declaring the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to be Canada’s Games, and inviting all Canadians to join in welcoming the world in 2010.

“Let us all be inspired by the power of the Olympic and Paralympic Games – the power to promote friendship and respect, stir dreams and tell a story about our country and our people,” said Moore, who also serves as the Parliamentary Secretary for the Pacific Gateway and the Vancouver-Whistler Olympics.

Just two years before the Games officially begin in 2010, the announcement comes as a message of inspiration for all Canadians.

Canada's Games 

For VANOC Chief Executive Officer, John Furlong, “The Olympic and Paralympic Games have the power to reach and inspire every Canadian, and more broadly, the power for us, as a country, to make a remarkable contribution to a better world. We need every Canadian to be part of telling our unique story and we’d like to thank the Government of Canada for providing, on behalf of all Canadians, tremendous support toward the success of the Games.”

Going for the Games

Canadian ice sledge hockey Paralympic gold medallist, Ray Grassi, was also at the Capital Infocentre to celebrate the two-year countdown – a celebration that included Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, National Capital Commission officials, athletes, spectators, media and representatives of VANOC.

Grassi, of Windsor, Ontario, was glad to see the dedication of an Omega Countdown Clock in Ottawa. He had heard about the Omega Countdown Clock in Vancouver, and was elated to see 2010 Winter Games excitement celebrated outside British Columbia.

”It’s great to have [a Countdown Clock] in Ottawa, especially with all the tourists coming in, and for all the foreign diplomats there,” said Grassi. “It’s a good idea to have the visual reminder that the biggest stage is coming to Canada for the first time since [1988].”

Grassi has been playing defense for Canada’s ice sledge hockey team for five years. His first Paralympic Winter Games was Torino 2006, an experience he said will be difficult to top – unless, of course, he has an opportunity to play international hockey in Canada. Grassi has played six major international tournaments in his career and all have been held overseas or in the United States – but never in Canada.

“None of my family has been able to come to a major event because they’ve always been a little too far away,” said Grassi. “So to have my family there, and to play in our [team’s] own country with maple leafs on our chest – that’s really what I look forward to. It’s hard to describe.”

Inspiring active lifestyles

Vancouver 2010 promises to be more than a showcase of the best athletes in the world. The Olympic and Paralympic Games have the power to inspire people anywhere. They have the power to motivate people – young and old – to engage in an active lifestyle. For Canadian Olympians and Paralympians like Grassi, “Canada’s Games” also serve as the opportunity of a lifetime to share a passion for amateur sport with his nation. The Games offer a chance for him to be a role model at home.

Two-year countdown celebrations for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games begin on February 12, 2008.