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Vancouver 2010 One Year Countdown And Torch Unveiling


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VANOC announces one-year countdown celebration plans for February 11-12, 2009

VANCOUVER, Feb. 10 /CNW/ - The Canadian winter will come alive this week

with celebrations marking the one-year countdown to the beginning of the

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, starting February 11 and continuing

through February 12, 2009.

The following is a list of countdown activities coordinated by the

Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter

Games (VANOC). Many other exciting events are being organized by VANOC's

corporate sponsors and government partners. Media are encouraged to contact

them directly for more information.

All events are listed in Pacific Time unless otherwise stated. Events are

subject to change.

<<

February 11, 2009

WHISTLER, British Columbia

International Olympic Committee (IOC) News Conference

Location: The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler, 4090 Whistler Way,

Ballroom Emerald C

Time: 4:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

- Jacques Rogge, IOC President

- René Fasel, IOC Chairman of the Vancouver 2010 Coordination

Commission

- John Furlong, VANOC Chief Executive Officer

- For information: Sébastien Théberge, 604-403-2261,

sebastien_theberge@vancouver2010.com

- Accreditation: Required. Please see accreditation instructions

below.

Official bobsled presentation at The Whistler Sliding Centre with Omega

Clock

Location: The Whistler Sliding Centre, 4910 Glacier Lane, Whistler, BC,

CORNER 16

Time: 5:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

- Presentation of an Omega bobsled and countdown clock as it turns to

365 days remaining until the start of the Games in 2010.

- IOC President Jacques Rogge

- René Fasel, IOC Chairman of the Vancouver 2010 Coordination

Commission

- Gilbert Felli, IOC Olympic Games Executive Director

- Stephen Urquhart, OMEGA President

- VANOC CEO John Furlong

- Morgan Alexander, 2006 Canadian Olympian, bobsleigh

- Lindsay Alcock, member of the 2002 and 2006 Canadian Olympic

teams (skeleton, retired)

- Government partner representatives

- For information: John Gibson, 604-403-1585,

john_gibson@vancouver2010.com

- Accreditation: Required. Please see accreditation instructions

below.

- Media Parking: Accredited media must board courtesy shuttle buses

from The Westin immediately following the IOC press conference to

attend the event. The shuttle buses will return to The Westin

following the conclusion of the Omega presentation at The Whistler

Sliding Centre.

- Satellite truck positions at The Whistler Sliding Centre: Access is

limited. Please contact John Gibson at

john_gibson@vancouver2010.com, 604-403-1585.

February 12, 2009 (One Year Until Games Time)

WHISTLER, British Columbia

Public unveiling of the torch design and torchbearer uniform for the 2010

Olympic Winter Games Torch Relay

Location: Village Square, Whistler

Time: 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

- The 2010 Olympic Winter Games Torch Relay torch design and

torchbearer uniform will be unveiled at this entertaining,

family-friendly public event. Officials from Bombardier, the

Canadian company that designed and manufactured the torch, and

Hudson's Bay Company, the Canadian company that designed the

torchbearer uniform, will be in attendance, along with torchbearers

selected by Coca-Cola and RBC, national presenting partners of the

2010 Olympic Torch Relay.

- IOC President Jacques Rogge

- The Honourable Gary Lunn, Government of Canada, Minister of

State (Sport)

- The Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia

- His Worship Ken Melamed, Mayor of Whistler

- Chief Leonard Andrew, Lil'Wat Nation

- VANOC CEO John Furlong

- Pierre Beaudoin, President, Bombardier Inc.

- Jeffrey Sherman, Chief Executive Officer, Hudson's Bay Company

- Torchbearers selected by Coca-Cola and RBC

- For information: Katie Green, 604-402-2473,

katie_green@vancouver2010.com

- Accreditation: Required for stage-side access and follow-up

interviews. Please see accreditation instructions below.

- Satellite truck positions: Please contact Breton Murphy at Tourism

Whistler: bmurphy@tourismwhistler.com or 604-935-3356

ACROSS CANADA

"Let's Make Some Noise"

Location: Across Canada

Time: 6:00 p.m. in each local Canadian time zone.

- VANOC and its partners invite everyone across Canada to make some

noise at 6:00 p.m. local time in each time zone across the country

to, in their own unique way, help celebrate the countdown to

Canada's Games in 2010. Events will be held in numerous communities

across Canada.

- For information about events hosted by VANOC's government partners

and sponsors: Please contact the respective municipal or provincial

government authority or tourism organization, or the federal

department of Canadian Heritage. Members of the media can also

consult the special "Hot Topic" section of Canada Newswire for

one-year-countdown-related releases and advisories at

www.newswire.ca.

RICHMOND, British Columbia

The Countdown 2010 official celebration presented by the Government of

British Columbia - including IOC President Rogge's invitation to National

Olympic Committees to compete in Vancouver at the 2010 Olympic Winter

Games.

Location: Richmond Olympic Oval, 6111 River Road, Richmond, BC

Time: 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

- The Province of British Columbia, Host Province of the 2010 Winter

Games, hosts an official ceremony marking the one-year countdown to

the start of the Games on February 12, 2010 at 6:00 p.m., when

Canada officially welcomes the world at the Opening Ceremony of the

Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The ceremony will include

performances by more than 200 children from across British Columbia.

- IOC President Jacques Rogge

- The Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier of British Columbia

- The Honourable Gary Lunn, Government of Canada, Minister of

State (Sport)

- Jack Poole, VANOC Chairman of the Board

- VANOC CEO John Furlong

- Cindy Klassen, member of the 2002 and 2006 Canadian Olympian

teams (speed skating), multiple medallist

- National Olympic Committee presidents

- For information: Karen Murry, 250-387-0779,

karen.murry@gov.bc.ca, BC Public Affairs Bureau.

- Accreditation: Members of the media are required to register by

contacting Karen Murry by 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Wednesday,

February 11. Media will be required to show media ID along with

photo ID upon arrival at the event no later than 4:30 p.m. Live

reporting will not permitted inside the Oval during the ceremony.

A six-camera-directed broadcast feed of the entire show, as well as

an audio feed, will be available. Media will be permitted to access

and use the material in its entirety or any portions thereof. To

record, media must bring their own recording deck.

- Media will have the ability to patch the live feed to their

satellite/microwave trucks and to cut in and out of live newscasts

occurring at the same time. During the ceremony, production

lighting will be provided to meet broadcast quality standards. No

additional lighting will be permitted until the program's

conclusion. Reserved parking space is not available for the media.

Please use nearby public parking. Parking for microwave or

satellite trucks can be coordinated through Karen Murry.

VANCOUVER, BC

One-Year Countdown Celebration, featuring Sarah McLachlan

Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, BC

Time: 7:30 p.m.

- One-Year Countdown Celebration, featuring acclaimed international

singing, songwriting star Sarah McLachlan, Halifax rocker Joel

Plaskett, violinist Adrian Anantawan, Luke Doucet, the Alberta

Ballet and special guests. This sold-out concert is part of the

Cultural Olympiad 2009 program, a seven-week celebration.

- For information: Erin Mikaluk, 604-403-2471,

erin_mikaluk@vancouver2010.com.

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Olympic torch could look like a paddle

By BOB MACKIN, 24 HOURS

The Olympic torch - to be unveiled tomorrow morning in Whistler Village - could be shaped like a canoe paddle.

The Richmond Oval art plan said the City of Richmond would "work with VANOC to recommend that the Olympic torch has a Salish paddle inspired design."

The riverside Oval is the 2010 Winter Olympics' showcase venue and site of a one-year countdown ceremony to invite the world tomorrow at 5 p.m.

Access to Information documents show the feds, who pledged $25 million for the torch relay, suggested a design inspired by the House of Commons' 1955-commissioned Northwest Territories' mace. It includes whale bone, walrus tusk and polar bear claw.

"A similar Olympic torch could be made from fibre optic-type material and include minerals and elements from across the country," said a planning document.

The report said a GPS chip could be embedded in the torch to enable constant route tracking and said Vancouver 2010 should follow Sydney 2000's lead and appoint a retired Aboriginal athlete as the final torch bearer.

Salish paddle

Eagle%20Spirit%20Paddles.JPG

Northwest Territories mace

mace2_jpg.jpg

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A paddle design would be good if done well.

There has been no major aboriginal athletes in Canada for a very long time. The only aboriginal Canadian athletes I know of are Jonathon Cheechoo and Jordan Tootoo, both crappy hockey players. One is Innu the other is Inuit.

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A paddle design would be good if done well.

There has been no major aboriginal athletes in Canada for a very long time. The only aboriginal Canadian athletes I know of are Jonathon Cheechoo and Jordan Tootoo, both crappy hockey players. One is Innu the other is Inuit.

Well, there is Tom Longboat, but that was way, WAY back in the days...

Oh, and what about Almighty Voice and Man Afraid Soap? :lol: (And I am NOT jocking, he was apart of the Mohawk Indians team that represented Canada in Lacrosse in 1904 and won the bronze medal).

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That mace is hideous! Leave it to the feds. And all those dead animal parts? Why not use a seal club?

But the paddle idea isn't bad. I could see something stylized that resembled these items, with the flame coming out the top side, not the very top (like Lillehammer):

slwrks_11_large.jpg

pic%20029.jpg

Also, I doubt it will be made of wood, but possibly some veneer. Bombardier is designing and building it but I don't think they have much experience in wood working.

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If you held a gun to my head and said "Name a famous Canadian aboriginal athlete or I'm a gonna bust a cap in your head"...well, I'm afraid I wouldn't be here much longer.

If they do let an aboriginal athlete light the flame, I'm afraid it would just be a copy of Sydney and a huge moment of "who's that?", not of any kind of national reconciliation.

There are currently movements on Facebook to select Trevor Linden, Wayne Gretzky, or Betty Fox (mother of Terry Fox) as the final bearer.

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The paddle idea is definitely a good one.....

But about the final torchbearer:

- Wayne Gretzky: definitely no

- Betty Fox: What does she have to do with her son's work at all? What Terry Fox did was admirable, but is his mom really the best we can do? It seems so typically mediocre Canadian. If Terry were still alive today, he should light it....but what on Earth does his mom have to do with what he did??? It makes no sense at all. The symbolic gesture would be seen if the man who made all the difference lighted it, not his mom....30 years later.

Non-Canadian: "Who's the old lady lighting the flame?"

"Oh she's the mom of a guy who got cancer and had his leg amputated and tried to run across Canada 30 years ago but died about a third of the way through."

Non-Canadian: :unsure:

Trevor Linden: not a bad choice, well-liked

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Linden - never an Olympian.

Canada has too many great winter Olympians to give it to a hockey player or some stupid sentimental choice.

If it was a hockey player -> Joe Sakic, scored game winning goal in the 2002 gold medal game and MVP and a local boy and son of immigrants uniquely Canadian

Otherwise

Becky Scott - first Canadian to win a gold medal in cross country skiing, IOC member and fought doping in sport

Nancy Greene - a great Canadian athlete

Cindy Klassen - pretty obvious choice

Marc Gangon - most gold medals out of any Canadian athlete

Clara Hughes - multiple medalist and both editions of the games

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I agree with Faster. While Trevor Linden is beloved by Canucks fans, these are the Olympic Games, not the NHL. Linden's only Olympic appearance was as an injured member of the disastrous Nagano crew.

I really think that the final torch bearers should represent Canada's winter Olympic progress since hosting the 1988 Games in Calgary. A medalist from each of the subsequent five games proving that the legacy from Calgary is a country impassioned and emboldened by winter sport. And not just hockey.

As for the finalist...well, that has always been a tough one.

Sale and Pellitier make a nice story to me - a well-known cutesy French and English couple that were cheated of their moment of Olympic glory, found love, and then given a second chance to capture that moment - but they do come with both cliche and controversy.

Gretsky, Linden, and most NHL hockey players all have a very tenuous hold on the Olympics. They are famous, but just not Olympian. The 2002 team would just be a copy of the 2002 ceremony, and while meaningful to Canadians, I think the 1980 US team was a more touching victory because it was the last non-professional team to win gold.

Barbara Ann Scott is a bit old, but she's a legend as the first individual Canadian to ever win a gold medal and the first non European figure skating queen.

Gaetan Boucher was brilliant in Sarajevo and Sarajevo has a soft spot in many hearts. But he's very Quebecois and his glory days were 25 years ago.

Catriona Le May-Doan is also a "star-ling" of the Olympic Movement.

And then there's always the abstract. A kid representing the future. Multi-racial people representing some sort of cultural harmony. Even Rick Hansen, a BC man who wheeled around the world.

It will just depend on the message VANOC wants to send.

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I want to see Norwegian coach Bjørnar Håkensmoen be involved in the relay. He's act of sportsmanship during Torino was regarded so much. He gave skier Sara Renner a ski pole when her broke. The she and Beckie Scott won the silver.

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I still think the best option would be the surviving members of the 98 gold medal women's curling team in memory of Sandra Schmirler.

Somebody related to Terry Fox is a nice idea but unfortunately not Olympic, and a better fit for the Paralympics. This isn't the CWG, people.

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Not bad.....

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/ww...in?size=620x400

2010 Olympic torch unveiled

By Jeff Lee, Vancouver SunFebruary 12, 2009 8:52 AM

WHISTLER - If every Olympic torch is supposed to say something about the country in which its Games are being held, then the torch for the Vancouver 2010 Games says cold, bright, expansive and snowy.

With a flourish befitting the unveiling of an art sculpture or a long-lost master, the organizers of the Vancouver Games revealed Thursday their concept of what an Olympic torch should be.

Inspired, Vanoc says, "by both the lines carved into the snow by skiers shushing down mountains and the undulating beauty of the snowy Canadian landscape", the Vancouver torch is a long white and chrome staff utterly different from the racy blue curve of Turin, the red scroll of Beijing, and even the squat wood chrome cauldron of Calgary.

The first of 12,000 of the ski-shaped torches Vanoc will use in a 106-day, 45,000-kilometre journey across Canada made its debut Whistler's village square. It was unveiled with International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge, politicians and Vanoc CEO John Furlong present.

But the torch wasn't the only item revealed. Vanoc also made public the white, green and blue uniform each torchbearer will wear come the time they run their segment of the relay.

The first two torchbearers named, Patricia Moreno, 18, of Vancouver and Caleb Taylor, 35, of Regina, modeled the new Hudson's Bay Company-designed uniforms.

The two were selected by Coca-Cola and RBC, the two co-presenting sponsors of the torch relay.

The torch, nearly a metre in length, was designed by Bombardier, the Canadian aerospace and transportation giant. A team of scientists and designers began working on the project in November, 2007. Bombardier presented Vanoc with a concept last April, and received IOC approval in June. The team spent the summer and fall of 2008 developing the mechanics of the burner before laboratory testing in December.

The design moves away from a traditional cauldron style of flame that other organizing committees have used. Instead, Vanoc says this flame "will unfurl like a flag fluttering in the wind" because the torch has a unique 30-centimetre-long vertical flame outlet.

Bombardier's designers incorporated two unique Canadian items; a red maple leaf air intake cut-out that feeds the flame air, and an engraving of the Games motto "With Glowing Hearts", along with the French version.

The torch design has already proved a hit with Rogge, who in a prepared statement said it was "like Canada – young, exciting, innovative, and welcoming to everyone who sees and holds it.”

“The design of an Olympic Torch is very important,” he said. “It cradles the Olympic Flame and its message of hope, the celebration of excellence, friendship and respect wherever it travels in the world."

Bombardier says the torch is made out of stainless steel, aluminum and a sheet moulding compound. It will be assembled in Canada from primarily Canadian resources.

Once the flame is lit in Olympia, Greece in late October, it will be flown to Victoria, the first stop on the cross-Canada tour. It will finish in Vancouver on Feb. 12, 2010.

jefflee@vancouversun.com

© Copyright © The Vancouver Sun

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