Countdown To The Olympics

New aerial images of construction work on the Olympic Park have been released today.

London 2012

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 2010

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 2010

Kirov Ballet’s prima ballerina, STREB, Raphael Saadiq, Phoenix, and outdoor installations of Canadian art

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

Vancouver 2010

The London 2012 Main Press Centre (MPC) is taking shape alongside the International Broadcast Centre (IBC).

London 2012

• Over 750 Sea to Sky volunteers with accommodation in region still needed
• Public commuter challenge on Fridays coming in January
• Rusty Goepel named chairman; Jack Poole was name founding chairman

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

Vancouver 2010

The London 2012 Organising Committee today announced BMW as the official Automotive Partner of the London 2012 Games. BMW becomes the seventh Tier One partner and 24th domestic partner overall.

London 2012

Work is powering ahead to build the new state-of-the-art Energy Centre on the Olympic Park.

London 2012

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

Vancouver 2010

Vancouver, BC— In a ruling released today, the British Columbia Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal of a ruling by the British Columbia Supreme Court regarding women’s ski jumping at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The appeal was heard November 12 and 13, 2009 in Vancouver, BC, by a panel of three appeal court judges. 

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

Vancouver 2010