NEWS FROM VANCOUVER 2010 PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES

On the occasion of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games Chef de Mission Seminar, National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) were officially invited tonight to attend the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada.

Bonn, Germany - Today the one-year countdown, to the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games begins. The occasion will be marked by a number of celebrations in Ottawa, Vancouver and Whistler, Canada.

After a three-month international search, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) announced yesterday that it has selected Vancouver-based Patrick Roberge Productions (PRP) Inc. as producer of the Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies. PRP Inc. will collaborate with VANOC to develop the overall theme and content of both ceremonies and will create and direct both shows.

The third annual corporate sustainability report by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) was recently released, detailing the organization’s performance measured in its sustainability commitments between 1 August 2007 and 31 July 2008.

A workshop for “Assisting People with Disabilities” took place in Whistler, Canada, yesterday at the MY Millennium Place, providing an excellent opportunity for community members to improve their skills and knowledge on accessibility issues.

Canada Post, an Official Supplier for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, recently unveiled their starting Olympic and Paralympic stamp line-up. The ten stamps are part of a three-year programme that, upon its completion, will be among Canada’s most significant philatelic milestones. In 2010, Canada Post plans to issue additional stamp designs honouring the Games.

On 3 November, B.C. Education Minister Shirley Bond, Vancouver 2010 Executive Vice President of Celebrations and Partnerships, David Guscott, and Canadian Paralympic Committee President, Carla Qualtrough, joined Paralympic gold-medallist Todd Nicholson to officially launch the first Pan-Canadian Paralympic School Week, together with Vancouver 2010 Paralympic mascot, Sumi and students and staff of James McKinney Elementary School in Vancouver.

Today marks 500 days before the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games take place. And with the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Summer Games officially over, the focus now turns completely towards Canada.

Bonn, Germany - The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Co-ordination Commission for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2010 paid its seventh visit to Vancouver, Canada, from 21-23 October.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is calling for research applications for all projects that are to be conducted during the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, from 12 to 21 March 2010. The IPC Research Application Form, as well as details on the application procedure, schedules, and examples of previously approved research projects are on the IPC website in the Sport Science section.

On schedule, and ahead of schedule, the Canadian Pacific Spirit Train arrived at the Sinclair Park Community Centre in Winnipeg today in promotion of the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.