Take a close-up look at Paralympic medals
The silver, gold and bronze medals awarded during the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. (VANOC photo)
The 399 medals of the Paralympic Winter Games are a superellipse, or squared circle, and based on a large master artwork of a raven by Corrine Hunt, a Canadian designer/artist of Komoyue and Tlingit heritage.
Each of the medals has a unique hand-cropped section of the abstract art, making every medal one-of-a-kind.
Did you know that some of the 2.05 kilograms of gold, 1,950 kg of silver and 903 kg of copper was sourced right here in B.C.?
Vancouver-based Teck Resources Limited was the exclusive supplier of metals used in the production of more than 1,000 medals for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Fact: The 2010 medals weigh half a kilogram each.
Ask Canada's Para-alpine skiier Lauren Woolstencroft of North Vancouver — winner of five gold medals on Whistler this week — if she thinks they weigh too much. Bet not!
You can see the Braille in this view. The metal to make the Olympic and Paralympic medals came from B.C. (VANOC photos)
The Royal Canadian Mint made the 1,014 medals awarded in the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
During the Paralympics Games, the Mint welcomes everyone to see the Vancouver 2010 medals and hear how they were made. Free admission.
Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch
350 West Georgia Street
Until Sunday, March 21
* Sunday: noon – 5 p.m.
