Our Communities and the 2010 Games Legacy

Olympic and Paralympic teams from more than 21 different countries have been training at B.C.’s first-class sport venues and facilities. The athletes are checking out our snow and ice – and meeting the locals. Not surprisingly, many B.C. communities are enjoying playing host.

Locate free entertainment, musical performances on our Robson Square page. Also, see What's Happening at the ActNow BC Events Calendar.

Tell us your stories! Blog about your personal experiences and tell us what makes your community celebrations unique! 

No matter where you live, work or play in British Columbia, the 2010 Winter Games promise many special moments and memories for all of us. Enjoy!

Paralympic Torch Relay

The Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay began in Ottawa on March 3. It ends at BC Place on March 12 to open the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. An estimated 600 torchbearers will carry the flame over its route. Watch our Media Gallery and Torch Relay pages for photos from each stop on the journey.

Thank you to the people of Canada for your enthusiastic response to 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay contest. The large volume of entries and the quality of your stories reflects the spirit and pride of Canada. We have contacted the successful torchbearers and filled all positions. We hope everyone takes part in the celebrations in honour of the Paralympic Flame.

Olympic Torch Relay

The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay was the longest ever. Lucky British Columbians got a chance to get up close and personal with the Olympic Flame in 268 B.C. communities and places of interest along the route.

Check out our colourful interactive map of the B.C. route to see photos from the relay and celebration communities.

2010 Legacies Now for People with Disabilities

2010 Legacies Now and its partners are ensuring the province becomes more accessible for all people with disabilities through its community projects.

Whether it's improving community life-working, commuting, travelling and playing, we develop initiatives and fund community projects that improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.

www.2010legaciesnow.com/disability

2010 Legacies Now

What happens to communities after the Winter Games? 2010 Legacies Now has some smart ideas about sustaining momentum from the Games and creating long-lasting social and economic opportunities throughout the province. it also provides sport funding programs for Aboriginal youth to make healthy living choices and support those who aspire to become high-performance athletes in the future.

For more about Legacies Now, visit www.2010legaciesnow.com.

GamesTown 2010

GamesTown 2010 is where communities large and small across B.C. have shared their stories online about getting that Winter Games spirit. Folks submitted stories, photos and YouTube video clips to show how they’ve made a difference. British Columbians voted online throughout November and December for their GamesTown community choice and a list of the top 10 vote-getting communities went to a panel of judges. The big announcement was made by the Premier January 27 in Kamloops. And the winners are... Princeton (gold medal), Dawson Creek (silver), Kamloops (bronze). Visit www.gamestown2010.ca to check out the many proud submissions from the 124 communities that took part in this event.

ActNow BC Athlete Ambassadors

Only some Winter Games athletes compete on mountain peaks – but all compete at the peak of fitness. B.C. athletes have to stay in top shape in order to compete at this level. Nutrition and everyday active living have huge parts to play in getting them game-ready.

Check out these ActNow BC Athlete Ambassadors, who inspire us all with their commitment to healthier living.

Four Host First Nations Society

The Winter Games are being held in the greater Vancouver and Whistler area. This is the shared traditional territories of the Four Host First Nations: the Lil’wat, the Musqueam, the Squamish and the Tsleil-Waututh, who have shared these lands for thousands of years.

The Four Host First Nations will ensure that the Nations’ languages, traditions, protocols and cultures are meaningfully acknowledged, respected and represented in the planning, staging and hosting of the Games.

Sharing the Dream

The Winter Games are a terrific opportunity for kids to learn about Olympic values, B.C. athletes, global citizenship, and much more. To help teachers and students get started, the Ministry of Education has created a great online resource, Sharing the Dream.

Educators can browse and download plenty of Games-related resources and programs to help harness students’ interest and enthusiasm for the Games.

For more information, visit www.sharingthedream.gov.bc.ca

BC Spirit Squares

At the heart of every great community lies a site — a park, plaza, town square or open space — where citizens can gather for special occasions. These spaces help give towns and cities their identity and are recognized as “places to go” for community celebrations and commemorations. The Province launched the B.C. Spirit Square program three years ago to support the creation or improvement of such places in communities — another legacy of playing host to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Many B.C. communities have already built and are using their Spirit Squares. Learn more about B.C. Spirit Squares throughout the province.

BC Stories

The Province of BC has some outstanding high definition video that media can access for free in the format needed.

To preview broadcast-ready stories - and raw video that can be download online and edited into stories - check out BC Stories at the BC 2010 Winter Games Secretariat. (If you aren't already registered, click on “Register now” to create an account.)