Media

40 teens selected to attend 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games as members of the Historica Dominion at the Games project

The selected participants will attend sporting and cultural events during either the first week of the Olympic Winter Games in February or of the Paralympic Winter Games in March. Their tickets will be provided through the recently announced Celebrate 2010 donated ticket program. The participants will be outfitted in official VANOC gear, provided courtesy of the Encounters with Canada Support Foundation. The students were selected based on their essay and video submissions to the Historica‐Dominion at the Games competition – where they were asked to creatively describe why they should have this once‐in‐a‐lifetime opportunity.

The competition is part of a collaborative project between the newly formed Historica‐Dominion Institute, which is dedicated to creating greater knowledge and appreciation of Canadian history, identity and citizenship, andvancouver2010.com/EDU, the online Canadian school portal for the Games created by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).

“These students will enjoy a unique perspective of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games”, says Andrew Cohen, President of the Historica‐Dominion Institute. “As student reporters they will play an important role in communicating what is happening in Vancouver during the Games to the world, from a student’s point of view. The Games bring the world together in a celebration of sport and culture; the Historica‐Dominion at the Games project will bring together the youth of Canada, through the power of the Internet."

Three separate competitions were held – one national, one in BC and one by 2010Legacies Now. The 2010 Legacies Now competition selected six students with disabilities. Criteria to apply for this particular competition included participation in Virtual Voices Village, a journalism program and online community for students with disabilities. Virtual Voices Village is a partnership of 2010 Legacies Now, 3M,Special Education Technology‐BC and the Province of BC.

“Together with our partners in the Virtual Voices Village program, we are proud to support these students with disabilities as they join their peers for this unique opportunity to develop their leadership, writing and multi‐media skills,” says 2010Legacies Now CEO Bruce Dewar.

The winners from each competition are listed in the attached backgrounder.

For more information on Encounters with Canada and the Olympics, visit FYICanada.ca

About The Historica Dominion Institute

The Historica‐Dominion Institute’s mandate is to build active and informed citizens through a greater knowledge and appreciation of the history, heritage and stories of Canada. Some of its signature programs include: Encounters with Canada (Canada’s largest youth forum), FYICanada.ca (a social networking site aimed at youth) and the Canadian Encyclopedia (the official resource of the Historica‐Dominion at the Games project). You are invited to discover The Historica‐Dominion Institute at http://www.historica-dominion.ca/en/.

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 2010Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com. Teachers can find Games related resources at www.vancouver2010.com/edu.

About 2010 Legacies Now

2010 Legacies Now is a not‐for‐profit society that works in partnership with communities, non‐government organizations, the private sector and government to strengthen sport and recreation, healthy living, arts, literacy, accessibility and volunteerism. 2010 Legacies Now is creating lasting legacies leading up to, and beyond, the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Visit 2010LegaciesNow.com or 2010andBeyond.ca for more information.

About The Encounters with Canada Support Foundation

The Encounters with Canada Support Foundation is a national organization. Its mission is to provide financial support for the Encounters with Canada Program participants, to subsidize selected projects, and to provide an opportunity for anyone who appreciates the program to participate by donating to a well‐managed,cost effective, tax‐advantaged, flexible, charitable foundation. To learn more about this terrific foundation go to www.ewcfrdc.ca.

For more information:

Chantal Gagnon
Media Relations Historica‐Dominion Institute
(o) 416‐506‐1867 x 238
(c) 416‐575‐3627
cgagnon@historica‐dominion.ca

Natasha Vander Wal
Manager, Communications
2010 Legacies Now
778-327-5189  
nvanderwal@2010LegaciesNow.com

Erin Mikaluk
Media Relations VANOC
604-403-2471
erin_mikaluk@vancouver2010.com

Gary Bennett
President
Encounters with Canada Support Foundation
250‐491‐0610
info@ewcfrdc.ca

The eight winners of the national competition are:

Julien Arseneau of Havre‐aux‐Maisons, QC
Madison Koekkoek of Inkerman, ON
Erin Langor of St. John’s, NL
Kristy McGregorBales of Ottawa, ON
Carol McNaughton of Calgary, AB
Myfanwy Price of Logy Bay, NL
Brigitte Rousseau of Montreal, QC
Allison Woodcock of Holbein, SK

The 24 BC‐based competition winners are:

Rebekah Abebe of Coquitlam
Simranpreet Anand of Surrey
Emma Atfield of Surrey
Samantha Bohmert of Delta
Kristin Bunyan of Surrey
Nicole Clark of Vancouver
Cate Collins of Kelowna
Emese DukaiBranscombe of Victoria
Victoria Frost of Kelowna
Jay Paul Gill of Surrey
Serena Graf of Surrey
Alyssa Harrison of Langley
Ramandeep Johal of Surrey
Hilary C.T Johnson of North Vancouver
Jacob Klassen of Surrey
Emily Klatt of Kelowna
Riche Leveille of Kamloops
Kacy Otter of Aldergrove
Taylor Quinn of North Vancouver
Dinesh Sunthareswaran of Vancouver
Laura Thorne of Surrey
Maria Wang of Surrey
Vanessa Wattamaniuk of Vancouver
Rachel Wong of Richmond

The six winners chosen through the 2010 Legacies Now competition are:

Steven Cayer of Burnaby
Clement Chou of Vancouver
Kyle Jacques of Vancouver
Deacon Jones of Vancouver
Frank Robertson of Cranbrook
Spencer Williams of Vancouver