Our Communities and the 2010 Games Legacy

Olympic and Paralympic teams from more than 21 different countries trained at B.C.’s first-class sport venues and facilities in preparation for the 2010 Winter Games. The athletes checked out our snow and ice – and met the locals. A number of our communities played host to these teams, and not surprisingly, they enjoyed it.

No matter where you live, work or play in British Columbia, the 2010 Winter Games created many special moments and memories for all of us. We sure hope you enjoyed the Games!

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.

Paralympic Torch Relay

The Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay began in Ottawa on March 3 and ended at BC Place on March 12. An estimated 600 torchbearers carried the flame over its route. See our Media Gallery and Torch Relay pages for photos from each stop on the journey.

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 the winners are... Princeton (gold medal), Dawson Creek (silver) and 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 were held in the greater Vancouver and Whistler area, 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 ensured that the Nations’ languages, traditions, protocols and cultures were meaningfully acknowledged, respected and represented in the planning, staging and hosting of the Games.

Sharing the Dream

The Winter Games are a terrific opportunity to introduce kids to Olympic values, B.C. athletes, global citizenship and much more. To help teachers and students get started, the Ministry of Education 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.)