POSTED: Saturday March 21st 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Vancouver 2010 creates advisory panel on official languages

Committee includes former prime minister of France, francophone community members

     VANCOUVER, March 20 /CNW/ - To reinforce its commitment towards ensuring both of Canada\‘s official languages are well represented and celebrated at the 2010 Winter Games, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) has created an advisory committee on official languages.
     The committee, which will meet for the first time next month, will
provide strategic advice to VANOC on the delivery of its official languages objectives, francophone culture in the context of the Games, as well as assist in collaborations between key stakeholders and Canada\‘s French-speaking community partners to ensure their full participation in Canada\‘s Games.
     The creation of the advisory panel was among the recommendations made by Graham Fraser, Canada\‘s Commissioner of Official Languages, in his report on VANOC\‘s progress in its commitment to deliver the Games in both official languages, released late last year.
     \“The Games offer us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase Canada\‘s rich cultural diversity and linguistic duality, and to welcome the world in English and in French,\” said Jacques Gauthier, member of VANOC\‘s board of directors. \“In following Mr. Fraser\‘s recommendations, we are pleased to create this committee to advise and oversee how well we\‘re progressing on these important goals.\”
     The committee members will include former French Prime Minister
Jean-Pierre Raffarin, who acted as the great observer for official languages at the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Judith A. LaRocque, Deputy Minister, Canadian Heritage, as well as senior representatives from VANOC and the francophone communities across Canada and in British Columbia, the host province.
     \“Delivering bilingual Games is a huge undertaking,\” said Donna Wilson, VANOC\‘s Executive Vice President, Workforce and Sustainability. \“This panel of experts will help guide us in everything we do in these crucial last months before the Games to make sure no avenue for promoting or delivering bilingualism is overlooked. We look forward to working with the committee members closely.\”

     The committee includes:

     -   Jacques Gauthier, committee chair, member of VANOC board of   directors
     -   Jean-Pierre Raffarin, member of the French Senate - Vienne
         (Poitou-Charentes)
     -   Judith A. LaRocque. Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian   Heritage
     -   Michel Matifat, associate member, Canadian Foundation for
         Cross-Cultural Dialogue
     -   Serge Corbeil, Vice-President, Fédération des francophones de la
         Colombie-Britannique
     -   Donna Wilson, Executive Vice President, Workforce and   Sustainability,VANOC

     The panel will meet periodically until the Games period begins in
February 2010.
     For everyone who attends the 2010 Winter Games, whether it is a figure skating competition or the dramatic Opening Ceremonies, VANOC is committed to ensuring the atmosphere and services for athletes, spectators and other visitors is warm, welcoming and bilingual. This means, for example, that both languages will be used and offered on venue signs, in medal ceremonies and by volunteers taking tickets, driving vehicles, providing directions and selling merchandise.

     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 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Please visit vancouver2010.com for more information.

For further information: Media Contact: Sébastien Théberge, VANOC
Communications, (604) 403-2261, sebastien_theberge@vancouver2010.com

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Keywords · Vancouver 2010

Name: Chris Brumwell
Organization: Vancouver 2010
Email:
Phone: +1.(604) 403-1869
URL: http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/-/32678/q0c15c/index.html

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