Countdown to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver

To get a taste of Aboriginal culture, snow and winter sports in a great Canadian mélange, you’d need to be in Vancouver exactly a year from now.

People behind the 2010 Winter Olympics are prepping for showtime, feverishly working to put together the games which come with a security price tag of $1 billion, according to a report in Toronto Star. An impressive 100 metre by 200 metre Olympic Oval will host the speed skating events. It has its fair share of critics and admirers alike, but organizers VANOC are upbeat about their surplus budget. However, John Furlong, CEO of VANOC can’t promise a surplus at the end of the games due to the global economic crisis. An 8,000 square foot Aboriginal Pavilion is due to be completed in time for the event. In a special witness ceremony, Tewanee Joseph, Executive Director and CEO of the Four Host First Nations said, “When people visit the pavilion, they will experience a feast of the senses. They will watch and listen to the top Aboriginal musicians; they will eat Aboriginal food and they can purchase artwork and authentic Aboriginal merchandise. People will be able to experience not only the traditional aspects of Aboriginal culture, but also a contemporary forward-looking experience. We invite other cultures to come and participate in the Aboriginal Pavilion through performances and business.” Inside the $3.5 million Pavilion, visitors will be introduced to Aboriginal culture in Canada which, Joseph stressed, was pretty diverse. There are significant differences between different groups and that would be underscored. VANOC CEO John Furlong said: “The 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion is a true celebration of the partnerships that have been brought together in the spirit of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Our host First Nations partners have reached out to the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada to join them in showcasing the best of themselves to the world through the Pavilion, demonstrating that these indeed are Canada’s Games.”