History – 20 years ago this month the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) was formed with a Canadian, Dr. Robert Steadward, as its first President. This month also marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the IPC headquarters in Bonn, Germany. Since 1989, the IPC has grown from 43 member countries to 162 with the number of athletes taking part increasing exponentially. This is the first time Canada has hosted a Paralympic Winter Games. In 1976, Canada hosted the Paralympic Summer Games in Toronto. Approximately 600 athletes will compete at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.
For Downtown Residents – The City has introduced a temporary by-law and licensing program to allow homeowners to rent out single bedrooms or an entire home for less than 30 days during the period of January 1 to March 31, 2010 under certain conditions. The temporary accommodation by-law is intended for vacant condos, apartments, etc. to give visitors more rental options to choose from. It is not aimed at owners with dwelling units that are already rented to existing tenants and an online tenant registry has been created for tenants to register their address if they have any concerns that they may be displaced for temporary accommodation. For more information on the by-law and the conditions visit 2010 Host City – Overview.
For the Art Lover – As part of the 2010 Aboriginal Arts program, each of the 15 Olympic and Paralympic venues will incorporate works by Canada’s diverse Aboriginal artists. The program incorporates over 140 pieces of art from 90 First Nations, Inuit, and Métis artists, adding a uniquely Canadian element to the Games. The artists hail from every province and territory, with 35 from B.C.
Interesting – West Coast Tattoo, now located at 2108 East Hastings Street has offered all Vancouver 2010 Olympic medalists a free Olympic Tattoo. Their website features many options for the athletes to choose from and even includes a list of tattooed Olympic athletes.
Last Week – Skiing’s international governing body announced that it will petition the International Olympic Committee to include women’s ski jumping as an event at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, even though the IOC voted to keep women’s ski jumping off the Vancouver 2010 program, saying it wasn’t developed enough to meet the criteria for inclusion at an Olympics.
Coming Soon – Paralympic ticket sales will resume again this fall, once the seat assignment period ends. Tickets purchased at this time will be sold in real time, directly into available seat locations.
Click here to view last weeks Olympic Update – 23 Weeks to Go!
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