2010 Paralympic Winter Games Guide – What, Where and Why You Don’t Want to Miss them
Just 12 days after the Closing Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games kick off. From March 12 to 21, Vancouver and Whistler will host 1,350 Paralympic athletes and team officials from 44 countries in what will be the first Paralympic Winter Games ever held in Canada.
Inexpensive tickets, plentiful downtown accommodation, a wonderful celebratory atmosphere, and inspiring athletes will make the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games an event not to be missed. Here’s a run-down of what you need to know to plan your trip.
Paralympic tickets: Paralympic tickets start at just $15! For most Paralympic events, tickets can be purchased on the day of the event, at the venue, or in person at one of the downtown Vancouver 2010 Ticket Centres. For high-demand events (such as ice sledge hockey), advance ticket purchase is recommended. Canadians can purchase advance tickets through Vancouver2010.com, while US and international visitors can purchase tickets through their National Paralympic Committee or the Official Ticket Agent representing their region. Tickets are on sale now.
Accommodation: Accommodation at top downtown Vancouver hotels is readily available during the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games and can be booked through Tourism Vancouver’s accommodation page. Use Tourism Vancouver’s new interactive map to choose accommodation near the Paralympic venues.
Events and venues: There are five competition sports taking place during the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. Ice sledge hockey and wheelchair curling will be contested in Vancouver (at UBC Thunderbird Arena and Vancouver Paralympic Centre respectively), while alpine skiing, biathlon and cross-country skiing events will be hosted in Whistler. The venues have been specially built or retrofitted for Paralympic competition. For example, UBC Thunderbird Arena will have ice surfaces built into the benches and boxes to ease transition for players from resting areas to the playing surface – (a first in Paralympic Winter Games history). Click here for the full 2010 Paralympic Winter Games schedule.
Don’t miss:
o Paralympic Torch Relay: Starting in Ottawa on March 3, the Paralympic Torch Relay will see approximately 600 torchbearers carry the torch across Canada.
o 2010 Paralympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony (March 12, BC Place): A spectacular event including 1,500 athletes from 45 countries and 4,000 dancers, singers, acrobats, athletes and musicians of all ages.
o Gold medal ice sledge hockey game (March 20, UBC Thunderbird Arena): The gold medal ice sledge hockey game is bound to be the most talked about event of the 2010 Paralympic Games. This game is already sold out, but look for resale tickets on the official fan-to-fan marketplace or catch the game at restaurants and bars all across the city.
o Souvenir shopping: The cute plush-toy version of Sumi, the official Paralympic mascot, is the top souvenir of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. Sumi, along with other official Paralympic merchandise, is readily available in Vancouver stores.
Where to party and explore during the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games:
o LiveCity Downtown (Georgia Street, between Beatty and Cambie Streets): The City of Vancouver-sponsored celebration site will feature giant screens and live performances. Open March 12 to 14 and 18 to 21, from 1pm to 9pm.
o British Columbia’s Robson Square Celebration Site (Robson Street, between Hornby and Howe Streets): The GE Ice Plaza at the Robson Square Celebration Site will be one of the major gathering places during the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, featuring ice skating, athlete demonstrations, family events and BC-focused programming. The GE Ice Plaza is already open to the public with free skating and public events.
o BC Hydro Power Smart Village (333 Dunsmuir Street): This family-friendly celebration site will feature a dance floor that generates electricity as people dance. A section of the village will be devoted to showcasing Canada’s greatest Paralympic moments. Open March 1 to 22 from 10am to 6pm.
o Canada’s Northern House (602 West Hastings Street): Canada’s Northern House showcases the culture of Canada’s three territories including demonstrations of traditional Arctic games, craft displays and live musical events. Open March 1 to 31 from 10am to 5pm.
o Pride House Vancouver (1170 Bute Street): An inclusive, welcome space for LGBT athletes, family, friends and visitors to come together and celebrate.
o CentrePlace Manitoba (at LiveCity Downtown): CentrePlace Manitoba features multimedia displays and an exhibit by the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. Open March 12 from 4pm to 7pm; March 13 to 14 and 18 to 21, from 1pm to 9pm.
ACCESSIBLE TOURISM: 2010 WINTER GAMES A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
Vancouver enjoys the reputation of being one of the most accessible cities in the world for travellers with special needs. And that’s in part because, over the past few years, many of the hotels, restaurants and tourism businesses in Vancouver have embraced the 2010 Legacies Now Accessible Tourism Strategy.
“The 2010 Winter Games are a catalyst for change of the very best kind,” says Bruce Dewar, CEO of 2010 Legacies Now, a not-for-profit society that partners with organizations, businesses and governments to develop sustainable legacies in sport and recreation, healthy living, arts, literacy, volunteerism and accessibility. “We are using the 2010 Winter Games as a driver to get people thinking about how to make this one of the most accessible places in the world.”
This is more than simply a feel-good proposition. In North America alone, travellers with disabilities spend more than $13 billion each year on travel and are one of the fastest growing market opportunities in the world. In the lead up to the 2010 Winter Games, Vancouver’s tourism businesses have begun positioning themselves to tap into that market with the help of 2010 Legacies Now and its partners.
Through the Accessible Tourism Strategy, accommodations, restaurants and attractions in BC are assessed on their capacity to serve people with disabilities. Businesses that fulfill certain criteria in the accessibility assessment earn the right the right to display icons that address their wheelchair accessibility, visual accessibility and hearing accessibility.
The goal is to provide clear and consistent information to disabled travelers. Visitors to the Tourism Vancouver website can now search for accessible accommodations (which includes visual, hearing and wheelchair access). In addition, a growing number of attractions listed on Tourism Vancouver’s website, such as the Vancouver Aquarium and the Museum of Vancouver, feature accessibility icons on their listing. “The part of this project that excites me the most is how tourism has embraced it,” says Dewar. “The 2010 Winter Games are the tipping point and things will carry on from here.” According to Tourism Vancouver’s Walt Judas “Thinking about how we can meet the needs of locals and travellers with disabilities is now embedded in the way we do business.”
www.2010legaciesnow.com
February 8, 2010
Posted in: Canada