ILANAAQ

Vancouver – A uniquely Canadian symbol of friendship, hospitality, strength, teamwork and the vast Canadian landscape has been selected as the emblem for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The Vancouver 2010 emblem is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional inukshuk, a stone sculpture used by Canada’s Inuit people as directional landmarks across the northern Canadian lands of snow and ice. Over time, the inukshuk has become a representation of hope, friendship and an external expression of the hospitality of a nation that warmly welcomes the people of the world with open arms. The distinctive formations are found across the country – from coastlines to mountaintops, from small towns to large cities – in a variety of styles.

Unveiled during a live nation-wide television broadcast, the Vancouver 2010 emblem shows the deep connection between Canadians and their breathtaking environment. The emblem features five stone-like formations depicted in vibrant colours found in both the natural features of the Vancouver-Whistler Games host region and across Canada. Green and blues represent coastal forests, mountain ranges and spectacular islands. The red is for Canada’s signature maple leaf and the gold evokes images of the brilliant sunrises that paint the Vancouver skyline and snow-capped mountain peaks.

The Vancouver 2010 emblem is named ILANAAQ – the Inuit word for friend.

“Ilanaaq above all is a team player,” said John Furlong, chief executive officer of the Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). “As VANOC relies on partnerships and a shared vision to deliver the Games, so does our emblem. Each stone relies on the other to support the whole. Together, the result is a symbol of strength, vision and teamwork that points us all in the direction of excellence and it will welcome the world to Canada in 2010.”

The emblem was chosen by an international judging panel from more than 1,600 entries from every region of Canada submitted through the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Emblem Design Competition. Rivera Design Group of Vancouver submitted the design, created by a team including company principal and creative director Elena Rivera MacGregor and designer Gonzalo Alatorre.

“What an honour to have had my design chosen to be the official emblem for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games,” said MacGregor. “I speak for the whole team at Rivera Design Group when I say that this is an unforgettable, once in a lifetime experience.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games emblem has been approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and has been registered internationally.

Here’s what some of the judging panel members said about the Vancouver 2010 emblem:

* “It is very, very simple which is why we’re drawn to it. It stops you.” – Theodora Mantzaris, Manager, Image and Identity Department, Athens 2004 Summer Games Organizing Committee.

* “What makes an identity cool, is its little unique characteristics. This one is the mouth. I wish I had designed that!” – Steve Mykolyn, Creative Director, Design and Interactive, Taxi Advertising and Design, Toronto.

* “It is happy, human, welcoming and has a sense of energy.” – Scott Givens, Vice President, Entertainment, Disney Entertainment Productions. Leader of the creative and ceremonies teams, Salt Lake 2002 Winter Games.

* “It is universal, but also speaks to the vision and dream of Vancouver and Whistler.” – Rod Harris, President and CEO, Tourism British Columbia.

“This emblem will be fondly remembered for generations as the guardian of truly great Games,” said René Fasel, chairman of the IOC Coordination Commission for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. “Ilanaaq is rooted in Canada’s history. It reflects the spirit, diversity and values of Canada. It reflects the rich colors of your land and your seasons. Well done, Canada!”

The Vancouver 2010 emblem forms the cornerstone of the entire look of the Games program. Over the next five years, the emblem and associated designs and colours will be featured in thousands of applications such as licensed products, street banners, publications and rink boards at sport venues. These applications will make the Vancouver 2010 emblem one of the most recognized marks in the world. Other design projects that will be developed in the years leading up to the 2010 Winter Games include the mascot, torch, cauldron and competition medals.

The Vancouver 2010 emblem was revealed in front of an audience of 10,000 people at Vancouver’s General Motors Place – site of the ice hockey competitions in 2010. Broadcast across the country on the CTV network and RDS, the program featured visual effects capturing the sweeping Canadian landscape. A cast of more than 500 people took the audience on a journey of Canada celebrating the character, strength and diversity of its people. Performances by Canada’s Cirque du Soleil and award-winning Vancouver singer Lisa Brokop were part of the spectacle that built a representation of the emblem on a monumental scale – 28 feet tall (8.5 meters).

Ilanaaq is the emblem for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. A separate process will determine the development of the design for the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games emblem.

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. Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010.

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