Best Practice

6 days to go to Olympic Day: Canada plans country wide events to celebrate Olympic Day 2015

17 | 6 | 2015

Canadian Olympians are planning a series of nationwide events from Vancouver to Montreal to Newfoundland to celebrate Olympic Day 2015. Events will range from the west to the east coast with local, provincial and national sports organisations hosting a variety of sports demonstrations for people of all ages, aimed at getting communities active and promoting the values of Olympism.

All Olympians are invited to the events which will also be attended by large groups of local school children.

Olympic Day events in Montreal and Richmond will also coincide with the announcement of the Canadian team for the 2015 Pan American Games which takes place in Toronto from 10-26 July this year. All of the Pan American Games team members will be present at the events along with Nadia Comaneci, winner of five Olympic Gold Medals including three at the Montreal Games in 1976, and JustineChloe and Maxime Durfour-Lapointe, three sisters from Montreal who competed in Moguls at Sochi 2014, with Justine and Chloe winning Gold and Silver respectively.

On July 9 – the eve of the Pan American Games – the Canadian Olympic Movement will also celebrate Canada Olympic Excellence Day.

Fuelled by the shared passion of Canadians that was on full display at Montreal 1976, Calgary 1988 and Vancouver 2010, Canada Olympic Excellence Day will stand as a symbol of Canada’s growing role on the global Olympic landscape. The historic day of celebration will be comprised of various events including the World Sport Luncheon which will include a keynote speech from IOC president Thomas Bach.

Canadian Olympic House will also open in downtown Montreal which from autumn this year will feature the Olympic Experience, a state-of-the-art sports science and technology centre that will welcome student groups into the universe of Canadian Olympic athletes.

The Lausanne Room, another of the legacy projects linked to Canada Olympic Excellence Day, will also be an integral part of the Canadian Olympic House. The space will offer school children the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the Canadian Olympic Movement. The climax of Olympic Excellence Day will be the unveiling of the Olympic Rings high atop the Canadian Olympic House.

Christian Farstad, President of the Canadian NOA and two-time Olympian in Bobsleigh, said:

“Olympic Day has always been a special occasion across all of Canada and we’re delighted that we’re able to celebrate the unique values of Olympism and Canada’s sporting achievements again this year as we gear up Canada Olympic Excellence day and the start of a festival of sport at the Pan American Games.

“As the excitement intensifies we encourage Olympians and the general public to come out in force, get active and celebrate the unifying values of sport this Olympic Day.” 

The WOA would like to share your inspirational Olympic Day stories, events and pictures on our digital and social platforms so please let us know about any planned Olympic Day activities by contacting info@thewoa.org.