2010 Winter Paralympics opening ceremony
Encyclopedia
The Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Paralympics
was held on March 12, 2010 beginning at 6:00 pm PST
(02:00 UTC, March 13) at the BC Place Stadium
in Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
.
The event was officially opened by Governor General
Michaëlle Jean
, representative of Elizabeth II
, Queen of Canada.
, "O Canada
", was performed by singer Terry Kelly
, a blind former Paralympian. Mari Klassen signed the anthem in American Sign Language
(ASL). Hundreds of children stood in the shape of a maple leaf in a formation.
coming first, and the nations entered in alphabetical order of their country names in English, and ending with the host nation, Canada
. Canada
has the greatest number of athletes with 55.
' Soldier On program: Sgt. Karen McCoy, and Master Cpl. Mike Trauner, who then raised the flag.
took the athlete's oath as a representative of each of the participating Paralympic competitors. Canadian curling
official Linda Kirton
took the official's oath on behalf of each officiating Paralympic referee or other official.
: SBS: TVE: France 2
: Sky Sport
: SVT
The ceremony was aired live on ParalympicSport.TV, and approximately two hours after it ended, it became available as Video on Demand
(VOD).
Delayed coverage:: RTR: NRK: NTU
: CTV
(full coverage): NBC
: ABC
2010 Winter Paralympics
The 2010 Winter Paralympics, officially the X Paralympic Winter Games, or the 10th Winter Paralympics, were held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada from March 12 to 21, 2010. The Opening Ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver and the Closing Ceremony in Whistler...
was held on March 12, 2010 beginning at 6:00 pm PST
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
(02:00 UTC, March 13) at the BC Place Stadium
BC Place Stadium
BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium located at the north side of False Creek, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the home field for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer . Originally opened on June 19, 1983 as the...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The event was officially opened by Governor General
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation, from 2005 to 2010....
, representative of Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, Queen of Canada.
National anthem
Canada's national anthemAnthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
, "O Canada
O Canada
It has been noted that the opening theme of "O Canada" bears a strong resemblance to the "Marsch der Priester" , from the opera Die Zauberflöte , composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and that Lavallée's melody was inspired by Mozart's tune...
", was performed by singer Terry Kelly
Terry Kelly (singer)
Terry Kelly, CM is a Canadian country/folk music artist, athlete and professional speaker. Kelly has released six studio albums and charted eleven singles on the RPM Canadian country singles chart. In addition to award nominations from the Juno Awards and the Canadian Country Music Association,...
, a blind former Paralympian. Mari Klassen signed the anthem in American Sign Language
American Sign Language
American Sign Language, or ASL, for a time also called Ameslan, is the dominant sign language of Deaf Americans, including deaf communities in the United States, in the English-speaking parts of Canada, and in some regions of Mexico...
(ASL). Hundreds of children stood in the shape of a maple leaf in a formation.
Parade of the Nations
The participating countries marched in, with AndorraAndorra at the 2010 Winter Paralympics
Andorra will send a delegation to compete at the 2010 Winter Paralympics, in Vancouver. It will be fielding a total of two athletes, both in alpine skiing.- Alpine skiing :The following two athletes will represent Andorra in alpine skiing:...
coming first, and the nations entered in alphabetical order of their country names in English, and ending with the host nation, Canada
Canada at the 2010 Winter Paralympics
Canada was the host country of the 2010 Winter Paralympics, in Vancouver, the first time it had hosted the Winter Paralympics.The 2010 Winter Paralympics was the most successful Winter Paralympics for Canada, through 2010. It collected the most total medals and most gold medals of any Winter...
. Canada
Canada at the 2010 Winter Paralympics
Canada was the host country of the 2010 Winter Paralympics, in Vancouver, the first time it had hosted the Winter Paralympics.The 2010 Winter Paralympics was the most successful Winter Paralympics for Canada, through 2010. It collected the most total medals and most gold medals of any Winter...
has the greatest number of athletes with 55.
Artistic section
- Luca "Lazylegz" Patuelli
- Dal RichardsDal RichardsDal Murray Richards, CM, OBC is a Canadian big band leader known as the King of Swing.His saxophone and clarinet were first heard in the Sandy DeSantis and Stan Paton bands...
and his orchestra, and Michael KaeshammerMichael KaeshammerMichael Kaeshammer is a Canadian boogie-woogie pianist, vocalist, composer, and arranger.After studying classical piano for seven years in his German homeland, a 13-year-old Kaeshammer discovered boogie-woogie and stride piano as played by Albert Ammons, Meade Lux Lewis, Pete Johnson, Pinetop...
Joined by trumpet player Bria Skonberg and saxophonist Evan Arntzen. - Martin DeschampsMartin DeschampsMartin Deschamps is a Canadian rock singer from Quebec. He records and performs both as a solo artist and as the lead vocalist for the reunited Offenbach.-Young age:...
- Fefe DobsonFefe DobsonFelicia Lily "Fefe" Dobson is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her self-titled debut album earned her two Juno Award nominations. Her second album, Sunday Love, was not released and she was terminated from her recording company...
performed the songs "I Want You" and "Watch Me Move". Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham, Nikki YanofskyNikki YanofskyNicole "Nikki" Yanofsky is a Canadian jazz-pop singer from Hampstead, Quebec. She is involved in charitable causes, and released her first studio album on her own label, A440 Entertainment, and on Decca Records outside of Canada. Yanofsky sang Canada's national anthem at the opening ceremonies of...
and others performed.
Entry of the Paralympic Flag
The flag was carried into the stadium. It was then transferred to members of the Canadian ForcesCanadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
' Soldier On program: Sgt. Karen McCoy, and Master Cpl. Mike Trauner, who then raised the flag.
Paralympic Oaths
Canadian ice sledge hockey player Herve LordHervé Lord
Herve Lord is a Canadian sledge hockey player. In the Paralympic Games, he has won numerous medals including the bronze , silver and gold ....
took the athlete's oath as a representative of each of the participating Paralympic competitors. Canadian curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
official Linda Kirton
Linda Kirton
Linda Kirton is a Canadian curling official from Abbotsford, British Columbia. She recited the Official's Oath at the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics, alongside Hervé Lord for the Athletes' Oath....
took the official's oath on behalf of each officiating Paralympic referee or other official.
Dignitaries and other officials in attendance
- Michaëlle JeanMichaëlle JeanMichaëlle Jean is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation, from 2005 to 2010....
, Governor General of CanadaGovernor General of CanadaThe Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II... - Jean-Daniel LafondJean-Daniel LafondJean-Daniel Lafond CC is a French-born Canadian filmmaker, and the husband to the former Governor General Michaëlle Jean, making him the Viceregal Consort of Canada during her service.-Biography:...
, Viceregal consort of CanadaViceregal consort of CanadaThe viceregal consort of Canada is the spouse of the serving governor general of Canada, assisting the viceroy with ceremonial and charitable work, accompanying him or her to official state occasions, and occasionally undertaking philanthropic work of their own... - Stephen HarperStephen HarperStephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, Prime Minister of CanadaPrime Minister of CanadaThe Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution... - Gordon Campbell, Premier of British ColumbiaPremier of British ColumbiaThe Premier of British Columbia is the first minister, head of government, and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used...
, and his wife Nancy Campbell - Sam SullivanSam SullivanSam Sullivan, CM served as the 38th mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and has been invested as a Member of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian award...
, Canada's Paralympic Ambassador, former Mayor of Vancouver - Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee
- Jacques RoggeJacques RoggeJacques Rogge, Count Rogge , is a Belgian sports bureaucrat. He is the eighth and current President of the International Olympic Committee .-Life and career:...
, President of the International Olympic Committee
Media coverage
Live broadcast:: CTV VancouverCIVT-TV
CIVT-DT is a television station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Owned by Bell Media, it is part of the CTV Television Network...
: SBS: TVE: France 2
France 2
France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
: Sky Sport
SKY Sport (New Zealand)
Sky Sport is a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by New Zealand's satellite pay-TV company, Sky Network Television. Sky Sport 1 was launched in 1990...
: SVT
Sveriges Television
Sveriges Television AB , Sweden's Television, is a national television broadcaster based in Sweden, funded by a compulsory fee to be paid by all television owners...
The ceremony was aired live on ParalympicSport.TV, and approximately two hours after it ended, it became available as Video on Demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
(VOD).
Delayed coverage:: RTR: NRK: NTU
National Television Company of Ukraine
National Television Company of Ukraine is the national television broadcaster in Ukraine. It is state-run, and operates the television channel Pershyi Nazional'niy, the only Ukrainian TV channel that has a coverage over 97% of Ukraine's territory. It is the only state-owned national channel. Its...
: CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
(full coverage): NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
: ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...