Eleven members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were in Vancouver, BC this week. They were here to observe the progress of the various Olympic Games construction sites as the venues are readied for the 2010 Winter Games.
The IOC members also helped Prince Edward and Mayor Sam Sullivan raise the Paralympic Games flag at Vancouver City Hall. The Winter Olympic Game and Paralympic Game flags will be flown side-by-side – a first for any host city. I wonder why it’s never been done before. More on the Olympic and Paralympic Flag Raising
You may remember Mayor Sullivan at the closing ceremonies of the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games. The Olympic flag was passed to him by the Torino Mayor and placed in a special flag holder attached to his wheelchair. That enabled him to wave the flag like all the Mayors before him. Sullivan became a quadriplegic at the age of 19 as a result of a skiing accident.