Statement by the the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of State (Sport), on the Occasion...

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Feb. 12, 2011) - The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, for which the opening ceremony was held exactly one year ago today, were a tremendous success. They gave us a once-in-a-generation opportunity to show the world who we are and to demonstrate our pride in our sport excellence, our artistic talent, our richly diverse culture, and our two official languages.

We showcased Canada's accomplishments and innovations to the world, while realizing sustainable environmental, social, cultural and economic benefits across the country. In addition, our athletes earned Canada a reputation as a leading sport nation.

The Own the Podium program proved to be a huge success. It produced numerous personal best performances, 26 medals overall, and 14 gold medals — the most ever by a host nation.

Our Government wants to build on these great accomplishments, and we will continue to support participation and excellence from the playground to the podium. We are proud to support the Canadian sport system and to help provide our athletes with an opportunity to inspire and encourage Canadians across the country to achieve their very best.

On the first anniversary of the opening ceremonies for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, we would like, once again, to thank the Province of British Columbia, the City of Vancouver, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games for making them an unforgettable event. We encourage all Canadians to observe this anniversary by recalling their national pride, remembering the importance of sport and physical activity, and recognizing the power of pursuing your dreams.