www.teamontario.info The Official Team Ontario Newsletter for the 2007 Jeux du Canada Games March 2006 Welcome from the Chef de Mission ~ Blair McIntosh elcome everyone to Team Ontario 2007. I am very honoured and excited to have been selected as the Chef de W Mission for Team Ontario at the 2007 Canada Winter Games. The Canada Games are this country’s premier multi-sport event. It will be the first time in the history of the Games that they will be hosted in a Territory. The City of Whitehorse and the Yukon is well on their way to organizing a historic and successful Games on Vision Statement behalf of our country. Yukon people are proud to be hosting the 2007 Canada Winter Our goal as Team Ontario is to provide each and every one of our athletes, coaches Games, celebrating excellence, our northern cultures and traditions, and managers with an incredible experience at the Games. We will strive to assist our and creating lasting legacies for participants in any way possible so that they can perform to the best of their ability, the benefit of future generations. with dignity, humility, fair play and a feeling of pride in representing our Province in the pursuit of the Canada Games Flag. Over the next 11 months our Mission Staff Be sure to visit the Canada will put forth an incredible amount of volunteer time and energy in preparation for Games Council’s website: these Games. We will keep you updated on the selection of our teams, stories of our www.canadagames.ca athletes, facts about the history of Ontario athletes and their athletic careers, schedules and many other facets of the Games. And the Whitehorse website: www.2007canadagames.ca I look forward to communicating with everyone on a regular basis on the planning and organization of Team Ontario 2007. Please send your comments and articles to the Team 2007 TEAM ONTARIO MISSION TEAM SPORTS Ontario Communications Mission Staff Week 1 Week 2 Committee at: John Sims Speed Skating [email protected] Dave Saad Shooting Squash Christine Craig Judo Michelle Comeau, Chair Guy Napert-Frenette Laura Jarvis NAP NAP-Alpine Cheryl Finn Wendy Morgan Curling (Women) Figure Skating Marc Seguin Kellie Hinnells Ringette Gymnastics John Sims Guy Napert-Frenette Curling (Men) Erin Hamilton Free Style Skiing Wheelchair Basketball Cheryl Finn Synchro Swim Table Tennis Marc Seguin Hockey (Men) X-Country Skiing Steve Sevor Snowboarding Boxing Jill White Badminton Hockey (Women) Stephanie Johnston Biathlon Heather Ambrose Archery Fencing Team Ontario 2007 Page 1 The Whitehorse 2007 Canada Winter Games Venues VANIER CATHOLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL Alpine: 330 or 340 metre vertical drop on Dan’s Descent 16 Duke St. Snowboarding: Half-Pipe and Parallel Giant Slalom on Mogul Shooting and Fencing Run Hardwood gym floor – 17m x 35m Distance From Athletes Village: 18 km (22 minutes) Operated by the Government of Yukon, Department of Education Upgrades: Distance From Athletes Village: 8 km (18 minutes) Snow making extended to top of Dan's Descent Upgrades for Shooting: New or expand chalet Construct firing points and back stops (all portable) Convert maintenance facility into temporary ski storage, wax- Increase target lighting to 1000 LUX ing, and tuning Temporary mobile units to house officials and volunteers PORTER CREEK SECONDARY SCHOOL lounges 1405 Hickory St. Tents for athletes, coaches, and volunteers warming Wheelchair Basketball and Archery Alpine: Wheelchair: 25.8m x 44m gymnasium widening and levelling on upper portion of race course Archery: 25.8m x 44m gymnasiums with 10 double shooting lanes Freestyle: measuring 160cm wide 1 new run for moguls, levelling and steepening work for aerials Operated by the Government of Yukon – Department of Education Snowboarding: Distance From Athletes Village: 5km (10 minutes) Development of a half-pipe Upgrades for Wheelchair Basketball: Operated by the Great Northern Ski Society New score clock with 30 second clocks Proposed upgrades to portable bleachers/seating GREY MOUNTAIN Grey Mountain Dr. CANADA GAMES CENTRE Biathlon 200 Hamilton Blvd. Trails ranging from 1km – 5km Artistic Gymnastics, Badminton, Fig- Distance From Athletes Village: 12 km (20 minutes) ure Skating, Hockey, Ringette, Judo, Upgrades: Speed Skating - Short Track, Synchro Continued maintenance & minor upgrades Swimming and Table Tennis A parking lot (minimum 50 stalls) to be developed Operated by the City of Whitehorse Wax testing area Distance From Athletes Village: 3 km Spectator area with seating needs to be developed (7 minutes) MT. McINTYRE RECREATION CENTRE Sports Places Details 1 Sumanik Dr. Artistic Gymnastics Fieldhouse 1 Curling and Cross Country Skiing Curling - Eight (8) sheets of ice Judo Fieldhouse 2 (2) side by side 8 m. x 8 m. fighting surfaces total- Cross Country Skiing - 1.5 km, 2.5 km, and 7.5 km loop ling 26m. x 14m. includ- Operated by the City of Whitehorse ing safety area Distance From Athletes Village: 3.5 km (9 minutes) Upgrades for curling: Badminton Fieldhouse 2 Cameras & monitors far end of 8 sheets of ice Synchro Swimming Pool 8 lane pool, 25 m. x 17.5 Upgrades for Cross Country Skiing: m general improvements and widening of trails water temperature be- more meeting/lounge space for athletes, coaches and officials tween 26°C and 29°C temporary trailers for ski waxing and storage Short Track Olympic Ice 100’ x 200’ ice surface good quality PA system Speed Skating improve course markings Figure Skating Olympic Ice 100’ x 200’ ice surface spectator viewing area & public washrooms in stadium Hockey Regulation Ice 200' x 85' ice surface TAKHINI ARENA Ringette Regulation Ice 200' x 85' ice surface 345 Range Rd. Events / Sports: Hockey and Ringette ice surface 200’ x 85’ BETTER BODIES CENTRE Venue Fact: Operated by the City of Whitehorse 122 Industrial Rd. Distance From Athletes Village: 2 km (4 minutes) Squash Upgrades: Playcon built courts End of period goal lights Distance From Athletes Village: 3 km (7 minutes) Additional referee room Privately Owned Additional plug ins in dressing room MT. SIMA F.H. COLLINS SECONDARY SCHOOL Mt. Sima Rd. 1001 Lewes Blvd. Freestyle Skiing, Alpine Skiing, Snowboarding Freestyle: Moguls - 200 m. with 24° + 1-2°; Aerials - 155 m. (Continued on page 3) Page 2 Team Ontario 2007 The Whitehorse 2007 Canada Winter Games Venues (Continued from page 2) Distance From Athletes Village: 6.5km (15 minutes) Upgrades: New Oval being constructed Events / Sports: Long Track Speed Skating and Boxing Long Track Speed Skating: 400 m. outdoor skating oval track, 5TH ARENA 182m. x 70 m. track dimensions, 7 – 10 cm. Ice thickness (natural Shipyards Park, 2nd Avenue ice with snow beams around outside circumference) Events / Sports: Men’s Hockey Boxing: 24 x 24 ring including apron Ice surface 200’ x 85’ Operated by the Government of Yukon – Department of Education Canada Games 2007 Mission Staff Profile ~ Marc Seguin Marc Seguin joins Team Ontario as a rookie member for the Now residing in Bolton, Ontario with his wife Angelina, Marc 2007 Canada Winter Games Mission Staff. is currently working with the Ministry of Health Promotion – Sport and Recreation Branch as a Sport and Recreation Con- Marc has been an active participant in sport all his life partici- sultant to develop the Quest for Gold Program. The program pating in a variety of sports as an athlete, coach and administra- will provide direct financial assistance to athletes, enhanced tor. Over the past few years he has had the opportunity to be a coaching opportunities and enhanced training / competitive part of many opportunities for Ontario’s armature athletes. After graduating from Brock University with a bachelor of In his spare time he competes in ice hockey, soccer, volleyball, Sport Management Degree, Marc has spent the past six years golf and basically anything else that comes his way. Marc is working with in the Canadian Sport System. After spending extremely excited to be part of the team and looks forward to two years working with Athletes CAN providing athletes ser- the opportunity of working with all members of team Ontario vices and developing athlete forums, Marc moved to Vancou- to make the 2007 Canada Winter Games a great experience for ver to join the ESTEEM Team program in a bid to launch Can- all. He will be Mission Staff for the sports of Men’s Ice ada 1st National Athlete Speakers Bureau in conjunction with Hockey and Cross Country Skiing in addition to his role on the 2010 Legacies Now and the 2010 Vancouver Olympic bid. Communications Team. The Mascot Story of the 2007 Canada Winter Games On the cool crisp evening of January 25, 2005, something different happened: an Elder stood on a frozen lake checking traps. He looked up and saw three stars shining brightly on the horizon. He was fascinated by the Northern Lights dancing joyfully across a clear blue winter sky. Although always stunning, the lights were mysteriously distinct that night. Three very bright colors lit up the northern sky and a slight noise could be heard in the distance. “I wonder what that could be?” said the Elder out loud as he searched the snowy surface. As he turned around, he found himself gazing at three tiny whimpering husky puppies. They sat illuminated by the three shining colors of the Northern Lights. The purple, green and blue glittering streams of light had delivered the unique puppies as a gift to the earth. The Elder took the puppies underneath his parka to keep them warm. He knew that these furry critters were given to us by the Northern Lights and they were too important for him to keep for himself. He sent each puppy to a dear northern friend of his. He trusted that they would be trained to cherish friendship, sportsmanship and willpower, the three qualities needed for them to fulfill their destiny.