The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will offer Canadians the opportunity to appreciate the deep sense of commitment and perseverance shared by our athletes, and to celebrate excellence.

Soon we will be awestruck by our athletes’ prowess. Their performances in each event will serve not only as proof of their talent, but also proof of their team spirit and determination, the result of years of hard work, training, discipline and often great sacrifice. Their pride and hope are also deeply felt by their coaches, supporters and communities. The excitement will electrify the entire country.

These Winter Games will showcase a welcoming Canada that loves to celebrate the beauty of its majestic landscapes, the wealth of its diversity, and the ingenuity, creativity and generosity of the women, men and young people who contribute to the vibrancy of its society. This will also be an opportunity to improve our society through an incredible range of citizen initiatives, actions and accomplishments that are as varied as snowflakes—the symbolic representation of the Order.

May the great celebration of friendship that constitutes the 2010 Games continue afterwards through invigorated dialogue, a new surge of local and global co-operation, and an irresistible willingness to act so that the forces of creation and peace triumph over the forces of terror and destruction.