The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
Kevin Sorenson, M.P. – Crowfoot Parliamentary Report
As your Member of Parliament, I want to thank everyone who took the time and made the effort to attend the Satellite Constituency Offices I held over the past week in various locations throughout our riding. Be assured that I have conveyed the information you have provided to me by mail, in e-mails, and in many meetings since Parliament rose before Christmas to the Alberta Conservative Caucus and to the Conservative Party’s National Caucus, and in my correspondence to the Finance Minister and our Prime Minister. As always, I appreciate the input I receive from the voters I represent.
An unexpected highlight this year of my pre-budget consultations in our riding was in Hanna. On the morning of the meeting I had scheduled there, students from Hanna Public School and J.C. Charyk conglomerated on the streets to celebrate the beginning of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Students met with official torch bearer Colleen Feeney and made their way to Memorial Park where they sang O Canada and lit a ceremonial Olympic Cauldron. I was privileged to address the crowd and speak about the ceremony and the Olympics in general. The students were staging a mini-olympics, complete with medal ceremonies later that day. It was very exciting and I felt lucky to have had the opportunity to play a role.
In Vancouver, Canada has been at the forefront during the 2010 Olympic and we will be at the Paralympic Winter Games as well. These Vancouver 2010 Olympic events will prove to have been a unique opportunity to celebrate Canadian excellence in sport and culture. Many Canadians have gone to Vancouver and Whistler to cheer on our athletes; millions more have watched the games closely on television. Many around the world are watching and learning for the first time about our beautiful geography, our people, our athletes, and the way we live.
As a nation, we are sharing in the achievements and disappointments of our men and women competing in the games. That is the nature of sports. Among the athletes that each country sends to compete, there are some brave men and women that are pretty sure they will not win a medal – but they are proudly representing their nation – and they are the best that their nation has to offer – sport by sport. Among all athletes, there is no shame in losing as long as you do your best. All of the athletes strive to do their best and offer the world the most competitive Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games possible.
In Vancouver they are delivering to the audience a high-level of entertainment. Viewers cannot help but share the emotions they surely feel. For example, I went to the same small rural high school as Canada’s Olympic curler Kevin Martin, and even with that distant association, I find myself cheering him on and rooting for him. There are others as well. Many of you will know Adam Enright from Rosalind, he’s on Canada’s Olympic Curling Team and I was watching when he was on the Olympic Rink. Win, lose or draw Canadians are proud of our Winter Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this or previous columns you may write me at 4945-50th Street, Camrose, Alberta, T4V 1P9, call 780-608-4600, toll-free 1-800-665-4358, fax 780-608-4603 or e-mail sorenk1@parl.gc.ca.