Press Release
Kuujjuaq, Quebec – November 24, 2008 – Nunavimmiut anxious to catch the Olympic spirit will have the opportunity to see the Olympic Flame on November 10, 2009 when it passes through Kuujjuaq on its way to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
“As Mayor of Kuujjuaq, I’m very honoured and excited that our community was chosen to be part of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. Not only does this participation allow our community to contribute to the Olympic spirit but it will allow Canadians and the world to see our unique culture, people and land,” stated Larry Watt. The Northern Village of Kuujjuaq will be responsible for organizing the Olympic Torch Relay, with the assistance of the Makivvik and the Kativik Regional Government.
The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay will begin its 106-day Canadian journey on October 30, 2009. The Flame’s pan-Canadian journey will culminate on February 12, 2010, when it arrives in Vancouver for the opening ceremony before a global viewing audience of billions. The torch relay route will be the longest domestic torch relay in Olympic history, stretching over 45,000 km across Canada. At the conclusion of the relay, the Olympic Flame will have been welcomed in over 1,000 communities and passed close to the homes of more than 90% of the entire population of the country.
Applicants who are committed to healthier lives or who feel inspired to create a stronger country by volunteering or making sustainable choices can apply at icoke.ca and rbc.com/carrythetorch for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame.
For its part, the Makivvik will be a partner of the four host First Nations at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, promoting Nunavik’s economy, Inuit culture and artists. The 2010 Games will showcase the Aboriginal perspective, and the inuksuk has been adopted as an official symbol. The entire torch relay route may be viewed at vancouver2010.com
Kuujjuaq is an Inuit community in Nunavik, the northern-most region of Québec. Situated roughly 50 km from Ungava Bay on the Koksoak River, the community is Nunavik’s administrative and transportation centre, and has a population of roughly 2200.
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The Makivvik is a not-for-profit corporation mandated to manage the heritage funds of the Inuit of Nunavik provided for in the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement. Makivvik´s role includes the administration and investment of these funds, and the promotion of economic growth by providing assistance for the creation of Inuit-operated businesses in Nunavik. Makivvik promotes the preservation of Inuit culture and language as well as the health, welfare, relief of poverty and education of Inuit in Nunavik communities.
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010, and the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit vancouver2010.com for further details on programs and schedules.
The Kativik Regional Government (KRG) is a non-ethnic public organization created in 1978, under the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement. The organization has jurisdiction over nearly the entire territory of Québec north of the 55th parallel. The KRG administers public affairs in Nunavik in the areas of municipal matters, transportation, the environment, policing, employment, labour training, income security, childcare services, renewable resources, land-use management, civil security and economic development.