Canada Olympic House Welcomes Canadian Olympic Family and Friends
LONDON – Before marching into London’s Olympic Stadium, officially launching 17 straight days of Olympic competition, the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team unveiled Canada Olympic House, the “home away from home” for their friends and families, as well as for athletes and valued partners.
“While Canada Olympic House will serve as a beacon of Canadian hospitality in London, it is also part of larger goal,” said Canadian Olympic Committee President Marcel Aubut. “This wonderful home will also contribute to creating the optimum environment in which our Canadian heroes can succeed.”
Canada Olympic House will rest in the heart of one of London’s busiest tourist destinations, Trafalgar Square. A place for the friends and family of Canadian athletes to gather during the Games,Canada Olympic House is also a place where Canadian Olympic Committee partners will make services available and where Canadian media can work in downtown London. Modern facilities will be available for use throughout the day during the Olympic window.
“I know what it’s like to worry about your family when they come to watch you compete,” said two-time Olympic synchronized swimmer Marie-Pier Boudreau-Gagnon. “It’s amazing to know that there’s a whole building dedicated to taking care of them, making them comfortable, and where we can meet up with them once we’re done competing.”
“There is no greater pride than watching your child compete in the Olympic Games,” said Christiane Despatie, mother of four-time Olympic diver Alexandre Despatie. “As a parent, I appreciate that there is a dedicated space for Canadian families of athletes to come together.”
“Home is where the heart is and Canada Olympic House is a place with heart in a massive cosmopolitan city like London,” said 2012 Canadian Olympic Team Chef de Mission Mark Tewksbury. “More than that, it’s an integral part of the Canadian Olympic Committee’s determination to provide the optimal environment for an athlete’s success.”
“We hope that family and friends will stop by, take advantage of the services, meet up with the athletes at the right time, see some old friends and meet new ones,” said 2012 Canadian Olympic Team Assistant Chef de Mission Sylvie Bernier.
Canada Olympic House was officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony outside the historic building, where Aubut, Boudreau-Gagnon and Despatie were joined by Tewksbury, Bernier, and His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, as well as Minister of State for Sport Bal Gosal and Canadian High Commissioner Gordon Campbell.
