Ashleigh McIvor, Olympic Gold medalist and Whistler native gets her own day! On February 23rd you can take a whole day to commemorate her taking the first Ski Cross gold medal at the XXI Olympic Winter Games. Your boss probably won’t give you off for this, but you can still commemorate a little on your own when nobody is looking!

Hers is one of the eight days during February and March that the provincal government dedicated to BC-based Olympic and Paralympic athletes to win a medal at last year’s Winter Games in Vancouver. Squamish, BC’s Maëlle Ricker has her day on February 16th, having won gold in the Snowboard Cross competition. Both McIvor and Ricker hold the distinction of having their respective days all for themselves, with the other 15 medalists sharing 6 additional days between them. The remaining day goes to the troops of volunteers at the both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, without whom there might not have been any Winter Games at all. Or considerably less of it, at any rate.

Here’s what Honourable Steven L. Point, Lieutenant Governor of B.C had to say about the commemorative program: “These Olympic and Paralympic athletes have made special contributions to our province and country by helping to bring us together as British Columbians and Canadians. It is fitting that we recognize them on the one-year anniversary of their medal-winning performances”. Chimes in Colin Hansen, Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance: “Our Olympians and Paralympians have left us with lifelong memories and helped to inspire our youth to pursue their dreams”.

So if you didn’t have anything to do on Wednesday: Now you do!

Here, for your perusal, is the full list of honourees and their respective days:

• Feb. 16, 2011: Maëlle Ricker
• Feb. 23, 2011: Ashleigh McIvor
• Feb. 27, 2011: Chris Le Bihan and Denny Morrison
• Feb. 28, 2011: Duncan Keith, Scott Niedermayer, Brent Seabrook, Roberto Luongo and Shea Weber
• March 13, 2011: Josh Dueck and Lindsay Debou Day
• March 15, 2011: Lauren Woolstencroft and Karolina Wisniewska Day
• March 20, 2011: Ina Forrest, Jim Armstrong, Sonja Gaudet and Darryl Neighbour Day
• March 21, 2011: Olympic and Paralympic Blue Jacket Volunteers Day

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 15th, 2011 at 8:31 am and is filed under Whistler Village. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.