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Canadian flag.

“One of Canada’s most cherished symbols is the maple leaf. We put it on our flag, our uniforms and even our backpacks when we travel around the world. It sums up who we are - our shared history, values and goals as a country,” said Nathalie Lambert.

“One of Canada’s most cherished symbols is the maple leaf. We put it on our flag, our uniforms and even our backpacks when we travel around the world. It sums up who we are - our shared history, values and goals as a country,” said Nathalie Lambert, Canada’s Chef de Mission for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Lambert unveiled the posters together with Jean Labonté, a 2006 Paralympic gold medallist in Ice Sledge Hockey and John Furlong, VANOC Chief Executive Officer.

One of the most coveted collectors’ keepsakes of the Games, the official posters of the Games will have a place in history alongside past Games posters, and are sure to grace bedroom walls, boardrooms and sports facilities around the world. The posters go on sale today at www.vancouver2010.com/store and at Official Stores located at Vancouver International Airport and in Whistler, BC, starting at CAD$ 15.

The complementary posters, which reflect the signature look of the 2010 Winter Games, have a bold, contemporary design and feature a cropped maple leaf composed of a vibrant palette of blues and greens found in the natural landscape of Vancouver and the Sea to Sky corridor, the Games Host Region. When the Olympic and Paralympic posters are displayed together, the two halves of the maple leaf join to create a whole, a concept that is a first for an Organizing Committee. The Official Emblems of the Games, and the Games motto "With Glowing Hearts/Des plus brillants exploits", are also on the posters. All poster elements are artfully displayed on a white wood grain textured background.

“As one of the most visible and collectible items of the Games, we are proud to offer Canadians and supporters around the world official posters that truly illustrate the spirit of Canada’s Games,” said Furlong. “The poster features the traditional maple leaf rendered in a new way that is symbolic of a country that is young at heart, diverse, dynamic and fun. The unique pairing of these posters reflect our integrated approach to celebrating the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games as one event for Canada.” The posters were designed in-house by a member of the same design team that developed the Games’ graphic identity in 2007.

The posters, produced by VANOC licensee Canadian Art Prints of Richmond, BC, start at CAD$15 for an 18 x 27-inch offset lithography print (available today) to a limited edition 20 x 28-inch Giclee print for $150 (pre-orders start today). Limited-edition versions of the posters will also be sold together; these include embossing, a story on how the posters were designed and a certificate of authenticity signed by VANOC CEO John Furlong and designer Ben Hulse.

For more information about the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, please visit www.vancouver2010.com.