Canadian Winter Sport Institute
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Winter Sport Institute, also known as WinSport Canada is a non-profit organization based in Calgary
, Alberta
, Canada
who's mandate is to provide training and development to Canada's Olympic athletes, and to maintain the facilities built for the 1988 Winter Olympics
. It was created in 1956 as the Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA) to bring the Olympics to Calgary, succeeding in its fourth attempt. CODA has been credited with dramatically improving Canada's performance at the Olympics, as medal totals have increased at each subsequent Winter Games held since 1988, to a peak of 26 in the 2010 Winter Olympics
, the most recent games held.
to Calgary. It bid for both the 1964 and 1968 games, losing to Innsbruck
, Austria
and Grenoble
, France
, respectively. Aided by Peter Lougheed
, CODA made a third bid for the 1972 games. The effort appeared to be a sure winner before environmentalists protested Calgary's bid, arguing that the games would cause irreparable damage to Banff National Park
. Calgary once again lost, finishing second to Sapporo, Japan
. CODA became dormant following the 1966 vote.
In 1979, CODA was resurrected as Calgary began its fourth attempt, initiating a bid for the 1988 games. Led by chairman Frank King, and relying on thousands of volunteers, CODA spent four years attempting to woo support, attending every major sporting event it could to sell International Olympic Committee
(IOC) members on Calgary. Calgary faced strong bids from Falun
–Åre
, Sweden
and Cortina d'Ampezzo
, Italy
, the latter bidder pressuring the IOC to "punish" the Calgary bid for Canada's boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics
in Moscow
. Calgary nonetheless won the bid at a vote held in Baden Baden, West Germany
on September 30, 1981.
CODA gave way to the Calgary Olympic Committee (Olympiques Calgary Olympics '88, or OCO '88), which organized the games themselves. The Calgary games generated a c$
90 million profit, of which $70.5 million was created into an endowment fund for CODA to maintain and operate the Olympic facilities following the games. Today, that fund has grown to $185 million.
With the completion of the games, CODA rededicated itself to maintaining the facilities left in the legacy of the games, and in developing Canada's Olympic athletes. CODA is credited with contributing to Canada's dramatic improvement at the Winter Olympics, as the nation has seen an increase in podium finishes in every games since Calgary, growing to 26 medals at the 2010 Winter Games from just five at Calgary.
On January 23, 2009, CODA became the Canadian Winter Sport Institute, the first such institution in Canada.
WinSport Canada maintains several facilities built for the 1988 games. Chief among them is Canada Olympic Park
(COP). The primary facility of Canada's first Centre of Sport Excellence, COP still receives over one million visitors per year. COP is also home to Canada's Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum.
The Olympic Oval
was the first covered speed skating venue in North America, and remains one of the fastest speed skating surfaces in the world. Over 150 world records have been set at the Oval. The Oval continues to host international speed skating events, while also serving as the home arena for the Calgary Oval X-Treme
women's ice hockey
team.
WinSport Canada also runs the National Sport School
in partnership with the Calgary Board of Education. Founded in 1994, the National Sport School is specifically designed for Olympic calibre students in grades nine through 12, allowing them to compete internationally without compromising their studies. 20 current or former students at the school represented Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
who's mandate is to provide training and development to Canada's Olympic athletes, and to maintain the facilities built for the 1988 Winter Olympics
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
. It was created in 1956 as the Calgary Olympic Development Association (CODA) to bring the Olympics to Calgary, succeeding in its fourth attempt. CODA has been credited with dramatically improving Canada's performance at the Olympics, as medal totals have increased at each subsequent Winter Games held since 1988, to a peak of 26 in the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, the most recent games held.
History
CODA was formed in 1956 with the aim of bringing the Winter Olympic GamesWinter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
to Calgary. It bid for both the 1964 and 1968 games, losing to Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, respectively. Aided by Peter Lougheed
Peter Lougheed
Edgar Peter Lougheed, PC, CC, AOE, QC, is a Canadian lawyer, and a former politician and Canadian Football League player. He served as the tenth Premier of Alberta from 1971 to 1985....
, CODA made a third bid for the 1972 games. The effort appeared to be a sure winner before environmentalists protested Calgary's bid, arguing that the games would cause irreparable damage to Banff National Park
Banff National Park
Banff National Park is Canada's oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 kilometres west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine...
. Calgary once again lost, finishing second to Sapporo, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. CODA became dormant following the 1966 vote.
In 1979, CODA was resurrected as Calgary began its fourth attempt, initiating a bid for the 1988 games. Led by chairman Frank King, and relying on thousands of volunteers, CODA spent four years attempting to woo support, attending every major sporting event it could to sell International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
(IOC) members on Calgary. Calgary faced strong bids from Falun
Falun
Falun is a city and the seat of Falun Municipality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 36,447 inhabitants in 2005. It is also the capital of Dalarna County...
–Åre
Åre Municipality
Åre Municipality is a municipality in Jämtland County in northern Sweden. Its seat is located in Järpen.The present municipality was formed in 1974 through the amalgamation of "old" Åre Municipality with the surrounding municipalities Hallen, Kall, Mörsil and Undersåker...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town and comune in the southern Alps located in Veneto, a region in Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Dolomites in an alpine valley, it is a popular winter sport resort known for its ski-ranges, scenery, accommodations, shops and après-ski scene...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the latter bidder pressuring the IOC to "punish" the Calgary bid for Canada's boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. Calgary nonetheless won the bid at a vote held in Baden Baden, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
on September 30, 1981.
CODA gave way to the Calgary Olympic Committee (Olympiques Calgary Olympics '88, or OCO '88), which organized the games themselves. The Calgary games generated a c$
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
90 million profit, of which $70.5 million was created into an endowment fund for CODA to maintain and operate the Olympic facilities following the games. Today, that fund has grown to $185 million.
With the completion of the games, CODA rededicated itself to maintaining the facilities left in the legacy of the games, and in developing Canada's Olympic athletes. CODA is credited with contributing to Canada's dramatic improvement at the Winter Olympics, as the nation has seen an increase in podium finishes in every games since Calgary, growing to 26 medals at the 2010 Winter Games from just five at Calgary.
On January 23, 2009, CODA became the Canadian Winter Sport Institute, the first such institution in Canada.
Facilities
Canada Olympic Park
Canada Olympic Park is located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The park is operated by WinSport Canada formerly the Calgary Olympic Development Association . It is currently used both for high performance athletic training and for recreational purposes by the general public...
(COP). The primary facility of Canada's first Centre of Sport Excellence, COP still receives over one million visitors per year. COP is also home to Canada's Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum.
The Olympic Oval
Olympic Oval
The Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is a covered speed skating oval built for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is the official designated training center for Speed Skate Canada and the Canadian National Speed Skating team. It is located on the University of Calgary campus...
was the first covered speed skating venue in North America, and remains one of the fastest speed skating surfaces in the world. Over 150 world records have been set at the Oval. The Oval continues to host international speed skating events, while also serving as the home arena for the Calgary Oval X-Treme
Calgary Oval X-Treme
The Calgary Oval X-Treme were a professional women's ice hockey team in the Western Women's Hockey League . The team played its home games at the Olympic Oval in Calgary, Alberta, Canada...
women's ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team.
WinSport Canada also runs the National Sport School
National Sport School (Canada)
The National Sport School is a public high school in Calgary, Alberta; which teaches grades 9 through 12. The school is specially designed for Canadian Olympic calibre athletes to be able to train and travel internationally, while staying in school...
in partnership with the Calgary Board of Education. Founded in 1994, the National Sport School is specifically designed for Olympic calibre students in grades nine through 12, allowing them to compete internationally without compromising their studies. 20 current or former students at the school represented Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics.