With a population of about 600,000 and a metropolitan area over two million, Vancouver is one of the largest cities to host the Paralympic Winter Games. A bigger city means great nightlife, live music, festivals and entertainment. Plus, Vancouver was recently ranked one of the top restaurant cities in the world by Food & Wine magazine, which should also make it one of the tastiest Games ever.

Vancouver has one of Canada’s mildest climates and the warmest average temperatures of any Paralympic host. Temperatures range from low 20’s Celsius in summer to a mild 0 to 5 degrees Celsius in winter. Winters are wet, but it rarely snows, except, of course, on the ski hills.

Vancouver, the birthplace of Greenpeace, has long been a leader in environmentalism. The 2010 Paralympic Winter Games continue this tradition, setting a gold standard for environmental sustainability. The 2010 Paralympic Winter Games are the first Paralympic Games to use a rigorous set of criteria called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in any new venues. LEED buildings are designed to minimize waste, emissions, toxic materials, energy consumption and water use. In addition, Vancouver has adopted a zero waste policy -- aiming to minimize and divert as much waste as possible from landfills. So far, we’ve found ways to divert about 85 per cent of solid waste through reduction, reuse, recycling, waste-to-energy methods and disposal reduction.

The 2010 Winter Games may also prove to be the most accessible Games ever held. Vancouver is already one of the world’s most accessible cities, and the 2010 Paralympic Games will take that one step further, ensuring barrier-free access for persons with a disability at all venues and facilities.