In 2010 Vancouver will be hosting the Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games. On January 12th, 2009 Canada Post began issuing a series of stamps commemorating the event. The series features various Olympic and Paralympic disciplines and also the choice of mascots for the event.
The first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France in 1924 with the realisation that winter sports are obviously best suited for a winter event! Since then, the Games have grown in popularity and in 2010 athletes will be competing in a variety of events such as alpine skiing, bobsleigh, figure skating and wheelchair curling (Paralympic).
The 2010 mascots: Miga the sea bear, Quatchi the Sasquatch, and Sumi the Thunderbird. These cuddly and furry creatures will definitely help open up the Games to a younger audience.