Liberal MPPs Jim Watson and Yasir Naqvi brought an Olympic flag for students to sign Tuesday. The flag will be sent to the Olympic Village in Vancouver.
Two members of provincial legislature made a special visit to Elgin Street Public School, bearing a large Olympic flag that students signed in celebration and support of Canadian Olympic athletes on Tuesday.
Ottawa West Nepean MPP Jim Watson and Ottawa Centre MPP Yasir Naqvi brought the flag to the school for Grade 5 and 6 students to sign.
Once decorated, the flag is to be displayed at the Olympic and Paralympic Village, where the athletes will live during the Winter Games. Located on the southeast side of False Creek in Vancouver, the village is meant to create a home away from home for the athletes.
“We had about 30 students signing the flag — and only three markers,” said school principal Deborah Machida.
Watson and Naqvi had the students chanting, “Go Canada!” and quizzed them on Olympic sports.
“It was very exciting,” said Machida. “We had children who actually dressed up and had two students come down as ambassadors to meet and greet the special guests.”
The MPPs arranged with the public and Catholic school boards to go into the classrooms to speak with the children in general about what the Olympics mean for Canadians and how celebrating it as Canadians supports athletes.
“It says to students that maybe we don't have the money, maybe we can't go to the Olympics because they are so far away," said Sharlene Hunter, OCDSB communications officer. "But we can celebrate the fact that we support athletics as a community and say, 'We believe in you.' ”
Elgin Street Public School was a special event because it was the first public school visited by Watson and Naqvi, Hunter said.
The MPPs have planned to visit at least one public and Catholic school in each district and several local malls to collect signatures.