An Olympic lineup to compete with the on-slope action.
 
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games  celebrates much more than athletic prowess. With Canada’s First  Nations participating as co-hosts this year – unprecedented in the history of  the Olympic Games – expect a celebration of cross-cultural exchanges. The  traditional territories of the Squamish and Lil’wat people overlap in Whistler,  B.C., which is the host site of eight Olympic and all five Paralympic  competitions. And the new Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre in Whistler’s Upper Village is offering a gold-medal-worthy  program of live performances, exhibits and hands-on activities to mark the  occasion.

Tucked into a hemlock forest, this  eco-complex is constructed of warm red cedar planks, sturdy Douglas fir beams,  locally sourced stone and glass. To get there, you follow a walkway bordered  with wild rose hips, mountain tobacco and shiny red huckleberries. Tall carved  totems flank the entranceway; drumming and a rousing song welcome you inside.

In the sunlight-flooded Great Hall,  vast glass windows allow the area’s Coast Mountains  to be a spectacular backdrop to exhibits. From the 6-m ceiling hang colourful  blankets – the handiwork of 120 local weavers – replicating those worn by a  1906 delegation of chiefs at land talks in England. Equally impressive are the  12-m Salish hunting canoe, made from a single cedar tree, and two massive  carved spindle whorl replicas.

Inspired? This month, you can help weave an  Olympics-themed blanket and carve commemorative wood panels for permanent  display. Hands-on workshops take place in a building that follows the sweeping  curve of the land’s contours, modelled on the traditional Squamish longhouses  that once housed many families.

You can dine in a cozy, circular  Lil’wat earthen pit house, whose domed green roof is planted with tiny wild  strawberries, sprout dandelions and alpine flowers. House favourites from the  café next door include bison salami, spicy venison chili and warm, sweet  bannock. During the Games, the café itself is housing Whistler Live! Artwalk  Inside!; look for Wade Baker’s  striking red, green and black ceremonial masks in the form of birds and Myra  Pierre’s intricately beaded headwear.

Lastly, as part of the Vancouver 2010 Cultural  Olympiad, a packed schedule of live performances continues to the end of  February. Flying in from Nunavut are the artists of Artcirq, with their innovative repertoire of acrobatics,  juggling, clowning, throat singing, drumming and traditional games. Another  highlight: the frenetic hopping, turning and graceful manipulation of  rainbow-coloured rings to a volley of drumbeats by three-time World Hoop Dance  champion Alex Wells – action to rival the wildest flips and twists on the  Olympic slopes. The Cultural Centre will continue to welcome visitors well  after the closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics, so be sure to include  this location on your next B.C. travel agenda.

Fun  fact: Inuit culture is also  being celebrated at the 2010 Winter Games. The official logo is inspired by the inukshuk, a distinctive stone sculpture that symbolizes  friendship, cooperation and the human spirit.

Getting here

• Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, 4584 Blackcomb Way,  Whistler, B.C., 1-866-441-7522, slcc.ca
• Tourism British  Columbia, 1-800-HELLO-BC (1-800-435-5622), hellobc.com
• For other Canadian Aboriginal travel  experiences, click here.

Valerie  Howes is a writer and editor based in Montréal.