The Vancouver Winter Olympics kick off in just 260 days. Of course we've been following the countdown since we were first awarded the chance to host the games. The choice of a logo was inspired if a bit confusing for most of the world. You might wonder about the multi-coloured graphic over the Olympic rings. It is supposed to represent an inukshuk.An inukshuk is a man-made stone landmark. They were used by Inuit and other nations of the far north from Greenland to Alaska. As the area is arctic tundra, there are very few natural landmarks in their homeland. These forms helped to identify particular places for navigation or hunting purposes. Nowadays, they serve a more cultural role.
The exact form chosen for the Olympics logo is more accurately defined as an inunnguaq. That means while an inukshuk can have various forms, the later often represents the human form. It does pay tribute to the inukshuk found at English Bay in Vancouver. That was created by artisan Alvin Kanak of Rankin Inlet as a gift for Expo '86 held here. It welcomes visitors to the city. For those who have never been here, Vancouver boasts some fantastic waterfront property and a public beach smack dab on the edge of the downtown.
