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Proud mayor credits Whistler for hosting best Paralympics ever

Greatest legacy could be a barrier-free, accessible resort
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He may be a little biased as mayor of Whistler but Ken Melamed knows why the president of the International Paralympic Committee called them the best Games ever.

"The reason why these were the best Paralympics ever was because of Whistler," said the proud mayor.

That's not to take anything away from Vancouver's role, he quickly added, which hosted the sledge hockey and curling events, or from the organizers of the Games.

It's just that the bulk of the events were in Whistler, he explained, and 90 per cent of the medals were awarded here. The majority of the athletes lived in the Whistler Athletes' Village. The International Paralympic Committee was headquartered here.

And the community itself welcomed and embraced these Paralympics with open hearts.

That was evidenced not only in the record turnouts at events, with 230,000 tickets sold of the 250,000 available, but in the crowds that gathered for the nightly medals presentations and ultimately lined the village streets in the driving rain to support the athletes in their parade through town on the way to the closing ceremonies Sunday.

"There's no question also that the community of Whistler did come out of their dens to provide an enthusiastic and welcoming atmosphere," said the mayor.

"Everyone across the community needs to take credit for, and bask in the success that we had (from the whole Games experience)."

One of the municipality's roles also was to raise the profile of the Paralympics.

"And we did that," said the mayor.

The importance of Whistler's role in hosting these Paralympics was in evidence at the closing ceremonies. The mayor was invited on stage to handover the International Paralympic Committee flag to Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, who then handed it off to IPC President Sir Philip Craven, who passed it off to the Mayor of Sochi, Anatoly Pakhomov, which will host the next Winter Paralympic Games in four years.

Melamed did not hold the flag when it was handed to then Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan after the Torino Games in 2006, though he was on the stage.

"We've always been challenged by these long-established policies from the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and the IPC which state there is only one host city," said the mayor, as to why these were called the Vancouver 2010 Games.

It was testament to Whistler's role in these Games that the mayor of Whistler was part of the closing ceremony handoff.

"It was such a pleasant surprise and much appreciated by me personally and on behalf of the community," he said.

While the Whistler ceremonies didn't have some of the pomp and splendour of ceremonies past, they were a personal and intimate send-off for the thousands of athletes and officials who came to these Games and performed their best.

Melamed tried to really enjoy every second of the moment, waving that flag on stage.

And he couldn't help but think, on a more personal note, of his parents, and just how proud they might have been on that night.

Councillor Ted Milner knows all about that pride, watching his daughter Ali sing the national anthem on stage Sunday.

"It was fantastic," said Milner simply, and even the teaming rain at points through the evening couldn't dampen that.

For 19-year-old Ali this performance was a big deal.

"It was the final send-off for this whole experience and it was really cool to be a part of it," she said the following day, adding that it was extra special to be a part of it as a Whistler girl.

"It meant a lot that they thought of me for it."

The singer, who is used to performing her original songs in front of crowds, admitted she was nervous not only because of the slippery stage which had a sheet of special plastic so that they performers could skate on it but also because she was singing the national anthem.

"O Canada is the scariest song to sing because everyone knows it!" she said.

She wasn't the only local to be a part of ceremonies. The Sea to Sky Chorus lent their voices to the ceremonies and the Soul Funktion dancers kept the crowd moving at the end with a jazz number.

Jaime Root, 15, was one of those dancers who stepped out along with 25 fellow dancers.

"It was an amazing experience," she said, back at the studio in Function Junction the following day.

"To close the whole ceremonies with this amazing dance and fireworks, it was just perfect - icing on the cake.

"It was a great honour. I'm so glad we got to do it."

Getting back into the swing of regular business this week, Mayor Melamed is thoughtful now on what Whistler's truest legacy could be from these Games.

It may not be the multi-million athlete's village or the new highway from Vancouver.

Perhaps, said the mayor, by hosting the Paralympics Whistler has shown the world that it is not an exclusive and non-accessible ski resort, but that it is a town with no barriers, where all are welcome.

"We've been shown the light by the Paralympic Games," said Melamed, of the need to be accessible not just for disabled athletes but for all people.

"It may be perhaps one of the greatest legacies from the Games."