Athletes pose wearing the new Canadian Olympic and Paralympic team collection made by Hudson's Bay that will outfit Canada's athletes at the upcoming Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic winter Games, in Toronto on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013.
Image Credit: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
October 31, 2013 - 4:53 AM
TORONTO - Canadians are getting their first glimpse of the styles that the country's Olympic athletes will be sporting in Sochi.
Official outfitter Hudson's Bay Co. unveiled the Canadian Olympic team uniforms for the 2014 Winter Games during an event in Toronto today.
As always, the patriotic new designs flaunt Canada's colours as well as black. The collection will feature "Canada" in a vintage classic wordmark as well as imagery of the polar bear, beaver and loon.
All of the replica garments being made for consumers and a portion of clothes created for the athletes are being made in China.
After the Canadian team uniforms were unveiled ahead of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the federal government and several opposition MPs cried foul after learning most of the clothes were manufactured by the host country — China —and not in Canada.
There was a similar flap south of the border last year. American politicians on both sides of the political aisle spoke out against the U.S. Olympic Committee's decision to dress the country's athletes in Chinese-made apparel for the London Games. However, it will be a different story for the U.S. Olympic team heading to Sochi.
It was revealed on Tuesday that every article of clothing made for the American athletes by Ralph Lauren — including their opening and closing ceremony uniforms and Olympic village gear — have been created by domestic craftspeople and manufacturers.
Hudson's Bay Co. will be the official outfitter of the Canadian team until 2020, covering the Olympic, Pan American and Youth Olympic Games.
The 2014 Winter Games begin on Feb. 7.
— With files from The Associated Press
News from © The Canadian Press, 2013