Castlegar will share the spotlight with 14 other BC communities at the Vancouver International Airport.

A slick, three-minute video showcasing Castlegar was officially unveiled at the airport and is airing on screens throughout the airport during the 2010 Olympics.

“YVR will be the first place visitors experience when they arrive in Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Games, so we feel the Airport Authority has a special responsibility to showcase the various regions of our province,” said Paul Levy, vice-president, Planning 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Vancouver Airport Authority.

“Our goal is to provide a glimpse of what other areas of the province have to offer. We believe that once visitors know more about the beautiful and unique communities in BC, they’ll be tempted to come back and visit.”

Castlegar was one of 15 communities selected by the Airport Authority, with the help from local Spirit of BC community committees to receive $10,000 for the project.

Once Castlegar’s Spirit of BC committee received word of the funding, Suzanne Lehbauer, who sits on the local committee, then hired Calgary’s Twist Marketing to produce the clip.

“The City of Castlegar and the Chamber of Commerce had already used Twist,” explained Lehbauer.

In fact, it was Twist, who helped developed the city’s newest tag, Happily Ever After.

“I knew they had an idea out front what Castlegar was all about, but they also had an outsider’s eye.”

That outsider’s eye, said Lehbauer, was important in that it would help bring a fresh look to the community.

“We had to have a little something unique. So they used the tag line [Happily Ever After] and we also knew that it also had to stand on its own.”

Lehbauer said the committee had a lot of help and support from the mayor and City of Castlegar which she greatly appreciated.

But, even better, residents welcomed the film crew with open arms.

“They were here this summer to do the filming and they mentioned how friendly and accommodating people were,” Lehbauer said.

Lehbauer herself was one of those accommodating people.

If you look closely at the video, you will see Lehbauer dressed as a bride and riding on an ATV.

To view the video go to www.youtube.com and type in the search words YVR community showcase or visit www.castlegarnews.com.