Vancouver Olympics Red Mittens
The organizers of the Vancouver Olympics 2010 have come out with an affordable and practical souvenir of the upcoming Olympics - red mittens. The knitted mittens have a white Maple Leaf in the heart of each palm and the Olympic Rings and Vancouver 2010 on the outside. The red mittens match those that will be worn by the 12,000 torchbearers who will carry the Olympic flame in the torch relay to more than 1,000 communities in Canada beginning October 30, 2009.
Proceeds from the sale of the mittens will complete the funding of the Own the Podium initiative, which provides Canadian athletes with top equipment and training for the 2010 Olympics.
The mittens cost $10, and go on sale October 1, 2009 at Zellers, the Bay and Home Outfitters stores. They'll also be available at Olympic Stores at the Vancouver International Airport and in Whistler, and at a selection of communities along the torch relay route. The organizers are hoping for a sea of red mittens to wave the torch on its way across Canada.
Photo: © VANOC/COVAN
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Comments
After purchasing a pair of the red mittens, I found to my disappointment that they were made in China. What is wrong with this picture! The way our economy is today you would think that some attempt could have been made to have them made here. I am totally disgusted with the whole ide.
get over it….there is way more profit to be made for OUR Canadian athletes, if the overhead cost of the mittens is low! Yes we have great products here but things like that can be mass produced cheaply in China
I, for the most part, agree with Gwen. If the mittens had been produced in Canada, you’d be supporting both the Canadian athletes and Canadian manufacturing. So although a higher overhead might mean a lower relative financial contribution to Canadian athletes (just how much per sale is being contributed?), there will be an infinitely greater financial contribution to Canadian manufacturing. In fact, if I knew I was investing manufacturing and athletics would be happy to pay $15. I would imagine that if you were to sell the mittens as a product made for Canadians, by Canadians, in support of Canadians, you would attract an even larger consummer base. Furthermore, let’s not forget that not all Canadians support athletics, but my guess is that 99% Canadians support the Canadian economy.
No “Red” mittens for this guy.
That’s like buying shoulder badges for the US Border Patrol, made in Mexico.
When are we going to wise up.
So Canada has no knitting machines, or the know-how?
Ridiculous!!
Ed’s right on. No Red red mitts for me.
Hello, what I would like to know is that with these mittens do the proceeds help both OLYMPIC and PARALYMPIC athletes? If not I do not see how this is humanely acceptable! Why aren’t the PARALYMPICS show cased just as much as the OLYMPICS are?!
I am a former Summer Paralympian, and I know that when I went to the 1992 games it cost me almost double what it cost our “Olympic” athlete! I didn’t work any less or it wasn’t any easier for me to get there! I had train and work out long and hard if not harder to prove I was ready! So, why are we not helping our PARALYMPIANS in the same way that we are helping the “OLYMPIANS”?! I see no difference in the two!
I just want to know so I can PROUDLY support BOTH! I WILL NOT SUPPORT ONE OVER THE OTHER!!!! We are all equal, or at least thats what Canadians say. Now lets show it!
I was planning to purchase at least 10 pairs of mittens, thinking that I was supporting a good cause. How much of the “prodeeds” actually go to the olympians and how much goes to China. I agree with the other posts, they should have been manufactured in Canada by Canadians for Canadians. Shame on the Olympics!!!!
Oh come on now, what isn’t made in China?… flip your keyboard, or look at the back of your monitor, and I guarantee something came from China on it. Point it… I have a pair and wear them proudly. The *Made in China* tag is hidden…but the noteable Canadian Maple Leaf is on display. Let’s just be proud.
I would have gladly paid $30 -$40 for a pair of “made in Canada” mittens in support of our olympic team. Instead I have now supported the chinese economy and probably their athletes. What a shame. I will not wear my mittens
Steve is right. Made in Canada, by Canadians, for Canadians would have been the correct way to go.
You all neglected to mention the Red Mitts and other Olympic items are only carried by an American-owned chain of stores.
These Olympic merchandised souvenir’s that they sell in Zellers and the Bay are all made in China.They should bloody well send all of this crap back to China.Our Vancouver Olympic uniforms and souvenir’s should be made here in Canada.I refuse to to buy any more junk made in China.I want to buy “MADE IN CANADA”
Vicky..
Hiding the Made in China label won’t do much for the economy.
Sure…the Maple Leaf isn’t hard to reproduce, even for the Chinese.
Just like they reproduce all other copy writes.
Accepting that everything will be made in China in the future, is a trade off, so we might as well start importing their Bicycles, and send them our Gas guzzlers.
Ooops to late.
-Ed-
I agree with most of the above. Too many items are made in China and that is why they have large investments in the US and Canada. I say buy local or at least Canadian. Help to support Canadians as well as the olympics.
Iwas planing on buyng some “red mittens” for my grandchildren for Xmas, but after reading the comments on this page I think not.
Our Olympic souviner for Canada ……….made in China…..
not good
I was going to buy mittens for my whole family. Which is a lot. After reading they were made in China, I guess not. We will find another way to wave on the torch bearer.
I totally agree with Steve. We should be supporting the Canadian economy as well as our Olympic athletes. Don’t know if I will buy five pairs as I had planned.
I had planned on buying Red Mittens for my Grandchildren,, BUT MADE IN CHINA…NEVER, what is wrong with us Canadians…Get a new Committee, BUY IN CANADA..This is hard to believe that Canada would do this, no matter the cost of making them.
SHAME ON YOU COMMITTEE.. You did not make me proud.
Ruth
I live in the US but planned to ask my aunt in Niagara Falls to get several pairs for us. Now I have NO interest in buying these at all. They look very nice but I can’t imagine that you go to another country to have them manufactured.
I don’t trust the quality of anything manufactured in China, they have proven many times that they will compromise safety to save money..
Where is the “red mitten campaigne” to support the thousands of workers who lost their jobs because their place of work is within the “security zone” and has had to shut down?
Seems like we have a “common” lament. This is unique for Canada and most Canadians. (We’re nice)
My biggest “bitch” is…pardon my language..if it’s our Winter Olympics, are we going to buy these mittens at the “Dollar Store” for a Dollar (+).
I remember Canada Day…The Dollar Stores were filled with Maple Leaf paraphernalia. Pens..Flags..Key Chains..etc.
Do we not realize..hold on…………………………….Oops..My Keyboard comes from China…Computer comes from China..(IT is so sad)
Stopped putting “Mushroom from a Can” on my Steak. You guessed it “Made in China”.
Have we adopted GWB’s scenario about jobs Canadians don’t want/need to do? Mushrooms?? Come on.
I may be straying from the original subject about “Red Mittens to support “our” Winter Olympics, but it just creeps up on you.
China doesn’t need to invade…they are already here.
When this computer breaks down, or gets obsolete, I have promised myself..the next one will be “Made in Canada”
Meet you at the Library. Oh..Oh.
-Ed-
I think that you are all nuts. You are taking something that could provide a lot of fun and smiles on the faces of family members, grandchildren etc. and making it into an “issue”. I think that our athletes work long and hard at their sports and deserve our financial help to aid them as much as possible. The mittens weren’t made in Canada and never will be –at least not this time. So if you want a pair or twenty pairs for heavens sake just buy them in support of the athletes. By not doing so you are sticking it to the athletes not the olympic committee!!!!
Linda, I completely agree with you!
For those that diagree with a “made in china” set of mittens, I recommend you take a few courses in international trade and economics. Policies of protectionism (i.e. only buy whats made in Canada) will quickly lead to a deterioration in our own standard of living.
It’s abundantely clear the majority of people here are highly opinionated but generally ignorant of how it all works…
Just buy the mittens and support the athletes.
If/when Canada has a flourishing competitive textiles industry we’ll get the contracts to make the mittens… in the meantime, we excel at auto manufacturing, commodities extraction, high technology and other services that are higher yielding sectors.
Be proud we don’t make textiles as its labour intensive and low benefit yielding work. Leave it to countries that don’t mind impoverishing their people so we can live well in the west. What we do in Canada gives a bigger bang for the buck than what they do in China (a country that has a very low per capita GDP). At the end of the day we are better off for letting the chinese make the textiles.
I am very much in support of our Canadian athletes but am far more willing to support the people that need jobs, to feed themselves and their children, now and forever. If we continue to allow and support entire industries to be exported en masse we may not be a viable olympic contender as children of people in such industries may never reach their sporting, and educational or social full potentials due to financial constraints we are imposing by insisting that the cheapest route is the best, it is self serving and unsustainable.
Tom, the textile sector left Canada over a half century ago. We supplanted it with several other areas including high technology and services. Accordinly, the economy has grown and the average Canadians’ standard of living increased.
I suggest you do some learning on international trade and economics. In particular I point you towards David Ricardo. Maybe then you’ll see how your remarks are protectionist and in the long run, the philosophy you have embraced is the one that is unsustainable.
Problem solved! http://www.bluenose2.ns.ca/Catalogue/Clothing/OhCanadaMittens.html
Get over it people…. No one bitched and complained when in 2002 Roots Canada sponsored the US Olympic team… So not wearing something that is “made in china” FOR Canadians is pretty sad.
If it wasn’t for the Olympics would all of you have the same opinion? I think not.
I think it’s a shame that the producers of the mittens didn’t have the foresight to produce the mittens here at home… But if “some” proceeds actually do make it to the athletes I think we should all still consider buying them. Canada’s elite athletes, paralympics or olympics, and sadly funded. It’s embarassing. And whether you are pro or against the olympics- you have to support the players even if you don’t support the games. It’s like being a supporter of the troops, without agreeing with the war.
Maybe Canada should rethink there idea and instead of mittens made in China, they can make Tuques being a Canadian born product as well have them made in OUR OWN COUNTRY!!! Who is running our country? wtf
I am mad that I have been trying to buy a pair of these for weeks and you cannot find them anywhere.If they want to make the athletes money for the games have the product ready and available for people to buy.Its ridiculous.
I wanted to buy these for my family members in Europe but since you say they are Chinese I am not going to. There’s no connection with Canada where I live so sorry no business. I also think we should support Canadian products, everything might be cheaper from China but I am not Chinese so why should I pay their taxis (for sure included in price) and why should I pay for their retirements? I’d rather do it for Canadians because I live here now.
I agree 100% with Ryan. This is such a simple economics concept that it’s frustrating when people don’t understand.
Should I explain “comparative advantage”?
I wanted to research where these mittens were made before I bought them and stumbled upon this thread. Thank you for answering my question. I will not buy these since they are made in China, I am sick and tired of buying Chinese “crap” and contributing more garbage to our landfills. As someone else pointed out, I would have been more than happy to pay $30-$40 for a pair that were made in Canada and that would’ve (most likely) last longer.
Re: Ryan and Ken:
Although your basic economic argument is fundamentally sound, I fear that you have forgotten the basic human element that also must be included in this discussion. I won’t even mention child slave labour or environmental issues like pollution, air commons and tainted water supplies.
Canada is not the automotive powerhouse that you propose that it is. The big three provided career jobs with people making a “living wage” for their family. Since the repetitive down sizing of the auto industry, despite the “Auto pact”, look it up.
Toyota has only provided wages that are slightly above the standard minimum wage. If you really want to look at the truth of the industry, find out what happened when the U.S. brought them in to build a plant. All the contractors came from their home country; all the steel was brought in as well. No unions were used. The entire car was built back home and shipped to America to be assembled, not manufactured there.
If you want to talk about protectionist practices ask about the “rules” about GM and other manufactures selling cars in CHINA. They can’t. The tariffs all but cripple the purchase of American products.
It sounds to me like you need to get out of the classroom and back into the real world to see that theories are great, but don’t always work in real life and sometimes the world changes or needs to change to show the inadequacies of the current economic movement.
Mr. A
Support Canada 1st, North America 2nd.
Mr. A,
Its easy to sound right by focusing on small examples. As a whole, international trade and allowing comparative advantages between nation states has lead to an overall increase in the standard of living of the world. Yes some countries are impacted more than others. Yes there are hic-ups along the way as transition can never be as smooth as we desire – this is part of the human condition. Overall, globally, I believe the world has moved on and improved and that economic statistics largely support that.
I agree with prefering something to not be made in China until their evironmental standards and human rights standards increase to those of at least the western world. But the “reality” is, you all buy things imported from China and other countries unless Canada is a market expert in it.
None of you have purchased everything you own from North American, let alone, Canadian manufacturers.
Why should the mittens be any different? Just because they are for the Olymics? Why the double standard? Just because there is a maple leaf on it? I think, Mr. A, you need be a little less hypocritical and realize I actually have a better graspe of the reality of it all than you.
Please, I am desperately trying to buy the Olympic Red Mittens. Zellers are sold out in 10 minutes of receiving them. I need them for Christmas presents for all my family (about 12) Where can I buy them on line?
Myrna,
If you have a VISA card, you can buy them at the Olympic Store at
http://www.vancouver2010.com/store/clothing/red-mittens/vancouver-2010-red-mittens-adult-br-new-inventory-coming-soon/prodRTUAF915.html
They say they are temporarily out of stock but getting more November 1.
Susan
Neither the mittens or the Team Canada hockey jerseys are made in Canada. Guess I won’t be sporting a Team Canada jersey and mittens.
People!!!! Where has your Olympic spirit gone? ………I’d suggest you go through your homes and with your attitude towards ‘made in China’ you will be able to do a ‘clean sweep’.
These are a pair of mittens…buy them or not but let’s not attack people, committees and countries. I can’t wait to get the mittens so we can proudly support Olympic athletes but the jobs of folks working at retail stores where the products are sold and yes, even the Chinese people…………..we live in a global community, like it or not!!
Well said D Brown.
Instead of complaining about the mitts why don’t you put your money where your mouth or in this case fingers are and start knitting and support our athletes? I think these mitts are a great idea and they show our support for Canada. If you don’t like the made in China, you should probably empty out your house because who here can tell me they do not own anything that is made in China. Yes it would be nice if it were Made in Canada but the overall proceeds would be much less. I want some of those red mitts and I can’t find them anywhere cause they are selling like hotcakes. I don’t hear anyone saying that they would sponsor an athlete any other way. You should just be proud to be able to support them in any way possible.
The Squamish Adventrure Center sells them, they will have a ton in stock starting Tuesday. Line up now!
I hope all of you that had planned on buying Mitts but changed your mind due to their “made in China” tag still find a way to funnel those monies into the Canadian Olympic movement. It is financial support they need never mind the product’s origin. I know I still plan to buy several pairs for Xmas gifts once they are available again.
There’s a ton of them available at the stores here in Canada, I was at a Zellers today and they had a huge bin of the adult sized mittens.
Oh you poor wee kittens……whining about your red mittens!
Most things are made in China these days, get over it. The olympics ARE being held in Canada. All we Canadians seem to be good at is COMPLAINING, it is embarrassing.
Part of the money goes to our athletes. My whole family will be getting mittens and wearing them proudly just as the torch bearers will be doing!
Ryan:
I still agree withyou basic statement concerning the present state of economic affairs in Canada and across the Globe. That point has never been in question, What is in question is whether we as consumers should continue to support, by purchasing, products that are made in third world countries that have no desire to alter their record of environmental or human rights issues.
Simply because the market is flooded with these poor options does not mean that I must buy them. Lets talk about why the market is flooded with these products. Is it truly because it makes the best economic sense??? Maybe for some people, but not for all. I understand the need to raise the standard of living across the world, but I challenge you to prove that the standard of living in these third world countries has altered one bit. We all know that in reality the companies who make these products never share their profits with their employees. If they did they would loose their competitive advantage. So after decade of repeatedly promising to alter the standard of living for their employees nothing has changed. We know that nothing will. All that happens is that the standard of living in North America has plummeted with the highest levels of unemployment and staggering levels of welfare.
The real reason the market is full of these products is because we don’t have a choice to buy most of the products anywhere else. It is simple if I am offered three different pairs of mittens all made in China and I need mittens. I guess I choose to have cold hands or I search for someone from North America who can make mittens.
This discussion is about corporate profits over people and jobs. Everyone wants the high paying job, but they are also happy to not support even their own company to keep their own jobs. You can’t have both. Unless you are part of the corporate world, then you have a good paying job and you turn a blind eye to the atrocities happening in China so you can have the special red mittens and make the company huge profits.
Its about morals and values and profits and people.
BTW. Anytime I have a choice I choose to buy products made here in North America. I only buy foreign products when I don’t have a choice. Hardly hypocritical.
Thanks for the discussion Ryan.
Mr. A
Support Canada 1st, North America 2nd.
Reviewing the pro-mitten group comments. It is sad to see such narrow minded people in Canada.
GET A LIFE. Any way I can support our athletes, I will. So the dang mitts aren’t made in Canada, get over it. To boycott buying the mitts is the same as boycotting our athletes. Sure you don’t have to agree with where they were made, however the fact is they were made in China and you’re not going to change it now. Go buy the mitts and support you athletes.
I was going to buy 15 pair of mittens. But made in China,
no way. If we knew how much was going to our athletes and how much to China , that might make a difference.
Where can i find these “red mittens” need 20 pairs for my staff. Making a Christmas float theme “magic of the medals”. Thought it would be nice!!!
Support Canadian Olympians without supporting china.
Make a donation.
Shame on Canada. I too was going to purchase mittens for my grandchildren – sadly now i will not. What is going on in the heads of the powers that be that they would choose China over our own country. I don’t understand. If it can be made here – it should be. We need to be supporting our own. It’s kind of like Sears and their call centres in the Phillippines – they should move their stores there too. They want us to shop in their stores in this country but they aren’t. They went shopping out of the country for their employees. Shame on them too.
omg, i can’t beleive people these days. it’s a global economy people, things are made all over the place. i would definitely buy a pair of mittens made in canada and would prefer it, but i can’t spend $40 per pair for each of my family members. come on, we’re in a recession so good on those people for trying to make the mittens affordable. it’s not a big deal anyways. if you want something made in canada, then go to lulu lemon and spend the money
I would love to buy some red mittens to support the Olympic athletes, made in China or not, you’re supporting athletes, get over it. Anyway, I would love to buy the mittens but the website still says (today is November 7) that they are out of stock and I haven’t seen them in the stores that are on the website yet so what’s up with that!!!!!!!!
I’ve just read through all the comments here. The reason I’ve checked this out is, I was recently on holiday in Canada and the USA (my home country), from England (my new home). Saw the TV commercial for the red mittens and thought, great, souvenier-shopping problem solved. As you all know, I couldn’t get them while in N America, and now I’m back in the UK and see there are decisions to be made about pursuing a purchase.
Interestingly, when London was awarded the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in 2005, I expected to run right out and get souvenier t-shirts for all the family back in the US. You guessed it, even now, 4.5 years on, there are still no 2012 souveniers to be had (made in China or otherwise).
As an ex-retailer, I find this astonishing.
…still out of stock. I asked my local Zellers if they had any and they said that 30 mittens came in on Oct 1. Those were purchased mostly by store staff, but of couse I should keep checking back.
Made in China or not…I won’t be able to purchase them because they aren’t available.
I thought you might be able to order them online since we have none of these stores close by
After reading all these articles I’m not sure what to say. On one hand I agree we could have and should have manufactured these mittens here in Canada thus supporting our own economy. Yes many people would have been happy to pay much more for them. On the other hand having them made in china supports international trade, and yes probably their athletes, and good will between the coutries. With the cheaper production cost more people can afford to purchase them that would otherwise not be able to. So buy them or don’t it’s your choice. Canada is as free a country as you will find be proud of it and be CANADAIN first!
Ryan…
This is the kind of thinking which got us here to begin with. Just because this is the way things are done does not mean it is the right thing to do. So it seems that if you go by the book and continue to give business to countries who abuse the rights of workers then you are no better than the people who are using this policy of abuse to trim down the bottom line. The workers who create those mittens are shipped in from the countryside where they receive very little in basic human needs and are worked hours on end until they drop and are replaced. Their compensation is trivial for the amount of work they produce and the item is packaged and shipped to our shelves where we pay a minimal fee for it. The Olympics are a time for Canadians to celebrate all things Canadian. We should be celebrating what we stand for instead. What I am trying to say is, if you buy a pair of those mittens you are not supporting just the Canadian Athletes, you are supporting the abuse of workers in China.
Or we can just turn a blind eye to these problems because they are not happening to people in our country. Not very Canadian if you ask me.
Who cares if the mittens are made in China? The clothes on our back are most likely made in China too, so why the sudden outrage? It’s no different from how it was since we became a country. Besides, if we didn’t screw ourselves over for the sake of other countries then no one would like us.
Support your Canadian Athlethes any way you can. I know I will.
I am Chinese Canadian and I’m buying a pair mittens. I am also made in China and Canadian. Buy me! Help your economy?
“if you buy a pair of those mittens you are not supporting just the Canadian Athletes, you are supporting the abuse of workers in China.” Dude, Seriously?
If these mitts were manufactured in Canada, I’d probably see my aunt in the sewing factory.
Why do we always have to screw ourselves for the sake of other countries just so that we can be liked? I am glad that we’re cheating at the olympics by closing the doors to practice areans in everyone’s face. I hate this nice mentality. We should be more like the U.S and start giving the middle finger to others more often.
Oh, and support your canadian athletes.
I Think I will Knit My Own Mittens.
Just got to buy Red and White wool.
Made Right Here in Canada..
I am also knitting my own mittens and will make some for friends and family.
Made in China!!! The people who made that decision should be ashamed. Willthere be any Olympic souvenirs that are made in Canada?
Get over it people. The purpose of the mitts is to raise money for the athletes…not support the Canadian economy. Unfortunately, we tend to not financially support our athletes well…not as individuals or as a country. For us to now undermine the athletes chance to gain some financial support because we don’t like the fact this item was not Canadian made is just sad. While I personally try to purchase Canadian made products as much as possible, we all know that Canadian made would mean less profit for the athletes…and they should be the focus of this endeavor…not our personal issues with the way in which the global economy works.
I was going to buy some mittens for relatives in Poland. I have an issue with the Made in China tag but do not wish to penalize our athletes for the stupid decision of an idiot who did not connect the dots. Did they not think that people would notice the fact that these were not made in Canada? Will we never learn?
I have a pair of mittens and can’t wait for the stores to have more so I can buy 15 pairs for gifts and 60 more for give-a-ways when the Olympic torch comes to our town! I don’t care where they are made. I am supporting our athletes and feel very patriotic doing so; particularly when I am wearing the mittens!
Wake up folks!! Most of the products that say “Made in Canada” are made mostly in China and packaged in Canada. A very small percentage of the product needs to be from here for that stamp to be on the product. No one is willing to pay the price it takes for the product to really be “Made in Canada”.
I think all the people that are in favor of made in China are from China. In you are born hear in Canada you should be for Canada. China is destroying the world market place with all their garbage. We need to bring production back to Canada and stop being a country of consumers.
Moot Point. You can’t buy the mittens anywhere anyway! All sold out. Obviously there are a lot of people who don’t care where they’re made; they just want the mittens! I am one of those people and wish they’d appear sooner rather than later!
I would like to see TWO groups of Red Mittens for sale: ones made in Canada priced at $15 a pair, and ones from China at $10 a set. I would bet that the Canadian ones would fly off the shelves faster!
I live in a community that has many children that could use a warm pair of mitten’s this winter, both friends and peaple whom I work with would like to contribute. We would love to help the children as well as our talented athletes. Please help us help them. If you can give me a number other than web site to call and order many pairs this will help many. So far delivery dates are not making our goal for christmas.
We want to help pls someone contact me.
Sincerely,
Kathleen
Just bought 3 pairs of those red mittens. Something to think about – human manufacturing of ANYTHING comes with pollution and some degree of environmental destruction, including the manufacturing of the mittens, whether you knit it yourself or not. (Think of the dye used to make the wool, or anything red – the chemical is probably not environmentally friendly!). Let’s keep the pollution in the far east while we’re enjoying fresh air. What’s good about strong economy if we breathe bad air? You’ll end up spending more money on your health.