By Duncan Mackay at the Westin Harbour Castle Conference Centre in Toronto

Royal Canadian Mint logoOctober 9 - Medals for the 2015 Pan American and Parapan Games in Toronto will be designed and produced by the Royal Canadian Mint, it was announced here today.


As the Official Medals Design and Production Supplier for the Games, the Mint will produce athlete and participant medals, as well as offer numismatic coins and other related products to help promote Toronto 2015.

"With the expertise and innovative spirit of the Royal Canadian Mint, we plan to push the design of Pan Am and Parapan Am medals to a whole new level," said Ian Troop, the Toronto 2015 chief executive.

"Every medal struck will tell a story - the story of the athlete's success and the warm welcome they received in Toronto and the Games region in 2015.

"They will be worn with pride, treasured and shared while offering a tangible reminder to everyone who sees them as a legacy of the 'People's Games'."

The Royal Canadian Mint produced the medals for the 2010 Winter Olympics and Parlaympics in VancouverThe Royal Canadian Mint produced the medals for the 2010 Winter Olympics and Parlaympics in Vancouver

The Mint, which is based in the capital Ottawa and produces all of Canada's circulation coins, had previously produced the medals for the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Vancouver and the 1976 Summer Games in Montreal. 

The deal was announced on the opening day of the Pan American Sports Organization General Assembly here today. 

"The Royal Canadian Mint is proud to partner with the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games by handcrafting the athlete medals, which will be unique and unforgettable keepsakes of the Games," said Ian E. Bennett, President and chief executive of the Royal Canadian Mint.

"The Mint is renowned for excellence, innovation and quality, and our employees are thrilled to once again deploy their skill and creativity to honour athletes whose own quest for excellence inspires us all."

For the 2015 Games, the medal designs will be unique from one another while remaining distinctly related through the design and the production process, officials claimed.

The designs are due to be publicly released in spring 2015.

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