It’s time for the 2010 Games. Does that headline sound about two weeks too old? Well, guess again. The Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games are almost underway. But it’s not your fault for not noticing — nobody has.

After 17 days straight of Olympic fever and Canadiana fervor, it’s not surprising we’re all a little tuckered out. The media has had its fill of red-and-white glory, and citizens across Canada poured their energies into big “end of Olympics” celebrations with Crosby’s goal over the U.S. in overtime. Frankly, the heart of Vancouver is exhausted.

We’re done with the ads promoting our country as the best in the world, we’re done with the national pride (as nice as it was) that rivalled that of our southern neighbours and we’re done with the party.

B.C.’s 2010 provincial budget came out last week, and it feels a bit like offering to buy the whole bar a round and then seeing the bill before it’s over. Because we’re not done yet. More than 1,350 athletes and officials from over 40 countries will take part in 64 events in five different sports at the Paralympics Games, taking place from March 12 to 21.

These Games have hailed some of the greatest athletes of our time. This is the place where household names like Rick Hansen now give way to this year’s up-and-coming athletes, like Victoria-born Jim Armstrong, who skipped his team to the gold medal at the 2009 World Curling Championships.

Canada hasn’t done too badly at the Paralympics historically — we even beat out the U.S. at Torino in 2006, pulling in 13 Paralympic medals over the U.S.’s 12. And, fun fact: B.C. athletes represent more than 40 per cent of this year’s 55-member Canadian Paralympic team.

Here, you’ll see alpine and cross-country skiing, biathlons, ice sledge hockey and wheelchair curling. And while a ticket to see the Olympic sports cost between $25 and $550, tickets for all events Paralympic range from $10 to $30.

But who’s watching? Premier Gordon Campbell congratulated the Canadian Paralympic team last week, saying “every one of you can go confidently into your competitions knowing that you have the support of an entire country behind you and millions of British Columbians and Canadians cheering you along.” Great words, but are they true?

These are athletes who have trained and readied themselves for years, like every Olympic hopeful. Yet these athletes have overcome even more obstacles, often their own bodies, to do so. If any Games should be celebrated, it’s these ones.

So why the Paralympic ignorance? It could come down to sponsorship. Yes, the Hudson’s Bay Company, RBC and all our favourite Olympic sponsors still have their claws locked into this venue, but lesser sponsors know that the Paralympic games are not as well watched or attended — so why would they dole out their cash?

In this negative feedback loop, the media doesn’t make as big a deal about these Games because outlets assume fewer audience members pay attention. The advertisers don’t support what they assume people don’t watch. And, finally, not as many people do watch, because they aren’t even privy to what’s going on.

Today, March 11, for example, the Paralympic torch is running through Vancouver on its journey to light the cauldron. But you probably won’t see it. You probably didn’t even know that the torch was in Victoria before it hit the mainland.

If every country was made to seek out their Olympic coverage, you can bet there’d be some angry fans in the backdrops. But who’s being vocal about the outright crime of shutting out the efforts of hundreds of individuals who strive for the same dream?

It’s time for Canada, and the world, to wake up to this embarrassing move and stop feeding into the ad-driven media oven that’s become our society. In the meantime, good luck finding coverage. Here’s hoping those “millions of Canadians” are paying attention.