From the moment she walked into the Canada Winter Games Centre, Catriona Le May Doan sent a buzz around the building.

The Olympic gold medalist had kids and adults, male and female, worked into a frenzy as they caught sight of her, most of them asking for and receiving autographs and pictures.

Even though most Whitehorse residents realize the city has stepped up another rung on the ladder by landing the 2007 Canada Winter Games, with hundreds of national athletes visiting the territory before the Games even begin, a visit from an Olympian is still a huge deal.

Especially one as recognizable and charismatic as speed skater Le May Doan, one of the most successful Canadian athletes of all time.

'She's such a good person and, of course, a good skater,' said Melanie Tait, a member of the Yukon speed skating team. 'She's done so much for our sport.

'I started skating when I was 11 and I remember her saying she started when she was 11, too. So I always thought, maybe I can go to the Olympics.''

While Le May Doan was able to take in some of the action at the Canada Post Age Class Short Track Championships, held at the Canada Games Centre over the weekend, she was in Whitehorse Saturday to make a major sponsorship announcement with regard to the Canada Games.

Bell Canada will contribute $250,000 to the Games as part of the company's commitment to support athlete development. The sponsorship puts Bell at the Official Supplier level.

'Bell Canada is pleased to sponsor the Canada Winter Games, an important competition for our nation's high performance athletes,' said Chief Operating Officer Steve Lake.

'This event is a major stepping stone for our next generation of national team athletes and future Olympians to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, of which Bell is also a proud partner.'

The Bell sponsorship will include a financial contribution, cellular phones and service, and a permanent cellular site at the Canada Games Centre to enhance service within the facility in the lead-up to, during and after the Games.

Piers McDonald, the president of the 2007 host society, said the Bell sponsorship is very big for Whitehorse.

'We didn't really expect, because of the commitment from Northwestel (a subsidiary of Bell), another telecommunications company would find us a good fit. But Bell stepped up to the plate as well.

'We're extremely pleased with this contribution. It really demonstrates Bell's commitment to the athletes and the Games.'

McDonald added having an additional cellular site is essential for the Games, because without it, the cellular coverage would not have been adequate enough to support the demand.

Bell will also be the presenting sponsor of short track speed skating during the Games. They are already an existing sponsor of Speed Skate Canada.

The announcement was made prior to Saturday's medal presentations, with McDonald, Le May Doan, Northwestel President Paul Flaherty, Community Services Minister Glenn Hart and Whitehorse Mayor Ernie Bourassa taking centre stage on the Olympic ice surface at the Games Centre.

Le May Doan flew in just a couple of hours before the ceremony and was scheduled to speak at the banquet Saturday evening before flying out Sunday. She said it was important to her to accept the trip north when she was asked.

'This is a thrill for me, because you get to go back to the beginning. I skated in these championships, even in short track. These are the kids of our future in the sport I love.'

Le May Doan also took part in three Canada Games during her younger years two winter and one summer. She said she strongly believes in what the Games represent, both for the athletes competing and the spectators.

She also hopes the weekend's age class championships will introduce more kids to the sport, and get across the high level of competition that will be on display at the Canada Games. Many of the athletes from the Games will go on to win Olympic medals, just like she did.

Many of the skaters at the age class championships could also find themselves in the Olympics, and Le May Doan hoped to instill some inspiration when she met with them Saturday.

'I've been skating 23 years and it wasn't all easy. There were many struggles. That's what I want to get across to these kids. It's not just about the medals. It's about training camps, it's about bus trips, all those neat things.

'Hopefully (her visit) will make a difference to one of these skaters. That would make it all worth it. I hope I can inspire people until my last days.'

While her trip was short, Le May Doan still had time to take a tour of the Games Centre, which she called 'incredible.'

'This facility is beautiful. I joked that I can't believe the (Canada Games) store is open already, because I think a week before the Torino Games, they weren't ready yet.

'(The Games are) less than a year away, but it's going to be a great show.'

In a neat twist, one of the young athletes most inspired by Le May Doan was able to meet her for the first time on Saturday. New Brunswick resident Sarah O'Connor, who was competing in the juvenile girls category, has been writing letters to the Olympic speed skater for years.

When Le May Doan wrote her book, 'Going For Gold' in 2002, she asked O'Connor for permission to use some of her letters in the book, and subsequently did. But the two had never met face to face, until they were brought together in Whitehorse.