NDP representatives from two levels of government will bring motions to the House of Commons and B.C.'s legislature this week demanding that Canada's Olympics include ski jumping in 2010.

Provincial MLA Harry Bains and MP Peter Julian told a rally in Vancouver that their parallel motions were meant to send a clear signal to officials from the International Olympic Committee, who are visiting Vancouver this week.

"They need to come out of their ivory towers," said Bains to a crowd of about 50 supporters on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery on Sunday. "They need to see that these are the core values that we believe in."

The rally and the announcement were timed for this week's arrival of Jacques Rogge, the president of the IOC, who will tour Vancouver facilities.

Rally organizers also purchased two billboards -- one outside Vancouver International Airport and the other opposite the offices of the Vancouver Organizing Committee -- to keep up the pressure on officials.

"Just imagine -- implementing the principle of equality of men and women. Let women ski jump in 2010," reads one of the signs.

Ski jumping is the only sport in which women won't compete alongside their male counterparts in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Olympic officials say they won't include the sport because there aren't enough athletes at an Olympic level of competition.

But advocates of women's ski jumping say the sport has broader appeal than others in the Vancouver games, pointing to 83 female ski jumpers in 14 countries.

By comparison, bobsled only has 26 competitors from 13 countries, said rally organizer Deedee Corradini.

Last year, the jumpers launched a human rights complaint, but settled when the Canadian government agreed to support the jumpers.

Also speaking at the rally were Liberal MP Hedy Fry and Vancouver councillors Peter Ladner and Raymond Louie.

"You heard all the reasons (the IOC has not included female ski jumping) and we've come down to one reason and one reason only: discrimination," said Fry as the crowd cheered.

Bains said his motion in B.C.'s legislature will read, "Whereas British Columbia is the host province to (the) 2010 Winter Olympics and whereas our core values include equality and inclusivity, be it resolved that the legislative assembly call on the International Olympic Committee to include women's ski jumping as a competitive event in the 2010 Olympic Games."

He said he would speak in the legislature Monday and the house speaker would decide when to schedule the motion for debate. If the motion passes, it would force the IOC to continue the official position of the province.

Julian said he would introduce a similar motion in the House of Commons this week that would reaffirm parliament's position, not just the government's.

"The issue is beginning to form a cloud over what should be a wonderful celebration of amateur sport," he said at the rally.