2010 Winter Paralympics torch relay

2010 Winter Paralympics
BC Premier Gordon Campbell and Roberto Luongo at Robson Square on March 11, 2010.

The 2010 Winter Paralympics Torch Relay was a 10-day event leading up to the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games in Vancouver. It began on March 3, 2010, in Ottawa and concluded at the Games' opening ceremony on March 12. Held entirely within Canada, the host country, it has been described by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games as "an important event to connect Canadians to the Games", by "demonstrating the fire inside each individual and how it inspires others".[1]

Route

The Paralympic Flame was lit at a ceremony in Ottawa, with the participation of torchbearers representing each province and territory of Canada. Setting out from Ottawa, the Torch was due to be carried through Quebec City on March 4, Toronto on March 5, Esquimalt and Victoria on March 6, Squamish on March 7, Whistler on March 8, Lytton and Hope on March 9, before spending the final three days in Vancouver. On March 10, it was scheduled to visit Riley Park and Maple Ridge, then the campus of the University of British Columbia on the following day. On March 12, after being borne through downtown Vancouver, the Flame was to be taken to BC Place Stadium for the Games' opening ceremony.[2]

Celebration Communities

The Organising Committee stated that "[t]his relay is distinct from typical relays as it will happen in and around the Celebration Communities".[1] A celebration ceremony will be organised at each stop of the relay, involving the community.

In Ottawa, the celebration was a Lighting Ceremony, during which "the local First Nations communities of the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn and Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg" would light the Flame. The Torch would then travel to Parliament Hill. At the end of the day, it was to be extinguished, to be relit on March 4 by the local First Nations of its next stop.[3]

In Quebec City, celebrations were held on the campus of Laval University; in Toronto, on Nathan Phillips Square; and in Esquimalt, at the Archie Browning Sports Centre. The Flame was then to be taken to Victoria by water taxi and on an "Aboriginal traditional canoe", for celebrations at Ship Point (Victoria Inner Harbour). In Squamish, celebrations were slated to take place on Cleveland Avenue; in Whistler, at Whistler Village Square, after being carried, "on various modes of transport, such as skis and a snowboard", "to the peak of the Blackcomb Mountain and taken on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola to Whistler Mountain". In Lytton, celebrations "will take place on 4th street at Fraser", and in Hope, at Memorial Park, on Wallace Street. Finally, in Vancouver, they were organised to take place at Riley Park Community Centre, Spirit Square, the University of British Columbia and Robson Square.[2]

Torchbearers

The Flame was scheduled to be borne by "approximately 600 torchbearers" including "Canadians from all walks of life" as well as athletes.[4]

The first bearer of the torch was single-leg amputee marathon runner Rick Ball, triple world record holder.[4]

Other torchbearers:

Quebec City, March 4

Toronto, March 5

Victoria, March 6

Squamish, March 7

Whistler, March 8

Vancouver, Hillcrest and Riley Park, March 10

Vancouver, University of British Columbia, March 11

Vancouver, downtown, March 11 and 12

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "2010 Paralympic Torch Relay", Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 2)
  2. 1 2 "2010 Paralympic Torch Relay: Daily Highlights", Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 2)
  3. "Lighting Ceremony", Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 2)
  4. 1 2 "Torchbearers", Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 2)
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "First Torchbearers", Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 3)
  6. "March 4 - Quebec City", Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 2)
  7. "March 5 - Toronto", Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 2)
  8. 1 2 "March 6 - Esquimalt and Victoria", Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 3)
  9. "March 8 - Whistler", Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 3)
  10. 1 2 "March 9 - Lytton and Hope", Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 3)
  11. 1 2 "March 10 - Vancouver (Riley Park) and Maple Ridge", Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 3)
  12. "March 11 - Vancouver (UBC)", Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 3)
  13. "March 12 - 24-hour relay in Vancouver (downtown)", Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 3)
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