2010 Winter Paralympics torch relay
Encyclopedia
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 will conclude 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".
, with the participation of torchbearers representing each province and territory of Canada
. Setting out from Ottawa, the Torch will 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 will 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 will be taken to BC Place Stadium
for the Games' opening ceremony.
In Ottawa, the celebration will be a Lighting Ceremony, during which "the local First Nations
communities of the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn
and Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg
" will light the Flame. The Torch will then travel to Parliament Hill
. At the end of the day, it will be extinguished, to be relit on March 4 by the local First Nations of its next stop.
In Quebec City, celebrations will be held on the campus of Laval University. In Toronto, on Nathan Phillips Square
. In Esquimalt, at the Archie Browning Sports Centre. The Flame will then be taken to Victoria by water taxi
and on a "Aboriginal traditional canoe", for celebrations at Ship Point (Victoria Inner Harbour). In Squamish, celebrations will occur 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 will be organised at Riley Park Community Centre, Spirit Square, the University of British Columbia
and Robson Square
.
The first bearer of the torch will be single-leg amputee marathon runner Rick Ball, triple world record holder and prospective Canadian competitor at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
in London
.
Other torchbearers will include:
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
. It began on March 3, 2010,in Ottawa and will conclude at the Games' opening ceremony
2010 Winter Paralympics opening ceremony
The Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Paralympics was held on March 12, 2010 beginning at 6:00 pm PST at the BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada....
on March 12. Held entirely within Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the host country, it has been described by the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games was the non-profit organization responsible for planning, organizing, financing and staging the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics...
as "an important event to connect Canadians to the Games", by "demonstrating the fire inside each individual and how it inspires others".
Route
The Paralympic Flame will be lit at a ceremony in OttawaOttawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, with the participation of torchbearers representing each province and territory of Canada
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
. Setting out from Ottawa, the Torch will be carried through Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
on March 4, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
on March 5, Esquimalt
Esquimalt, British Columbia
The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquimalt Harbour and Royal Roads, to the northwest by the...
and Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
on March 6, Squamish
Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
on March 7, Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
on March 8, Lytton
Lytton, British Columbia
Lytton in British Columbia, Canada, sits at the confluence of the Thompson River and Fraser River on the east side of the Fraser. The location has been inhabited by the Nlaka'pamux people for over 10,000 years, and is one of the earliest locations settled by non-natives in the Southern Interior of...
and Hope
Hope, British Columbia
Hope is a district municipality located at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Hope is at the eastern end of both the Fraser Valley and the Lower Mainland region, and is at the southern end of the Fraser Canyon...
on March 9, before spending the final three days in Vancouver. On March 10, it will visit Riley Park
Riley Park
Riley Park is in central Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is bounded by 8th Ave. NW, 10th St. NW, 5th Ave. NW and 12th St. NW. The park plays is host to Calgary's Cricket Leagues and Calgary Concert Band holds free concerts in the park during summer.-History:...
and Maple Ridge
Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Maple Ridge is a District Municipality in British Columbia, located in the northeastern section of Metro Vancouver. Maple Ridge has a population of approximately 68,949.-History:...
, then the campus of the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
on the following day. On March 12, after being borne through downtown Vancouver, the Flame will be taken to BC Place Stadium
BC Place Stadium
BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium located at the north side of False Creek, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the home field for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer . Originally opened on June 19, 1983 as the...
for the Games' opening ceremony.
Celebration Communities
The Organising Committee states that "[t]his relay is distinct from typical relays as it will happen in and around the Celebration Communities". A celebration ceremony will be organised at each stop of the relay, involving the community.In Ottawa, the celebration will be a Lighting Ceremony, during which "the local First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
communities of the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn
Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation
The Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation, formerly known as the Golden Lake First Nation, are an Algonquin First Nation in Ontario, Canada...
and Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg
Kitigan Zibi, Quebec
Kitigan Zibi is a First Nations Reserve of the Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation, an Algonquin band. It is situated at the confluence of the Désert and Gatineau Rivers, and borders south-west on the Town of Maniwaki in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada...
" will light the Flame. The Torch will then travel to Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
. At the end of the day, it will be extinguished, to be relit on March 4 by the local First Nations of its next stop.
In Quebec City, celebrations will be held on the campus of Laval University. In Toronto, on Nathan Phillips Square
Nathan Phillips Square
Nathan Phillips Square is an urban plaza that forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street, and named for Nathan Phillips, mayor of Toronto from 1955 to 1962. The square opened in 1965, and, as with the City Hall, the square was...
. In Esquimalt, at the Archie Browning Sports Centre. The Flame will then be taken to Victoria by water taxi
Water taxi
A water taxi or water bus, also known as a commuter boat, is a watercraft used to provide public transport, usually but not always in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or on demand to many locations, operating in a similar...
and on a "Aboriginal traditional canoe", for celebrations at Ship Point (Victoria Inner Harbour). In Squamish, celebrations will occur 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
Whistler Mountain
Whistler Mountain is a mountain in the Fitzsimmons Range of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains, located on the northwestern edge of Garibaldi Provincial Park. It is the location of the Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort and the town of Whistler, British Columbia.The original name of the 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 will be organised at Riley Park Community Centre, Spirit Square, the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
and Robson Square
Robson Square
Robson Square is a landmark civic centre and public plaza of modernist concrete, located in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the site of the Provincial Law Courts, UBC Robson Square, government office buildings, and public space connecting the newer development to the Vancouver Art...
.
Torchbearers
The Flame will be borne by "approximately 600 torchbearers" including "Canadians from all walks of life" as well as athletes.The first bearer of the torch will be single-leg amputee marathon runner Rick Ball, triple world record holder and prospective Canadian competitor at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
2012 Summer Paralympics
The 2012 Summer Paralympic Games will be the fourteenth Paralympics and will take place between 29 August and 9 September 2012. The Games will be held in London, United Kingdom after the city was successful with its bid for the Paralympics and Summer Olympic Games.Even though 2012 will be London's...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Other torchbearers will include:
- Dr. Robert SteadwardRobert SteadwardRobert Steadward, OC, AOE is a Canadian "author, sport scientist, manager, counsellor, consultant and community volunteer", who was the founding president of the International Paralympic Committee , which he presided from 1989 to 2001. Prior to that, he had founded the Canadian Sports Fund for the...
, founding president of the International Paralympic CommitteeInternational Paralympic CommitteeThe International Paralympic Committee is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nine sports...
from 1989 to 2001 - Rick MercerRick MercerRichard Vincent "Rick" Mercer is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger.Mercer first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in...
, broadcaster, comedian and commentator who "has significantly raised the profile of Paralympic sports through his work" - Jasmine Gerein, daughter of Clayton GereinClayton GereinClayton Gerein was a Canadian wheelchair athlete, who won 14 medals in racing events at the Paralympic Games between 1984 and 2008....
- seven-time Paralympic gold medallist who was a torchbearer at the 2010 Winter Olympics torch relay and died on January 9, 2010 - Chelsea Gotell, successful Paralympic swimmer who broke two world records at the 2008 Summer Paralympics2008 Summer ParalympicsThe 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao....
- Erica Noon, eighteen year-old single-arm amputee para-swimmer
- Simon Koomak, golfer suffering from brittle bone disease
- Jared Funk, two-time Paralympian wheelchair rugbyWheelchair rugbyWheelchair rugby, , is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is currently practiced in over twenty countries around the world and is a Paralympic sport....
player - Rick Goodfellow, "executive director the non-profit organization Challenge Community Vocational Alternatives that provides employment support and training to people with disabilities in YukonYukonYukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
" - Colin MacLeod, ice sledge hockey player with spina bifidaSpina bifidaSpina bifida is a developmental congenital disorder caused by the incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube. Some vertebrae overlying the spinal cord are not fully formed and remain unfused and open. If the opening is large enough, this allows a portion of the spinal cord to protrude through...
and hydrocephalusHydrocephalusHydrocephalus , also known as "water in the brain," is a medical condition in which there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles, or cavities, of the brain. This may cause increased intracranial pressure inside the skull and progressive enlargement of the head,... - Justin HinesJustin HinesJustin Hines is a Canadian singer-songwriter who was born in Newmarket, Ontario.Hines has a rare genetic joint condition called Larsen's syndrome and uses a wheelchair. He is a strong supporter of charity and has performed at many fund raising events...
, singer-songwriter with Larsen SyndromeLarsen syndromeLarsen syndrome , is a rare usually autosomal dominant congenital disorder that occurs in about every 1 in 100,000 people. Its symptoms include hypermobility, congenital dislocations, brachycephaly and cleft palate. It may rarely be recessive.... - Dean BergeronDean BergeronDean Bergeron is a Paralympic athlete from Canada competing mainly in category T52 sprint events.He competed in the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, United States...
, four-time Paralympian hockey player - Katherine Elkin, competitive para-swimmer
- Sabrina Pettinicchi Durepos, four-time Paralympian wheelchair basketballWheelchair basketballWheelchair basketball is basketball played by people in wheelchairs and is considered one of the major disabled sports practiced. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation is the governing body for this sport. It is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as the sole...
player - Arnold Boldt, three-time Paralympian track and field athlete
- Justine Belair, former competitive figure skater, representing the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nations
- Visually impaired four-time track and fieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
Paralympian France GagnéFrance GagneFrance Gagne is a paralympic athlete from Canada competing mainly in category F56 throwing events.France has competed in four paralympics, always in just the javelin and discus except in Sydney in 2000 where he also competed in shot... - Jeff AdamsJeff AdamsJeff Adams is a Canadian Paralympian and a six-time world champion in wheelchair sports. He has competed at six consecutive Summer Paralympics from 1988 to 2008, winning a total of three gold, four silver, and six bronze medals...
, six-time Paralympian, "one of Canada’s leading wheelchair athletes" in track and field - Brian Gray, a local community coach in hockey and several other sports in Esquimalt; he has cerebral palsyCerebral palsyCerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
- Peter Lawless, director of the Coaches Association of British Columbia and Coaches of Canada, founder of "the first wheelchair athletic training group on Vancouver Island"; he has trained several successful athletes with disabilities
- Matt Hallat, single-leg amputee alpine skier at the 2006 Winter Paralympics2006 Winter ParalympicsThe 2006 Winter Paralympic Games, the ninth Winter Paralympics, took place in Turin, Italy from 10 to 19 March 2006. These were the first Winter Paralympic Games to be held in Italy. They were also the first Paralympics to use the new paralympics logo....
- Andrea Drynock, successful double-leg amputee former competitive swimmer
- Heather Stewin, visually impaired founder of "Storytime in the Park", "a program dedicated to addressing literacy issues in the community" in Hope, British Columbia
- Priya (Jasdeep) Sekhon, paraplegicParaplegiaParaplegia is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek: παραπληγίη "half-striking". It is usually the result of spinal cord injury or a congenital condition such as spina bifida that affects the neural elements of the spinal canal...
fourteen year-old - Jennifer McKenzie, equestrian competitor at the 2008 Summer Paralympics2008 Summer ParalympicsThe 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao....
- Bonita Sawatzky, associate professor in orthopaedics (in the spine division) at the University of British Columbia, competitive cyclist with a disability
- Laurel Crosby, Canadian flagbearer at the 1988 and 1992 Summer Paralympics; former president of the Canadian Paralympic CommitteeCanadian Paralympic CommitteeThe Canadian Paralympic Committee - CPC is the private, non-profit organization representing Canadian Paralympic athletes in the International Paralympic Committee and the Parapan American Games...
Quebec City, March 4
- Denis Laflamme is the Manager, governmental affairs and health policies for Pfizer Canada
Toronto, March 5
- Johannah Jackson, daughter of Dr. Robert Jackson, one of the founding fathers of the Canadian Paralympic Movement
Victoria, March 6
- Janet Dunn, Paralympic movement coach and rehabilitation volunteer for over 25 years
Squamish, March 7
- Blair McIntosh, Canadian Paralympic Committee 2010 Chef de Mission for Team Canada and Team Ontario
Whistler, March 8
- Ken Melamed, Mayor of Whistler
- Jason Dunkerly, three-time Paralympic runner with a visual impairment
Vancouver, Hillcrest and Riley Park, March 10
- Jane Blaine, Executive Director for BC Blind Sports and Recreation Association and also the Executive Director/CEO for Canadian Blind Sports
Vancouver, downtown, March 11 and 12
- Athena Cooper, Web Administrator and Designer at 2010 Legacies Now
- Aiden McKee. contributor to book With Glowing Hearts
- Terrie Moore, co-chair of the CPC Classification Task Force, Executive Director of SportAbility BC
- Bianca Solterbeck, journalist with ShawTV
- Walter Wu, partially blind Paralympic swimmer, Terry Fox Hall of FameTerry Fox Hall of FameThe Terry Fox Hall of Fame recognizes "outstanding Canadians who have made extraordinary contributions to enriching the quality of life for people with physical disabilities". It is run by the Canadian Paraplegic Association. The Hall is named after Terry Fox, a cancer research activist who...
inductee - Eron Main, Secretary General of the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation, on the Board of the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association
- Tracey Keith, wife of Steven Keith, Director, Olympic Activation at Suncor Energy
- Michelle StilwellMichelle StilwellMichelle Stilwell is a Canadian wheelchair racer. She is the only female Paralympic athlete to have ever won gold in two separate summer sport events....
, Canadian Paralympian, wheelchair racing and wheelchair basketball - Senator Joyce FairbairnJoyce FairbairnJoyce Fairbairn, PC is a Canadian Senator and was the first woman to serve as Leader of the Government in the Senate....
, former Chair of "Friends of the Idiots ", chair of Canadian Paralympic Foundation - Ozzie Sawicki, founder and president of Pozitive Results Sport Strategies Inc. Head Coach and Program Director for the Canadian Disabled Alpine Ski Team from 2000 to 2004, Head Coach of the Canadian Para-Athletics (Track & Field) Program with Athletics Canada, sits on Boards for the Canadian Paralympic Committee, Coaches of Canada, the Canadian Ski Coaches Federation, and Coach Alberta
- Jack ChristieJack ChristieJack Christie is a former Formula car racer and manager and adviser to drivers including Paul Tracy, Scott Goodyear, and Ron Fellows. He founded the Canadian Formula 2000 series in 1981 and the Rothmans Porsche Challenge in 1986...
, sport journalist for the Georgia Straight - Lauren Barwick, Canadian Paralympian, para-dressage equestrian
- Sonia Gaudet, Canadian Paralympian, wheelchair curling, ambassador for the Rick Hansen Foundation, CPC, VANOC
- Cindy Crapper, record-setting track & field thrower, member of the International Day for People with Disabilities Celebration, BC Sport Group, BCRPA, City of Vancouver's Sport Strategy, Active Communities Initiatives, CAAWS; Women in Leadership and a member of the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association
- Josh Vander Vies, Canadian boccia player, Athlete Council Representation on the Canadian Paralympic CommitteeCanadian Paralympic CommitteeThe Canadian Paralympic Committee - CPC is the private, non-profit organization representing Canadian Paralympic athletes in the International Paralympic Committee and the Parapan American Games...
Board of Directors - Elisabeth Walker-Young, four-time Paralympian, member of the Athlete and Coach Selection Committee for Para-swimming Swimming Canada, Classification Specialist for VANOC for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games