The Olympic Flame has been making it’s way through Canada for the past few months. It began its journey on October 30, starting out in Victoria, BC. Since then it has passed within 100 kilometers of 90% of the population of Canada- a pretty cool statistic, I think.
Living in Southwestern Ontario, we have had ample opportunity this week to see the Relay. It did, in fact, travel down the road just 8 kilometers from our farm. I was all prepared to stand there and cheer it by, just as we did during the 1988 Torch Relay, but I was informed that the torch is being driven in a van to the outskirts of towns and cities, and only then is it hand carried. What the what?!! In 1988, wasn’t it actually “hand run” everywhere? I guess in order to access the most people, certain corners have to be cut, but I prefer the “sea to shining sea” aspect of it being passed from upraised arm to upraised arm across the country. 
Still, we gathered in Straford this morning to witness the event. My sister in law lives in Stratford- (which, by the way, is a great theatre town and awesome for shopping and dining too. It boasts the best Shakespearean Festival this side of anywhere!) and she invited us down to see it there.
As a picture is worth a thousand words, here is a photo synopsis of our day….
Cycling downtown- Seriously- Cycling in Ontario on December 28- CRAZY. And not in a good way. Bring on the snow anytime now Mother Nature…
The Olympic Zamboni!
Times Square has got nothin’ on Straford – Look- a video screen!
Can you tell that I enjoyed people watching??!!
Beach Balls were bouncing off everyone’s heads!
Here we are, being patriotic. Mike, Baby Lauren and myself. 
The Relay is sponsored, in part, by CocaCola.
The Torch, entering the city
We got our photo taken holding the torch. Here is Lauren.
Leaving the city…
I like this shot with Tim Horton’s in the background. Quisisential Canadian shot~
This CTV cameraman seems to be saying ” yup, and now it’s gone!”
And that, sadly, is the closest that this woman will get to the Olympics. I was hoping to Ski Patrol for the Olympics, and I was invited to Patrol the downhill races at the Paralympics immediately following the Olympics, but decided not to. I will likely kick myself in years to come. Oh well. That, as they say, is life!
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My daughter and I saw it when it came into London. I was really disappointed by the fact it wasn’t carried only by hand the whole way. That used to be a direct violation of Olympic rules but I guess times have changed. I am not the world’s biggest Olympic fan but I must say it was a very cool, likely once in a lifetime chance to see the torch being brought in and the “cauldron” lit in Victoria Park.
I ignored the torch relay when it was in our neighbourhood, but I have to say, it was pretty cool to meet someone (one of my brother’s SILs) who actually got to run a little segment of the relay. She brought her torch when she came to my brother’s house, and I got my picture taken with it.
Awww….rah rah us! where in ON are you? Happy Canuck New Year, eh!
Thanks for the picture vacation, Connie! That was really neat.