Oh Canada! The Olympic Torch Relay

by Connie on December 27, 2009

16flameThe 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. 14data

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….1bikingtorch

Cycling downtown- Seriously- Cycling in Ontario on December 28- CRAZY.  And not in a good way.  Bring on the snow anytime now Mother Nature…

 

2zamboni The Olympic Zamboni!3flags

4screenTimes Square has got nothin’ on Straford – Look- a video screen!
5mittens
6people

8people

11peopleCan you tell that I enjoyed people watching??!!

9cokeballcityhall

 

 Beach Balls were bouncing off everyone’s heads!

 10us

 

Here we are, being patriotic.  Mike, Baby Lauren and myself.  12coke

 

 The Relay is sponsored, in part, by CocaCola.

 12flame

 

 The Torch, entering the city

13torchlauren

 

We got our photo taken holding the torch.  Here is Lauren.15flame

 Leaving the city…

17timmy's

I like this shot with Tim Horton’s in the background.  Quisisential Canadian shot~

18cameraThis 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!

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

Cyn December 28, 2009 at 12:32 am

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.

KayY December 28, 2009 at 2:39 pm

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.

Digs January 1, 2010 at 9:22 pm

Awww….rah rah us! where in ON are you? Happy Canuck New Year, eh!

Kat February 14, 2010 at 11:55 am

Thanks for the picture vacation, Connie! That was really neat.

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