Olympic Torch Enters British Columbia
Friday, January 22nd, 2010
The Olympic Torch, which started its journey to the Vancouver Winter Olympics in Greece, visiting several Greek ski resorts en route, will today, January 21st, enter British Columbia.
In recent weeks the torch has been carried by British ski jumping hero Eddie The Eagle and visited the venues of the 1998 Calgary Winter Olympics in Alberta, Canada, where Eddie literally leapt to fame 22 years ago. The torch is spending 106 days crossing Canada having arrived on October 30th last year. It will travel more than 45,000 km across the country
The Olympic Flame will cross the boundary between Banff and Yoho National Parks and arrive in British Columbia. To support the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay celebrations, the Government of Canada is offering free admission at Parks Canada’s national parks and national historic sites on the day the flame is visiting.
“The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay is showcasing the best of Canada and Canadians to the world. I am very pleased that so many of our national parks and national historic sites are involved in the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.,” said Canada’s Environment Minister, Jim Prentice. “Canadians are proud of their national parks and national historic sites as symbols of this great country.”
On Friday 22nd the torch will stop for a warm up at Radium Hot Springs in Kootenay National Park. Torchbearers will carry the torch through narrow Sinclair Canyon into the community of Radium Hot Springs. The community of Radium Hot Springs will kick-off its first annual winter festival with the arrival of the Olympic Flame.
Next Tuesday, January 26, Parks Canada and the community of Revelstoke will welcome the Olympic Flame with a celebration of a century of skiing, ski racing, and ski-jumping. Mount Revelstoke National Park is the original home of Canada’s oldest ski club, and the only place in Canada where world records in ski-jumping have ever been set.
Whistler and Vancouver which will be hosting the Winter Olympics from the 12th to 28th February.
