The Honourable James Moore

Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays

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Issue

The investment of the Government of Canada for the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays will bring the excitement of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games to communities across the country.

Facts

The Government of Canada is providing $24.5 million to support the organization of the Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays, as well as local celebrations and innovative projects developed by community groups and youth organizations across the country.

The Olympic Torch Relay

The Olympic Torch will cross the ocean from Greece to Victoria, British Columbia, and then begin a 45 000-kilometre trip across Canada, involving 12 000 torch-bearers. With stops in every province and territory, the route for the Olympic Torch Relay is expected to pass through more than 1000 communities and reach, within one hour's drive, approximately 90 percent of the Canadian population. The Olympic Torch Relay will end at the Opening Ceremony in Vancouver on February 12, 2010, with the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron to signal the start of the 2010 Winter Games.

Not only will the flame be carried by hand, foot, plane and convoy, but the route plans will feature up to 100 different modes of transportation including:

• First Nations canoe
• horse-drawn carriage
• cross-country skis
• kayak
• snowmobile
• tractor

Enhanced programming for community celebrations will take place in Canada's provincial and territorial capitals, in the Olympic cities of Montréal and Calgary and in the National Capital on the following dates:

• St. John's, NFL: November 13, 2009
• Charlottetown, PEI: November 21, 2009
• Halifax, NS: November 18, 2009
• Fredericton, NB: November 25, 2009
• Québec, QC: December 2, 2009
• Toronto, ON: December 17, 2009
• Winnipeg, MB: January 5, 2010
• Regina, SK: January 9, 2010
• Edmonton, AB: January 13, 2010
• Victoria, BC: October 30, 2009
• Iqaluit, Nunavut: November 9, 2009
• Yellowknife, NWT: November 5, 2009
• Whitehorse, Yukon: November 3, 2009
• Montréal, QC: December 10, 2009
• Calgary, AB: January 18, 2010
• Canada's National Capital: December 12, 2009

The Paralympic Torch Relay

The Paralympic Torch Relay will touch the soul of the nation and inspire the world. The celebrations that take place around this torch relay will strengthen and foster a sense of community that will become a legacy of the 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay. More details regarding the Paralympic Torch Relay will be announced this summer.