Olympic Torch photos provided by Josh Taylor The Olympic spirit hit a fever pitch level today in North Bay as the torch made it’s way through the city streets for a big party celebration at Discovery North Bay Wednesday evening.
Olympic Torch photos provided by Josh TaylorThe Olympic spirit hit a fever pitch level today in North Bay as the torch made it’s way through the city streets for a big party celebration at Discovery North Bay Wednesday evening.
For more than a year the city has been planning to host the spectacular event marking the historic journey of the flame through Canada on its way to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games.
Before the big party got underway in the heart of the city residents had the opportunity to mingle with former area Olympic Athletes and share stories about how they felt getting ready for the games they competed in. Of course the meet and greet also offered the community an opportunity to thank the athletes for representing the city so proudly.
“The community is pumped and everybody is excited to be a part of it," said Kate Pace-Lindsay.
Lindsay along with former Olympians Barb Olmstead and Alyson Herst-Jackson signed autographs in preparation for the big event.
"As a former athlete from my perspective when it came through the community in 1988 I was obviously in Europe training and trying to qualify for a National team and eventually in 1992 qualify for the Olympic team so I was unable to sort of enjoy the celebration of the coming of the games,” she tells BayToday’s Chris Dawson.
“It was something that came and went and I really wasn't able to be a part of it because of my training circumstances and so on but this time to be able to have a different vantage point and to be able to celebrate with all of Canadians and the Olympic Games coming to Canada.”
“It’s been exciting the momentum is building, people are getting excited about the games that are taking place in 44 days from today, so I think it gives people in a community of North Bay that is not hosting obviously the Olympic games, but an opportunity to be a part of it for this one day."
The 2010 Olympic Flame will travel 45,000 km from coast to coast to coast over a 106-day period.
Thank you to John Crescenzi for the following video of Nicholas Fung, 13, a Chippewa Intermediate/Secondary School student as he carries the flame.
