North Bay To Be A Celebration Community
MEDIA RELEASE
November 21, 2008
NORTH BAY, ONTARIO: Residents of North Bay anxious to catch the Olympic Spirit will have the opportunity to see the Olympic Flame in person on Wednesday, December 30th, 2009 as it passes through on its way towards the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC, will reach over 90 per cent of Canadians within a one-hour drive. The torch relay route is available at vancouver2010.com and information on how residents can apply to be torchbearers can be found at icoke.ca and rbc.com/carrythetorch.
North Bay Mayor Vic Fedeli states, "We are thrilled that North Bay was accepted as one of the limited Celebration Communities. This means the Olympic Torch Relay will not just pass through here, it will stop here for an evening-long community celebration. This will be the event of the year!"
Residents interested in applying for an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to carry the Olympic Flame can apply at icoke.ca or rbc.com/carrythetorch. Coca-Cola and RBC, the relay's presenting partners, have the exclusive rights for the public to enter the Olympic Torchbearer program and are looking for Canadian applicants who commit to live healthier or are inspired to create a stronger country by volunteering or making sustainable choices. There will be several opportunities to apply for torchbearer spots beginning on November 21, 2008.
The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay will begin its 106-day Canadian journey on October 30, 2009. The Flame's pan-Canadian journey will culminate on February 12, 2010 when it arrives in Vancouver for the Opening Ceremony before a global viewing audience of billions.
The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay route will be the longest domestic Torch Relay in Olympic history, stretching over 45,000 kilometres throughout Canada. Upon its conclusion, the Olympic Flame will have been welcomed in over 1,000 communities and passed within a one-hour of more than 90 per cent of the entire Canadian population.
About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit vancouver2010.com for further details on programs and schedules.
Contacts
Erin Vaughan, Community Event Facilitator(705) 474-0626, ext. 2312