Olympic Flame Crosses Into Ontario

(ATR) The Vancouver 2010 flame crosses into the Canadian province of Ontario on Day 43 of the Olympic torch relay.

Yesterday highlights include the torch reaching Quebec’s largest city, Montreal, and taking a ride on BIXI, the city’s bicycle sharing system. The featured highlight of Day 42 was the Olympic Flame’s visit to Canada’s Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. 1948 figure skating Olympian Barbara Ann Scott carried the torch from the Prime Ministers’ corridor through the historic Canada doors into the House of Commons chambers. VANOC Chief Executive Officer John Furlong joined the members of Parliament to welcome the flame.

The flame received a large welcome yesterday from many prominent members of the Olympic Movement. IOC member and former WADA president Richard Pound told Around the Rings that he “represented VANOC in Laval and on my way to do the same thing in Westmount (both suburbs of Montreal).“

Today, the torch relay travels through 19 towns with Repentigny being the first welcome. The flame continues through the towns of L’Assomption, Joliette, Crabtree, Saint-Jacques, Saint-Lin-Laurentides, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Mirabel, Saint-Jerome, Lachute and Hawkesbury where a welcome celebration is planned at Parc de la Confederation and will include a theatrical performance and symphonic orchestra.

The Olympic Torch will then enter Grenville where athletics Olympian Bruce Kidd is scheduled to carry the flame.

The torch travels next to Montebello, Papinequville, Plaisance, and Thurso where athletics Olympian Bruny Surin will be a torchbearer.

The flame continues its journey through Masson-Angers and Buckingham.

The torch reaches its final destination of the day in the town of Gaineau where weightlifting Olympian Pierre St-Jean will carry the Olympic Torch and a welcome celebration is planned at Place de la Cite and will include unique performances from Aboriginal singing to slam poetry.

Three-time Paralympian and captain of Canada’s national ice sledge hockey team Jean Labonte will light the cauldron in the town of Gatineau where he was born and still resides.

Over the weekend, the torch makes its way through 15 towns and will be carried by five Olympians. On Saturday, the flame enters Ottawa, the capital of Canada. Thousands of Canadians plan to gather on Parliament Hill to welcome the arrival of the Olympic Torch.

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Written by Tristan Luciotti

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