The 2010 Winter Paralympics Torch Relay was a 10-day event leading up to the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

. It began on March 3, 2010, in Ottawa and concluded at the Games' opening ceremony on March 12. Held entirely within

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, the host country, it has been described by the

Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) (french: Comité d’organisation des Jeux olympiques et paralympiques d’hiver de 2010 à Vancouver - COVAN) was the non-profit organization responsible ...

as "an important event to connect Canadians to the Games", by "demonstrating the fire inside each individual and how it inspires others"."2010 Paralympic Torch Relay"
, Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 2)

Route

The Paralympic Flame was lit at a ceremony in Ottawa, with the participation of torchbearers representing each province and territory of Canada. Setting out from Ottawa, the Torch was due to be carried through

Quebec City Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is t ...

on March 4,

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

on March 5,

Esquimalt The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquim ...

and

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

on March 6, Squamish on March 7, Whistler on March 8, Lytton and Hope on March 9, before spending the final three days in Vancouver. On March 10, it was scheduled to visit Riley Park and Maple Ridge, then the campus of the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks among the top thre ...

on the following day. On March 12, after being borne through downtown Vancouver, the Flame was to be taken to

BC Place Stadium BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Located at the north side of False Creek, it is owned and operated by the BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), a crown corporation of the province. The venue is currently ...

for the Games' opening ceremony."2010 Paralympic Torch Relay: Daily Highlights"
, Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 2)

Celebration Communities

The Organising Committee stated that " is relay is distinct from typical relays as it will happen in and around the Celebration Communities". A celebration ceremony will be organised at each stop of the relay, involving the community. In Ottawa, the celebration was a Lighting Ceremony, during which "the local

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

communities of the

Algonquins The Algonquin people are an Indigenous people who now live in Eastern Canada. They speak the Algonquin language, which is part of the Algonquian language family. Culturally and linguistically, they are closely related to the Odawa, Potawatomi ...

of Pikwàkanagàn and

Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg is an Algonquin people, Algonquin First Nations in Canada, First Nation in Quebec, Canada. It is based in the Outaouais region and owns one Indian reserve named Kitigan Zibi, located on the shores of the Gatineau River nea ...

" would light the Flame. The Torch would then travel to

Parliament Hill Parliament Hill (french: Colline du Parlement, colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings, and their archit ...

. At the end of the day, it was to be extinguished, to be relit on March 4 by the local First Nations of its next stop. In Quebec City, celebrations were held on the campus of

Laval University Laval means ''The Valley'' in old French and is the name of: People * House of Laval, a French noble family originating from the town of Laval, Mayenne * Laval (surname) Places Belgium * Laval, a village in the municipality of Sainte-Ode, Lux ...

; in Toronto, on

Nathan Phillips Square Nathan Phillips Square is an urban plaza in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, or ''New City Hall'', at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street, and is named for Nathan Phillips, mayor of Tor ...

; and in Esquimalt, at the

Archie Browning Sports Centre Archie is a masculine given name, a diminutive of Archibald. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Archie Alexander (1888–1958), African-American mathematician, engineer and governor of the US Virgin Islands * Archie Blake (mathematici ...

. The Flame was then to be taken to Victoria by

water taxi A water taxi or a water bus is a watercraft used to provide public or private transport, usually, but not always, in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or o ...

and on an "Aboriginal traditional canoe", for celebrations at

Ship Point A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...

(Victoria Inner Harbour). In Squamish, celebrations were slated to take place on Cleveland Avenue; in Whistler, at Whistler Village Square, after being carried, "on various modes of transport, such as skis and a snowboard", "to the peak of the Blackcomb Mountain and taken on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola to

Whistler Mountain Whistler Mountain is a mountain in the Fitzsimmons Range of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains, located on the northwestern edge of Garibaldi Provincial Park. It is the location of the Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort and the town of Whist ...

". In Lytton, celebrations "will take place on 4th street at Fraser", and in Hope, at Memorial Park, on Wallace Street. Finally, in Vancouver, they were organised to take place at Riley Park Community Centre, Spirit Square, the

and Robson Square.

Torchbearers

The Flame was scheduled to be borne by "approximately 600 torchbearers" including "Canadians from all walks of life" as well as athletes."Torchbearers"
, Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 2) The first bearer of the torch was single-leg amputee marathon runner Rick Ball, triple world record holder. Other torchbearers: *

Robert Steadward Robert Daniel Steadward, (born May 26, 1946) is a Canadian retired sports administrator, professor, sports scientist, and author. Steadward helped organize the first Canadian wheelchair sport national championships in 1968, and later coached C ...

, founding president of the International Paralympic Committee from 1989 to 2001"First Torchbearers"
, Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 3) * Rick Mercer, broadcaster, comedian and commentator who "has significantly raised the profile of Paralympic sports through his work" * Jasmine Gerein, daughter of Clayton Gerein - seven-time Paralympic gold medallist who was a torchbearer at the

2010 Winter Olympics torch relay The 2010 Winter Olympics Torch Relay was a 106-day run, from October 30, 2009 until February 12, 2010, prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Plans for the relay were originally announced November 21, 2008 by the Vancouver Organizing Committee f ...

and died on January 9, 2010 * Chelsea Gotell, successful Paralympic swimmer who broke two world records at the

2008 Summer Paralympics The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games (), the 13th Summer Paralympic Games, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao. It was f ...

* Erica Noon, eighteen-year-old single-arm amputee para-swimmer * Simon Koomak, golfer suffering from brittle bone disease * Jared Funk, two-time Paralympian

wheelchair rugby Wheelchair rugby (originally murderball, and known as quad rugby in the United States) is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is practised in over twenty-five countries around the world and is a summer Paralympic sport. The US na ...

player * Rick Goodfellow, "executive director of the non-profit organization Challenge Community Vocational Alternatives; provider of employment support and training to people with disabilities in

Yukon Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...

" * Colin MacLeod,

ice sledge hockey Sledge hockey, also known as Sled hockey in American English, and Para ice hockey in international competition, is an adaptation of ice hockey for players who have a physical disability. The sport was invented in the early 1960s at a rehabilita ...

player with

spina bifida Spina bifida (Latin for 'split spine'; SB) is a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the spine and the membranes around the spinal cord during early development in pregnancy. There are three main types: spina bifida occulta, men ...

and

hydrocephalus Hydrocephalus is a condition in which an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) occurs within the brain. This typically causes increased pressure inside the skull. Older people may have headaches, double vision, poor balance, urinary inc ...

* Justin Hines, singer-songwriter with Larsen Syndrome * Dean Bergeron, four-time Paralympian hockey player * Tara Weber, Canada’s first national television correspondent to use a wheelchair * Katherine Elkin, competitive para-swimmer * Sabrina Pettinicchi Durepos, four-time Paralympian

wheelchair basketball Wheelchair basketball is basketball played by people with varying physical disabilities that disqualify them from playing a non-disabled sport. These include spina bifida, birth defects, cerebral palsy, paralysis due to accident, amputations (of ...

player * Arnold Boldt, three-time Paralympian track and field athlete * Justine Belair, former competitive figure skater, representing the

of Pikwakanagan First Nations * Visually impaired four-time

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...

Paralympian France Gagné *

Jeff Adams Jeffrey Adams (born November 15, 1970, in Mississauga, Ontario) is a Canadian lawyer, and a former Paralympian, a six-time world champion in wheelchair sports. Competitive racing Adams competed at six consecutive Summer Paralympics from 1988 ...

, six-time Paralympian, "one of Canada's leading wheelchair athletes" in track and field * Brian Gray, a local community coach in hockey and several other sports in Esquimalt; he has

cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time, but include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sens ...

"March 6 - Esquimalt and Victoria"
, Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 3) * Peter Lawless, director of the Coaches Association of British Columbia and Coaches of Canada, founder of "the first wheelchair athletic training group on Vancouver Island"; he has trained several successful athletes with disabilities * Matt Hallat, single-leg amputee alpine skier at the

2006 Winter Paralympics The 2006 Winter Paralympic Games ( it, Giochi paralimpici invernali del 2006), the ninth Paralympic Winter Games, took place in Turin, Italy from 10 to 19 March 2006. These were the first Winter Paralympic Games to be held in Italy. They were ...

* Andrea Drynock, successful double-leg amputee former competitive swimmer"March 9 - Lytton and Hope"
, Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 3) *

Leszek Sibilski Leszek Jan Sibilski (born April 1, 1958) is a Polish-American sociologist, track cyclist, and originator of the World Bicycle Day. Education and professional career Leszek Sibilski graduated from Education and Sport Science at the Academy ...

, Polish sociologist, cyclist * Heather Stewin, visually impaired founder of "Storytime in the Park", "a program dedicated to addressing literacy issues in the community" in Hope, British Columbia * Priya (Jasdeep) Sekhon, paraplegic fourteen-year-old"March 10 - Vancouver (Riley Park) and Maple Ridge"
, Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 3) * Jennifer McKenzie,

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: * Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes i ...

competitor at the

* Bonita Sawatzky, associate professor in orthopaedics (in the spine division) at the University of British Columbia, competitive cyclist with a disability * Laurel Crosby, Canadian flagbearer at the 1988 and 1992 Summer Paralympics; former president of the

Canadian Paralympic Committee The Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC; French: ''Comité paralympique canadien'') is the private, non-profit organization representing Canadian Paralympic athletes in the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Parapan American Games. ...

"March 12 - 24-hour relay in Vancouver (downtown)"
, Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 3)

Quebec City, March 4

* Denis Laflamme; the Manager, governmental affairs and health policies for Pfizer Canada

Toronto, March 5

* Johannah Jackson, daughter of Robert Jackson, one of the founding fathers of the Canadian Paralympic Movement * Lane Sargeant, London Blizzard Sledge Hockey player, of London, Ontario * Tara Weber, television correspondent who uses a wheelchair. * Jody Mitic, Afghanistan veteran, former Ottawa MP. * Carl Ludwig, Mississauga Cruises Sledge Hockey player, of Mississauga, Ontario

Victoria, March 6

* Janet Dunn, Paralympic movement coach and rehabilitation volunteer for over 25 years

Squamish, March 7

* Blair McIntosh, Canadian Paralympic Committee 2010 Chef de Mission for Team Canada and Team Ontario

Whistler, March 8

* Ken Melamed, Mayor of Whistler * Jason Dunkerly, three-time Paralympic runner with a visual impairment

Vancouver, Hillcrest and Riley Park, March 10

* Jane Blaine, Executive Director for BC Blind Sports and Recreation Association and also the Executive Director/CEO for Canadian Blind Sports

Vancouver, University of British Columbia, March 11

George Hungerford George William Hungerford, (born January 2, 1944) is a Canadian lawyer and retired rower. He won the only gold medal for Canada at the 1964 Summer Olympics, in coxless pairs with Roger Jackson. The same year they were awarded the Lou Marsh Tr ...

, Olympic rower

Vancouver, downtown, March 11 and 12

* Athena Cooper, Web Administrator and Designer at 2010 Legacies Now * Aiden McKee. contributor to book ''With Glowing Hearts'' *

Terrie Moore Terrie is a given name. Notable people with this name include the following: * Terrie Hall (1960–2013), American anti-smoking and anti-tobacco advocate * Terrie Huntington, American politician * Terrie Miller (born 1978), American-born Norwegian ...

, co-chair of the CPC Classification Task Force, Executive Director of SportAbility BC *

Bianca Solterbeck Bianca is a feminine given name. It means "white" and is an Italian language, Italian cognate of Blanche (given name), Blanche. Variants * Blanche (given name), Blanche: French * Bianca: Italian language, Italian * Bianka (Polish language, Po ...

, journalist with ShawTV *

Walter Wu Walter Wu (born 14 August 1972) is an S13 classified Canadian swimmer who has competed and set records at the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Summer Paralympics. He won 14 Paralympic medals before retiring in 2004 after the Athens Paralympic Games. Hi ...

, partially blind Paralympic swimmer, Terry Fox Hall of Fame inductee * Eron Main, Secretary General of the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation, on the Board of the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association * Tracey Keith, wife of Steven Keith, Director, Olympic Activation at Suncor Energy * Michelle Stilwell, Canadian Paralympian, wheelchair racing and wheelchair basketball * Senator Joyce Fairbairn, former Chair of "Friends of the Idiots ", chair of Canadian Paralympic Foundation * Ozzie Sawicki, founder and president of Pozitive Results Sport Strategies Inc. Head Coach and Program Director for the Canadian Disabled Alpine Ski Team from 2000 to 2004, Head Coach of the Canadian Para-Athletics (Track and Field) Program with Athletics Canada, sits on Boards for the Canadian Paralympic Committee, Coaches of Canada, the Canadian Ski Coaches Federation, and Coach Alberta * Jack Christie, sport journalist for the

Georgia Straight ''The Georgia Straight'' is a free Canadian weekly news and entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Overstory Media Group. Often known simply as ''The Straight'', it is delivered to newsboxes, post-secondary schools, ...

* Lauren Barwick, Canadian Paralympian, para-dressage equestrian * Sonia Gaudet, Canadian Paralympian, wheelchair curling, ambassador for the Rick Hansen Foundation, CPC, VANOC * Cindy Crapper, record-setting track and field thrower, member of the International Day for People with Disabilities Celebration, BC Sport Group, BCRPA, City of Vancouver's Sport Strategy, Active Communities Initiatives, CAAWS; Women in Leadership and a member of the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association *

Josh Vander Vies Josh Vander Vies (born December 28, 1984) is a Canadian lawyer and former Paralympic athlete. He won a bronze medal for doubles boccia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London before retiring. Early life Vander Vies was born on December 28, 1984, ...

, Canadian boccia player, Athlete Council Representation on the

Board of Directors * Elisabeth Walker-Young, four-time Paralympian, member of the Athlete and Coach Selection Committee for Para-swimming Swimming Canada, Classification Specialist for VANOC for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

References

{{Olympic torch relays Torch relay Paralympic torch relays