On your mark, get set
Published Wednesday November 25th, 2009
Go team! | Capital rolls out red carpet for Olympic Torch Relay
Thousands of people are expected to flock to Officers Square tonight to celebrate the arrival of the Olympic Torch in Fredericton.
The two-hour community celebration will kick off at around 5:45 p.m. with a diverse selection of musical acts, including Keith Hallett, The Rockin' Billies, the St. Mary's First Nation Drummers, Les Grandes Retrouvailles and the Synergy Choir.
The flame will arrive at about 7 p.m. It will be carried into Officers Square by Olympic silver medallist Marianne Limpert.
The community celebration is one of 200 across Canada and 10 in New Brunswick.
The celebrations are honouring the Olympic Torch as it makes its way from coast to coast to coast in the longest domestic torch relay to date. It will cover 45,000 kilometres.
About 12,000 torch bearers will carry the flame during its 106-day journey through 1,030 communities in every province and territory.
The flame will be delivered to its Vancouver destination Feb. 12, where it will be used to light the Olympic cauldron and initiate the beginning of the Olympic Games.
Mike Bravener, lead singer of The Rockin' Billies, said he and his band were blown away when they were asked to participate in Fredericton's Olympic celebration.
"It's incredible," he said. "We're really honoured and we're really excited."
He said the magnitude of the event only dawned on the band over the last few days as it rehearsed for the concert.
"I don't know if we realized how big of a deal this is," he said. "The Olympics are able to bring the world together.
"We, as a country, need to come together as well, and this is a great way to do it. I think it's an event that brings a lot of hope and peace. It's much more than just a sporting event."
Bravener said his group's rock-a-billy style will put Frederictonians in a celebratory mood in no time.
"Anybody who knows us knows we're a fun band who wants to live life at full volume," Bravener said. "We've picked some fun, happy songs that I think people will really enjoy and get excited about."
The flame will also make a stop in Oromocto today for a community celebration. That event will begin at 11 a.m. in Building H12 at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown.
The flame is scheduled to arrive at the Oromocto community celebration just after 2 p.m.
A community cauldron will be lit in the parade square adjacent to Building H12.
The Olympic Torch is slated to arrive in Fredericton at 4:30 today. It will travel along Prospect Street and down Smythe. It will go right on King Street, then cross the Westmorland Street Bridge onto Union Street, stopping at St. Mary's First Nation for a short ceremony.
It will return to Union Street, head along the riverfront, turn left onto Gibson, right onto Barker and then move onto the city trail system. From there it will go across the St. John River on the Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge to Queen Street.
Limpert will then carry the flame for the final 300 metres into Officers Square.
Queen Street will be closed between Regent and Carleton from 5:30 p.m. until about 9 p.m. Carleton Street will also be closed to traffic from Queen to the parking areas behind the Fredericton Public Library and Officers Square.
In case of inclement weather, the celebration will be held at the Capital Exhibit Centre on Smythe Street.
The Torch will remain in Fredericton all day Thursday.
It will hit the road again at 6:21 a.m. on Friday, arriving in Bathurst before the end of the day.
For more information about the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay and community celebrations, visit www.vancouver2010.com/torchrelay.
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Although it seems strange to have one for some inanimate object.....
but then again - small things amuse small minds.
Too bad that so much $$$ wass wasted on this display for the elite ,& so many little pinions can't see it.
Although it seems strange to have one for some inanimate object.....
but then again - small things amuse small minds.
Too bad that so much $$$ wass wasted on this display for the elite ,& so many little pinions can't see it.