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

2010 Winter Paralympic Games The 2010 Winter Paralympics (), or the tenth Paralympic Winter Games, were held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, from March 12 to 21, 2010. The opening ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver and the Closing ...

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 cit ...

. It began on March 3, 2010, in Ottawa and concluded at the Games'

opening ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly constructed location or the start of an event.

on March 12. Held entirely within

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, 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) () was the non-profit organization responsible for planning, organizing, financing and staging the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics. Est ...

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 Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, with the participation of torchbearers representing each province and territory of Canada. Setting out from Ottawa, the Torch virtually traveled to

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

on March 4,

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

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, British Columbia, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Jua ...

and

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

on March 6, Squamish on March 7, Whistler on March 8, Lytton and

Hope Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's own life, or the world at large. As a verb, Merriam-Webster defines ''hope'' as "to expect with confid ...

on March 9, before spending the final three days in Vancouver. On March 10, it visited Riley Park and Maple Ridge, then the campus of the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

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 t ...

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 are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

communities of the

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

of Pikwàkanagàn and

Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg ("Garden River People") is an Algonquin 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 near Maniwaki. In ...

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

Parliament Hill Parliament Hill (), colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern bank of the Ottawa River that houses the Parliament of Canada in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. It accommodates a suite of Gothic revival buildings whose ...

. 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, Luxe ...

; in Toronto, on

Nathan Phillips Square Nathan Phillips Square is an city square, 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 after Nathan Phillips ( ...

; and in Esquimalt, at the Archie Browning Sports Centre. The Flame was then to be taken to Victoria by

water taxi A water taxi or a water bus is a boat used to provide public transport, public or private transport, usually, but not always, in an Urban area, urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a simil ...

and on an "Aboriginal traditional canoe", for celebrations at Ship Point (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 Blackcomb Peak ( Ucwalmícwts: Tsíqten) is a mountain located east of Whistler, British Columbia that forms the boundary between the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort and Garibaldi Provincial Park. Like Whistler Mountain, it is located on the edg ...

and taken on the Peak 2 Peak Gondola to

Whistler Mountain Whistler Mountain ( Lillooet/Ucwalmícwts: Nsqwítsu) 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-Blac ...

". 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 Robson Square is a landmark civic centre and public plaza, located in Downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the site of the Law Courts (Vancouver), Provincial Law Courts, University of British Columbia, UBC Robson Square, government offi ...

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 Rick Ball is a Canadian sportscaster who currently works as a hockey play-by-play announcer on Chicago Sports Network's Chicago Blackhawks broadcasts. Ball worked the Stanley Cup Playoffs for TNT (American TV network), TNT in 2023 Stanley Cup Play ...

, 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 The International Paralympic Committee (IPC; ) is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nin ...

from 1989 to 2001"First Torchbearers"
, Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 3) *

Rick Mercer Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer (born October 17, 1969) is a Canadian comedian, television personality, Political satire, political satirist, and author. He is best known for his work on the CBC Television comedy shows ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'' ...

, 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 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 ...

* Erica Noon, eighteen-year-old single-arm amputee para-swimmer * Simon Koomak, golfer suffering from

brittle bone disease Osteogenesis imperfecta (; OI), colloquially known as brittle bone disease, is a group of genetic disorders that all result in bones that break easily. The range of symptoms—on the skeleton as well as on the body's other organs—may be ...

* 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 Disabled sport, athletes with a disability. It is practiced in over twenty-five countries around the world and is a summer Paralympic spor ...

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 () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...

" * 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 rehabilitat ...

player with

spina bifida Spina bifida (SB; ; Latin for 'split spine') is a birth defect in which there is incomplete closing of the vertebral column, spine and the meninges, membranes around the spinal cord during embryonic development, early development in pregnancy. T ...

and

hydrocephalus Hydrocephalus is a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up within the brain, which can cause pressure to increase in the skull. Symptoms may vary according to age. Headaches and double vision are common. Elderly adults with n ...

Justin Hines Justin Hines is a Canadian singer-songwriter who was born in Newmarket, Ontario. Hines has a rare genetic joint condition called Larsen's syndrome and uses a power wheelchair. He is a strong supporter of numerous charities and has performed a ...

, singer-songwriter with

Larsen Syndrome Larsen syndrome (LS) is a congenital disorder discovered in 1950 by Larsen and associates when they observed dislocation of the large joints and face anomalies in six of their patients.Mitra, N., Kannan, N., Kumar, V.S., Kavita, G. "Larsen Syndrom ...

Dean Bergeron Dean Bergeron (born February 12, 1969, in La Baie, Quebec (now Saguenay, Quebec)) is a Paralympic Track and field, athlete from Canada who competed mainly in category T52 sprint events in four Paralympic Games and is pursuing a career as an actua ...

, 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 Sabrina may refer to: People and fictional characters * Sabrina (given name), a feminine given name, including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Hafren, known in English as Sabrina, a British princess in Welsh mythology ...

, four-time Paralympian

wheelchair basketball Wheelchair basketball is a style of basketball played using a sports wheelchair. The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) is the governing body for this sport. It is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) as ...

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 (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

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 19 ...

, 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, spasticity, stiff muscles, Paresis, weak muscles, and tremors. There may b ...

"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 (), 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 also the first Paralympics to use the n ...

* Andrea Drynock, successful double-leg amputee former competitive swimmer"March 9 - Lytton and Hope"
, Vancouver 2010 official website (viewed on March 3) * Leszek Sibilski, 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 Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek () "half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neura ...

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 in ...

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 Laurel Alarie Crosby is the President of Wheelchair Rugby Canada. She previously served as president of the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association and Canadian Paralympic Committee. Career Crosby began her career as a principal at James Gilmore ...

, 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''), also known as Team Canada, is the private, non-profit organization representing Canadian Paralympic athletes in the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and ...

"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 Ken Melamed (born April 17, 1954) is a former mayor of Whistler, British Columbia. He is a businessman, conservationist and former Green Party of Canada candidate in West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country. Early history A "ski bum tur ...

, Mayor of Whistler *

Jason Dunkerly Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece is featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea, t ...

, 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 Tro ...

, Olympic rower

Vancouver, downtown, March 11 and 12

Athena Cooper Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretism, syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarde ...

, Web Administrator and Designer at 2010 Legacies Now * Aiden McKee. contributor to book ''With Glowing Hearts'' * Terrie Moore, co-chair of the CPC Classification Task Force, Executive Director of SportAbility BC * Bianca Solterbeck, 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 The Canadian Disability Hall of Fame (formerly the Terry Fox Hall of Fame), recognizes "outstanding Canadians who have made extraordinary contributions to enriching the quality of life for people with physical disabilities". It is run by the Canadi ...

inductee * Eron Main, Secretary General of the International Wheelchair Rugby Federation, on the Board of the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association *

Tracey Keith Tracy, Tracey, or Tracie may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tracy (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname, also encompassing spelling variations Places United States * Tracy, C ...

, wife of Steven Keith, Director, Olympic Activation at Suncor Energy *

Michelle Stilwell Michelle Stilwell (''nee'' Bauknecht; born July 4, 1974) is a Canadian athlete and politician. She represented Canada at four Summer Paralympic Games (2000, 2008, 2012 and 2016), as well as the 2015 Parapan American Games. She competed in wheel ...

, Canadian Paralympian, wheelchair racing and wheelchair basketball * Senator Joyce Fairbairn, former Chair of "Friends of the Paralympics", 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 Lauren Barwick (born 12 September 1977 at Langley, British Columbia (city), Langley, British Columbia) is a member of the Canadian Equestrian Team, in Para-equestrian#Grade 2, grade II Para-Dressage, who has competed in the 2004, 2008 and 2012 ...

, Canadian Paralympian, para-dressage equestrian * Sonia Gaudet, Canadian Paralympian, wheelchair curling, ambassador for the Rick Hansen Foundation, CPC, VANOC *

Cindy Crapper Cindy may refer to: People *Cindy (given name), a list of people named Cindy, Cindi, Cyndi or Cyndy *Tugiyati Cindy (born 1985), Indonesian footballer *Cindy (singer), Japanese singer Music * ''Cindy'' (musical), an off-Broadway production in 1 ...

, 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 Winter Paralympics torch relays