Coxswain Brian Price of Belleville, Ont., holds the Olympic torch. On oars are some of the members gold-medal-winning men's eight rowing team, from left, Jake Wetzel of Saskatoon, Dominic Seiterle of Victoria, Adam Kreek of London, Ont., and Kyle Hamilton of Richmond, B.C. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

Saskatchewan athletes are helping the Olympic flame make its way across the country in the lead-up to the 2010 Winter Games, which open in Vancouver on Feb. 12.

Catriona Le May Doan, the speedskater from Saskatoon, was one of the first to carry the celebrated torch when it arrived in Canada on Friday.

Later in the day, Jake Wetzel, also from Saskatoon, helped the flame travel across a B.C. lake.

Wetzel was on an oar of the Olympic gold-medal-winning men's eight rowing team, as the rowers moved the flame across Elk Lake.

The journey continued Saturday as other torchbearers ran and rolled the torch through several Vancouver Island towns.

The flame will be in the northern Saskatchewan community of La Ronge on Nov. 7 as the torch works its way east from a swing through Arctic Canada.

On that day it will only be in Saskatchewan a few hours before being whisked away by air.

It returns Jan. 9, 2010, as the flame makes its return journey to Vancouver.

Torchbearers will transport the flame through 38 Saskatchewan communities, although they will only stop for ceremonies in eight places:

• Yorkton.
• Regina.
• Moose Jaw.
• Swift Current.
• Saskatoon.
• Prince Albert.
• North Battleford.
• Lloydminster.

The flame arrived in Canada on Friday after it was lit in Greece.

The first day of the relay was capped by a protest involving several hundred people in downtown Victoria on Friday night, forcing security officials to change the route and cancel the runs of several torchbearers.

With files from The Canadian Press