Paralympic torch heads to opening ceremony
Last Updated: Friday, March 12, 2010 | 3:31 PM ET
CBC News
More than 300 torchbears carried the Paralympic torch in a 24-hour relay in downtown Vancouver overnight Thursday. (CBC)Vancouver is ready for the first ever Paralympic Winter Games on Canadian soil, to open Friday night when the torch arrives at BC Place.
The torch was to head out to sea in Vancouver's English Bay at midday Friday, travelling by boat with an adaptive rowing team, a SeaKing helicopter, two naval ships and a Zodiac boat before finally arriving at BC Place for the opening ceremony around 6 p.m. PT.
Downtown Vancouver was lit up by the Paralympic torch overnight Thursday as 300 torchbearers carried the flame around several square blocks near Robson Square as part of a 24-hour relay.
One of the overnight torchbearers was Chris Hancock of North Vancouver, who said he felt ecstatic to carry the flame.
While the torch relay has proved to be surprisingly popular, it has not drawn the same crowds as the Olympic torch relay a month ago, which saw tens of thousands of people come out to cheer the runners on Vancouver's streets.
Hancock wasn't bothered by the fact there were only a few people on the street in the middle of the night, although he said the bars let out during his run and there were several people in different stages of sobriety cheering him on.
Luongo lights cauldron
The Olympic community cauldron at Robson Square was lit by Vancouver Canuck goaltender Roberto Luongo, who led Team Canada to Olympic gold in men's hockey last month.
There were chants of "Luuuu," similar to those heard during the Olympic hockey games, and hundreds of fans cheered Luongo as he lit the cauldron Thursday evening.
Vancouver Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo lights a cauldron at Robson Square in Vancouver on the eve of the Paralympic Games. (CBC) Luongo said the public response to the Olympics was great and he hopes Paralympic athletes get the same kind of support during their Games.
Katie Gibbs, 15, made the long journey from Invermere, B.C., to carry the flame while wheeling through downtown Vancouver in her wheelchair.
"Halfway down the road, I almost started crying," she said. "I've never done anything like this in my life before, and it was amazing."
Former Vancouver mayor and Paralympic Ambassador Sam Sullivan lauded the commitment of Katie and others who are taking part in the Paralympics.
"It's just amazing what these people have done," said Sullivan. "Boy, do I have a lot of respect for these folks."
Raising the bar
Meanwhile, an official of the International Paralympic Committee said the 2010 Games will raise the bar for the Paralympic movement.
Xavier Gonzalez said Vancouver and Whistler are quite accessible to people with disabilities, so the emphasis can be on the sports, not services for the disabled.
About 600 athletes from 44 countries are taking part in the five sports, with alpine and nordic skiing and biathalon at Whistler, and wheelchair curling and sledge hockey in Vancouver.
Tickets for the Games are going fast, with gold medal sledge hockey and wheelchair curling already sold out. Eight-five per cent of the tickets are $20 or less, say organizers, making them great for families.
The Paralympic Games run March 12 to 21, with the closing ceremonies taking place outdoors at Whistler.
The first Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960 and the first Paralympic Winter Games took place in 1976 in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, according to organizers.
The Paralympic Games have taken place in the same venues as the Olympic Games since the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Summer Games and the Albertville 1992 Paralympic Winter Games, officials said.
With files from The Canadian Press
