By Carol Martin
SooToday.com
Saturday, January 02, 2010

Time to pull out those red mittens and long johns.

Because tonight is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to celebrate the Olympic torch as it comes to Sault Ste. Marie.

The Bombardier-designed Canadian Olympic torch will be starting its journey through Sault Ste. Marie a little after 6:30 p.m.

This is Day 65 of the 106-day, 45,000-kilometre relay and everyone's invited to join in the free celebration.

"I just want to remind everyone there are actually two opportunities to take part in this," says Mayor John Rowswell. "Of course there's the celebration going on outdoors at the Essar Centre from 5:30 to 8 p.m. But there's also the route."

All along the local route, people are encouraged to line the streets.

They can expect plenty of excitement and maybe even some freebies from official Torch Relay sponsors Coca-Cola and RBC.

The local relay will start at 6:33 p.m. on Wellington Street East just east of Pine.

The torch parade continues west on Wellington to Pim Street, where it turns south and continues to Queen Street East, where it turns west and runs along Queen to the Essar Centre.

The torch is expected to move with Omega Swiss-watch precision and at a fair clip, passing Brock Street at 6:49 p.m. and arriving at the Essar Centre at 7 p.m.

Sault Ste. Marie's own Paralympic swimmer Jessica Tuomela and her helper dog will be running the last section of the relay and Tuomela will light the cauldron at the Essar Centre.

Sergeant Jim Egan of City Police says the torch will be preceded along its route by running roadblocks to stop cross traffic briefly at each intersection as the parade passes.

An interactive map of the entire route, including Sault Ste. Marie, can be viewed at the official 2010 Olympic website.

Egan said there will be some delays for traffic crossing the route, but only as the relay passes by.

Wellington Street East from Pine to Pim will be closed from about 6:30 to 7 p.m., as will Pim Street from Wellington to Queen Streets and Queen Street East from Pim to Dennis.

The celebrations at the Essar Centre will get underway at 5:30 p.m. with a plethora of free activities, including interactive displays from RBC's Eco-trailer and snowboard simulator, as well as opportunities to have a photo taken with an official 2010 Olympic torch.

There will be a designated safe area for demonstrators, which Egan says will be adjustable to accommodate any number of people wanting to gather and demonstrate for issue(s) of their choosing.

An outdoor stage will be set up at the south end of the Essar Centre parking lot and entertainment will begin at 6 p.m. with First Nations drumming, Metis Association fiddle playing and dancing.

After the cauldron is lit at 7 p.m., the national anthem will be sung by Soolebrity Tim Murphy.

Then more Soolebrities, including Tuomela, Ted Nolan, Denny Lambert and the mayor will take to the stage to deliver remarks, followed by more entertainment.

The Essar Centre will be open tonight for those who need to warm up.

The celebration wraps up about 8 p.m. with a fireworks display to be lit by one-time Olympic figure skater David Porter, who now runs a pyrotechnics and special effects company out of Port Perry, Ontario.

This, the longest Olympic torch national relay in history, began on October 30 in Victoria, BC.

It wound north and then east across the country and by the time it arrives in Vancouver on February 12 it will have come within one hour's drive of 90 percent of the Canadian population.

Today, the torch will come to Sault Ste. Marie from Timmins.

Here's the official list of everyone scheduled to be official torch-bearers today:

Lorna Bell
Jeffrey Higgs
Brian Martin
Jennifer Muir-Birtles
Adam Mauntah
Julie Hancin
Valerie Bullock
Ian Harris
Karen Luczak
Cheryl Haney
Mark Burgess
Zachary McKillop
Edgar Burton
Alex Baumann
Duncan McKenzie
Shaylene Kern
Dereck Hurley
Lindsay Gilbertson
Caray Ford
Ethan Campbell
Deanna Hagan
Marina Moffatt
Rob Gallinger
Justin Roberts
Nathan Coombs
Stephen Lajambe
Seth Whitley
Colton King
Alexis Lajambe
Hayley Oikari
Brandon Trotter
Bryce Ford
Karli Lee
Carole Hunt-Ford
Bonnie Huang
Donald Bretzlaff
Jennifer Cawley Caruso
James Bot
Patti Bartolucci
Michael Falcone
Justine Halvorson
Judy Ritza
Mark Devitt
James Ewing
Stephen Webb
Kristen Winkel
Meagan-Ann Cornelson
Joseph Burke
Ryan Lafraniere
Valerie Domm
Marjorie Smith
Thomas McGibbon
Erin miller
Susanna Doucette
Robert Drolet
David Tischhauser
Pete Goodmurphy
Helen Bobiwash
Doug Daybutch
Lesly Reid
Margaret (Peggy) Lemieux
Tom Davies
Judy Kett
Natasha Floyd
Marva Schlueter
Claude Denker
Joe Iachetta
Nicholas Callaghan
Larry Grand
Mark Hamill
David Doucette
Jessica Tuomela

Here's the official City of Sault Ste. Marie statement:

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SAULT STE. MARIE, ON - The local Olympic Torch Relay Community Task Force reminds everyone to join in our community celebration outdoors at the Essar Centre site today!

Admission is free and so is the hot chocolate!

Free face painting will take place in the main lobby of the Essar Centre beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Coca-Cola and RBC will have interactive displays outside – including a snowboard simulator and a hockey simulator!

“We hope that families line our streets to welcome the Olympic flame and join us for the outdoor party,” says Mayor John Rowswell. “We have an exciting evening of activities to make this a memorable event for the whole family.”

Sault Transit will provide free shuttle service (regular transit and Parabus) from the Station Mall parking lot.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and supported by the Government of Canada, will make its historic 45,000-kilometre journey across Canada from coast to coast to coast, ending in Vancouver with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron on February 12, 2010.

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