Approximately 8,000 people donning Canadian flags and red maple leaves packed the parking lot of the Brennan Park recreation centre to welcome the arrival of the Olympic flame Thursday (Feb. 4).
On its 98th day of travelling around the country, the Olympic Torch made its way into Squamish shortly after 5 p.m., starting a two-day tour through town with a short stop at Totem Hall for a traditional blessing by Squamish Nation elder and fire keeper Laverne Baker.
Passing through the hands of 20 torchbearers in total, the flame weaved its way through Valleycliffe, along Highway 99 and down Loggers Lane making its way to the celebration site, where residents, visitors and camera crews waited.
At around 7 p.m., the honour of igniting the town's cauldron went to the final torchbearer of the evening, 26-year-old Kristen McBride.
"It felt amazing. I can't even put words to it. I really can't. It's something that you can't even express. It was a honour," said the rugby-playing quadriplegic preschool teacher.
"It was more than what I had imagined it was going to be. There were so many people there. Everywhere I looked I saw people and cheering and red for Canada. So much red, it was just amazing."
Everyone from toddlers to dogs showed their Olympic spirit with some assortment of painted faces, bizarre hats and hands full of Canuck themed freebies.
Fifteen-year-old Cooper Bennink sported a cape, a hat and face paint to show his support for Canada.
"It's worth it to celebrate the Olympics," he said. "Canada's in it, so hopefully they'll win."
For other celebration attendees, the open-air party wasn't necessarily about hoping to win but rather about creating life-long memories.
Logan Engel said he wanted his children to remember the Vancouver Games just like he remembers the 1988 Calgary Games.
"I lived in Red Deer, so it was a celebration city as well. I still remember it so I wanted him to experience it," he said.
"I love hockey," added his four-year old son Taylor.
Kids flocked to Olympic mascots Miga and Quatchi while other enthusiasts posed for free photos with a torch courtesy of Games sponsors.
At practically every turn camera crews were filming the celebration, free Games-themed swag was handed out and live entertainment was non-stop.
Mayor Greg Gardner said he is very proud of the community's dedication and effort to the Games.
"We were there in Prague we were there we they needed Homestay, we were there when they needed hundreds of volunteers for the Callaghan Valley, so this community I am extremely proud of."
Recreation, parks and tourism director Bob Kusch said the entire celebration went off with out a hitch including the dry weather.
"It was absolutely perfect. It was the best event Squamish has ever experienced."
Kusch said he's thrilled with the outcome of Torch Relay celebrations.
"We had a dream that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Squamish and we wanted to make it a once in a life time experience and that's what we did. We achieved that."
A fireworks display lit up the clear night sky with a dazzling display of colours marking the conclusion of the celebration around 8 p.m.
The Torch Relay continued on through Squamish on Friday (Feb. 5) through downtown, the Garibaldi Highlands and Brackendale before heading north to the Callaghan Valley and Whistler.
Wendy Shard, an employee at Brennan Park got a thrilling surprise early Friday morning when relay organizers asked her to be a last minute torchbearer. Shard who's 16-year-old son Clinton scaled Mount Kilimanjaro last year to raise funds for his own illness, Crohn's Disease was asked to fill in, when a torchbearer didn't show up for a relay briefing.
"She was told at 7:46, burst into tears, was being briefed at 8 a.m., and was carrying a torch at 9:30 this morning," said Kusch on Friday.
"It's something she never ever expected to do, and here it was given to her on her lap. A well deserving family."
Also on Friday morning, television broadcast journalist and member of the Order of Canada Valerie Pringle carried the torch through Squamish on Mamquam Road as local students cheered her on. The flame was passed to Pringle by her husband and fellow torchbearer Andy Pringle.
Later in the day, Garibaldi Highlands Elementary students walked en masse to the Boulevard to greet and cheer on the flame's passing. It then went down Government Road to Brackendale Elementary where music blared and children wearing red clothing and face paint and carried a banner proclaiming "We believe" as lined the walkway to their school.
Torchbearers then ran past Don Ross Secondary School to a similar greeting before heading out of town.
