Squamish was named one of nearly 200 "celebration communities" for the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay near the end of the flame's 45,000-kilometre journey across Canada, VANOC revealed at a ceremony in West Vancouver on Friday (Nov. 21).The torch will not pass by without the appropriate flare. As the relay's last stop on Feb. 4, which is Day 98 of the 106-day trip, Squamish will host a two-hour celebration ceremony and likely put the flame to bed until it continues on to Whistler the following morning, according to local Torch Relay Lead and District of Squamish director of recreation, parks and tourism Bob Kusch.More details were expected to be worked out at a meeting with Spirit of Squamish Committee co-chair David Thomson yesterday (Nov. 27) , but Kusch said he expects the event will consist of one hour of local entertainment and one hour of torch-related activities. He said he also expects torch and crew to stay overnight."But there are still some details to iron out," he said.In the meantime, residents can apply to be torchbearers although the number that will be selected is not yet released. Torchbearers will be chosen based on applicants' pledges outlining their commitment to live healthier, or their plan to create a stronger country by volunteering or making sustainable choices. Applications can be found at sponsor websites www.rbc.com/carrythetorch and www.icoke.ca.Mayor Ian Sutherland said he is pleased Squamish residents are getting the chance to host the Olympic Torch Relay."This is a huge and exciting event for our community. We are proud to be a part of this momentous occasion and to have an opportunity to showcase our community spirit and pride. We look forward to welcoming the world to our town during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games," he said.The Four Host First Nations Society was established to co-ordinate First Nations participation in the Games. The Squamish Nation will be working with the municipality to plan and carry out the torch celebration. And although final plans are not yet set, the event will give the Squamish Nation a chance to showcase its culture, said the Squamish Nation's Tewanee Joseph, Four Host First Nations executive director and chief executive officer. "We have to showcase more of our language and our culture," he said. "We have over 50 languages across the country and I think even in the Squamish Nation, there are very few actually Squamish-speaking people left. "So any way that we can showcase the excellence and really bring to light our language and our culture is an incredible opportunity."West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea-to-Sky Country MP John Weston attended both the Torch Relay ceremonies and Callaghan Valley's Whistler Olympic/Paralympic Park new day lodge and season opening on Saturday (Nov. 22). He said Squamish has been making its mark on the Nordic venue and deserves to be the focus of attention during the local Torch Relay celebrations. "That is something that is the culmination of efforts of a huge Squamish volunteer force," he said. "It's well-known that Squamish people played a really big role in creating that lodge and creating the Whistler Olympic Park, so there's a lot that Squamish can be proud of."
