Historical day

Residents in Labrador West will be welcoming the Olympic flame this week.
The Olympic flame was lit in Olympia, Greece on Oct. 22 and on Oct. 30 the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay began.
The relay, presented by Coca Cola and RBC, will go through more than 1,000 communities in 100 days and 200 communities are hosting celebrations, including Labrador City and Wabush.
Vanessa Peddle, recreation programs and special events supervisor with the Town of Labrador City, said Labrador West will be the first town to host the flame in Newfoundland and Labrador and she hopes people come out to support the celebration Nov. 11.
"The two communities are a very strong force to be reckoned with and I hope our world-class personality and outlook on life and the way we live our daily lives shines through," she said. "I think we're a great representative for the province, as well as the country."
She explained the flame and its crew will touch down in Wabush shortly around 11:20 a.m. Wednesday and the first torch will be lit at 12:23 p.m. at the Mike Adam Recreation Complex.
Peddle doesn't know who the first torchbearer will be or how many will run with it in Wabush, but the flame will go down Bond Avenue, up Grenfell Drive, up Banting Avenue, down Whiteway Drive and will finish across the street from the Wabush Town Hall.
"There will be a 10-minute photo opportunity consisting of a torchbearer and a Legionnaire and a small speech from Wabush mayor Ron Barron and then the torch will proceed back into a convoy," Peddle pointed out. "Then the convoy will go to Labrador City."
The relay, she said, will pause momentarily to light the torch in the Town of Labrador City, and then there will be another speech by Lab. City mayor Janice Barnes at the cenotaph, and another photo opportunity.
At 12:53 p.m., the torchbearers will take over and the flame will travel from Hudson Drive, up Carol Drive, up Vanier Avenue, down MacParland Drive and will end at the Stan Jackowski Memorial Soccer Field adjacent to the Labrador Mall.
"There will already be a celebration ongoing at the soccer field - it will start at 12:30 p.m.," Peddle explained. "It will include some entertainment from the Menihek choir and the Fermont choir - the Versicolores; there will also be children performing; there will be some speeches given by federal representative (Labrador MP) Todd Russell and provincial representative Minister (of Tourism, Culture and Recreation) Clyde Jackman; there will be a representative from RBC and Coca-Cola to give a small speech; and when the flame arrives they will do an on-stage interview with the final torchbearer and the choir will sing an anthem created for the Olympics called There's a Light."
Peddle said a cauldron will be lit when the final torchbearer arrives as well, and after the official celebration is over there will be some activities for children including snowman building competitions, a game of tug-of-war and some races.
Two of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic mascots will also be at the event - Quatchi, a Sasquatch, and Miga, an orca whale that turns into a Kermode bear on land.
Peddle said the towns will be providing transportation to the soccer pitch from the Labrador City Arena at 11:45 p.m. for anyone who can't or doesn't want to drive to the event, and the busses will bring everyone back to the arena at 3 p.m. when the celebration is over.
She hopes residents take part in the celebration and is encouraging everyone to wear red and white as a show of support of the Olympics and the local torchbearers.
Lab. City mayor Janice Barnes echoed Peddle's comments explaining Nov. 11 is already an historical day because of Remembrance Day and she hopes residents embrace the relay the same way.
"It's a huge day in our town," she stressed. "We've had Olympians here. We need to show our support. The Olympic spirit lies within all of us."