Two Weeks Until Torch Arrives in P.G

Friday, January 15, 2010 08:42 AM

Prince George, BC

- The Olympic Flame is inching its way closer and closer to Prince George, with just two weeks to go until the big arrival on January 29.

“The flame is leaving Edmonton today, so it’s exciting to think that it’s finally getting closer to Prince George,” says Shari Green, co-chair of the City’s Prince George Torch Celebrations Task Force. The Task Force has been working hard over the past few months to plan a free community-wide celebration that promises to be a showcase of Prince George and its people.

Torch Celebrations Task Force Co-Chair Dave Wilbur says the celebration will have something for everyone. “There will be dancers, singers, special video presentations and a spectacular fireworks show unlike anything seen in Prince George before. Of course, the highlight will be cheering on our community torchbearer, Alix Wells, as she brings the Olympic Flame onto the stage,” says Wilbur.

The celebration event is scheduled from 6-8 pm on January 29 in the parking lot at Exhibition Park. The free family event features exciting entertainment sponsored by RBC and Coca Cola, national sponsors of the Olympic Torch Relay and great performances by local entertainers.

Before the torch arrives at the celebration event in Exhibition Park, it will travel through the streets of Prince George, carried by a number of local torchbearers. Details of the route the torch relay will take through Prince George will be announced one week prior to the relay,

“We know January 29, 2010 will be a historic day for Prince George, so we want people to mark their calendars and plan to celebrate the Olympic Torch Relay with us,” says Green.

“Our famous Prince George winter city spirit and capacity for fun will make this family celebration an extra special, not to be missed event,” adds Wilbur.

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Posted on Friday, January 15, 2010 08:42 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: IMO on January 15 2010 9:54 AM

All I want to know is how much? What is PG spending for this party?

Posted by: DPJ on January 15 2010 10:22 AM

Who cares how much. Once in a lifetime experience. Enjoy!!!!

Posted by: IMO on January 15 2010 10:30 AM

Actually I care. We are already in dept in this country provincially and federally to much. This town council is already talking raises taxes and has for the last three years straight. It is time to think about affordability for parties. We are broke!

Posted by: duffer on January 15 2010 11:05 AM

Another incredible waste of money.

"Who cares how much"?

Give your head a shake.

Posted by: lmorge on January 15 2010 11:14 AM

How's the snow situation up in PG? Maybe move an event or two up there!

Posted by: my2bits on January 15 2010 11:32 AM

I think that the celebrations should be cancelled, or at least toned down, and the money instead should be given to the Red Cross for Haiti.

Posted by: acrider54 on January 15 2010 12:28 PM

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it, I'm about to lose control and I think I like it. Dum dee dum dee dum.

Posted by: farmer_mike on January 15 2010 12:49 PM

The torch run has been a huge success across canada, every community has rallied and provided a great welcome when the torch shows up at their community. I do think hosting the olympics is a huge mistake, but you know what, now that its here, I will go and join the crowds and perhaps catch some of that olympic spirit which the torch procession seems to inspire.

Cheers

Posted by: Municca on January 15 2010 12:58 PM

The rest of Canada does not have to pay for the party so ya....they can be all happy and celebrate!!!!!!

Posted by: Andyfreeze on January 15 2010 1:39 PM

"How much" is in fact an important question.,
Unfortunately,those we elected and Vanoc don't seem to be playing by those rules.
Everyone and everything has had to tighten up on spending,except the Olympics,and things like the torch run should have been axed to save money.
And besides,we are paying for this, and we should have the right to know what the cost is.

Posted by: Pylot Project on January 15 2010 1:40 PM

I could not care less about this whole Olympic thing. Truly. Every sport already has a World Championship of some sort so the Olympics are redundant. What a waste of money.

(sarcasm alert) Hey, it's possible we could have an inversion and an air quality advisory could be put in place. Would the torch qualify as "open burning"?

acrider54... you need to remove the Pointer Sisters from your play list! LOL

Posted by: farmer_mike on January 15 2010 1:53 PM

If everyone thought the torch run was a bad thing, no one would show up as the torch makes its way across Canada....

I suspect we will never know the true costs of these games unless there is a profit, then we will know quickly, if there is a loss.....we will never know.

But folks, whether or not you agree with the olympics, the torch is comming to PG, so get out and participate.

Posted by: Municca on January 15 2010 2:00 PM

Like Global news said a few days ago, this is the first time the torch has had to travel so far to get to its destination. It should of went directly to BC and stayed there. This show for the rich is just getting more and more rediculously expensive. But we must support our atheletes soooooo GO CANADA GO!!!

Posted by: mythoughts on January 15 2010 3:44 PM

Not a chance will I be there or show any support for these Olympics or anything to do with them. All this money spent for celebrations and parties is just crazy. Can you imagine what could have been done with this money? Like 'my2bits' said, give it to the Red Cross to help rebuild Haiti. I rather do that than waste all the Olympic money so a very few select people can have a big party in Vancouver & Whistler.

Posted by: Outwest on January 15 2010 7:03 PM

This is just so boring, Watching a Flame go by.

Posted by: bitter on January 15 2010 7:17 PM

I just hope my grandchildren don't end up paying for it, other than that it you can't lick um join them.GO CANADA.

Posted by: Palopu on January 15 2010 8:45 PM

The torch relay has no connection to the Original Olympics, and was in fact introduced by the Germans in the 1936 Summer Olympics. The relay was used as a ;propaganda tool by the Nazi's. There is lots of information on the Web for anyone who cares to check it out.

The relay to-day is to get us to feel good about Canada, the Olympics, and our Atheletes, however it is still a propaganda tool used by Governments.

The Olympics themselves are run by and controlled by the IOC **International Olympic Committee** which is as far as I can determine a committee set up by individuals, who make all the appointments, and keep all the money. Rather interesting I would say.

The torch relay will be remembered about as much as we remember the Queen going up the hill to attend the opening of the University in 1994. Come on now, you remember the Queen???

PS Cost to get the 2 mile stretch of roadway ready before the Queen arrived. $18 Million. I doubt if many people remember that fiasco.

Have a nice day.

Posted by: dow7500 on January 15 2010 11:36 PM

quit your whining people. cancel the torch to save money for the red cross??what ever. its happening, its here, get over it. all canadian taxpayers are on the hook so can the BC taxpayer martyr routine.
We are hosting a world class event and the sniviling is over the top around here. I was in Calgary in 88 and it was a tremendious success and we were all proud of our city,province and country. There are world class facilities for future athletes and non of the endless complaining that goes on in this site.But it goes with the backassed tunnelvision population that will keep PG living in the past.

Posted by: karrman on January 16 2010 1:06 AM

dow7500... I don't think you get it.
I was in Victoria on day 1 of the relay... just as many people there were not too thrilled with the games. It has to do with the behaviour of VANOC; being deceived about the cost of the games at the bid; and living with the cutbacks in education and health ... such as the upcoming closure of the Queen Alexandra Centre. Oil rich Alberta could afford to put on the games; BC cannot. The fear many of us share is that like the Montreal Olympics, we'll be paying for this 3 week party for 30 years.
It is in conceivable to me how people such as you can be so easily duped by a media hype.

Posted by: Palopu on January 16 2010 8:26 AM

I agree with karrman. Lots of people have no real sense at to what issues are about. They just follow the hype.

A good example is all the atheletes that were going to come to Prince George and train for the Olympics. Maybe dow7500 could give us a list of names, and where these people are training so we can go and watch.

The Olympics are nothing more than a money making scheme for those who put them on, and the atheletes are used to pull it off.

There is a hell of a lot more to life, than a series of sporting events.

Posted by: duffer on January 16 2010 10:48 AM

Well said Palopu. Everything this city has done for these "OWELYMPICS" has been a total waste, right from sending people to Turin to building the Northern Sport Centre that is hardly used.

Posted by: MrPG on January 16 2010 11:01 AM

dow's right. There is a lot of sniveling, but that's nothing new around Opinion250. Sports might not be your thing, but the olympics are a big deal. Get over it. It's happening whether you want it to or not.

Posted by: newly retired on January 16 2010 11:04 AM

My, so many negative posters on this site and on the Citizens site. Don't most of you remember that it was the NDP of the time when BC bid on the olympics. Was the government then and since know that we would have a global recession. I don't think so. The recession hit just over a year ago, What should they have done, stop building, so that we could have a lot of unfinished buildings or as they have done complete everything for this event. People stop complaining, Canada may not have such an event in the next 50 years or more. No I can't afford to go down, but I will be watching certain events on TV and enjoy.

Posted by: karrman on January 16 2010 2:13 PM

newly retired:
"Don't most of you remember that it was the NDP of the time when BC bid"... nope, but no doubt Campbull would like you to think so

Posted by: dow7500 on January 16 2010 9:05 PM

So if you don't piss and moan about the olympics, your just an uninformed dumb bunny being manipulated by the media right palpou? Your endless sniviling about the olympics, the sports center, the airport runway and anything else that can't fit in your tunnelvision is really getting old.

Sorry though, I can't give you alist of athletes training in PG. But if I could would you be in favour of the olympics or complain that they are not from your prefered country?

Karman. The reason there where so many anti-olympic protesters at day one of the relay is that the supporters have jobs. If you are gageing support based on a bunch of anti-whatever nutbars protesting, perhaps it is you that are being duped.

Posted by: karrman on January 17 2010 9:21 AM

dow7500:
People who are against squandering BILLLIONS are nutbars??????
I wasn't referring to those who stood by the relay and protested. I was referring to comments made by most people that I met in the days surrounding the beginning of the relay when the Olympics were a topic of conversation. Some of these people own their own businesses.
As far as being duped, just check the numbers. The cost is how many times greater than the proposed cost at the
bid ?
Some of the cost will be covered by corporate sponsorship ...especially ICBC, which has donated $15,000,000....oh, but wait where did ICBC get that money?
And BC Hydro.......

Posted by: dow7500 on January 17 2010 10:44 AM

Every project on the planet has had costs go up exponentially thanks to an unprecedented rise in commodities and labour constraints. Do you suggest that we should hace cancelled our olypmpic commitments years after being awarded the games because of these factors? that might be an option for Nigeria, but not Canada. Hindsight is 20/20, but going back in time is not an option. We are in it and bickering and "I told you so" accomplishes nothing.
The world will see BC closer than ever before. This is one of the most geographically stunning places on earth. Many millions will be exposed to this. Who knows what that will mean, but it is a good thing. We will also have world class infrastructure, and a new, much needed hiway rebuild.

I know this will have a marginal impact on Prince George, but this isn't about any one community. Lets take the "glass half full" attitude. Who knows, when the event is over and we look back on it years from now, it may be a overall success. But armchair quarterbacking on a play that is years old does little but make us look bitter, shallow and hopeless. These are not qualities that will move BC to take advantage of the enormous potential we have.
For the record, I am a humble PG resident.
I'm no olpympic crusader, but its time to move and look forward on these games. Go Canada!!!!
.

Posted by: gus on January 17 2010 11:26 AM

karman ...

After "newly retired" posted: "Don't most of you remember that it was the NDP of the time when BC bid"

you posted: "... nope, but no doubt Campbull would like you to think so."

Just for everyone's clarification. Canada is hosting the Winter Olympics along with a City. The country's Olympic Association is the one that applies. The country typically has a competition to see where in the country the games can occur - i.e. who will be the host city.

In the case of Canada, there were three cities that entered the national selection competition, Calgary, Quebec City and Vancouver.

It was December of 1998 when the Canadian Olympic Committee announced that Vancouver had won. The BC Liberals did not form government unitl 2001, about 2 1/2 years later.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/1998/12/01/olympicsI981201.html

Sorry to burst your bubble.

Posted by: gus on January 17 2010 11:28 AM

BTW, the citizens of the City of Vancouver also voted. I think it was 65% in favour.

The citizens of Whistler also voted and voted in favour.