Since the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay began its 106-day journey a month ago, more than 1,800 torchbearers have carried the flame over 19,000 kilometres, while many community choirs have performed There’s a light/Cette flamme — an original musical piece composed by Canadian choir master Gregory Charles — during daily community celebrations.

Performances, which include community choirs, during the 189 community celebrations on the Olympic Torch Relay route showcase Canada’s diverse culture, accomplishments, beautiful landscapes and its proud history.

Community choirs bring together people of all ages, races and religions, and the relay is a tremendous and unique opportunity to give them a voice. “When I think that hundreds of thousands of choir members across the country can unite their voices to celebrate the union of peoples, it’s just beautiful,” said Gregory Charles when asked what he loves the most about this project.

Charles and the Choeurs du Nouveau Monde, with the support of the Government of Canada, worked with local choral groups from each celebration community to prepare their performance. “All choirs learned the song based on the composition of their members: children, women, men or mixed,” explained Charles. There’s a light/Cette flamme is performed just after the arrival of the final torchbearer who lights the cauldron in each community.

Canadian choir master, Gregory Charles performing a song The meaning of the song
Charles wrote and composed There’s a light/Cette flamme in French, English and some parts in Huron. The theme of light mainly inspired Charles: “Light is a recurring theme in art history. It represents the will to know, to understand the world and others. The flame, like a lighthouse, becomes the catalyst, the world’s vector for change. This is what the world’s athletes inspire. It is also the promise that the world will be a better place if all men stand by each other. Light also implies that good triumphs over evil.” said Charles.

The introduction of There’s a light/Cette flamme is a call from the north to participate in a modernized choral arrangement inspired from the introduction to Greek plays in ancient times. The second part of the song is simply pure energy — a simulation of the act of running and the hope to harness the power and wisdom of fire to bring humanity closer to perfection and freedom.

“Choral music is a citizen art; it’s representative of our country and civilization and fraternity in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. There are more choir members than athletes in our country, ” said Charles.

It’s the 18th annual kilometre run at Tomsett Elementary during which all students run a specific route. “Over the years, the students have run across Canada — to Texas, to the North Pole, to Beijing, to Torino and to Hawaii,” said school principal Donna Matheson. The students ran over 25,000 km last year to reach the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

With only months remaining before the start of the Olympic Torch Relay, Tomsett Elementary students will attempt to add as much as mileage possible. Every day the 220 students — from kindergarten to grade 7 — run around a ¼-kilometre track for 15 minutes, for 30 consecutive days. For each completed kilometre, 2 km will be recorded on their map.

“As we are a small school, we need 60 consecutive days to complete 45,000 km, and we don’t have that many school days left,” Matheson explained. However, the school’s goal is to complete as great a distance as possible. “Each time we pass through each town or landmark, we read information over the PA system about the towns we just have passed,” Matheson added.

On the other side of the country

Since January 20, 2009 Cusack Elementary School has been realizing a similar challenge. Students at the school have so far run 3,000 km and hope to complete the 45,000 km before the start of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. “Beginning on April 27, 2009 we’ll get parents and teachers involved by counting their mileage outside of the school. Soon all students will have pedometers to calculate their kilometres during each school day,” said physical education teacher Leroy Hodder.

At Cusack Elementary, a lap is 50-metres long in the gym so students will need to run over 900,000 laps to complete the total torch relay route. “We run a minimum number of laps and calculate the total for each class, and then those of the entire student body,” Hodder explained. “To include other groups and to increase the mileage covered, we also count the laps run by the basketball and cheerleading teams during their practice.”

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

Although Tomsett and Cusack Elementary schools are located on opposite sides of the country, the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay represents a unique chance for them to be actively involved in the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

“The torch relay is a very important part of the world’s largest sporting event and it’s happening in our own backyard,” Hodder continued. “It’s an event that the students will witness and remember for the rest of their lives.” Cusack Elementary students have also traced the Olympic Torch Relay Route on in their gym wall.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the students to be involved in a local Olympic event,” Donna Matheson said. “In the past, we have only been able to participate in the Olympic Games from a distance, through television, internet and newspapers. This is giving us all a different perspective since the Games will be held at home in 2010.”

Both schools are very much looking forward to seeing the Olympic Flame pass through their communities. Tomsett and Cusack Elementary schools have embraced the opportunity to participate in the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay in their own way and are showing that the torch relay is accessible to everyone.

The 10-day relay, supported by the Government of Canada, will illuminate the extraordinary achievements of Paralympians and celebrate the endless possibilities of the human spirit. The 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay will start with a uniquely Canadian lighting ceremony in Ottawa and will involve approximately 600 torchbearers. The relay will visit several celebration sites before arriving at BC Place in Vancouver for the opening of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games on March 12.

The starting point announcement was made on June 25, 2009 in Vancouver by Gary Lunn, Minister of State (Sport). Sir Phillip Craven, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President, Premier Gordon Campbell, Mayor Gregor Robertson and John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games were also in attendance.

“I have always been so very impressed by the athletes who participate in the Paralympic Games. They literally embody so many of the competitive values we assign to sportsmen and women in general,” said Jim Richards, director, torch relays. “They are an inspiration to us all, and to have them share their stories and join us throughout the Paralympic Torch Relay will help all of us become a little more resilient and better at surprising ourselves. Our goal is to create a relay that gathers people in the communities to truly celebrate the possible.”

Paralympic Torch and Uniform

Two Paralympians were also on hand to celebrate the event. Brad Lennea of Whistler, BC, a retired member of Canada’s Para-Alpine Ski Team and a torchbearer in Beijing, was joined by a fellow skier Karolina Wisniewska of Vancouver, BC to reveal the distinctive steel blue torch and uniform.

The one-metre-long torch, designed and manufactured by Bombardier, was inspired by the Canadian winter landscape and the lines left on ice by winter sports. The torch also features the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games emblem, a red maple leaf air intake cut-out and an engraving of the Games motto With Glowing Hearts/Des plus brillants exploits.

Designed and produced by the Hudson’s Bay Company, the Paralympic torchbearer uniform is also steel blue and accented with bright bursts of blue and green on the jacket’s left arm. It also features the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay emblem on the chest and the agitos on the back. The red, green and blue agitos are the Paralympic symbol and represent the IPC’s role in bringing athletes from all corners of the world together and enabling them to compete. The uniform consists of a jacket, pullover pants, toque and knitted red mittens.

Emblem

For the first time in its 22-year history, the Paralympic Torch Relay has its own unique emblem, distinct from the Olympic Torch Relay emblem. The 2010 Paralympic emblem, “Spark Becomes Flame,” is a metaphor for the fire within each and every one of us — the fire of friendship, inspiration and the spirit of the 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay. The emblem symbolizes the moment when imaginations are ignited and dreams are born. Its design was created by an in-house team at the Organizing Committee.

Over 1,300 athletes and officials from more than 40 countries will take part in five sports (alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, ice sledge hockey, wheelchair curling and biathlon) during the 10 days of competition at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler next March. Tickets for all Paralympic events are now on sale at vancouver2010.com.

Vancouver, BC — Skydivers parachuting in from above, top regional musical performers, giant puppets, a dazzling light show, foot stomping Acadian fiddlin’, towering snow and ice sculptures, a huge tepee, as well as a kazoo band: that is just a sampling of the unique local flavour almost 200 torch relay celebration communities plan on showcasing when they welcome the Olympic Flame and potentially the world to their part of the country.

Communities in all regions are readying themselves to become an “Olympic Town” for the day when the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and supported by the Government of Canada, makes its historic 45,000 kilometre journey across Canada from coast to coast to coast starting October 30.

“Our goal with these celebrations has always been to bring the magic and excitement of the Olympic Spirit home to millions of Canadians no matter where they live and truly make these Canada’s Games,” said John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). “Our celebration communities are so excited to welcome the Olympic Flame and they’ve planned some truly memorable and inspirational entertainment for the crowds.”

One of the most anticipated announcements in each community hosting a celebration will be the naming of the community torchbearer. They have been nominated by fellow members of their own city, town or village as the person who best exemplifies their civic pride and the Olympic Spirit.

This torchbearer — whose name will remain a closely guarded secret in some communities until the celebration starts — will have the special task of lighting a cauldron on stage during the festivities. The curved white cauldron, which stands 1.3 metres high, complements the look of the Olympic Torch. Both the cauldron and the torch were designed by Bombardier in collaboration with VANOC.

An 18-metre-by-8.5-metre stage will be assembled for most celebration sites along with information and activity tents featuring athlete meet and greets and fun interactive winter sport demonstrations. Special interactive shows created especially for the torch relay by Coca-Cola, RBC and the Government of Canada will entertain residents as they arrive.

Drummers and acrobats will dazzle the crowd in an intense human percussion performance, compliments of Coca-Cola. Balloons will drop into the crowd during a light show and Coke’s song Open Happiness will play. Using a giant canvas, artist Fritz Branschat will keep the audience guessing in a dramatic explosion of paint and energy, presented by RBC. Upon completion, his painting will be donated to the community as a keepsake.

Moving down streets decorated with Olympic banners and lined by excited residents waving Canadian flags, the torchbearers, accompanied by escort runners and Aboriginal flame attendants, will approach the celebration site. The flame will be passed to the community torchbearer who will light the celebration cauldron in one of the most highly anticipated moments of the day.

The stage show will also feature a unique variety of locally hand-picked musicians, artists and entertainers from the region selected by the community planners, and include remarks from government and community representatives. The Government of Canada has been instrumental in organizing a choir that will also sing a moving choral arrangement for the near 200 community celebrations, composed by well-known Quebec choir master Gregory Charles.

How the journey will begin: from Greece to Canada

The Olympic Flame will be lit by the power of the sun’s rays on October 22 during a time-honoured ceremony almost 10,000 kilometres away in Olympia, site of the first Olympic Games in ancient Greece. Officials will present the flame to VANOC a week later in Athens’ Panathinaiko Stadium after a brief relay through Greece.

Sheltered in a security lantern, similar to a miner’s lantern, the Olympic Flame will embark on a trans-Atlantic flight to Canada on board a Canadian Armed Forces’ aircraft. Less than 24 hours later, it will arrive in Victoria, BC, where it is anticipated thousands will cheer on the starting point of the relay and enjoy the first community celebration.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay will visit more than 1,030 communities from coast to coast to coast across Canada before it finishes its 106-day journey in downtown Vancouver on February 12, 2010 when the Olympic Flame will light the Olympic Cauldron during the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games in front of a television audience of billions. During the longest domestic torch relay in Olympic history, 12,000 torchbearers will carry the Olympic Flame and at various opportunities will feature nearly 100 alternative transportation modes, including dogsled, Haida canoe, chuckwagon, seaplane, ice resurfacer, and double-decker bus.

To capture the excitement of the Olympic Flame in each community visited, Canadians are invited to share their photos and short text descriptions with the world by submitting them to Canada CODE at www.vancouver2010.com/code. A selection of the submissions will be displayed on public screens during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Visit www.vancouver2010.com/torchrelay for more information.

Note to Photo Editors: Images are available of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay Community Cauldron and the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay Mobile Celebration Stage in the media centre image gallery at www.vancouver2010.com.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com.

About Coca-Cola and the Olympic Movement

The Coca-Cola Company has been associated with the Olympic Games since 1928 and is the longest continuous corporate supporter of the Olympic Movement. Through the Olympic Games, Coca-Cola encourages people to create their own path of “positivity” in everyday life by believing that anything is possible. The Company’s sponsorship supports National Olympic Committees in more than 200 countries to help athletes train and compete. The Coca-Cola Company is the exclusive non-alcoholic beverage provider to the Olympic Games through 2020. For more information about Coca-Cola Canada, please visit our website at www.cocacola.ca or our parent company’s website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

About RBC

As part of our commitment to helping create a better Canada, RBC sponsors amateur sport, from grassroots programs in local communities to national sport associations that support the development of amateur athletes who compete at home and abroad. Canada’s longest-standing supporter of the Canadian Olympic Team since 1947, RBC continues its sponsorship through the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and is proud to bring the Olympic Spirit to communities across Canada as presenting partner of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. RBC is also a premier sponsor of Hockey Canada, the Canadian Snowboard Team, the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team, Athletics Canada and the Canadian Paralympic Committee. Visit www.rbc.com/sponsorship.

About the Government of Canada

The Government of Canada is proud to make 2010 a celebration for all Canadians. Through strategic investments in programming and funding, the spirit and excitement will be felt far and wide and leave lasting legacies for future generations. Through the Olympic Torch Relay, the Government of Canada is supporting citizen and community participation, as well as the inclusion of Aboriginal, ethnocultural and official-language communities. For more information on the Government of Canada’s contribution to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

One of 189 community celebrations on the Olympic Torch Relay route, Lindsay will host a celebration using the papier mâché snowboarders, figure skaters, hockey players, freestyle skiers and curlers to decorate the stage. These figures have also been displayed at local events to promote the upcoming celebration.

Where did the idea of doing such a project — over and above the school curriculum — originate? Don Thomas, a member of the Olympic Torch Relay Community Task Force, came up with the idea. “I realized we would need something to decorate our stage and keep the Olympic theme. I thought of the sport figures and I approached the art departments of the four schools”, said Thomas. “At first, some teachers were reluctant but at my second visit into the schools, I was armed with our Mayor Ric Magee, along with roll ends of newsprint donated by the Lindsay Post, chicken wire and dowels donated by a local hardware store as well as a cheque from the task force. It worked!”

The work

This project was a technical challenge considering the life-sized aspect of the work, and each school approached the making of the figures differently. I.E. Weldon Secondary School students wrapped a willing model in chicken wire, removed all the pieces carefully and fastened all of them together with wire. Next, a layer of papier mâché was used to cover the wire and smooth the holes, then a layer of plaster bandages was modeled on the top of the papier mâché layer to achieve the finer detail.

“We actually used real skis, skates, hockey stick and jersey to obtain more realistic surfaces and shapes,” explained Lesley Drummond, head of arts at I.E. Weldon. “The figures were then coated with primer to seal any holes and an outdoor urethane for weatherproofing. The most difficult part was trying to figure out how to insert and use the pole that had to be included so the figures can be mounted on a base for easy display.”

The experience

Approximately six to 10 students from Grades 11 and 12 in each of the four schools participated in the project. They had three weeks to create the sport figures they had chosen. “Originally, each school was told to do two figures and my students were willing to wrestle to have this opportunity! They were allowed to pick the figures (sports) they wanted to do. We tried to coordinate with everyone so there was no overlap” said Drummond.

Jacob Jackson, one of the students that participated in the project, was the first at LCVI to express his interest and enthusiasm in doing something beyond the school curriculum. “What I loved most in this project was working with my partner Mike Wills, sharing our ideas as well as surpassing boundaries we faced. The biggest challenge was weight distribution because the figure was heavy as it was inverted. There were also time issues because it was taking longer than expected and we had a lot of ideas we wish we could have had time to apply,” explained Jackson.

Now a student in multimedia design at Durham College and a fan of snowboard, bobsleigh, curling and ice sledge hockey, Jackson is thrilled that his community will be a part of the Olympic Torch Relay and looks forward to the event. “When you think of Lindsay, you certainly don’t think of any major events taking place here. The opportunity is overwhelming and many people, including myself, can’t wait!” he continued.

“We got to work with some cool material like plaster to make it look as real as possible. It was not easy recreating exact body positions, especially out of chicken wire and attaching them together. This took a lot of re-working and re-placing our chicken wire limbs”, said Megan Pilat, a student at I.E. Weldon. “I’m really excited for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and the torch relay’s visit in Lindsay. It’s super awesome to be a part of such a huge event!”

A rewarding project

The figures were unveiled on the lawn of the Lindsay City Hall in June 2009 and the community has been quite impressed with the work. “The students did an excellent job and it’s nice to see that recognized,” said Community Task Force chair Gord James.

“I really wanted to tap into the talent of our local kids and get them revved up for the arrival of the Olympic Flame. It was really rewarding to see the interest, enthusiasm and talent of the students when they presented the figures at City Hall,” said Thomas.
Drummond is ready for another shot. “If the mayor kicks in a bit more plaster money, I’m sure we could farm out the job of doing some Paralympic figures to the new students this year!”

Victoria, British Columbia– As the relay comes to a conclusion after a highly successful first day at the second to last stop at Government House, a large group of protestors were observed by the security and public safety authorities and by the Torch Relay advance team at Government House. The Integrated Security Team implemented a rerouting contingency plan to ensure the safety of all participants. The torchbearers who were to run in the area of Government House carried the flame instead, at Mile Zero. All had the opportunity to carry the torch as planned.

This change resulted in a minor delay in the arrival of the flame at the Legislature Celebration site.

The relay, which heralds the opening of the first Paralympic Winter Games in Canada, will visit 11 communities in 10 days and culminate in the lighting of the Paralympic Cauldron at BC Place in downtown Vancouver on March 12, 2010, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) announced today.

The community celebration sites are: Ottawa, ON (March 3), Quebec City (March 4) and an as yet unnamed community in Central Canada (March 5), as well as Victoria (March 6), Esquimalt and Squamish (March 7), Whistler (March 8), Lytton and Hope (March 9), Maple Ridge (March 10), and Vancouver (March 11 and 12) in British Columbia.

“These 11 communities are sparks across this great land that shed light on and honour the remarkable athletic achievements of Paralympians and their triumphs over adversity,” said John Furlong, VANOC’s Chief Executive Officer. “As the Paralympic Flame approaches Vancouver, this light will only grow stronger as Canadians and people around the world join together with us in a celebration of what is possible if you dare to dream.”

“We encourage all Canadians,” he continued, “to come out to see the Paralympic Flame when it visits a community near you.”

VANOC is also pleased to announce today that the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay will be presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and supported by the Province of British Columbia. All three today are joining the Government of Canada as partners of the historic relay. Coca-Cola also announced today that it is signing on as an official partner of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.

“Coca-Cola is proud to have been a Paralympic Games partner since Barcelona in 1992,” said Nicola Kettlitz, general manager, Coca-Cola Olympic Project Team. “We are delighted to announce Coca-Cola will be a partner of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay.”

“RBC is honoured to support the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay as Canada prepares to welcome the world’s best winter Paralympians for the first time,” said Jim Little, chief brand and communications officer, RBC. “Paralympic athletes represent the height of human achievement — they persevere when the odds are against them and we’re proud to support their success.”

An estimated 600 torchbearers will carry the flame in the curved steel blue torch designed and manufactured by Bombardier during the relay, which will start at the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa, ON. A special Aboriginal-themed lighting ceremony with a uniquely Canadian flair will spark the Paralympic Flame, which has no ancestral home. Each of the 10 provinces and three territories will each name a torchbearer to participate in this ceremony on the historic front lawns of Parliament.

“As Canada prepares to host its first Paralympic Winter Games, our Government is proud to be a partner in this incredible journey,” said Minister of State Gary Lunn. “On its 10-day journey, the Paralympic Flame will reach out to Canadians and invite them to celebrate our Paralympians and their achievements, as well as build excitement for its arrival at BC Place in Vancouver for the opening of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games.”

“As the provincial host of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, British Columbia wants to welcome all Canadians to join us in the celebration and ensure they have a chance to be inspired and play a role in these historic Games,” said Mary McNeil, Minister of State for the Olympics and ActNow BC.

In March 2010, approximately 1,000 athletes and officials from more than 40 countries will take part in five sports (alpine and cross-country skiing, ice sledge hockey, wheelchair curling and biathlon) at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler. The big international sporting event comes just 12 days after the region hosts the Olympic Winter Games.

Tickets for all Paralympic events, including the magical Opening Ceremonies, will go back on sale this Saturday, November 7 at www.vancouver2010.com, as part of Phase 3 of ticket sales for the Games.

For more information on the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay, visit www.vancouver2010.com/torchrelay.

About VANOC
VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Please visit www.vancouver2010.com for more information.

About the Government of Canada
The Government of Canada is proud to make 2010 a celebration for all Canadians. Through strategic investments in programming and funding, the spirit and excitement will be felt far and wide and leave lasting legacies for future generations. Through the Olympic Torch Relay and Paralympic Torch Relay, the Government of Canada is supporting citizen and community participation, as well as the inclusion of Aboriginal, ethnocultural and official language communities.  For more information on the Government of Canada’s contribution to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, visit www.Canada2010.gc.ca.

About Coca-Cola and the Olympic and Paralympic Movements
The Coca-Cola Company has been associated with the Olympic Games since 1928 and is the longest continuous corporate supporter of the Olympic Movement. Through the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Coca-Cola encourages people to create their own path of “positivity” in everyday life by believing that anything is possible. The Coca-Cola Company is the exclusive non-alcoholic beverage provider to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. For more information about Coca-Cola Canada, please visit our website at www.cocacola.ca or our parent company’s website at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

About RBC
As part of our commitment to help create a better Canada, RBC sponsors amateur sport, from grassroots programs in local communities to national sport associations that support the development of amateur athletes who compete at home and abroad. As a long standing supporter of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams, RBC continues its sponsorship through the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and is proud to help showcase Olympic and Paralympic sport as presenting partner of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays.  RBC is also a premier sponsor of Hockey Canada, the Canadian Snowboard Team, the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team, Athletics Canada and the Canadian Paralympic Committee. Visit www.rbc.com/sponsorship.

About the Government of British Columbia
The Government of British Columbia is the proud Host Province for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The Paralympic Torch Relay represents a significant opportunity to create understanding and awareness about people with disabilities and the Paralympic Movement. Through the Paralympic Torch Relay, the Government of British Columbia is promoting healthy communities, healthy lifestyles and individual excellence. For more information on British Columbia’s contribution to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, visit www.gov.bc.ca/themes/2010olympics.

Performances, which include community choirs, during the 189 community celebrations on the Olympic Torch Relay route showcase Canada’s diverse culture, accomplishments, beautiful landscapes and its proud history.

Community choirs bring together people of all ages, races and religions, and the relay is a tremendous and unique opportunity to give them a voice. “When I think that hundreds of thousands of choir members across the country can unite their voices to celebrate the union of peoples, it’s just beautiful,” said Gregory Charles when asked what he loves the most about this project.

Charles and the Choeurs du Nouveau Monde, with the support of the Government of Canada, worked with local choral groups from each celebration community to prepare their performance. “All choirs learned the song based on the composition of their members: children, women, men or mixed,” explained Charles. There’s a light/Cette flamme is performed just after the arrival of the final torchbearer who lights the cauldron in each community.

The meaning of the song
Charles wrote and composed There’s a light/Cette flamme in French, English and some parts in Huron. The theme of light mainly inspired Charles: “Light is a recurring theme in art history. It represents the will to know, to understand the world and others. The flame, like a lighthouse, becomes the catalyst, the world’s vector for change. This is what the world’s athletes inspire. It is also the promise that the world will be a better place if all men stand by each other. Light also implies that good triumphs over evil.” said Charles.

The introduction of There’s a light/Cette flamme is a call from the north to participate in a modernized choral arrangement inspired from the introduction to Greek plays in ancient times. The second part of the song is simply pure energy — a simulation of the act of running and the hope to harness the power and wisdom of fire to bring humanity closer to perfection and freedom.

“Choral music is a citizen art; it’s representative of our country and civilization and fraternity in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. There are more choir members than athletes in our country, ” said Charles.