November 21, 2008 (Vancouver, BC) – This morning marked the unveiling of the relay route for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC. More than 1,000 communities and close to 200 regional celebration places will be part of a cross-country torch relay journey that will provide Canadians the opportunity to come together and experience the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Visit Torch Relay Route to:

>> Follow the flame – our interactive map will help you follow the path the Olympic Flame will take as it travels from coast to coast to coast.

>> Learn important information about the places the Olympic Flame will travel to, including the relay starting point – the first place the Olympic Flame will burn on Canadian soil!

>> Check out the national route national route for the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. Use these maps to plan your visit to the nearest regional celebration.

>> Be an Olympic Torchbearer – Canadians interested in carrying the Olympic Flame towards Vancouver can learn how to apply to become an Olympic Torchbearer through nationwide Coca-Cola and RBC application programs.

Today, Canadians and people from around the globe learned how the Olympic Flame will weave its way across the second largest country in the world, touching millions of citizens from coast to coast to coast, in a historic relay highlighting to the world Canada’s people and places. The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay is presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and proudly supported by the Government of Canada. The route is available now at vancouver2010.com.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay route will be the longest domestic torch relay in Olympic history, stretching over 45,000 kilometres within Canada. Upon its conclusion, the Olympic Flame will have been welcomed in over 1,000 communities and passed within a one-hour drive of more than 90 per cent of the Canadian population.

Designed to reach the greatest number of Canadians, the relay will begin the countdown to the XXI Olympic Winter Games, spanning Canada to engage and inspire through the power of the Olympic Flame. On February 12, 2010, the flame’s pan-Canadian journey will culminate as it arrives in Vancouver, lighting the Olympic Cauldron in a dramatic and moving Opening Ceremony before a global audience of billions.

“The Olympic Torch Relay is a tremendous opportunity to unite the country and make the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games Canada’s Games,” said the Honourable Gary Lunn, Minister of State (Sport). “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring together millions of Canadians, in every province and territory, as we celebrate and welcome the passing of the Olympic Flame. As it makes its way across Canada, it will touch the soul of this great nation and inspire the world.”

The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay will begin its 106-day Canadian journey in Victoria, British Columbia on October 30, 2009 before heading to the Far North, becoming the first torch relay to bring the Olympic Flame within 900 kilometres of the North Pole through its stop in Alert, Nunavut, the world’s northernmost permanently inhabited community. The relay will then head to North America’s easternmost place, historic Cape Spear in St. John’s, Newfoundland before making a cross-Canada journey west to Vancouver.

“The Olympic Flame is a powerful symbol of the hope, optimism and pride Canadians feel as we count down to hosting the world for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games,” said the Honourable Gordon Campbell, premier of British Columbia. “The relay is an incredible opportunity to showcase the unique character of our nation and our communities, and to unite everyone in cheering on our athletes.”

Next to the Olympic Rings themselves, the Olympic Flame is the most universally recognized symbol of the Games and the Olympic Torch Relay is often the first and most tangible evidence the Games are just months away. Most importantly, the relay provides a powerful, personal opportunity for every Canadian to experience the emotion, excitement and significance of the Olympic Flame as it travels towards the Host Region.

“The Olympic Torch Relay holds a unique place in people’s hearts. It not only marks the final countdown to the Games, building the excitement and expectation of people across the host nation and world as it winds its way towards the Host City,” said Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee. “It also carries with it a message of peace and hope, transmitting the Olympic Spirit to all who come out and celebrate its journey. We wish the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay well and are sure that by reaching the vast majority of Canadians and by allowing the world to see Canada and its people at their finest that the Vancouver 2010 relay will leave a lasting legacy to Canada and the Olympic Movement as a whole.”

Included in its travels through hundreds of communities from coast to coast to coast, the Olympic Torch Relay will stop twice daily for special noontime and evening festivities to celebrate the diversity of the region, the people and their culture through the power and glow of the Olympic Spirit. Celebration communities have been chosen to allow entire regions to come together and be a part of the Olympic experience.

“Mapping out this route, we wanted to include as many Canadians as possible,” said John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). “It is our dream to unite this country and bring Canadians closer together to rediscover the many cultures and perspectives that make up our nation – to celebrate Canada. With Glowing Hearts we will share the Olympic Flame with young and old, northern and southern, eastern and western and everyone in between – no one left out. A truly unifying Canadian celebration.”

On its journey to Vancouver, the Olympic Flame will participate in notable Canadian firsts and will travel to some remarkable and iconic locations, including the Olympic Host Cities of Calgary and Montreal, Aboriginal communities and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. While the Olympic Flame will be run by torchbearers in populated centres, it will also be transported by many other modes of transportation on its trek across Canada’s vast and beautiful landscapes. The Olympic Flame will travel 1,000 kilometres by water, 18,000 kilometres in the air and 26,000 kilometres on land. Modes of transportation influenced by history and innovation will be highlighted during the cross-country journey. These will be unveiled in the coming months.

“This is an exciting opportunity for us all,” said Tewanee Joseph, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Four Host First Nations. “As a result of our partnerships and in the spirit of unprecedented Aboriginal Participation for the 2010 Winter Games, the Olympic Flame will reach across the country, travel to Aboriginal communities and celebrate the diversity and cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.”