March 27, 2009 (Vancouver, BC) – The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) revealed the design of the 2010 Olympic Torch and uniform on February 12, 2009 in Whistler, BC. The two first torchbearers selected by Coca-Cola and RBC, Patricia Moreno and Caleb Taylor, were present for this exciting event. Patricia and Caleb are two of the 12,000 torchbearers who will carry the Olympic Flame as it crosses Canada on its 106-day and 45,000-kilometre journey.

If you haven’t seen the 2010 Olympic Torch, now is the time! The white and silver torch was inspired by the cool, crisp lines left in the snow and ice from winter sports. A maple leaf cut-out on the torch is both symbolic and functional, serving as an air intake to feed the Olympic Flame.

Weighing over 1.5 kilograms with fuel, the torch represents Canada’s vast land and the country’s enormous potential. Bombardier and VANOC have been collaborating since 2007 on the torch design to ensure it is adaptable to the varied weather of Canadian winters.

Learn more about the 2010 Olympic Torch here

Check out the Olympic Torch Interactive Animation here

Olympic Torchbearer Uniform

Everyone will look stylish in the Olympic Torchbearer Uniform. The Hudson’s Bay Company designed the uniform using mainly white highlighted with the bright blues and greens inspired by the winter landscape of the Sea to Sky corridor between Vancouver and Whistler.

The uniform includes a jacket, pants, toque and red mittens with maple leaf; a fun reference to Canada’s friendly and youthful personality. Check out the 2010 Olympic Torchbearer Uniform here

You could be an Olympic Torchbearer!

Robyn Perry, a young and promising figure skater, lit the cauldron at the Calgary 1988 Olympic Winter Games. Heather Freer was an expectant mother when she carried the 1988 Olympic Torch in Sarnia,Ontario and at 76, Father Emmett Johns was the oldest torchbearer to carry the Athens 2004 Olympic Torch in Montreal. Like them, you could also be a torchbearer. Take the time to apply!

The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay program gives all Canadians the opportunity to be a torchbearer during the journey of the Olympic Flame. The Olympic Torch Relay presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and supported by the Government of Canada starts on October 30, 2009 and ends on February 12, 2010. It will pass within an hour’s drive for over 90 per cent of Canadians during its journey.

Our presenting partners Coca-Cola and RBC are offering public torchbearer selection programs accessible to all Canadians. Selection is based on your commitment to an active lifestyle or your pledge to create a stronger Canada.

Learn how you can be a torchbearer for the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay here

Get a sense of what it represents to carry the Olympic Flame by watching the “Lights will Guide You Home” video. With eight months until the Olympic Flame comes to Canada; apply now to participate in this once-in-a-life opportunity!