TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay Route Announced, Canadians Invited to Be Torchbearers

More than 130 communities and 3,000 torchbearers to take part in 41-day journey
Enter to be a torchbearer today at TORONTO2015.org/torch-relay

TORONTO, Oct. 1, 2014 /CNW/ - Canadians from coast to coast are being invited to celebrate and share their Pan Am spirit by taking part in the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Torch Relay, presented by President's Choice® and OLG.

The national event will be fuelled by local hometown pride, with stops planned in five Canadian cities: Calgary, Winnipeg, Montreal, Halifax and the Greater Vancouver Area, as well as 130 communities in all corners of Ontario. For the full list of communities, visit TORONTO2015.org/torch-relay.

"The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Torch Relay is an invitation to the nation to join the journey, share the spirit and show community pride as we prepare to welcome the best to the biggest international multi-sport Games Canada has ever held," said Saäd Rafi, chief executive officer of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015).

"Anyone aged 13 and up by May 30, 2015, can enter to be a torchbearer. All they need is a sense of pride, an abundance of community spirit and an ability to inspire us with their joy."

TO2015 is proud to bring the relay to Canadian communities with the help of presenting partners President's Choice® and OLG, community partner CIBC and signature supporter Ontario Trillium Foundation to ensure it is a memorable experience for everyone involved.

Three-thousand torchbearers will proudly carry the flame and share the welcoming Pan Am spirit of the Games on its 41-day journey towards the lighting of the cauldron on July 10, 2015, in the exciting conclusion of the Opening Ceremony in downtown Toronto.

Enter to be a torchbearer today at TORONTO2015.org/torch-relay.

Along with the public application process, which opened today and closes December 1, 2014, at 11:59 p.m. (ET), torchbearers will also be chosen by torch relay route communities and other Games stakeholders.

To help kick off the search for torchbearers, TO2015 named its first honorary torchbearer today: famed Canadian astronaut Colonel Chris Hadfield.

"It's an amazing feeling to be a torchbearer and feel the spirit of the flame in your hands and the excitement it brings to people as they cheer you along the route," said Olympic triathlon champion and CIBC Team Next mentor Simon Whitfield. "It's going to be an amazing and unforgettable journey for the 3,000 people who will be chosen for this awesome experience for the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games."

Whitfield shared duties as the first torchbearer with speed skater Catriona Le May Doan for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Both were on hand for the announcement today in Toronto.

The highly-anticipated relay begins in May 2015 with the traditional Aztec lighting ceremony at the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico. The flame represents the history and spirit of the Games and is a potent symbol that unites the 41 Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) member nations.

The Canadian journey for the flame starts with its arrival in Toronto on May 30, 2015. It will then travel to the five other Canadian cities and more than 130 Ontario communities.

Fifty-one of those Ontario communities, which will be hosting major torch relay celebrations that showcase their unique spirit, history and sporting pride, were highlighted at the announcement today. They include: Thunder Bay, Sarnia, Peterborough, Sudbury, Owen Sound, Niagara Falls and Ottawa.

Torchbearers must be a Canadian citizen or legal resident of Canada and 13 years of age or older (as of May 30, 2015). For a complete list of criteria, visit TORONTO2015.org/torch-relay.

In addition, a separate TORONTO 2015 Parapan Am Torch Relay will take place prior to the start of the Games on August 7, 2015. Details on the route and torchbearer application process will be released in April 2015.

Quote Sheet

The Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport):

"This highly anticipated event will be an opportunity to showcase our diverse culture, our accomplishments, our vast geography and our proud history. Our Government is proud to support the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games Torch Relay and we encourage all Canadians to take part in the celebration."

The Honorable Kathleen Wynne, Premier of Ontario:

"The Pan Am Games Torch Relay will light its way across Canada on a journey that will be shared among 3,000 Canadian torchbearers, 130 Ontario communities and millions of spectators and fans. At each stop, our excitement will build as we get closer to the start of the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games. With these Games, Ontario will make all of Canada proud. We invite everyone to join in this celebration and apply to be a torch bearer and a part of Canadian history."

Councillor Mark Grimes, the City of Toronto's Pan Am Champion:

"The TORONTO 2015 Torch Relay brings together many of the same characteristics and values that are important to Torontonians — sport, culture, community, friendship and diversity. This is a great opportunity for Torontonians to come together to embrace the spirit of the Games and show our pride in being the Official Host City for the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games. I encourage everyone to apply to be a torchbearer and carry the flame with pride when it visits Toronto next summer."

Uwe Stueckmann, Senior Vice-President, Marketing, Loblaw Companies Limited:

"As a partner of the Pan Am Games, we are honoured to lend our PC name to the Pan Am Torch Relay and share in this moment of teamwork and community spirit. We are similarly proud that PC was called upon to feed and fuel the thousands of athletes and volunteers who will be bringing the Games to life."

Stephen Forbes, Executive Vice-President, Brand, Corporate and Client Relationships, CIBC:

"The 3,000 Pan Am torchbearers will unite communities across the country signifying the beginning of an incredible event on home soil. We proudly support the torch relay that will allow Canadians to experience something extraordinary and ignite the spirit and energy of the Pan Am Games."

About the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay
The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay, presented by President's Choice® and OLG and supported by community partner CIBC, will invite Canadians to celebrate and share the Pan Am spirit throughout its 41-day journey towards Toronto, the Host City of the Games.

The torch relay starts May 30, 2015 and concludes July 10, 2015 with the dramatic lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony in downtown Toronto.

The TORONTO 2015 Games are funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, as well as Lead Partner CIBC and other partners and sponsors.

For more information, visit TORONTO2015.org/torch-relay.

SOURCE: Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games