Olympic flame to spark Invermere’s first Winterlude

Fri Jan 22, Invermere –

Olympic Torch celebration and Invermere’s 1st annual Winterlude.

Friday, January 22nd, 2010 will be a day for the memory books in Invermere! The visit of the Olympic Torch Relay Team will be celebrated like perhaps no other event in recent memory. Starting at Eagle Ranch and racing into town with the torch held high, the team will be greeted by hundreds, perhaps thousands of proudly cheering Canadians, waving flags and red-mittened hands, as they arrive in Invermere on their way to Vancouver and the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

By the time it arrives in Vancouver on January 30th, the flame will have been carried by approximately 12,000 people as it has traveled from Ancient Olympia. It will have traveled by land, air and water on its 106-day journey, visiting more than 1,000 communities across Canada.

Invermere Councillor Ray Brydon, who is the organizer of the celebration, has given us a tiny peek at the plan for the day but says there are lots of surprises and he isn’t talking! What he did say, however, is that the celebrating will begin long before the arrival of the torch, with music and other treats starting as early as 11am in the downtown area.

The actual ceremony will take place at noon in the parking area behind the Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena. Originally, the plan was to hold the ceremony in the intersection of 7th Ave. and 13th St., but the official Olympic committee (VANOC) advised that they would need a larger space for booths, etc. So fans will gather in the parking lot to honor the Torch and the ideal it stands for, with speeches and music and the lighting of the torch of the next runner.

After the ceremony, the team, followed by the cheering crowd, will move down to Lake Windermere and onto the Whiteway, carrying the flame on its way.

All of this is part of Invermere’s 1st Annual Winterlude festival, which will take place at Kinsmen Beach, beginning at 6pm. There will be skating, some minor hockey or perhaps shinney hockey, and partiers will be able to watch the annual Bonspiel on the Lake, the only one in Canada, while warming themselves by the fire stoves. The Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce will be presenting the “Winterlude Taste of the Valley”, showcasing food from the valley’s finest dining establishments. Purchase a Taster’s Passport onsite for $10 and ‘travel the valley’ by sampling food from each.

From 7:30 to 8pm, a spectacular fireworks display will delight the audience. We really do fireworks well here in Invermere and this display will not be a disappointment.

In a final word to readers, Councillor Brydon advises that you should come prepared to walk because parking anywhere close to the downtown will be difficult. Dress warmly and bring big smiles with you!