By Olivia McDonald

Prince George Holds 2019 Torch High With Pride

Dec 8, 2018 | 12:28 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The 2019 Canada Winter Games Torch Relay is making its way across the country and on Saturday it made its final stop in British Columbia before crossing over to Alberta. 

The Torch will visit 48 different communities across Canada and on December 8th it made an appearance here in Prince George, the last city to have hosted the games.  

“I’m feeling the emotions of pride with the torchbearers, with a sense of accomplishment. I’m feeling a real sense of community spirit in the room. They have all kind of come together with an understanding of what they’ve done, hosting an event in 2015 that has helped bring this nation together,” says Vice-Chair of the 2019 Canada Winter Games, Hugh McPherson. 

There were twelve different torchbearers that had the honour of holding the flame high as they marched through downtown Prince George. Among the list was Mayor Lyn Hall, CKPG’s Catherine Hansen and 2015 Winter Games Athlete Justin Hampole. 

“It’s a huge honour today. I’m a little bit nervous, I’m the last one carrying the torch into the Civic Centre, but it’s definitely a good type of nervous,” says Hampole. “For athlete’s competing this year, I would just say experience as much as you can, meet as many people as you can, just take it all in, take the whole experience in.”

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This is the first time in the history of the Canada Games that there has been a national torch relay and it may not be the last. 

“The whole idea behind the Canada Games Torch this year is to try to send the brand of the Canada Games as a builder of youth and a builder of national identity. And that’s the purpose behind this torch relay is to build the movement, to let young kids in our country know that they can get involved and get engaged and have a good time,” adds McPherson. 

The Torch Relay will make its final stop in Red Deer for the Opening Ceremonies of the 2019 Games on February 15th.