NEWS RELEASE

HRM a Celebration Community for Olympic Torch Relay Event

(Friday, November 21/08) B HRM is proud to show its support today for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics by participating as a celebration community for the Olympic Torch Relay launch.

"HRM has been selected as one of more than one thousand Canadian communities that will host the Olympic Flame as it travels from coast to coast to coast in the 100 days leading up to the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Games," said Mayor Peter Kelly. "It is a pleasure and an honour to be recognized as a 2010 Olympic Torch Relay route community."

The relay route will be touching various communities throughout the region and a torch relay flag was raised today at 3:30 p.m. in a celebration outside City Hall.

Over 90 per cent of Canadians have the opportunity to witness the Olympic Torch Relay and personally experience the excitement of the 2010 Winter Games. The event will touch the soul of the nation, light the land and inspire the country by creating and delivering an extraordinary experience to all Canadians in communities across the country.

The celebration for the Torch Relay in the Halifax Regional Municipality will be an evening event on Wednesday, November 18, 2009.

"I encourage citizens to get into the spirit of the event and take part in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," continues Mayor Kelly. "It's important for our communities to feel engaged and connect with the millions of people across the nation and around the world to celebrate this tremendous experience."

The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay will begin its 106-day Canadian journey on October 30, 2009 and will be the longest domestic Torch Relay in Olympic history, stretching over 45,000 kilometres throughout Canada. The Flame's pan-Canadian journey will culminate on February 12, 2010 when it arrives in Vancouver for the Opening Ceremony before a global viewing audience of billions.

Upon its conclusion, the Olympic Flame will have been welcomed in over 1,000 communities and passed within a one-hour of more than 90 per cent of the entire Canadian population.

The Torch Relay route, and other information, is available at www.vancouver2010.com.

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Mayor Peter Kelly
Halifax Regional Municipality
(902) 490-4010