Torch in Port Moody

Andrea aka 2010vanfan

106 days, 45,000 kilometres, 12,000 torchbearers, 100+ support vehicles! Man, wasn’t that a fun time? Serge and I got to see literally all of Canada, and every moment, no matter how difficult, will be a lasting memory.

In the past three days, I got to meet some Vancouver bloggers and show them what the energy on the torch relay is like. Yesterday, I brought Andrea and Kemp on a ride along from Port Moody to Port Coquitlam. The energy was amazing, and I hope they both enjoyed themselves.

I arrived in Port Moody to pick them up at 7 a.m., when it was still dark out and the Olympic fans were packed shoulder-to-shoulder along the street. The police had blocked off all the roads around the area, and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to find where Kemp and Andrea were in the crowd. I saw them jumping and waving on the side of the road and they hopped in the Silverado. It was an adventure, but pretty soon we were right in the thick of the torch relay behind a hybrid 2010 GMC Yukon.

Kemp Edmonds

The streets got so narrow and the sidewalks so jammed with people that it felt like you could just roll down the window and high-five everyone cheering you on – I think Andrea did a couple of times! The moment was very emotional! I just let the moment speak for itself. The cheers of the crowd were deafening! No story of mine could compare to the experience!

Out of all the towns and cities in Canada, the Lower Mainland region had the most people come out to watch the relay. Being from Ontario, it was really nice to see everyone in B.C. get so excited for the arrival of the Olympics. I know they have been planning it for years.

I am heading home today, but will be watching the Olympic events at home with my wife. It won’t be hard to get excited cheering on Team Canada because I know I had a great team on the relay and at GM who helped make the relay leading up to the Games possible.

You can read Andrea’s great post about our adventures and the excitement of the packed streets. Also be sure to keep an eye on Kemp’s blog for anything that comes up!

I want to thank my team and everyone who helped made it possible to keep the torch on track. I also want to thank you, my readers. It has been a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I will remember forever.

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Art with @raincoaster & @johnchow

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to have two prominent Vancouver bloggers in the Silverado for a ride on the torch relay: Lorraine (Raincoaster) and John Chow. My colleague Michael filming from the back seat, and we all had a great time!

The torch made its way through Deep Cove in North Vancouver. At first, the crowd was a little thin. We wondered where all the people were. We realized they had all gathered in the town village where there must have been at least five thousand people. They were cheering, screaming and waving flags. The video below will help give you a sense of what is was like:

As you can imagine, the best routes on the relay are ones with schools. Every student in Deep Cove got to play hooky to watch the torch come through town. They were lined up in a row, creating a never-ending cheering section:

For Lorraine’s take on our adventures yesterday, you can read her post about how seeing the thousands of cheering faces brought out the positive side of the Olympics for her. John Chow also has a blog post with lots of excellent video.

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Prince Rupert

Leaving Saltery Bay

It’s been a while since my last post, but I have a good excuse – I was on a cruise of sorts for the last few days.

Before I start with that story, I need to back up and say that everyone in Canada should go to Prince Rupert. Hands down, it’s one of the most beautiful places in the country; the mountains are capped with snow and the Skeena River sparkles like diamonds. It makes for a very scenic drive – even if you’re only on your way to repair a generator and save the day like I was earlier this week! Now, on to the ferries…

On Tuesday, the convoy started its 18-hour ferry ride from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy with a four-hour stop in Bella Bella. While some of the relay crew got to find their bunks and settle in, my crew and I had to coordinate the fleet for arrival. We had to make sure that all of the front-line relay vehicles were properly loaded so that the torchbearer could run straight off the boat as soon as the ferry docked.

Eighteen hours is a long time in such close quarters – but we still managed to have a little fun!

Next, the relay headed down the east coast of Vancouver Island from Port Hardy to Port McNeill and then on to Comox where we caught another ferry to take us across the Straight of Georgia to Powell River.

Our nautical journey continued with yet another ferry – this time from Saltery Bay to Earl’s Cove to board the massive Coastal Renaissance in Langdale for a short trip to Horseshoe Bay. For those of you who may not know, the Coastal Renaissance is an Olympic-themed ferry with an impressive action shot of speed skaters wrapping the hull. It’s yet another demonstration of the amazing Olympic spirit you see everywhere in British Columbia!

The Ferry to Port Hardy all loaded up

We travelled like rock stars on the Renaissance, too. One of the benefits of being part of the Torch relay is you can take over the entire boat. We even had a few helicopters circling us like paparazzi!

Earlier this morning, the torch wound its way through rainy Squamish, but by the time it reaches Whistler, the snow should be falling – perfect timing for the relay’s arrival and the huge celebration at Skiers Plaza. Over the next few days, we’ll be passing through Lillooet, Merritt and Abbotsford on our way to Vancouver!

Are you watching the Torch adventure? If not, CTV has a great live webcam of the torch relay on CTV’s website. Keep your eyes peeled for blog updates going into the final week of the relay. The energy is going to be high, and it’s going to be a blast!

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The amphitheatre in Drumheller

Although I only had a short moment at the Torch Relay lunch celebrations in Drumheller, Alberta on Saturday – I had a 275 km drive to Medicine Hat – it felt like I had stepped back in time.

60km from Drumheller

Drumheller looks old because it is – dating back to 70 million years when it was filled with a lush tropical jungle and roaming dinosaurs. No wonder it hosts attractions like the Royal Tyrell Museum of Paleontology and the world’s largest dinosaur (which wore its fancy red Olympic mitts for the occasion).

For the past few days, I had been frontloading all the vehicle work before Serge arrived in Calgary. I topped up all the fluids and completed oil changes on 130 vehicles, so it should be smooth sailing when the convoy makes its way to Banff. With no vehicle lifts in sight while the Torch is in the Rockies, Serge is in for an interesting time!

The inscription at HSIBJ

We were so busy on Sunday night in Lethbridge, someone accidentally locked a pair of keys in a car – it had to happen eventually! I called OnStar and they showed up within four minutes and opened the door for us. How’s that for service?

On Monday, I got the chance to check out another historic site: Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump. The park got its interesting name from an ancient hunting tradition. For almost 6,000 years, the indigenous people would hunt by driving herds of buffalo off the cliffs. In recognition of such cultural importance, the site was given UNESCO World Heritage Centre status in 1981.

The history of Head Smashed Buffalo Jump in and Drumheller are too much for me to wrap my mind around. I can’t think about thousands of millions of years – all I can think of is days – 24 to be exact. That’s how many are left until the Olympics!

This Thursday, Serge and the Torch Relay will hit British Columbia. It will be an exciting time not only for us, but for the world as we watch the Torch visit the communities of B.C. on its way to Vancouver. Stay tuned!

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Heading to Torringon, AB

Later this afternoon, I’ll be swapping the truck with Serge before hopping on a plane back home. Before I go, I wanted to share a link to an article in the Calgary Herald about our adventures to date.

The piece is called “Once-in-a-lifetime trip for convoy leaders.” Chuck Chiang, who interviewed us, did a bang-on job showing Calgarians what it’s like for us on the road. He’s right – seeing that cauldron lit in Vancouver on February 12 will be the best feeling in the world.

I hope to have another post for you about my short trip through Drumheller, but until then, check out the Herald article!

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photo credit: Mastermaq

We’ve left Edmonton and we’re on our way to Red Deer. One of Alberta’s highlights I’m looking forward to driving through is Drumheller tomorrow and Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump on Monday. I will try to take some pictures…if I have a spare moment!

This morning Mack, a blogger from Edmonton, hopped in the truck with on the first run of the relay. Mack wrote a great blog that you should definitely check out! A fresh perspective on the Torch Relay.

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Photo credit: Adammart

I just wanted to pop in for a quick update. I’ve been running around like crazy on the Torch Relay – lots to do as we pass through Central Canada!

We just left Lloydminster this morning. “Which province is Lloydminster in?” you ask? Well, believe it or not, the city is in both Saskatchewan AND Alberta!

Did you know that Lloydminster has the unique distinction of being Canada’s only town divided between two provinces? Thanks to Wikipedia, here are some fun facts about this interesting little town:

photo credit: Adammart

it has a population of 24,028
it was founded as a “British Utopian” settlement in 1903
the colonists assumed that one province would be created around it, little did they know, the federal government had planned two
unlike Texarkana which is actually two twin cities that border Texas and Arkansas in the U.S., Lloydminster has a single municipal government
shops on the Saskatchewan side of the city are exempt from charging provincial sales tax in order to stay competitive with the Alberta side, which doesn’t have a provincial sales tax

The people of Lloydminster were as enthusiastic as everyone who has come out to cheer on the Flame. The evening celebration was picturesque as Olympic fans gathered near Lloydminster’s outdoor ice rink.

We’re in Alberta, on our way to Edmonton, one more province closer to British Columbia and Vancouver!

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In the drivers seat

A few weeks ago, we received a kind fan email from Kelly asking us how we were chosen for this great opportunity. Serge and I have been with General Motors for years, and the company thought we had the mettle to deal with the trials and tribulations of 106 days on the road across Canada in the middle of winter. Of course, we said yes!

Kelly also mentioned she was planning a road trip of her own. Great idea!

Before we headed out on the road, Serge and I were lucky enough to visit each region the Torch would visit to plan our trip strategically – something most people can’t do when they’re planning a road trip. To help you out, we’ve put together our top five tips for preparing a summer road trip in 2010:

1. Pack jumper cables, road flairs, a car jack and spare tire – This is obvious! You wouldn’t believe how many times tools like this have gotten us out of tight situations.
2. Find dealerships using Google Maps – If you need a new car part, your car’s dealership will most-likely have it or be able to order it for you.
3. Have a GPS unit on board – Turn-by-turn GPS navigation is essential for unfamiliar territory. We’re fortunate because all GM vehicles come with the OnStar option.
4. Carry an empty jerry can – As we’ve seen from our time on a Torch Relay, vehicles can run out of gas unexpectedly, and having an empty canister at the ready will make your trek to the gas station much easier.
5. Load up on music – Plug in the iPod or burn a mix CD of music everyone on board will like. If you have a newer model GM vehicle with XM Radio, you’ll never be without your favourite tunes.

Bonus tip!

6. Consider a smart-phone dash mount and Bluetooth speaker – If you get a call while driving, make sure you have your smart phone mounted on the dash, so you can see incoming calls and quickly activate your hands-free speaker. Remember, almost every province has pass a law against talking on your phone without a hands-free device.

On the Torch Relay, Serge and I are taking note of towns and cities we’d like to visit again when we’re not working – and when it’s a little warmer! A road trip is a great way to see a lot of new places in one fell swoop. You can always choose your favourite places go back to for a more leisurely visit.

Do you have any other ideas? Leave your suggestions in the comments!

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Better late than never! Here are a couple of great pics of the General Motors torchbearers who proudly carried the Flame in Oshawa last month.

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the Relay across Canada

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has worked so hard over the past few weeks. Those of us from Ontario can drive home to see our families during the holidays – I’ll be celebrating Christmas with my wife and catching up with one of my step-sons – but some of the Relay workers from farther away cities, like Vancouver, will be spending their two-day break at the London Delta hotel, thinking about home.

Southern Ontario has been hectic. We diverted the convoy due to disruptions in downtown Toronto, making sure the Sick Kids hospital got some time with the Torch. We’ve also had other difficult situations you may have heard about on the news, but everyone has put in every last ounce of effort to make the Relay run smoothly. In many cases, it means getting to bed after 12 a.m., but if it means giving someone a magic Olympic moment, delays mean nothing. The energy of the Torch Bearers and the cheering crowds make it all worthwhile.

We’re doing some last-minute maintenance on the fleet right now to get it ready for the northern push. So far, we’ve been taking the convoy relatively short distances – only 200 km a day, but in the next three days, the distances are going to increase to 350 to 400 km a day when the Torch heads out to Val-d’Or, Quebec and swoops around to Thunder Bay. And it will get colder – a lot colder.

When the weather is nice, our vehicle prep is a breeze, but sprinkle in a little snow, and we’re replacing six sets of wiper blades a night. We use about six to eight 4 litre jugs of wiper fluid – about 32 litres a day. All those windshields add up.

I’ll be coming back in Winnipeg. Until then, you’re stuck with Serge.

Have a good holiday!