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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