TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay Celebration Announced for Greater Sudbury

Mar 3, 2015

For immediate release                       
Tuesday, March 3, 2015         

Residents are invited to come celebrate and share the Pan Am spirit first hand

The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay, presented by President’s Choice® and OLG, is coming to Greater Sudbury on June 2, 2015.

Residents can now learn about the torch relay celebration(s) taking place and mark that special date in their calendar. We’re inviting the community to celebrate the Pan Am flame when it visits the Grace Hartman Amphitheatre in Greater Sudbury.

"We are excited to host the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay," said Mayor Brian Bigger. "Welcoming the Pan Am flame will allow us to display our community pride. Sudburians are extremely proud of our city and eager to showcase it to the world."

A detailed map of the participating torch run communities is now available online at www.toronto2015.org/torch-relay. The map also highlights the dates and locations for the community celebrations. 

The torch relay begins its 41-day journey when the Pan Am flame is lit during a traditional Aztec lighting ceremony at the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico, before landing in Canada on May 30, 2015. From Toronto, the flame heads to Thunder Bay on May 31 where it will visit the Terry Fox Monument before arriving in Nipigon, the most northern town on the Ontario leg of the journey. The smallest towns through which the torch will pass are Bruce Mines, population 566 and White River, population 607.

“The Games are all about bringing people together, and the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay will unite Ontarians, Canadians and communities. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for people to experience the emotion, excitement and significance of the Pan Am flame,” said Saäd Rafi, chief executive officer of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games Organizing Committee (TO2015). 

Three-thousand torchbearers will carry the flame through communities across Ontario as well as Richmond, Calgary, Winnipeg, Montreal and Halifax.  The torch will see more than 60 modes of transportation while touring through Canada exceeding 5,000 km on the road and 15,000 km by air. The torch relay will finish in Toronto on July 10, 2015, to light the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony, which signifies the start of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games.

As it makes its way to the Opening Ceremony of the Pan Am Games, the torch will visit six Canadian Forces Bases, a national and provincial park, as well as five First Nations communities, including the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nations, the official Host First Nations of the Games. The Pan Am torch will also visit five national historic sites including Fort Henry in Kingston and the Halifax Citadel. 

On July 1, the torch will take part in Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill in our nation’s capital, Ottawa - a chance to celebrate and share the Pan Am spirit during Canada's biggest birthday party.  

TO2015 is proud to bring the relay to Canadian communities with the help of presenting partners President’s Choice® and OLG, community partner CIBC and signature supporters Ontario Trillium Foundation, Porter Airlines and Star Media Group (or Metroland Media) to ensure it is a memorable experience for everyone involved.

Specific timing for the Greater Sudbury celebration will be confirmed at the beginning of May. Street-level route will also be confirmed in May.

In addition, a separate TORONTO 2015 Parapan Am Torch Relay will take place prior to the start of the Games on August 7, 2015. Details on the route and torchbearer application process will be released in April 2015.

About the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay 

The TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games Torch Relay, presented by President’s Choice® and OLG and supported by community partner CIBC and signature supporters Ontario Trillium Foundation, Porter Airlines and Star Media Group and Metroland Media. The torch relay will invite Canadians to celebrate and share the Pan Am spirit throughout its 41-day journey towards Toronto, the Host City of the Games.

The torch relay starts May 30, 2015 and concludes July 10, 2015 with the dramatic lighting of the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony in downtown Toronto.

The TORONTO 2015 Games are funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, as well as Lead Partner CIBC and other partners and sponsors.

For more information, visit TORONTO2015.org/torch-relay

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Pan Am Games Torch-Relay Media Contact:

Carlene Siopis
Manager, Marketing and Communications TO2015
647-206-0259
relaymedia@toronto2015.org