Twilight relay by torch-light
Cowbells rang, lights flashed and a crowd of 200 clapped, hooted and hollered as Ivan McLelland carried the 2019 Canada Winter Games flame into downtown Kelowna’s Stuart Park Friday at twilight.
McLelland was goalie for the world champion Penticton Vees hockey team in 1955 and was chosen to carry the torch while it was in the Okanagan because of his connection to winter sports.
McLelland, who still lives in Penticton, is also in the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame, B.C. Sports Hall of Fame and the Timmins Sports Heritage Hall of Fame.
Kelowna was 21st of 48 stops the torch is making on an erratic traverse of the country before it arrives in Red Deer for the Canada Winter Games, Feb. 15 to March 3.
“Yes, the route is a little confusing,” admitted Canada Winter Games communications coordinator Melanie Pare. “The torch was lit Oct. 4 on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, hopped to Halifax and to Montreal before making a bunch of stops in Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan before coming to B.C and Kelowna today.
“We’ll take a break for most of December before starting back up again to do an extensive route through Alberta before ending up in Red Deer on Feb. 15.”
The torch relay is making two kinds of stops.
About half of them are briefer socalled “celebration stops” and the other half are “torch relay stops” for a big party and ceremonies.
Kelowna was such a torch relay stop with not only McLelland running the flame through the streets, but also Canada Winter Games gold medalist and world champion curler Renee Simons, Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran and Canada Winter Games coach Christina Acton, among others.
The party included a bagpiper welcome for the torch, kids games, hot chocolate and Canada Winter Games reindeer mascot Waskasoo wandering posing for photos.