Olympic Flame burns brightly in Miramichi
Published Saturday November 28th, 2009
About 5,000 people attend official Olympic celebration party
MIRAMICHI - Even with the presence of a bitter cold driving rain, the Olympic Flame burned brightly as it arrived in Miramichi yesterday.
A crowd of over 5,000 decked in red and white piled onto the James M. Hill High School track and partied in the rain while people from all walks of life and schoolchildren from Districts 11 and 16 provided the entertainment during the official celebration party.
A spirited acrobatic display from a team of Coca-Cola drummers and aerial gymnasts whipped the mostly student crowd into a frenzy, while abstract artist Fritz Branschat seemed fueled by the energy of the crowd as he worked feverishly on a painting of a woman bearing the Olympic Torch, which was in turn donated to the City of Miramichi.
The throngs showed up just after 10 a.m., and with good cause, as student choirs from Ian Baillie Primary and the Blackville Girls School wowed the audience in what was likely the biggest crowd they've ever performed in front of.
Rogersville musicians Chaffrail and Michel Savoie warmed the atmosphere with their lively Cajun sounds and primary students from across District 16, led by Colleen Barry, did a lead-in dance routine set to the Black Eyed Peas' I Gotta Feeling prior to the arrival of the torch at around 11:20 p.m.
City officials had kept the identity of Miramichi's torch bearer under their hats since last summer, and in the end the many students in attendance from James M. Hill weren't disappointed.
JMH teacher Mark Noel, a longtime local hockey and baseball coach who has won national awards, sprinted through the sea of red and onto the stage to ignite the cauldron to the delight of the crowd.
"This is just unreal; playing in gold medal games at Canada Cups and at Nationals you have crowds and people who are exited, but nothing like this," said Noel.
"It went pretty well; I guess I'm not in as bad of shape as I thought I was."
Miramichi MP Tilly O'Neill Gordon, Miramichi Bay du Vin MLA Bill Fraser and Miramichi Deputy Mayor Nancy Lordon were among the local dignitaries to address the crowd.
"This is a wonderful, wonderful moment for all of us, for the Miramichi and for the rest of Canada," said Lordon.
"We're all united as Miramichiers, New Brunswickers and as Canadians and this is just great to see."
The torch came into the city just after 10:30 a.m. after winding its way up the Miramichi River Valley with stops in Boiestown, Doaktown and Blackville.
The Miramichi leg of the relay finished on the Douglastown side of the Centennial Bridge around 12:45 p.m. before heading up Route 11 into Esgenoopetitj First Nation, Neguac, Tracadie Sheila, Shippagan and Bathurst but the party kept going on the JMH track.
Aboriginal artist George Paul, the Carrefour Beausoleil school choir, Landry School of Dance, Nelson Doyle Dancers and Owen and Mathilda Murdock provided the entertainment into the early afternoon.
Among the lucky 113 to carry the torch yesterday were Horizon Health Network CEO Donn Peters and Miramichier and biathlon pioneer Ray Kokkonen.
After spending the better part of a week in New Brunswick, the Flame exits the province today after the relay passes through Campbellton, Grand Falls and Edmundston on its way into Quebec.
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