Fireworks to light up Olympic celebration
Published Saturday November 21st, 2009
Torch relay celebration to open new stadium
It won't be just the Olympic Flame blazing in the cauldron that lights up the sky over the Stade 2010 Moncton Stadium Monday night.
The City of Moncton has announced the Olympic community celebration planned at the stadium will include a pyrotechnics show in addition to all the previously announced entertainment and activities.
The event is quickly shaping up to be more than just a stop on the cross-Canada torch tour. It will be the public debut of the stadium, being built by the City of Moncton on the Université de Moncton campus for next year's International Association of Athletics Federations World Junior Track and Field Championships.
The free celebration will celebrate local talent, offer some exceptional and unusual entertainment provided by the Vancouver Olympic Committee, and host a range of interactive activities for everyone.
The emotional highlight of the night will of course be when Special Olympian Chris Briggs escorts the flaming guest of honour into the stadium, but the pyrotechnics by the same people who did the fireworks for this summer's AC/DC concert promise to be spectacular as well.
The festivities run from 6 to 8 p.m., and while everyone is encouraged to come out early, it will be a whole lot easier to get a parking spot on the campus after about 4:30 p.m., when most UdeM classes have wrapped up for the day, lots empty out and parking can be offered free of charge. Those who can walk or bus to the show are also being encouraged to do so.
The City of Moncton will provide three musical performers -- Chris Mersereau and the community African drum group, Dominique Dupuis, and a Community Youth Choir under the direction of Nadine Hebert. The choir will perform the national anthem and will feature students from the Theatre Program at District 2, les Jeunes Chanteurs d'Acadie and voice students of Melody Dobson.
Sponsor Coca-Cola will offer a high energy demonstration of acrobatics and percussion, and RBC will present artist Fritz Branschat, who will keep the audience guessing in a dramatic explosion of paint and energy on a giant canvas.
Remember to dress warm for the outdoor event and organizers are encouraging everyone to wear red and white if possible.
You'll want to look spiffy because both RBC and Coke will have booths set up where you can get your photo taken with the Olympic torch, which you can then download for free at home.
The companies are also giving out Olympic souvenirs to everyone in attendance.
Meanwhile, thousands of people are expected to line Olympic Torch routes throughout southeastern New Brunswick Monday and Tuesday. See the attached list for locations and times.
Quick facts
The schedule for the Olympic Torch Relay in southeastern N.B.:
Monday
10:25 a.m.: Olympic Torch travels from the Confederation Bridge along Highway 16 and arrives in Port Elgin. It will then be carried through Port Elgin on a Can-Am Spyder three-wheeled motorcycle.
11:30-11:42 a.m.: The torch travels along Highway 133 through Cap-Pele.
12:03-1:51 p.m.: The torch arrives at RCMP detachment in Shediac and travels to a lunchtime community celebration (11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) at the Festival Arena with a showcase of Acadian music and culture, before heading west to the giant lobster.
2:30-2:49 p.m.: The torch will be carried along Centrale Street in Memramcook.
3:15-4:22 p.m.: The torch travels along Main Street in Sackville.
5:07-5:35 p.m.: The torch will be carried along Champlain Street in Dieppe, from Industriel Street (near Mathieu-Martin High School) past Champlain Place to where the road becomes Moncton’s Main Street at Halls Creek.
5:35 p.m.: The Moncton torch run will begin on Main Street near the Chateau Moncton hotel. It will travel along Main Street to Vaughan Harvey Boulevard, then back along St. George to Botsford, up Mountain Road to the Killam Drive corner (near McDonald’s), then along Connaught and Morton to the Université de Moncton campus.
7 p.m.: The torch will arrive at the new Moncton stadium at Université de Moncton for a community celebration.
Tuesday
7:05 a.m.: The torch will begin its day at Moncton City Hall. It will travel along Main Street, up Lutz to Mountain Road, along Mountain Road to Wheeler to finish at 7:55 a.m.
8 a.m.: The torch will arrive in Riverview on Coverdale Road near Sobeys. It will travel along Coverdale Road, up Trites Road, along Whitepine to Pine Glen Road and down Pine Glen to finish at Coverdale Road at 8:53 a.m.
8:57-9:07 a.m.: The torch will be carried for a short distance along Highway 114 in Lower Coverdale.
9:22-9:42 a.m.: The torch will be carried along Highway 114 through Hillsborough.
9:52-10:03 a.m.: The torch will be carried along Highway 114 through Hopewell Cape.
10:26-10:46 a.m.: The torch will be carried along the ocean floor at The Rocks.
11-11:18 a.m.: The torch visits Riverside-Albert.
11:56 a.m.-12:04 p.m.: The torch will be carried though a section of Fundy National Park.
1:07-2:40 p.m.: The torch will be carried into Sussex for a community celebration.
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