Salmon Arm big Olympic Torch show

Wed Jan 27, Salmon Arm –

Salmon Arm plans fabulous stage show to celebrate Olympic Torch.

For months, the City of Salmon Arm has been planning a spectacular welcome for the Olympic Torch relay team and now all is in place and the exitement is growing by the day.

The event will start at 10am in Spirit Square, City Hall, with the flame arriving at 11:13am.

At 10am, a piece of art by former Olympians, commissioned to commemorate the Olympic Torch’s visit to Salmon Arm, will be unveiled at the fountain in front of City Hall. At 10:15am, the VANOC show will begin, with representatives from all levels of government and VANOC present. There is a sparkling array of local and other talent planned. Some of the performers you will see are:

• Dancing Bear (ErniePhillips)
• Old Man’s Beard
• Salmon Arm community video
• A local dance group
• Performers from Coca Cola and RBC
• A choir group
• Juno Award winner Greg Sczebel and band members Steve Davis and Dan Oldfield

Greg Sczebel will sing the national anthem and at 11:13am the Olympic Torch will be carried into the square, accompanied by an entourage which will include RCMP, and local torch bearer Roy Sakaki will light the cauldron.

The City has announced that there will be traffic restrictions and road closures starting at 6am:

• 2nd Ave. NE from Alexander to the 600 block closed
• 6th St. from Okanagan through 4th St. to the TCH closed
• Ross St. from the TCH to 2nd Ave. closed
• No parking in and around City Hall
• No parking on west side of 3rd St. from Okanagan to 2nd Ave. SE
• Okanagan Ave. will remain open
• No access from the TCH into the City Hall area.

The City is asking people who are attending the event to park at Ross St. parking lot, Salmar Grande Theatre parking lot, or take public transportation. Drivers will not be able to pass the convoy so are asked to take an alternate route to their destinations. There will be some rolling and temperary lane closures while the entourage passes through to the venue.