On Saturday, December 19, the eyes of the world will turn to our city as the Olympic Flame arrives in Hamilton as part of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC and supported by the Government of Canada. The crowd will see a new torchbearer carry the flame every 300 metres through the community as it travels on its 45,000-kilometre-long journey across Canada — the longest domestic torch relay in Olympic history.
Saturday December 19, 2009
Dundurn National Historic Site
610 York Blvd. (map)
Hamilton, Ontario
There will be NO public parking at Dundurn Castle on December 19.
Activities
The public are encouraged to come early to Dundurn Castle and check out activities beginning at 4:00 pm provided by sponsors Coca-Cola and RBC. Dundurn Castle will offer free guided tours from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm, and free roaming tours from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm with interpreters stationed throughout the home.
| 12:00 pm-6:00 pm | | Free tours of Dundurn Castle |
| 4:00 pm | | Activities begin at Dundurn National Historic Site |
| 5:30 pm | | Celebration begins; entertainers include Tom Wilson, John Ellison, Jude Johnson, Hamilton Youth Steel Orchestra and more |
| 6:30 pm | | Olympic Torch Relay enters Hamilton |
| 3:30 pm-8:00 pm | | HSR special shuttle from the north side of King Street between Hughson and John to Dundurn Castle |
Torch Bearer
As part of our community celebration, former Olympic basketball referee, Ron Foxcroft, has been named as Hamilton's community torchbearer. He will have the honour of lighting the community cauldron during Hamilton's torch relay celebration.
Born in Hamilton, Ron Foxcroft is probably best known as the inventor of the Fox 40 whistle, a "pea-less" whistle, which is now sold in 100 countries throughout the world. He is a strong supporter of the Hamilton Community Foundation and he and his family have established ‘The Foxcroft Family Youth Fund’ which aims to break down social, economic and cultural barriers faced by some young Hamiltonians wishing to participate in sport. Foxcroft is also renowned as a professional basketball referee. His career spanned 35 years and 1600 games in 30 countries – including the 1976 Olympic Gold Medal game – and earned him a place in both the Canadian and the Ontario Basketball Hall of Fame.
Entertainment
and more to be announced...
Parking and Transportation
HSR will be providing a non-stop shuttle service to and from Dundurn Castle between 3:30pm and 8:00pm. This special shuttle will depart from the HSR bus stop on the north side of King Street between Hughson and John and go directly to Dundurn Castle.
The public are strongly encouraged to walk or take the shuttle bus to minimize traffic as there will be no parking permitted on-site and very limited public parking available in the area.
In cooperation with Hamilton Food Share, the shuttle service will be free to all riders who bring a non-perishable canned good to the event. Riders are asked to simply show the canned good to their HSR operator for a free ride to the event. Upon arrival to Dundurn Castle, donors are asked to deposit their canned good in the Food Share box to receive a complimentary ticket for the return trip.
Relay Route
Route for December 19 (PDF)
Route for December 20 (PDF)