City seeks community torchbearer for Pan American Games Torch Relay

As the countdown to the TORONTO 2015 Pan American/Parapan American Games continues, the City of Ottawa invites residents to nominate a community leader, local celebrity or role model to be a torchbearer for the Ottawa leg of the torch relay that starts in Canada on May 30, 2015.

“The Pan Am torch relay will arrive next summer en route to Toronto, and we want to celebrate a hometown hero with the honour of carrying the Pam Am flame in Ottawa,” said Mayor Jim Watson. “The torch relay is an opportunity to showcase our great city on the international stage, while recognizing a local person who has made a significant contribution to our community.”

“This is an amazing chance for our residents to call attention to the inspiring figures around them,” said Councillor Jody Mitic, Sports Commissioner for the City of Ottawa.

The City has been given the opportunity to pick one community torchbearer and the deadline for submissions is January 18, 2015. The selected torchbearer must be at least 13 years of age and a Canadian citizen or legal resident. Nominations can be submitted on ottawa.ca .

The Pan Am flame will be lit during a traditional ceremony in Teotihuacan, Mexico, before it travels to Canada on May 30, 2015. The torch relay will feature 3,000 torchbearers who will carry the Pan Am flame along its 41-day journey as participants share the Pan Am spirit in more than 130 Canadian communities. The flame will be passed for the last time on July 10, 2015, at the opening ceremony of the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am Games.

The torch relay will incorporate alternative modes of transportation, including plane, train and boat, passing through five major cities outside of Ontario. The remainder of the torch relay legs are all in Ontario communities.

At the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games, 7,600 top athletes from the Americas and the Caribbean will compete at more than 30 venues located in 16 municipalities across southern Ontario.