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Vancouver Olympic Cauldron to be relit for Rio Paralympics this Wednesday
Alex Birkill / Flickr
Sun, January 30, 11:00am
Brigid's Festival Vancouver
For the third time in just over a month, the Vancouver Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza will be rekindled on the evening of Wednesday, September 6 to celebrate the start of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The Canadian Paralympic Committee is sending 162 athletes to compete in 19 sports in the 'marvellous city' over 11 days. Over 4,000 athletes from 162 nations are expected to participate in these Games.
"For me, the fire that burns bright in the cauldron is symbolic of the passion Olympic and Paralympic athletes have for their sport, the struggles they faced to get where they are and the obstacles they had to overcome to reach their goals," said Minister Michelle Stilwell, Social Development & Social Innovation and four-time Paralympic athlete, in a statement.
"Every four years the world comes together to celebrate sport and the spirit of the Olympics, which is not to have conquered, but to have fought well."
The 10-metre tall, five-burner symbol of the Olympic movement, and one of the major lasting landmarks of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, was first lit by Wayne Gretzky six years ago moments after the Opening Ceremony at BC Place.
Earlier this summer, the Cauldron was also relit for the start of the Rio Olympics and the inaugural Americas Masters Games held in Vancouver.
Wheelchair basketball player David Eng selected as Canada's flag bearer at Paralympics
The Paralympic Opening Ceremony on Wednesday at the Maracana Stadium will be live streamed online at CBC at 3:30 pm PST and broadcasted on CBC Television at 6:30 pm PST. Wheelchair basketball player and three-time Paralympic medallist David Eng has been selected as Canada's flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony.
Lighting of the Vancouver Olympic Cauldron for Rio Paralympics
When: 6:15 to 8:30 pm on Wednesday, September 7, 2016
Where: Jack Poole Plaza at the Vancouver Convention Centre (1055 Canada Place, Vancouver)
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