For Vancouver Island residents coming to Nanaimo for the Torch Relay celebrations, or Vancouverites coming across the Georgia Strait from the mainland, the Painted Turtle Guesthouse offers affordable accommodation that is 1 block from the ocean and less than a 5 minute walk along the spectacular waterfront seawall to Maffeo Sutton Park where the Olympic celebrations will be held. Private rooms, family rooms and affordable dorm style rooms are still available. Click here for reservations.

The 2010 Winter Olympic Torch relay will make history across Canada and many will participate so they can be a part of the amazing history or even just because they want to see their face on television no matter what the reason will be this will be a year to remember across Nanaimo, British Columbia. The Government has played a big part in making this happen for Canada so come out while the torch is in Nanaimo on October 31, 2009 and be part of history in the making.

[caption id="attachment_733" align="alignright" width="195" caption="Olympic Torch Relay in Nanaimo October 31, 2009"][/caption]

Nanaimo is such as a beautiful city that regularly welcomes visitors from all over the world. It is easy to understand how excited the city was to be a major stop for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games Torch Relay. Nanaimo will host the torch on Vancouver Island, as it travels its way to Vancouver for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The city can barely contain its excitement waiting for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games Torch Relay will go through Nanaimo on October 31, 2009. In every country around the world, people who love the Olympics dream of this chance to see the torch first hand, the same torch that hundreds of thousands will see across the World. Can all the excitement be contained? It would be hard for one to contain all the excitement of standing along the road as the torch rolls by on the way to the final resting spot of the Winter Olympics.

Everyone wants to have the dream of carrying the torch and now anyone can have their chance at carrying it in person through the streets. If one is interested you can apply at iCoke.ca, write a letter of interest and sit back and wait for an answer. How exciting! They are looking for interested candidates that want to live a healthier life or volunteering to help build a stronger country by wanting to carry the torch.

The Olympic torch will be carried over a 106-day journey across Canada. This relay will go on record as the longest residential torch relay in history and will travel more than 45,000 kilometres as well as passing by almost 90% of Canada. This will definitely be an Olympic torch event to remember and that will go down in the history books as one of the most touched and widely spread torch carries.

Timeline of Events (Tentative)

• 5:45-6:45 pm- Community Spotlight Entertainment at the Lion's Pavilion and Community Partner Kiosks
• 6:45-9:15 pm- Main Stage Entertainment (Torch arrives at 8 pm - actual Torch Relay Route will be announced 10 days prior to the event per VANOc security regulations.)

Join us for this family-friendly event! Everyone is welcome! For more information, call 250-756-5200. Please note that there will be NO PARKING on site due to the size of this event. Park and Ride Services will be offered.