I was fortunate to have viewed the Olympic torch run as it passed through our community and then even more fortunate to be able to handle one of the actual torches as a coworker's wife took part in the relay. Torchbearers were given the opportunity to purchase the torch that they carried on their leg of the journey, which I think is an incredible honor and a memento that will be cherished for a lifetime. If you've not had the honor of seeing and touching one of these treasures, it is truly a thing of beauty (imho) and a work of fine engineering. The manufacturer chosen to design and build the device that would carry the Olympic Flame on it's journey across the country was Montreal based Bombardier Inc.maker of aircraft, trains, and famous for their snowmobiles, fitting I guess.
A press release from the company yesterday says, among other things, "In collaboration with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), Bombardier engineers and industrial designers spent more than two years designing and testing the 2010 Olympic Torch. A fuel blend of propane and isobutane allows the torch to burn in colder temperatures than any other torch in Olympic history. A vent in the side of the torch allows the Olympic Flame to unfurl like a flag."
