The Olympic Flame has a sacred history and symbolizes the principles of peace, brotherhood and friendship.

The first torch relay for the Olympic Winter Games took place in Oslo in 1952.

Approximately 12,000 people will have the opportunity to carry the Olympic Torch as it travels from Ancient Olympia towards Vancouver, BC, site of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Remarkable means of transportation were used in 1976, when the flame was transformed to a radio signal. From Athens, this signal was transmitted by satellite to Canada, where it was received and used to trigger a laser beam to re-light the flame.

In 2004, the first global torch relay was undertaken - a journey that lasted 78 days. The Olympic flame covered a distance of more than 78,000 km in the hands of some 11,300 torchbearers, travelling to Africa and South America for the first time, visiting all previous Olympic cities and finally returning to Athens for the 2004 Summer Olympics.

The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay is over 100 days.  In Canada, it will start on October 30, 2009 and complete the cross-country journey at Vancouver's BC Place on February 12, 2010, as it lights the Olympic Cauldron, signalling the start of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, presented by Coca-Cola and RBC, is a 45,000 kilometre journey across Canada that will unify the country and build excitement for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.  The relay is over 100 days long, and will visit over 1000 communities and places of interest.