Dryden turned in a gold-medal performance Monday as the Olympic Flame arrived in the community.
Thousands of people decked out in Red and White, singing O Canada, packed the streets of Dryden, Ignace, Vermilion Bay and Kenora to welcome the Olympic Flame and local torchbearers.
In Dryden, the frigid cold forced the community celebration inside, but that didn’t damper the spirits of anyone in the community, as residents packed the High School for a 2-plus hour ceremony, that included the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.
Mayor Anne Krassilowsky says it was a proud moment for everyone involved.
Krassilowsky thanked local organizers for putting the event together, noting it brought all of us together.
She also took time to recognize and thank local Olympians Terry Robinson, Andy Higgins and Chris Pronger.
For those who were selected to carry the torch, it was a moment they will not forget.
Wabigoon’s Randall Jacobs says it was absolutely phenomenal, noting it brought tears to my eyes.
13-year-old Olivia Carter of Dryden stressed the experience was unbelievable and something she will never forget.
Grade 12 student Michelle Arsenault was selected as the official community torchbearer.
Grinning ear to ear, Arsenault said the experience was amazing and hard to describe.
Dryden was one of 189 Canadian communities selected as a hub celebration site.
