It’s the passing of the torch – literally.
With the 2009 Canada Summer Games coming to a close over the weekend in Prince Edward Island, the torch has been extinguished and handed over to Halifax as the city prepares to host the 2011 Canada Winter Games from Feb. 11 to 27.
Dartmouth kayaker Hannah Vaughan — who won three of Nova Scotia’s record-breaking 52 medals from this summer’s Games — was given the torch on behalf of the 2011 Halifax Canada Games committee during Saturday’s closing ceremonies in Charlottetown.
Local organizers are dubbing the Halifax Games the largest multi-sport event in the city’s history, with more than 2,700 athletes competing in more than 20 sports. The Games are expected to generate about $80 million for the local economy.
“Success at the end of the day for the 2011 Games will be about delivering an event that puts the entire community at the core of the experience,” Jean-Paul Deveau, chair of the 2011 Games, said in a release.
During Saturday’s closing ceremonies, a video promoting the 2011 Games was played to the crowd of thousands, and included appearance by Sidney Crosby and Premier Darrell Dexter.
