a sad night

Montreal is one of my most favourite cities in Canada, possibly the world. I have been looking forward to the time I would spend here for weeks and I was lucky enough to have a day off in this great city. I had a fantastic time in Montreal but there was one thing that happened that made my heart hurt. The Olympic Torch Relay planned to have their community Celebration on my last night in Montreal. The setting was magical with the beautiful historic buildings and Christmas lights as a backdrop. Unfortunately twenty minutes before the show was supposed to begin the atmosphere was ruined; there was a protest. I love Canada and I appreciate the right to free speech but this demonstration was upsetting. I will not get into too much detail since I don't think that I am allowed to but I would like to say a few words. I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinion and I believe that all Canadians should be able to express these opinions but I do not believe that one person's opinion should take precident over another. That is, we are a country based upon free speech and equal opportunity and unfortunately I did not witness that on Thursday. The people that were supposed to go on stage in Montreal have been planning their Community Celebration for over a year. There are adults, children, Community groups and organizations that have been preparing for their one night of fame for the past year; these people did not get to showcase their hardwork on Thursday since the show had to be cancelled. There were torchbearers on Thursday that did not get to run because the protesting prevented it. I get to see the Olympic flame everyday and I generally get to see 2 Community Celebrations every day as well, but there is only one Montreal Community Celebration. I can appreciate that some people do not support the Olympic Torch Relay and ultimately the Olympics but I do not appreciate taking away someone's opportunity to be a part of history and generally speaking allow them to express their opinions and beliefs. Perhaps I am more hurt by the events on Thursday because I am emotionally attached to this program but regardless it was a sad night when there was not 'room' for 2 different view points in Old Montreal.

the poutine debate

I have eaten about 5 poutines in the last 2 weeks, maybe 6. I ate this much poutine for the sake of research; I was trying to find the best poutine in Quebec. The good news is that I did not tire of the delicious meal that is poutine. The bad news is I did not come to a conclusion on where the best poutine in Quebec is. It is hard to say what makes a good poutine per say, but ultimately it is the combination of cheese curds, poutine sauce (not gravy) and crispy french fries that make this Quebec dish so perfect and wonderful! Over the last 2 weeks I have eaten poutine in chain food restaurants, small town jems, for brunch, for lunch and even as a very late night snack; this was all for the sake of research. While researching I concluded that Quebec poutine is the best, hands down. It didn't seem to matter when or where I ate it in la belle province, it was delicious anytime and everywhere. The Quebecois just know how to properly layer the fries, sauce, cheese and then some more sauce on top. I may have already known this and I may not have needed to try quite so many poutines but I sure enjoyed all the exploration and it was a great excuse to eat one of my guilty pleasures. I will miss you Quebec and most of all your poutine.

With Glowing Hearts

To say that it is an amazing experience to carry the Olympic flame is an understatement; it is something that I will never forget. There are only 12 000 Canadians that have the privilege of carrying the Olympic flame for Canada before the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and I was one of the lucky few. There was this incredible feeling of energy and pride that ran through me as I was waiting for the flame to come around the corner and when I finally got to light my torch the feeling was so unbelivable that I can't even put it into words. Although the experience only lasted 300 metres I have never felt so proud to be a Canadian as I did during that moment. The pride and emotions that ran through me were unexpected as I ran through the tiny town of Le Bic, Quebec. I had lots of new friends from the relay cheering me on, my family had flown [and drove] in just to watch me run and I have been told that quite a few people watched online as well. I didn't expect to be so touched by the spirit of the Olympic flame but I honestly was. The same flame that was lit in Olympia, Greece on October 22nd and that has been transported through Vancouver Island, The Northwest Territories, The Yukon, Nunavut, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and now Quebec was passed onto my Olympic Torch and I had the privilege to carry the flame for Canada. I can say firsthand that the Olympic Torch Relay is something amazing that is truly bringing Canadians together. Everyday I am lucky enough to see thousands of Canadians come together and show a united front for their country and that truly is an amazing experience. Thank you to my family for travelling to see me and to all of those that watched me online. It honestly was a highlight of my life and I am happy that I had the opportunity to share it with you. Talk soon!