Flame makes its way through Kwanlin Dun

It took only a few minutes from the time the Olympic Flame arrived at the Kwanlin Dun First Nation’s Nakwataku Potlatch House,

It took only a few minutes from the time the Olympic Flame arrived at the Kwanlin Dun First Nation’s Nakwataku Potlatch House, received a blessing by elder Norman Blanchard, and moved to another torch before it made its way through the rest of Whitehorse Thursday, but the celebrations around its arrival at the potlatch house were an entire afternoon affair for the first nation.

“We really tried to bring the kids out to get inspired,” Kwanlin Dun Chief Mike Smith said this morning, noting he believes the first nation succeeded in that.

Nakwataku was one of several stops as the 2010 Olympic Torch came through town as part of the torch relay yesterday. 

While the flame wasn’t set to arrive at the potlatch house until shortly after 4 p.m., the celebrations started at 2 p.m.

Inside the building, tables were set up with red and white table clothes, food was served, entertainment was provided, a DVD could be viewed and door prizes were handed out. Those who opted to stay outside and enjoy the sunshine could warm up by a fire pit near the road while they waited for the flame to arrive.

“We wanted to celebrate the Olympics coming to Canada, let alone, you know, (the flame coming to) Whitehorse,” Michelle Dawson-Beattie, who was involved in organizing and hosting the event, said yesterday following the festivities. “It was pretty big and we had a lot of Kwanlin Dun torchbearers, which was really awesome.”

Among those torchbearers was Sean Smith, who carried the flame to Nakwataku, and local hockey player Christopher Vance, who departed the potlatch house, heading down McIntyre Drive to help get the flame to its final Whitehorse destination at Shipyards Park Tuesday night.

While Dawson-Beattie was quick to praise Vance as a “big sports role model” for the community, when Vance was asked about being chosen as a torch bearer, he was more modest, noting it was his auntie who asked him if he wanted his name submitted.

He was later informed that he was to be among the 67 in Whitehorse who would carry the torch.

Both sponsors Coca-Cola and RBC had events where names could be submitted to be torchbearers.

“It’s exciting. It’s probably once in a lifetime in Canada,” Vance said of getting to carry the torch as he waited for the flame’s arrival for him to carry on. “It’ll probably be a long time before I get to see the torch again.”

While Vance doesn’t have any definite plans to go to Vancouver to see the Olympics in February, he said he would like to try to get down there to see some of them.

As he waited with his torch for Smith to arrive with the flame, students from the first nations cultural club at Elijah Smith Elementary School stood in two lines next to him drumming drums they had made at school. Nearby were two Mounties dressed in their red serge. Other RCMP officers could be seen mingling in the crowd.

Cameron Good, a Grade 7 teacher at the school, said the students had been working on their performance in the week leading up to the flame’s arrival.

By about 3:30 p.m., the potlatch house was close to empty with most on hand standing outside to listen to the drummers and await the flame’s arrival.

Linda Huebschwerlen said she came to the event “just to get a glimpse of the young youth that are here with Kwanlin Dun and holding the torch and just to celebrate the Olympics with the Yukon and with Kwanlin Dun.”

Displaying that Olympic spirit, Huebschwerlen was decked out with a cut-out of the Olympic rings on her back, a small Kwanlin Dun symbol painted on her face and a Canadian flag draped over her dog.

“It’s a great honour that it came to the Yukon here and to Kwanlin Dun land,” she said.

While she was more than happy to take in the torch relay in the McIntyre subdivision, she said she has no plans to go to Vancouver for the Games.

“There’s too many people down there for me,” she said with a laugh.

Jennifer Lee, meanwhile, noted that working close by for the Kwanlin Dun First Nation gave her a good opportunity to take in the torch relay there.

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” she said as she waited for the flame. “It’s a beautiful day and it’s nice to be part of a positive community event.”

Judging by the afternoon’s festivities, she said, it seemed organizers had put a lot of work into making sure it was a good celebration.

“There’s definitely a lot of excitement,” she said.

Indeed as Sean Smith drew closer to the potlatch house, spectators took notice.

“He’s by the daycare,” one person yelled, as some clamored towards the road to catch a first glimpse or a photo of Sean Smith heading towards the building.

As he turned in to the potlatch house, the 200 or more people there crowded around, taking in the flame that will light the cauldron at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Through the crowd came the chief and Blanchard, who gave a blessing over it.

As the torch relay continues, Blanchard’s will be one of 125 first nation blessings from across the country the flame will have before it lights the cauldron in Vancouver.

This morning, Mike Smith said Blanchard was chosen among the elders at the first nation to give the blessing because of his ongoing involvement in the sports community.

“He’s still involved with sports,” Mike Smith said.

Vance’s torch was lit from Sean Smith’s and, after a few pictures were taken, he headed down McIntyre Drive alongside an entourage of torch relay officials for the next leg of the relay.

Inside the potlatch house, as just a few visitors lingered over cups of coffee, Dawson-Beattie deemed the celebrations a success, noting everything ran according to schedule with more than the 200 people expected coming throughout he door.

“It was really good to have the younger kids from the elementary school come and drum,” she said.

Mike Smith also deemed the event a success.

“There was a lot of excitement,” he said, praising the organizers of the torch relay for bringing the flame to remote communities.

It’s something he believes will help all Canadians become involved in some way with the Olympics.

Following the stop at the potlatch house, the flame made its way through downtown with its final Whitehorse stop at Shipyards Park last night where a community celebration was hosted featuring local and outside entertainment along with the lighting of the cauldron by community torchbearer Ramesh Ferris.

The flame then went on to Atlin, B.C. last night before heading to Dawson, Old Crow and Inuvik today as the relay continues across the north.