Daily Highlights

March 9 - Lytton and Hope

Lytton, British Columbia

Located at the convergence of the mighty Fraser River and its largest tributary, the Thompson River, Lytton is known as the "Rafting Capital of Canada" and "Canada's Hot Spot." The gateway to the Stein River Valley, it’s known for hiking, with trails through a variety of terrain and diverse vegetation with different climatic conditions.

Lytton is one of the oldest, continuously settled communities in North America. First Nations named this area Camchin (the meeting place). It continues to be a meeting place today and is at the heart of major transportation routes. The Lytton community serves about 3,000 local residents and welcomes visitors from all over the world.


Celebration Plans

Celebrations in Lytton marking the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay visit will take place on 4th street at Fraser beginning at 10:00 am.


Please note — the exact time of each community celebration is approximate and is subject to change.

Community Torchbearer
Andrea Drynock is Lytton’s community torchbearer. At age two, she was struck by a train, losing her legs and also affecting her arms, but that didn't stop her from living life to the fullest. At age 16, she Drynock began competitive swimming and quickly discovered a hidden talent.

Between 1983 and 1985, Andrea won three gold medals in swimming at the BC Games. Her sport career came to an end, however, when she started a family. Today, Drynock is busy raising her family and volunteering with the PLAYSAFE! program of The War Amps. With her positive spirit and sunny outlook on life — a perspective she shares with everyone she meets —Drynock embodies the spirit of both Lytton and the Paralympic Winter Games.


Hope, British Columbia

Hope is located two hours east of Vancouver at the top end of the lush Fraser Valley. The community of approximately 7,000 is nestled below the Cascade Mountains, at the junction of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers. Just to the east of Hope is Sunshine Valley and E.C. Manning Provincial Park — well known as a year-round destination for outdoor enthusiasts. In the winter, Manning Park offers Nordic and alpine skiing, snowshoeing and ice skating. In the summer, hiking, mountain biking and canoeing/kayaking are popular activities.

To the south of Hope is the wilderness of the Skagit Valley Provincial Park — an area offering excellent fly fishing and endless hiking trails. To the north of Hope is the scenic and historic Fraser Canyon, where river rafting, fishing, hiking, gold panning and rockhounding (collecting rocks and/or mineral specimens) are the order of day.

Hope also has a vibrant community of artists and its downtown is an outdoor art gallery featuring dozens of wooden sculptures created by chainsaw carvers. Hope also has a rich heritage with a culture that’s influenced by the Stó:lō First Nations people. The community was a Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading fort and a starting point of the famous Fraser River Gold Rush — an event that, more than 150 years ago, brought the world to Hope's doorstep.


Celebration Plans

Celebrations in Hope commemorating the visit of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay will take place at Memorial Park, on Wallace Street, beginning at 4:00 pm.


Please note — the exact time of each community celebration is approximate and is subject to change.


Community Torchbearer

Heather Stewin is the community torchbearer in Hope and is the founder of "Storytime in the Park," a program dedicated to addressing literacy issues in the community. Since 2004, this program has provided books and lunch to over 150 participants weekly at Memorial Park during the summer months.

Visually impaired, Stewin has strong beliefs and a steadfast determination — traits for which she was recognized in 2006 when she was awarded the Betty Urquhart Community Service Award, named after a University College of the Fraser Valley founder who believed strongly that the local post-secondary educational institution should maintain strong ties with its communities.

Stewin mobilized the community in Hope, such that its members got involved in her dream of giving books to kids who didn't have any. With friends, she fundraised, encouraging local service groups to give their time and money to the dream, and then inspiring other businesspeople to follow her lead and sponsor the lunch meals and donate prizes. Stewin also organized transportation for First Nations families who needed assistance getting to the reading sessions.

Powered by