Olympic flame ignites emotion The Guardian

Emma MacEachearn, who carried the Olympic torch on the final stage in Charlottetown, lights the cauldron Saturday night. With her on stage are from left British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell, P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz and Charlottetown MP Shawn Murphy. The 2010 Winter Games torch was in the province Saturday and will travel to Prince County Sunday. MacEachern, who played hockey, survived an operation to remove a tumour from her spine. She can no longer play hockey competitively but is still active in sport, community service and working on her education and career goals. (Guardian photo by Brian McInnis)

Joy Gallant was pleasantly surprised by the waves of emotion that swept through her at the sudden appearance of a tall yellow flame cutting through the pounding hype of the Olympic Torch relay event in Charlottetown tonight.
“I thought it was pretty amazing actually,” said Gallant as she left the Confederation Landing site with 7-year-old daughter Shanese. “I didn’t realize it would be so emotional. It was pretty emotional to see Emma MacEachern running in with the torch.”
MacEachern is a 19-year-old UPEI student who brought the flame in the final leg up to the stage and lit a symbolic cauldron. On a warm-for-November night with no precipitation, thousands of people were on hand to watch her.
It all took place inside a full-on mid-size outdoor concert stage with a huge video screen, towers of speakers, banks of strobe and spot lights and smoke effects.
The traveling show touches down on over 100 select sites along the Olympic Torch relay route across Canada.
B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell was on hand in Charlottetown tonight, handing out Olympic pins to people pressed against the concert barrier fencing.
Master of Ceremonies Randy Ferguson marshaled the pounding music to introduce local P.E.I. entertainers that included a Cuban music group, Korean drum troupe, Paul Connolly and the Canada song from RCMP officer Kim Hendrickin.
MacEachern was selected on the basis of her drive and determination to overcome a finding of cancer in her spine. Up to that point she had been pursuing a hockey career with the goal of playing professionally.
“It was crazy,” said MacEachern after the event. “So many feelings at once, overwhelming. I had to just focus on what I was doing and try not to get too distracted but it was the coolest thing I have ever done.”
She ran from parking lot of Peake’s Quay around the Confederation Landing Park and up onto the stage.
“I didn’t expect this big a turnout or the stage either,” she said. “They (staff) were leading the way and everything was so organized so well. It was great.”
On stage she thanked all the people that supported her, during her time in hospital and in her nomination to run the final Charlottetown stage of the torch relay.
The run continues Sunday with the massive truck, bus and promotional vehicle entourage leaving Charlottetown to Cornwall, out Route 2 to Hunter River, up to Rustico, over to Kensington, and then to Lennox Island, over to Abram Village, ending in Summerside for another staged community celebration.