Official 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics torch used during the Olympic relay and presented to Paula Andrews, who served as the Mayor of the Olympic Village. Comprised of aluminum with a maple handle, the torch measures 23.5″ in length, and is emblazoned on the handle with pictograms of ten Winter Olympic sports. The top inscribed with raised text in English and French, “XV Olympic Winter Games Calgary Alberta Canada 1988,” with underside of bowl engraved: “COA/A.O.C. 1979-1986”; the ball at the base of the handle is engraved with the Olympic motto, “Citius, Altius, Fortius.” The bowl bears some marks and wax remnants.
Designed by the National Research Council of Canada, the torch was made to resemble the Calgary Tower, an iconic landmark in the Canadian city. The torch relay, called 'Share the Flame,' was an enormous event, with approximately 6,500 torchbearers drawn from an application pool of over six million. After the lighting ceremony in Olympia, the flame was flown to Newfoundland and then traveled 18,000 km through Canada over 88 days. Unlike many relays, the torches were shared and thus only about one hundred and fifty were manufactured.
Accompanied by a detailed letter of provenance from Andrews, which reads: “The Calgary ‘88 Winter Olympics staged the Cross Country and Biathlon events at the Canmore Nordic Centre located just outside the town of Canmore, Alberta. As mayor of Canmore, I was appointed to the Calgary Olympic Development Association Board of Directors (CODA) and later to the Calgary Olympic ‘88 (OCO ‘88) Board of Directors. (From 1983 until after the ‘88 Olympics)
I worked closely with staff on the planning, development and operation of athletes village for the Cross Country and Biathlon athletes. I was appointed, by the OCO ‘88 Board of Directors, to the position of mayor of this athletes village. Providing a home for athletes during the Olympics involves everything from housing, food services, and health care to training facilities, transportation and anything else needed by athletes in their home.
My involvement with the Olympics as a board member and especially as mayor of the athletes village resulted in the most challenging and time consuming volunteer positions I have ever held. However the work I completed for the 88 Winter Olympics was also the most rewarding volunteer experience in my life.
As a thank you for my work I received a few gifts. Some I regifted to other volunteers, or donated to the town and Nordic Centre, and some, such as a set of medals and participation medallions, a torch used in the torch relay and a sculpture of a horse I was given for my work on the OCO ‘88 Board, are in today’s Olympic Auction.”
