Rebecca Lawrence watches the excitement and celebrations as the Olympic Torch arrives in her new home town of Moose Jaw, Canada.

Sharon Krogsgaard was the first torch bearer

Thousands of people in Moose Jaw gathered together one January Sunday for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Olympic Torch in their city.

The torch has been making its way across Canada since October 30, when it left Victoria, British Columbia.

By the end of its journey, there will have been about 200 celebrations hosted by communities in every province and territory, and about 90 per cent of Canada’s population will be within an hour’s drive of seeing the flame.

The torch will cover 45,000 kilometres and 12,000 people will have had the honour of being an Olympic Torchbearer.

When the flame arrived in Moose Jaw the weather was perfect —it was about one degree centigrade, which is very lucky considering it could have been -40 degrees centigrade.

The torch first went to the military base called 15 Wing, where five people ran with it, and then there was another torch relay through the city.

Twenty-three year old Sharon Krogsgaard, from Regina, was the first person to hold the Olympic torch at 15 Wing.

“It was a blur,” Ms Krogsgaard, from Regina, said as she finished her 300 metre section. “It was fun. It felt like I was smiling ear to ear.”

The atmosphere was amazing, with people cheering and waving Canadian flags.

As a journalist, it was a great experience. I was able to talk to the torch runners before they ran their 300 metres and see the excitement on their faces … and also the nerves.

They all ran with huge smiles, holding the torch high above their heads.