On Sunday July 10, Niagara College students, staff and faculty are invited to attend the official N22 Canada Games torch relay, as the torch makes its way past the Welland Campus along Niagara College Boulevard.
Don your best and bluest NC gear, bring your family, and join the college community as we proudly cheer on torchbearer and Knights athlete Natasha Desjardins.
Desjardins is expected at the Welland Campus between 10:50 and 11:15 a.m. The full route for the Welland-leg of the relay begins at the Canadian Tire on Woodlawn road and ends at the Seaway Mall.
“This is such a unique moment for the NC community to witness the Canada Games torch being run past campus, especially because of our personal connection with Natasha who embodies the spirit of NC. It’s truly heartwarming,” said Michele O’Keefe, Director, Athletics and Student Engagement.
Desjardins is a Welland native who has competed with the Knights women’s volleyball team for four years and the women’s soccer team for one. As team captain, she is the reigning OCAA Women’s Volleyball Athlete of the Year/All Canadian. She is also a two-time OCAA West Division All Star. Desjardins was named a 2020 and 2022 OCAA Women’s Volleyball West Division First Team All Star.
She is a two-time CCAA Academic All Canadian and a four-time CCAA Scholar Athlete/OCAA Scholar Athlete, an award granted to athletes who maintain an average of 80 per cent or above.
Desjardins completed NC’s Educational Assistant (2022) and Fitness and Health Promotion (2020) programs and will be returning in Fall 2022 for the Autism and Behavioural Science program. She was nominated to represent NC for exemplifying all the values we hold dear in sport: leadership, dignity, competitiveness and determination.
We're SO excited to see our very own Natasha Desjardins carry the @2022CanadaGames torch through our campus Sunday! 🤩
Come help cheer her on Sunday between 10:50am -11:15am outside the NC Welland Campus!👏👏👏 t.co/0cLtmMY4F7 pic.twitter.com/w0vJFZjwTz
— Niagara College Knights (@NC_Knights) July 5, 2022
The journey of the torch
This time-honoured Canada Games tradition began with a lighting ceremony for the Roly McLenahan Torch in Ottawa at the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill, before heading to Montreal for its unprecedented journey on the water aboard the CSL Welland. There, the torch set sail for Niagara for the commencement of its journey on land along the world’s longest trail network – The Trans Canada Trail.
Once in Niagara, the torch will pass through each of the 12 municipalities, engaging with local residents, showcase community pride, and building anticipation for the N22 Canada Games, August 6 to 21.
This 28,000 km trek seeks to inspire Canadians to embrace the outdoors, discover the diversity and richness of the land, enhance their health and well-being, and share their stories along this globally significant and iconic trail network.
Learn more: niagara2022games.ca/catch-the-spirit/our-torch-journey
