GM Techs explore diverse Canadian landscape with Olympic convoy

Submitted

Art Lewis

Canada's 45,000 kilometre coast-to-coast Olympic Torch Relay has given two men and their crew the experience of their lives.

Art Lewis and Serge St. Louis, both from Ontario, have been riding around with the torch in bone-chilling weather and on little sleep, as part of the General Motors Olympic Torch Relay convoy.

“Drumheller was unbelievable,” said Lewis, last Thursday morning with just a little over a week remaining in the relay.
“I've never seen anything like it in my life.”

He and his partner have been managing the 16-vehicle convoy since the relay began on the East Coast. They travel with the torch . and provide mechanical support to a total of 110 vehicles that rotate through the convoy.

“We're the last to go to bed.”

Not only are the late nights and early mornings grueling, according to Lewis, Canada's unpredictable winter weather has been a challenge for he and his crew.

“It was -39 in Winnipeg,” says Lewis. “There's nothing that's been colder than that.”

Despite the tough schedule, which involves stops in hundreds of communities spanning from St. John's Newfoundland, to the North Pole, and ending in Vancouver, he says it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and is all worth the sacrifice.

“As soon as you see the kids out on the side of the road with their flags, it makes it all worth it,” says Lewis.

Lewis has been rotating shifts every 15 days with St. Louis.

“It's busy and we try to keep it smooth.”

“We've had the same vehicles sine we got to St. John's.”

The vehicles have held up well but Lewis says they have replaced a lot of windshields.

The colourful 16-vehcile fleet dawns Olympics graphics, and is accompanied by dozens of security and shuttle vehicles, including RCMP cruisers.

When the GM technicians aren't servicing and detailing the fleet, they get to watch each and every Olympic torch bearer pass on the flame as well as the ensuing celebration.

“We were watching fireworks last night and people were saying that they were better than the ones on July 1,” says Lewis.

Lewis has particularly fond memories of B.C. He says at a remote spot, located between Prince Rupert and Terrace, when the sun is shining just right, there is a scene more beautiful than anything else in the world.

“Every town kind of has its own little thing,” says Lewis.

“The Bay of Fundy was amazing too.”

The Torch will make its way to the Olympic cauldron in Vancouver tomorrow to kick off the opening ceremonies.

Comments

Be the first to comment!