The Olympic flame arrived in Canada on Friday to start a 45,000-kilometer journey through the vast country en route to next year"s winter games in the western city of Vancouver. A Canadian military airplane transporting the flame from Greece landed in the Pacific coast city of Victoria for the ceremony to ignite the first torch to be used in the 106-day relay. The flame, enclosed in a lantern, was to be transported from the airplane to British Colombia"s legislature in Victoria fro the start of the torch run. Organizers say the relay will increase interest and support for the Vancouver Games, which mark the third time that Canada has hosted an Olympics.
