Olympic flame comes north Tuesday

The Olympic torch will travel north of 60 to Whitehorse on Tuesday, where 62 residents will carry it around the city in the afternoon.

The torch is expected to land in the Yukon capital from British Columbia at about 3 p.m. PT.

Among the 62 people who will carry the torch across the Yukon capital will be local polio survivor Ramesh Ferris, who last year toured Canada on a handcycle, an arm-powered tricycle.

"As the Olympic Games bring to mind the spirit of dedication and hope, we can think of no better person than Ramesh Ferris to carry the torch on its final leg into the community celebration at Shipyards Park," Linda Rapp, the city's parks and recreation manager, announced Monday.

"Ramesh recently completed his Cycle to Walk journey, where he travelled more than 7,000 kilometres across Canada to raise awareness about the impact of polio and the need to eradicate it."

Ferris raised more than $310,000 for polio eradication and rehabilitation programs during his journey, in which he cycled 7,110 kilometres from Victoria to Cape Spear, N.L., over a six-month period.

A large Olympic celebration will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Shipyards Park. The torch will travel to Atlin, B.C., later that evening.

Whitehorse RCMP warn motorists to expect traffic delays on the Alaska Highway, between the Beringia Centre and Two Mile Hill, between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Police say there will also be delays on Industrial Road southbound and Fourth Avenue southbound between Ogilve and Robert Service Way between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

On Wednesday, the torch will be taken to the Yukon communities of Dawson City and Old Crow before it crosses the border into the Northwest Territories.