Ten of our employees from Canada and the United States had the good fortune to take part in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay in late 2009 and early 2010.

Their participation was due to TransCanada's role as an Official Supplier to the Games in the category of Natural Gas Pipeline Operator. Over the course of the sponsorship, TransCanada committed to introducing programs that gave our employees the chance to participate in the Olympic experience.

Originating in ceremonies preceding the ancient games in Olympia, Greece, today's Torch Relay reflects the enduring Olympic values of peace, brotherhood and enlightenment.

In the same spirit, we asked employees to nominate themselves or colleagues who exemplify our corporate values of Integrity, Collaboration, Responsibility and Innovation at work, at home or in the community. The response was overwhelming and the quality of the nominations was very high.

The following employees acted as torchbearers:

• Laun Bell, Senior Environmental Specialist, Rocky Mountain/Wildrose Regions, Airdrie Service Centre, Airdrie, Alberta;
• John Coutts, Mechanical Technician, Station 41: Ile des Chénes Manitoba;
• Russ Girling, Chief Operating Officer and President, Pipelines, Calgary, Alberta;
• David Haag, Manager, Rates and Regulatory Affairs, Portland Natural Gas Transmission System, Portsmouth, New Hampshire;
• Keith Leong, Lab Technologist, Edmonton Service Centre, Edmonton, Alberta;
• Laura McIntyre, Senior Contract Analyst, Supply Chain Operations, Calgary, Alberta;
• Sean McMaster, Executive Vice President, Corporate and General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Calgary, Alberta;
• Joan Muzzey, Regional Associate, Lake Michigan Region, Tinley Park, Illinois;
• Ross Parker, Director, Operations Program, Engineering and Asset Reliability, Calgary, Alberta; and
• Matthew Teevens, Project Manager, Compression Projects, Calgary, Alberta.

Each runner carried the flame for some 300 metres along the 45,000-kilometre route in the longest Olympic Torch Relay ever. None will ever forget the run. As Laura McIntyre said, "In my 20-some years of running, I've taken part in races like the Boston Marathon, but there's really no comparison. This was really meaningful to me, and I'm so pleased that TransCanada gave me the chance to do this."