An Olympic flame arrived in Vancouver on Sunday. It didn't look like a roach. It was mounted on hospital gurney, and made out of papier-mâché. Yes, it was the Poverty Olympics torch, proudly carried in by VANDU members (Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users) to hundreds of cheering supporters at the 3rd annual Poverty Olympics in the Downtown Eastside. The torch arrived from the North Shore with Aboriginal women drummers, having made its journey throughout the province over the past month.

Whistler hosted its first ever Poverty Olympics on Sunday, Jan. 31, as part of a province-wide journey emphasising the devastating reality of poverty and homelessness within communities throughout BC.

The 10-foot high Poverty Olympics Torch and anti-Olympic mascots, Chewy the Rat and Creepy the Cockroach complimented the mountain backdrop.

Ironically, the two skiers who were supposed to ski down Whistler Mountain with the torch (a plunger) found out minutes before the relay that they were being evicted from their accommodations for the Olympics.