Torch brightens historic fort on Halifax Harbour

When Meg Fraser wrapped her red-mitt-covered hands around the Olympic torch in Halifax on Friday, she knew it was something special.

"I felt like I was the only person in the world doing the most important thing right now," Fraser said after her run around the foot of the Halifax Citadel -- the historic fort that occupies the hill overlooking Halifax Harbour.

And for one knot of huddled fans, she was. Some of Fraser's family and friends came out to cheer on the Peggy's Cove, N.S., area high school student, and it was easy to hear their voices rise above the rest.

"It's all for Megan," said 14-year-old Brittany Morash.

"We wouldn't be standing here freezing (otherwise)," said Heidi Zinck, 15, explaining how the group had to wake up before 4 a.m. to make it to the event.

With flags in hand, Fraser's entourage got cars to honk and passing police motorcycles to sound their sirens.

The torch will leave the Halifax area today with 140 torchbearers as it heads across the province.

The torch began its journey across Canada on Oct. 30 in Victoria.

The relay, a little more than 100 days in length, will see the torch carried into 1,000 communities, travelling 45,000 kilometres, before it reaches its final destination, the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Feb. 12, 2010.