1984 gold medal canoeist Alwyn Morris carries Olympic flame through Quebec town

Torch carried by Olympic canoeist in Quebec

KAHNAWAKE, Quebec — Cheering schoolchildren holding paper torches greeted the Olympic flame as it passed through a Mohawk area in Quebec.

Hundreds lined the streets of Kahnawake on Tuesday as former gold medalist Alwyn Morris carried the Olympic flame.

Morris, a Mohawk and local hero, won gold and bronze medals for canoeing at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Morris said the Olympic flame can rekindle the Olympic spirit in the community and give “hope and dreams to some very young people here who may want to follow in those footsteps.”

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police was not welcome on the territory, which is south of Montreal. After negotiations, the torch was escorted by a small group of native peacekeepers.