Vancouver cauldron lit to celebrate 2010 Games anniversary

The Olympic cauldron in Vancouver will be lit for two hours later tonight to celebrate the anniversary of the start of the 2010 Games.

An anonymous donor has funded the lighting, which is due to take place at 8pm local time (4am GMT).

Former Vancouver Olympic Committee CEO John Furlong told Global News: "I just assumed that it would be lighting today and there's lot of reasons for it.

"One of them is of course for the games. But it's also a way to send a message to Sochi, it's respect to them a little bit, it's a cheer for our own athletes over there who are doing heroic things, and it's a thank you to the Blue Jackets (Vancouver volunteers), who did all of that work to deliver the games against great adversity."

The city is also hoping to light the cauldron every day that Canada wins a gold medal in Sochi.