NORTH SYDNEY, N.S. - The Olympic torch relay has kicked off in Nova Scotia, as the flame travelled through Cape Breton on Monday and will be carried onto the mainland on Tuesday.

It has wound its way across the island, visiting 16 communities from North Sydney to Port Hawkesbury.

Thousands of Cape Bretoners lined streets and attended community celebrations to catch a glimpse of the flame, which is making its way across Canada as part of the longest domestic torch relay in Olympic history.

Kim Simon of Milford, N.S., was the first person to take up the torch in Cape Breton early Monday morning near the Marine Atlantic ferry terminal in North Sydney.

Simon's family, which included her mother Jessie Whalen, a native of Pleasant Bay, was there to cheer her on.

"I'm so excited, nervous excited, but really happy to be number one,'' Simon said moments before taking off down Purves Street in North Sydney.

Up the road in Sydney Mines, students from Jubilee Elementary lined the street to watch history in the making. Among them was 10-year-old Kayla Lannigan, a Grade 5 student at the school, who was sporting a little bit of Olympic history for the occasion.

"This is the outfit that daddy wore in 1988,'' she said, explaining that her father, Bill Lannigan, was a torchbearer when the flame last travelled to Cape Breton before the Calgary Olympics.

She said she wanted to wear the jacket and pants to show her support for the 2009 torchbearers.

From Sydney Mines, the torch relay went to Membertou where 14-year-old Dakota Christmas carried the flame from the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre to the local school.

"It's awesome and an honour to be nominated and selected,'' he said.

Watching on the sidelines were many of his classmates, as well as his sister, Stephanie Christmas.

In Dominion, torchbearer Renee Pertus, 20, of Sydney, passed the flame to Trina Doucette of Ingonish.

"It was amazing, so much fun. It's a rush,'' said Pertus.

"It's kinda like over-the-moon excitement. I can't really describe it,'' added Doucette.

The Olympic flame leaves Cape Breton island on Tuesday around 10:50 a.m., when the torch relay is set to cross the Canso Causeway and make its way to Truro.