Canada Day Poster Challenge National Finalist Expresses Her Pride In Canadian Achievements
OTTAWA, May 29, 1997 -- Melissa Leigh, a 16-year-old student from Edmonton, has been selected as the national finalist in this year's Canada Day Poster Challenge. Her poster was chosen from more than 37,000 examples submitted by young people, 18 years of age and under, from all across Canada.The Holy Trinity Secondary School student said: "This design shows my pride in my country. The pride I have for our accomplishments. The beauty of nature and the importance of natural resources. This design also illustrates our multiculturalism and strong sense of unity that unites us from the west coast to the east coast."
Melissa and the finalists from all the provinces and territories, each accompanied by a family member, will participate during the Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill on July 1 as special guests of the Minister of Canadian Heritage. They will join with Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, Governor General Roméo LeBlanc, the Prime Minister and all Canadians to celebrate Canada's 130th birthday.
The Canada Day Poster Challenge was launched ten years ago, offering young Canadians an opportunity to express their personal visions of their country. Each province and territory has its own regional competition and selects a finalist for the national judging. Melissa Leigh was chosen among the 12 finalists and her design will become the official poster for Canada Day and "Celebrate Canada!" across the country.
The finalists were: Newfoundland -- Rebecca Lam, 17, from St. John's; Prince Edward Island -- Holly Larkin, 10, from Cornwall; New Brunswick -- Sandy Peters, 14, from Bathurst; Nova Scotia -- Luke Conrad, 16, from Beaver Bank; Québec -- Mélanie Robinson, 15, from Val-Bélair; Ontario -- Dina Wang, 13, from Scarborough; Manitoba -- Jason Salonga, 14, from Winnipeg; Saskatchewan -- Jessica Peterson, 14, from Ogema; Alberta -- Melissa Leigh, 16, from Edmonton; British Columbia -- Hailey MacKay, 11, from North Vancouver; Northwest Territories -- Heather Anne Kilpatrick, 12, from Inuvik; Yukon -- Anna Schmidt, 12, from Whitehorse.
The poster will be available from all 12 provincial and territorial Canada Day Committees' offices.
Addresses of Canada Day Committees are displayed on the Canadian Heritage's web site.
Information:
Janet Bax
Director of Communications
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Canadian Heritage
(819) 997-7788
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