Presenting the athletes and artists who will be part of Team Canada in Côte d'Ivoire in July 2017 and unveiling their uniform
MONTRÉAL, June 13, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Stéphane Lauzon, Parliamentary Secretary for Sport and Persons with Disabilities and Member of Parliament (Argenteuil–La Petite-Nation), today presented the athletes and artists who will be part of Team Canada at the VIII Games of La Francophonie, which are taking place from July 21 to 30, 2017, in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. This event, organized in conjunction with the FrancoFolies de Montréal, also featured the unveiling of the uniform Team Canada members will wear during the 10 days of competition in Côte d'Ivoire this summer.
Mr. Lauzon hosted this event as Team Canada's delegation leader at these Games. He represented the Government of Canada on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, and the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities.
Starting July 21, 2017, Team Canada and its 116 young athletes and artists will compete in 5 sports and 12 cultural events. They will compete with thousands of other participants from the countries and governments of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
For the names of all Team Canada's artists and athletes at the VIII Games of La Francophonie, or for more information on Team Canada's participation in these games, visit www.canada.ca/jeux-francophonie.
Quotes
"The Government of Canada is pleased to support promising young athletes and artists by offering them the opportunity to participate in these unique games and to discover the many facets of the international Francophonie. As we celebrate Canada 150, these talented athletes and artists will no doubt bring honour to Canada and solidify our reputation for excellence in the arts, culture and sport. I would also like to acknowledge the outstanding work of the Canada Council for the Arts, which successfully carried out the selection of artists through a Canada-wide competition launched last spring."
- The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage
"The Games of La Francophonie are unique in combining culture and sport. They give participants the opportunity to celebrate cultural diversity and sporting excellence—values that are dear to Canadians. The Government of Canada is pleased to have worked with national sport organizations to identify promising athletes to be part of Team Canada at these games."
- The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities
"As the head of Team Canada's delegation to the VIII Games of the Francophonie, I am proud of all the athletes and artists selected to represent our country at these games in Côte d'Ivoire from July 20 to 31. It will be an excellent opportunity for them to display their talent on an international and Francophone stage."
- Stéphane Lauzon, head of Team Canada's delegation Head to the VIII Games of the Francophonie, Parliamentary Secretary for Sport and Persons with Disabilities and Member of Parliament (Argenteuil–La Petite-Nation)
Quick Facts
The Games of La Francophonie, created in 1987 at the Francophonie Summit in Québec City, are a major gathering of Francophone youth that bring together nearly 3,000 athletes and artists aged 18 to 35 from the countries and governments of the International Organisation of La Francophonie.
The Games of La Francophonie are the only major international games to combine sport competitions - including parasport track and field - and cultural competitions during the same event to celebrate excellence and the French language.
The Games have contributed to the careers of many well-known former Team Canada participants. On the cultural side, there are storytellers Stéphane Guertin (2013 Games), François Lavallée (2005 Games) and Fred Pellerin (2001 Games); as well as the group Karkwa (2009 Games) and singer Marie-Jo Thério (1997 Games). In sport, high jumper Derek Drouin (2013 Games), sprinters Bruny Surin (2001 Games) and Donovan Bailey (1994 Games), boxer Jean Pascal (2001 Games), 100m-hurdle specialist Perdita Félicien (2001 Games), and wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc (1997 Games) were all part of Team Canada.
Canada has participated in every edition of the Games of La Francophone since the first, which took place in Morocco in 1989. The Games were held in France in 1994, Madagascar in 1997, Canada in 2001, Niger in 2005, Lebanon in 2009 and again in France, in Nice, in 2013.
After Côte d'Ivoire this summer, the Games of La Francophone will return to Canadian soil in 2021, when Moncton–Dieppe, New Brunswick, hosts the event.
Associated links
| Canada.ca – Games of La Francophonie |
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| Canada Council for the Arts – Games of La |
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| Comité international des Jeux de la Francophonie |
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| Comité national des Jeux de la Francophonie |
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| International Organisation of La Francophonie |
https://www.francophonie.org/Welcome-to-the-International.html |
| FrancoFolies de Montréal |
SOURCE Canadian Heritage
(media only), please contact: Pierre-Olivier Herbert, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, 819-997-7788; Ashley Michnowski, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, 613-697-8016, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]
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