Christiane Germain and Walter Schroeder selected to receive the 2020 International Horatio Alger Award

– Recipients to be honoured at Washington, D.C. ceremony in April 2020 –

MONTREAL, Oct. 24, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - Christiane Germain, Co-Founder and Co-President of Germain Hotels, and Walter Schroeder, Founder of DBRS Limited, have been chosen to receive the International Horatio Alger Award in 2020, the Horatio Alger Association of Canada announced today.

The International Horatio Alger Award is presented each year by the Washington, D.C.-based Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Inc. It is awarded to contemporary role models whose experiences exemplify that opportunities for a successful life are available to all individuals dedicated to the principles of integrity, hard work, perseverance and compassion for others. Recipients of the Award become lifelong members of the Horatio Alger Association of Canada and its American affiliate and serve as role models for its young scholarship recipients.

"This year, we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of our Association, and we can think of no better way to enter our second decade than by inducting two outstanding individuals into our ranks," said Prem Watsa, President of the Horatio Alger Association of Canada. "Christiane Germain and Walter Schroeder exemplify the can-do attitude that our Association celebrates, and we have no doubt that they will serve as great role models for our Scholars. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I welcome them into our Association."

Christiane Germain is one of Quebec's best-known businesswomen. Germain Hotels, which she co-founded 31 years ago and still co-presides with her brother Jean-Yves, is now present in seven Canadian provinces across three hotel banners: Le Germain Hotels, Alt and Alt+ Hotels. In addition to presiding over a growing business, Christiane Germain is chair of the board of directors of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and is involved in supporting numerous charities. Ms. Germain is a member of the Order of Canada and l'Ordre national du Québec.

"I'm honoured to join a group of such esteemed individuals," said Ms. Germain. "I look forward to working with the Members of the Association to continue building the organization and growing the pool of scholarship recipients."

Walter Schroeder founded DBRS Ltd. in 1976 with less than $1,000. The company opened its first location, a tiny 1,500-square-foot office, in Toronto and built the company into the largest debt rating agency in Canada and the fourth largest in the world. Since selling DRBS in 2014, Mr. Schoreder has served as chairman of Colonial House Capital Ltd. An active philanthropist, he is also the creator and executive producer of No Change in the Weather, a theatrical production showcasing some of the finest Newfoundland songs.

"What a thrill is it to join the Horatio Alger Association of Canada," said Mr. Schroeder. "I am particularly excited to meet the Association's scholarship recipients and provide them with the support they need."

Ms. Germain and Mr. Schroeder will be formally inducted into the Association in Washington, D.C., during the 73^rd Annual Horatio Alger Awards, which take place April 2–4, 2020. Additionally, the recipients will be honoured by the Horatio Alger Association of Canada at its annual Excellence Gala fundraiser on October 28, 2019 at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.

About the Horatio Alger Association of Canada

The Horatio Alger Association of Canada, the Canadian affiliate of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc., is a charitable organization dedicated to the simple but powerful belief that hard work, honesty and determination can conquer all obstacles. The Association honours the achievements of outstanding individuals who have succeeded in spite of adversity by bestowing to them the Horatio Alger Award and granting them lifetime membership into the Association. Through the generosity of Horatio Alger Members, the Horatio Alger Association of Canada awards scholarships annually to deserving young people in every province and territory. Members of the Association include Alain Bouchard, Dominic D'Alessandro, Murray Edwards, Serge Godin, Wayne Gretzky, Jay S. Hennick, the Right Honourable David Johnston, Rebecca MacDonald, the late G. Wallace F. McCain, the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, Jim Pattison, Gerald W. Schwartz, Isadore Sharp, Prem Watsa and Rick Waugh. For more information, visit www.horatioalger.ca. The Association can also be found on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

SOURCE Horatio Alger Association of Canada

Tom Kott, HATLEY Strategy Advisors, 514.316.7082, [email protected]