100 % extreme!
MONTRÉAL, Oct. 12, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - The Montreal ice canoeing challenge is back for its 5th edition and a new local team will be on the starting line to defend the city honours. Spectators will have the chance to see the VIVE MONTREAL 375 crew and its captain Mylène Paquette in full action on the icy water of the Saint Lawrence River. The event is part of the 375th anniversary celebrations and will be held during two days on February 11th and 12th 2017. This challenge is part of the « Circuit Québécois de Canot à Glace » championship and will be a sure hit with extreme sport fanatics.
A team and canoe representing the 375th anniversary of Montreal
The Montreal ice canoe challenge is an outdoor event where families and sport aficionados will be surely entertained. This year, the ice canoeing teams will demonstrate their abilities during a skills contest on Saturday 11th as the full racing will be held on Sunday February 12th. The two day event is free to attend and will be held on the icy river at the heart of the Old Port which makes the race course absolutely unique. The VIVE MONTREAL 375 team is made up of great athletes who share a true passion for the Saint Lawrence River. The crew will follow a strict training program in order to be ready to compete against dozens of other teams in February.
"If negotiating our river is, in itself, an act of courage, then tackling its icy waters adds to the bravery of humans and the integrity of athletes. We are both proud and honoured to have Mylène Paquette at the helm of the MONTREALIVE 375 team. This race will be one of the "hottest" moments of the winter," said Serge Postigo, Assistant Commissioner for the celebrations. "We invite everyone to come cheer on the teams in Montréal's Old Port and take part in the many Hivernales activities."
The VIVE MONTRÉAL 375 crew :
Mylène Paquette, captain: In November 2013 Mylène Paquette, a modern-day heroine, put her name up beside the legendary men and women who have pushed themselves beyond their limits to accomplish the unimaginable. A 129-day solo crossing of the North Atlantic Ocean, rowing alone on a vast sea that many a sailor dreads. She was the first person from the Americas to accomplish this feat!
Michael Ball: Michael is a lawyer in Montreal and has competed in ice canoe races since 2014. Born in Ontario, he is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Laval University. Michael is also a reservist in the Royal Canadian Navy, where he discovered the sport of ice canoeing with HMCS MONTCALM (the naval reserve team). He is a member of the Quebec Bar and an associate in the Corporate/Commercial group at Stikeman Elliott LLP.
Karl Doré: Kayaking and rafting guide, Karl has decades of paddling experience behind him. This entrepreneur has been part of several ice canoeing teams in the past and is happy to be in the lineup of this new Montreal crew. He will be the VIVE MONTRÉAL 375 team helmsman.
Sébastien de Senneville Leclair: Sebastien is an engineer who has been a keen white water canoer for many years. This season will be his third in ice canoeing and he is extremely happy to join the Montreal team.
Ice canoeing is a unique extreme sport where athletes defy winter and its hardships. "This 5th edition will showcase pure excitement and allow Montrealers to familiarize themselves with this modern sport. Montreal's natural setting is absolutely perfect to hold an ice canoe race and hopefully the event will help the Saint Lawrence River get the attention it deserves, even during the cold season", explains Simon Lebrun, event producer and president of Heritage Maritime Canada.
"The City of Montreal is hard at work every day to make sure Montrealers have access to the river. We heartily encourage more and more people to take advantage of this great natural resource, one that has defined our destiny to such an extent over the years. This tremendous sporting challenge will certainly help to make that happen," said Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre.
"The Quebec government is happy to support this sporting event that celebrates our athletes as well as the beauty of the Saint Lawrence River. This event which is part of the winter programing for the 375th anniversary of Montreal shows how much our city is dynamic and audacious" said M. Martin Coiteux, ministre des Affaires municipales et de l'Occupation du territoire, ministre de la Sécurité publique et ministre responsable de la région de Montréal.
"The best teams out there will compete in this awesome competition where surpassing one's self and perseverance take home the honours. I invite everyone to get out and cheer our athletes on and discover ice canoeing, a winter sport that is a real part of our history," said Sébastien Proulx, Quebec minister of education, recreation and sports, minister of families, and minister responsible for the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine region.
The Montreal ice canoe challenge is produced by Heritage Maritime Canada. One of the missions of the organization is to work with the Circuit Quebecois de Canot à Glace to promote ice canoeing as a distinctive and recognized sport. The rights to the Montreal race where obtained in 2012 and the first edition presented in 2013. 2017 will be the 5th anniversary of the race.
Photos et vidéos disponibles à la demande
SOURCE Société des célébrations du 375e anniversaire de Montréal
Image with caption: "Karl Doré (membre de l’équipe VIVE MONTRÉAL 375), Serge Postigo, commissaire adjoint aux célébrations, Mylène Paquette (capitaine de l’équipe VIVE MONTRÉAL 375), Marc-André Gadoury, conseiller de la Ville de Montréal, Michael Ball (membre de l’équipe VIVE MONTRÉAL 375) et Simon Lebrun, organisateur du Défi canot à glace Montréal. (CNW Group/Société des célébrations du 375e anniversaire de Montréal)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161012_C5055_PHOTO_EN_794384.jpg
Relations de presse : Anne Dongois, 514 826-2050, [email protected]
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