University of Ottawa to host BDC's tenth E-Spirit National Gathering

OTTAWA, April 27 /CNW Telbec/ - More than 190 enterprising Aboriginal youths from across Canada will visit the University of Ottawa next month to attend the tenth edition of the E-Spirit National Aboriginal Youth Business Plan Competition gathering. The E-Spirit competition is organized by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).

The national gathering from May 11 to 13 will include a tradeshow presentation at the University of Ottawa Rotunda and a cultural event at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, followed by an awards gala. The three winning schools will receive prizes in the amount of $2,500 for Gold, $1,500 for Silver and $750 for Bronze. Twelve Special Achievement awards will also be presented.

Aimed at Aboriginal youth in Grades 10 to 12, E-Spirit is a 16 week Internet-based competition designed to increase students' awareness of entrepreneurial and business opportunities, management and business skills, e-commerce and technological capacities. It provides interactive business planning resources, online access to mentoring and extensive student networking opportunities, via the web and in person.

"The national E-Spirit Aboriginal Youth Business Plan Competition encourages students to work together to achieve goals and to explore how their creativity, skills and talents can be directed towards the creation of successful business development and planning initiatives," said Allan Rock, President of the University of Ottawa. I hope that all student participants immerse themselves and have fun!"

"BDC is proud to associate with the University of Ottawa as host of the tenth annual E-Spirit gathering and gala," said Wilson Neapew, National Director, Aboriginal Banking, Business Development Bank of Canada. "This gathering is an opportunity for E-Spirit students to meet like-minded, entrepreneurial peers from across the country, share experiences both cultural and educational, and learn skills they can use for years to come."

The following schools qualified for the E-Spirit Business Plan Competition 2010 and will attend the national gathering in Ottawa:

    
    Alberta

    Canmore Collegiate High School (Canmore)

    British Columbia

    Pleasant Valley Secondary (Armstrong)
    Barriere Secondary School (Barriere)
    Clearwater Secondary School (Clearwater)
    Gold River Secondary School (Gold River)
    J.V.Humphries (Kaslo)
    Stein Valley Nlakapamux School (Lytton)
    Beattie School of the Arts - Pineridge Campus (Kamloops)
    Four Directions Storefront School (Kamloops)
    South Kamloops Secondary School (Kamloops)
    VAST Alternative School (Port Alberni)
    Correlieu Secondary School (Quesnel)
    Salmon Arm Secondary- Jackson Campus (Salmon Arm)
    Salmon Arm Secondary (Sullivan Campus) (Salmon Arm)
    W.L. Seaton Secondary School (Vernon)

    Manitoba

    Children of the Earth High School (Winnipeg)
    Margaret Barbour Collegiate Institute (The Pas)

    New Brunswick

    Southern Victoria High School (Perth-Andover)

    Newfoundland

    Lake Melville (Northwest River)

    Nova Scotia

    Chief Allison M. Bernard Memorial High School (Cape Breton)
    Holy Angels High School (Sydney)
    Sydney Academy (Sydney)
    Unamaki High School (Eskasoni)
    Wagmatcook School (Wagmatcook)

    Nunavut

    Nuiyak School (Sanikiluaq)

    Ontario

    Fort Frances High School (Fort Frances)
    Pelican Falls First Nations High School (Sioux Lookout)

    Quebec

    Jean-Du-Nord école Secondaire (Sept-Iles)
    Manikanetish (Sept-Iles)
    Kitigan Zibi Kikinamadinan (Maniwaki)
    École Monseigneur-Labrie (Havre-St-Pierre)

    Saskatchewan

    Kakisiwew School (Whitewood)
    

About University of Ottawa

Since 1848, the University of Ottawa has been Canada's university: a reflection, an observatory and a catalyst of the Canadian experience in all its complexity and diversity. Our university is characterized by its unique history, its commitment to bilingualism, its location both in the heart of the national capital and at the juncture of French and English Canada, and its multiculturalism. As a result, we are uniquely positioned among Canada's research-intensive institutions to give students a remarkable education, to enrich the intellectual and cultural life of Canada and to help the country achieve greater international prominence.

About BDC

BDC is Canada's business development bank. From more than 100 offices across the country, BDC promotes entrepreneurship by providing highly tailored financing, venture capital and consulting services to entrepreneurs. Visit www.bdc.ca for more information. For more information on E-Spirit, visit www.bdc.ca/espirit.

For further information: Nadine Saint-Amour, Media Relations officer, University of Ottawa, [phone], ext. 3149, Cell phone: [phone], [email protected]; Johanne Bissonnette, Media Relations Manager, Business Development Bank of Canada, [phone], [email protected]