Young Montrealers are chosen for an internship at Shanghai World Expo 2010

MONTREAL, July 16 /CNW Telbec/ - A group of eight young Montrealers who are passionate about the environment are visiting Shanghai for five weeks, as part of a joint program sponsored by the Conseil jeunesse de Montréal (CjM), Les Offices jeunesse internationaux du Québec (LOJIQ) and Montréal.

The participants were chosen following a call for candidates, which brought together some 150 applicants. Their role will be to help the representatives already in place to promote Espace Montréal at the Shanghai World Expo 2010, as well as introduce the innovative Complexe environnemental de Saint-Michel to visitors. During their stay, the young people will share their thoughts and discoveries on their blog http://lojiq.org/shanghai and broadcast video capsules on the CjM website http://cjmtl.com.

"Young people are tomorrow's leaders and contribute unquestionably to the development of our city. Living this experience in China is enlightening for the future. In addition to living an eye-opening training experience in China, our young visitors will have the opportunity to strengthen the ties of friendship that have brought together the cities of Montréal and Shanghai for more than 25 years," said Michel Bissonnet, member of the Montréal Executive Committee responsible for Montréal's participation at the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

"We are proud to say that this project will help to improve the participants' sense of belonging to Montréal. The delegation will reflect Montréal's youthful character at Expo 2010 and give participants the opportunity to discover the urban best practices put forward by the exhibiting cities, to later introduce ideas that could be adopted by Montréal," said Jonathan Lesage, President of the CjM.

"For these eight young adults, the Shanghai World Expo will be synonymous with openness to the world and expertise-sharing. But above all, their visit to China will greatly improve their chances of finding employment and help them to improve their knowledge in a unique environment," said LOJIQ executive Alfred Pilon.

The Shanghai World Expo 2010 is held through October 31, 2010, with "Better City, Better Life" as a theme. Montréal is represented at the Expo in the Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA). This area of the exhibition, which brings together 50 selected cities throughout the world features innovative practices likely to improve the quality of urban life. It also serves as a forum where other cities may share their experience in the field of urban development.

About the Conseil jeunesse de Montréal (CjM)

The CjM is a Montréal advisory committee made up of 15 members aged 16 to 30 years old. It actively seeks out the opinion of young people and submits recommendations to municipal authorities on a variety of issues involving young people 12 to 30 years old.

About Les Offices jeunesse internationaux du Québec (LOJIQ)

LOJIQ accompanies and supports financially Québec youth who are involved in a personal and professional development process and are seeking a self-enriching and educational international experience. LOJIQ is made up of the Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse (OFQJ), Office Québec-Amériques pour la jeunesse (OQAJ), Office Québec Wallonie Bruxelles pour la jeunesse (OQWBJ) and Office Québec-Monde pour la jeunesse (OQMJ).

Note : A photo of the delegation is available at: http://lojiq.org/shanghai

For further information: Philippe Bussière, Les Offices jeunesse internationaux du Québec, 514 228-4754; François Goneau, Ville de Montréal, 514 868-5859; Martin Crépeau, Conseil jeunesse de Montréal, 514 872-4801