Minister Philpott Reveals the Names of the 2016 Canada Day Challenge Winners and Finalists

MARKHAM, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 10, 2016) - Department of Canadian Heritage

On behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, today announced the names of the three national winners and the six finalists of the 2016 Canada Day Challenge.

The national winners are Adele Beaudoin, from Red Deer, Alberta, in the "Write it!" category; Rachel Shen, from Markham, Ontario, in the "Draw it!" category; and Florence Emmanuelle Parent, from Rosemère, Quebec, in the "Snap it!" category.

The finalists are Han Wei (Helen) Luo, from Richmond, British Columbia, and Claire Neufeld, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, in the "Write it!" category; Micah Sammurtok, from Whale Cove, Nunavut, and Grace Du, from Vancouver, British Columbia, in the "Draw it!" category; and Santana Schmidt, from Carbon, Alberta, and Rebecca Stoesz, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, in the "Snap it!" category.

The three national winners will be invited to the biggest celebration in the country, Canada Day on Parliament Hill, on July 1, 2016. They will also have the opportunity to work with a first-class team from the National Film Board of Canada to produce their own short film about their adventure in the region, using an iPad presented by the agency. Other prizes will also be given to the winners and finalists through the support of the various official collaborators.

Quick Facts

- The three national winners will receive wonderful prizes.

- Canadians can admire the three winning entries, as well as those by the finalists, by visiting the Canada Day Challenge website or the Canadian Museum of History from June to September 2016.

- The official collaborators of the 2016 Canada Day Challenge are the National Film Board of Canada, Parks Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Encounters with Canada, the Trans Canada Trail, Canada Post, the Canadian Museum of History and the Royal Canadian Mint.

Quotes

"Canada is filled with extraordinary young talent, and the Canada Day Challenge proves it. Just one year away from the 150^th anniversary of Confederation in 2017, this competition provides our young people with a wonderful opportunity to get involved in our society through arts and to shape tomorrow's Canada in their own way. Congratulations to the winners and all those who expressed their pride in being Canadian in such a wonderful way!"

- The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage

"I am pleased to be here today to announce the names of the national winners and the finalists of the 2016 Canada Day Challenge. It's wonderful to see these young people's talent recognized and their work rewarded as part of this pan-Canadian contest. I encourage all Canadians to go on social media and follow the adventures of the three winners, who will be in Canada's capital starting June 26."

- The Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health

Associated Links

The 2016 Canada Day Challenge Is Here!

Canada Day Challenge

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Backgrounder

The winners and finalists of the 2016 Canada Day Challenge are:

Draw it!

• Rachel Shen, 14, Markham, Ontario - National Winner
• Micah Sammurtok, 15, Whale Cove, Nunavut - Finalist
• Grace Du, 13, Vancouver, British Columbia - Finalist

Snap it!

• Florence Emmanuelle Parent, 9, Rosemère, Quebec - National Winner
• Santana Schmidt, 15, Carbon, Alberta - Finalist
• Rebecca Stoesz, 12, Winnipeg, Manitoba - Finalist

Write it!

• Adele Beaudoin, 15, Red Deer, Alberta - National Winner
• Han Wei (Helen) Luo, 17, Richmond, British Columbia - Finalist
• Claire Neufeld, 15, Winnipeg, Manitoba - Finalist