Harper Government Announces Winners of Canada's Coolest School Trip Contest!

Students will spend five unforgettable days exploring La Mauricie National Park and the historic sites of Québec City as VIPs

HILLSBOROUGH, NB, April 9, 2015 /CNW/ - The Honourable Rob Moore, Regional Minister for New Brunswick, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency) and Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal, on behalf of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced today that Ms. Mélanie Doucet's grade 8 class was the winner of this year's Canada's Coolest School Trip contest and a once-in-a-lifetime all-expense paid trip to Parks Canada places in Québec. This talented class from Caledonia Regional High School in Hillsborough, New Brunswick, stood out from the rest of the entries across the country with their winning video on Fundy National Park.

In June, the grand prize trip will take the winners to La Mauricie National Park where students will canoe the park's breathtaking lakes, admire its stunning waterfalls and share stories of their adventures around the campfire. The students will then head to Québec City where they will travel back in time to live the life of a soldier at Lévis Forts National Historic Site, dine as members of high society at the exclusive Québec Garrison Club National Historic Site and go behind the scenes at Saint-Louis Forts and Château National Historic Site and Artillery Park Heritage Site.

The winning class was one of many grade 8 / secondary 2 classes to enter the contest. Classes were asked to pick their favourite Parks Canada place and explain its importance to Canadians in a one-minute video clip and short description. The prize includes meals, accommodations, travel while on the trip, and airfare to and from Québec City on board Air Canada, a proud national supporter of the contest. The contest is also proudly supported by Church & Dwight Canada Corp., the makers of ARM & HAMMER^TM.  

Quick Facts:

• Parks Canada is supporting Canada's National Conservation Plan by taking concrete action to connect Canadians to nature and building a community of stewards among Canadians of all ages through programs such as My Parks Pass.
• Canada's Coolest School Trip contest is offered through the My Parks Pass program. My Parks Pass is a collaborative program between Parks Canada, Canadian Geographic Education, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Nature Canada and Historica Canada. The program strives to promote lasting relationships between young Canadians and Canada's treasured places by inviting youth to experience Parks Canada places first-hand.
• The contest was open to all grade 8 and secondary 2 classes in Canada and ran from October 2014 to February 2015. A panel of judges selected the winning entry from the ten videos that received the most public votes online.
• Three runner-up prizes were awarded to classes at the following schools: Val Marie School of Val Marie, Saskatchewan, Lawrence Grassi Middle School of Canmore, Alberta and Shaughnessy Park School of Winnipeg, Manitoba. These three classes have each won an exciting day trip to a destination of natural or historical importance near them. Five classes received an honourable mention and will receive a gift package: Robert Service School of Dawson City, Yukon, Jack Chamber Public School of London, Ontario, Immaculate Conception Elementary School of Peterborough, Ontario, École Saint-Joseph of Port-Menier, Quebec and Queen Elizabeth High School of Calgary, Alberta.

Quote:

"Our Government is committed to connecting young Canadians with our rich natural heritage. I would like to congratulate Ms. Doucet's grade 8 class on the excellent job they did in representing Fundy Royal and New Brunswick as a whole.  I would also like to thank all of the students and teachers who participated in this contest, and to the many Canadians who watched their videos, showed support and were inspired by what they saw."
The Honourable Rob Moore, Regional Minister for New Brunswick, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency) and Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal

Associated Links:

www.myparkspass.ca
News Release - A winning one-minute video will send a whole class on Canada's Coolest School Trip! (October 16, 2014)
News Release - Lucky Class from Rivière-au-Renard, Quebec, Wins Canada's Coolest School Trip! (April 3, 2014)

SOURCE Parks Canada