The Concours d’art oratoire is a public speaking contest organized by Canadian Parents for French for secondary students in French programs across Canada. Every spring, an estimated 80,000 students take part in this annual competition. The provincial finals took place on May 3 at the Best Western Laval in Laval, Québec. CPF was pleased to welcome 21 students from the Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Western Quebec School Boards, as well as their parents and teachers. The students were divided into three groups based on their grade level, and then each group was further divided into five categories, based on their French speaking ability. Here are the winners of each category:
Secondary 1/2
Core – Elizabeth Hua (Rosemere High School, Rosemere)
Enriched – Chelsea Morgan (Hadley Junior High School, Gatineau)
Enriched Plus – Nicolas Saint-Pierre (Rosemere High School, Rosemere)
Francophone – Clody Doucet (Hadley Junior High School, Gatineau)
Secondary 3/4
Enriched – Gabriel Bidner (Philemon Wright High School, Gatineau)
Enriched Plus – Holly Burke (Philemon Wright High School, Gatineau)
Immersion – Danika Maisonneuve (Philemon Wright High School, Gatineau)
Francophone – Ally-Anna Ladouceur-Hayes (Philemon Wright High School, Gatineau)
Secondary 5
Enriched plus – Willa Masson (Philemon Wright High School, Gatineau)
Immersion – Clair MacIntosh (Philemon Wright High School, Gatineau)
Francophone – Stacey Duquette-Larouche (Philemon Wright High School, Gatineau)
The Secondary 5 first place winners will now advance to the national finals of the Concours d’art oratoire, heldin Charlottetown, PEI on May 24, where they will have the chance to win scholarships to the University of Ottawa, the University of Moncton, the University of Prince Edward Island, the Université Sainte-Anne and La Cité Collégiale.
Better French language skills are a key aspiration for Quebec’s non-Francophone youth. The Concours program helps fulfill that aspiration by giving youth a meaningful forum in which to practice and develop confidence in their French language skills.
We would also like to thank our sponsors, Canadian Heritage, Bayard Canada, and Scholastic for their generous support in helping us provide such a meaningful opportunity for the participants of Concours.
Canadian Parents for French is the national network of volunteers which values French as an integral part of Canada and which is dedicated to the promotion and creation of French second language learning opportunities for young Canadians.
Information
Mireille Brownhill
Canadian Parents for French
613-323-6216
mireille.brownhill@rogers.com