Team Canada strikes gold in Calgary

    "Great 38" wins 8 Medals and 12 Medallions of Excellence at WorldSkills
    2009

    CALGARY, Sept. 6 /CNW/ - (WORLDSKILLS CALGARY 2009) - After the
completion of four days of international competition, Team Canada proudly took
the podium today at the closing ceremonies of WorldSkills Calgary 2009 to
receive official recognition for their outstanding performance. Made up of 31
male and 7 female competitors ranging in age from 18 to 22, Team Canada took
an impressive 8 Medals and 12 Medallions of Excellence.
    According to Skills/Compétences Canada, a national not-for-profit
organization that actively promotes careers in skilled trades, this is
Canada's best overall results from any WorldSkills Competition. At the last
WorldSkills Competition held in Japan in 2007, Canada won six medals and eight
international competency certificates.
    "Preparing for WorldSkills Calgary 2009 has been an intensive two-year
training process for the 38 young competitors who make up Team Canada," said
Shaun Thorson, Executive Director, Skills/Compétences Canada. "We are
exceptionally grateful for their enthusiasm, hard work and excellent overall
performance. With ongoing support from the Government of Canada, industry
leaders and educators, these talented young people represent a bright future
for Canada's skilled trade and technology workforce, and we couldn't be more
proud."
    WorldSkills Calgary 2009 represents Canada's tenth participation in
WorldSkills, an international Competition which takes place every two years
and brings together the world's brightest in skilled trades and technology.
This year's Competition brought together more than 900 competitors from 50
WorldSkills International Member countries/regions who participated in team
and individual competitions. Team Canada, one of the largest delegations
Canada has ever sent to WorldSkills, competed in 35 of the 45 skills
categories.

                             TEAM CANADA RESULTS

                                Medal Winners

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    Name                   Trade                      Award
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    Jonathan Arbour        Cabinetmaking              GOLD
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    Pierre-Luc Côté        Restaurant Service         GOLD
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    David Boivin           Graphic Design Technology  GOLD
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    Jason Valdron          Web Design                 SILVER
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    Isabelle Collin        Beauty Therapy             SILVER
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    Brian Everts           Aircraft Mechanics         SILVER
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    Simon Beauchamp        Offset Printing            BRONZE
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    Daisy Liang            Fashion Technology         BRONZE
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           Medallions of Excellence Winners (Point Scores over 500)

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    Name                   Trade                      Award
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    Germain-Samuel Sauvé   Mechanical Engineering     Medallion of Excellence
                           CAD Design
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    Guillaume Grenier      CNC Turning                Medallion of Excellence
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    Stacy DuBois           IT/Software Applications   Medallion of Excellence
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    Marc-Olivier Bélanger  Welding                    Medallion of Excellence
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    Craig Spady            Electrical Installations   Medallion of Excellence
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    Travis Wieler          Joinery                    Medallion of Excellence
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    Elisa Paquet-Lessard   Floristry                  Medallion of Excellence
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    Samuel Chabot          Ladies/Mens Hairdressing   Medallion of Excellence
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    Caitlin Mayo           Confectioner/Pastry Cook   Medallion of Excellence
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    Dan Van Holst          Automobile Technology      Medallion of Excellence
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    Sébastien Laframboise  Cooking                    Medallion of Excellence
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    Matthew Chadder        IT/PC/Network Support      Medallion of Excellence
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    For complete results from WorldSkills Calgary 2009 visit :
    http://media.worldskills.org

    WorldSkills Calgary 2009

    The Canadian Skills Competition is an important training opportunity for
representatives from Team Canada 2009 who were chosen at last year's Canadian
Skills Competition, and who will be competing at WorldSkills Calgary 2009.
This four-day international competition, which is the biggest of its kind in
the world, takes place September 1-7, 2009 at Stampede Park where more than
900 skilled young people from trade, service and technology programs from 50
member regions/countries will gather to compete. WorldSkills Calgary 2009, the
40th WorldSkills Competition, will be the city's largest international
competitive event since the 1988 Olympic Winter Games. The organizing
committee, WorldSkills Calgary 2009 is leading the event coordination with
support from WorldSkills International, Skills/Compétences Canada, and Skills
Canada Alberta. Along with numerous sponsors and suppliers, the major event
funding partners include: Government of Canada, Government of Alberta and The
City of Calgary.

    About Skills/Compétences Canada

    Skills/Compétences Canada was founded in 1989 as a national,
not-for-profit organization that works with employers, educators, labour
groups and governments to promote skilled trades and technology careers among
Canadian youth. Its unique position among private and public sector partners
enables it to work toward securing Canada's future skilled labour needs while
helping young people discover rewarding careers. Skills/Compétences Canada
offers experiential learning opportunities including skilled trades and
technology competitions for hundreds of thousands of young Canadians through
regional, provincial/territorial, national and international events, as well
as skilled trades awareness programs. Headquartered in Gatineau, Quebec,
Skills/Compétences Canada is the Canadian Member organization of WorldSkills
International. For more information visit www.skillscanada.com or call
877-754-5226.

    Note to Editors:
    -----------------

    High resolution photography and B-roll is available on request, or can be
    downloaded from the WorldSkills Media Centre at
    http://media.worldskills.org

For further information: Media Contacts: Christianne Scholfield,
Director, Communications for Skills/Compétences Canada, (819) 771-7545 or
(613) 282-3774, christiannes@skillscanada.com; Caroline McGrath, CMM
Communications Group (for Skills/Compétences Canada), (416) 972-1642 or (416)
357-2702, caroline@cmm-communications.com