Reader's Digest Reveals Canada's Most Interesting Towns - Contest Winners Announced at Quebec City Event

MONTREAL, March 12, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The results are in and Reader's Digest has named Quebec City Canada's Most Interesting Town. Last September, Reader's Digest launched a contest asking Canadians to craft stories explaining why their city, town or village was the most artistic, healthiest, greenest and all-round greatest place in the country. The judges considered almost 700 enthusiastic entries before unanimously selecting reader Pierrette R. Pelletier's entry for Quebec City as the grand-prize winner.

To commemorate this accolade, Régis Labeaume, Quebec City's mayor, will host an event at City Hall this morning during which Robert Goyette, Editor-in-Chief of Reader's Digest, will present a $5,000 cash prize to Pelletier for her winning story and an additional $5,000 on behalf of Quebec City, to Le Piolet, a local project that provides professional skills services and housing facilities to troubled youths in the community.

"The judging panel poured over entries from 400 communities across the country, and they are as unique and varied as Canada itself," said Goyette. "The qualities that unite Canadians from coast-to-coast permeated the stories: a sense of pride in where we live, a love of the country, and an appreciation for the generosity of our neighbours."

What makes Quebec City the most interesting place in Canada? In the words of Pelletier, "This UNESCO World Heritage Site has always been a crossroads of nature and culture - from its array of parks to the Promenade Samuel-de-Champlain and the Terrasse Dufferin; from the St-Louis and St-Jean gates to its museums and historic monuments; from its putt-putting ferries to its horse-drawn carriages."

From coast to coast, runners-up were also selected in seven categories that capture the qualities that make Canada unique. Each received $1,000 for their story.

• Most Artistic: Bouctouche, N.B., submitted by Darlene Lawson
• Most Community Spirit: Welshpool, N.B., submitted by Melody Flynn
• Best Cuisine: Magdelen Islands, Que., submitted by Francine Renaud
• Best Destination: Port Hope, Ont., submitted by Nancy Hooper
• Most Entrepreneurial: Chemainus, B.C., submitted by Cynthia Faryon
• Greenest: Craik, Sask., submitted by Brent Kreuger
• Healthiest: St. Albert, Alta., submitted by Sharon McNally

Reader's Digest gives special recognition to the places that received the most entries: Toronto, Ont., Orillia, Ont. and Comox, B.C., as well as the Canadian town with the most reader votes, Annapolis Royal, N.S. (408,652).

Canada's Most Interesting Towns are profiled in the April issue of Reader's Digest and Sélection. The print issues are currently on newsstands and can also be downloaded digitally to the iPad and Android devices.

The celebration of Canada's most interesting places doesn't stop here. Stay tuned for details about the 2013 contest.

About Reader's Digest

Reader's Digest Association Canada is a leading global, multi-brand and multi-platform media company that educates, entertains and inspires, connecting audiences throughout Canada. Reader's Digest Magazines Ltd. publishes five magazines, including Reader's Digest and Sélection, Canada's most-read magazines with 6.4 million readers a month. In 2008, it launched Best Health, a healthy lifestyle magazine for Canadian women and More of Our Canada, a companion magazine to the very popular Our Canada magazine. Reader's Digest operates a network of branded websites in Canada, including readersdigest.ca, besthealthmag.ca, plaisirssante.ca and tasteofhome.com.

SOURCE: THE READER'S DIGEST ASSOCIATION (CANADA) ULC

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