VILLE DE SAGUENAY, QC, April 19, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - The Super Expo-sciences Hydro-Québec, 2013 Québec Final opened its doors to the public this afternoon at the Hangar, located in the Zone Portuaire de Chicoutimi. Over the next four days, visitors to this 35th annual final will have an opportunity to discover the 101 best Science Fair projects presented by young high school and Cégep students (ages 12 to 20), which were selected at regional finals across Québec in March. The opening of the event, which was attended by Roland Grand'Maison, Executive Director of the Conseil de développement du loisir scientifique (CDLS), and Marthe Poirier, Science Fairs National Co-ordinator, was also the scene of official congratulations to the winners of the 12 regional Hydro-Québec first prizes, who met each other for the very first time.
"We invite the public to come and meet our participants, to talk with them and to see just how passionate and enlightened the next generation of scientists is proving to be," Mr. Grand'Maison said. "The work they have achieved is demanding, but also very enriching. Presenting their projects to visitors is itself a success and marks the fulfilment of all of their efforts."
For her part, Marie-José Nadeau, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, and Secretary General of Hydro-Québec, stated: "As a partner of this event for over 10 years, Hydro-Québec is delighted to be part of the extended Science Fair family. The 2013 edition of the Québec Final promises to be a dazzling and fascinating event. It is not merely by chance that the Super Expo-sciences Hydro-Québec is taking place this year in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean. The event is being presented here as part of the festivities surrounding the region's 175th anniversary. To mark the occasion, Hydro-Québec has highlighted the works of people whose impressive lives certainly serve as a model and an inspiration to these 145 very promising and talented young people who are participating today in the Québec Science Fairs final."
Projects of great quality
101 projects covering current subjects will be presented to visitors by the 145 young exhibitors. These projects fall into three categories - Design, Experimentation and Study - and were produced as solo or duo efforts in one of the seven following fields: Biotechnology; Engineering and computer sciences; Human and social sciences; Physical sciences and mathematics; Health sciences; Earth and environmental sciences; Life sciences.
The science and technology topics covered are varied and original: the neurological consequences of autism, the effects of salt on the human body, juggling as a way of treating multiple sclerosis, examining whether running in the rain is easier on the body, looking at whether candy should be considered a friend or foe, and many more fascinating and intriguing subjects. Anything inspired by day-to-day life can be the subject of a good Science Fair project, and certainly makes for an electrifying visit!
Dr. Mauricio Ede, Medical Director at Merck Canada Inc., official partner of Super Expo-sciences Hydro-Québec in the Experimentation category for over 20 years, said: "Innovation is at the heart of everything Merck does, and we believe that our determination to invest in the researchers and scientists of tomorrow is part of this approach. This fair provides students with a valuable and practical experience in scientific research and helps them see how satisfying a career in this field can be."
Prestigious awards worth close to $270,000
Prestigious awards worth in the neighbourhood of $270,000 will go to the most deserving entrants. Moreover, 40 of these young people will be selected to represent Québec at the forthcoming Canada-Wide Science Fair, being held from May 11 to 18 in Lethbridge, Alberta (the Québec delegation is being sponsored by Merck Canada). Five entrants will also be chosen to join the delegation of winners from the 2012 edition of the Super Expo-sciences and participate in the MILSET International Science Fair, taking place from September 13 to 19 this year in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The Super Expo-sciences Hydro-Québec, 2013 Québec Final is an event organized by the CDLS and the Conseil du loisir scientifique (CLS) du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, members of the CDLS-CLS Network, organized jointly with the Ville de Saguenay, the Cégep de Chicoutimi, the Rives-du-Saguenay school board and Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. The event is made possible with support from presenting partner Hydro-Québec, as well as major financial partners including Bell, the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche, de la Science et de la Technologie du Québec, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Merck Canada Inc., official partner in the Experimentation category.
The awards ceremony will be held on Sunday, April 21, from 1:30 to 3:45 p.m., in the Théâtre Banque Nationale at the Cégep de Chicoutimi. You can also watch the ceremony live on the Hydro-Québec Science Fair website (exposciences.qc.ca). In addition, the list of award winners will be available on the website as of 4 p.m.
Opening hours for the public are: Thursday, 1-4 p.m.; Friday, 9-11:45 a.m.; Saturday, 10-11:45 a.m. and 1-4:30 p.m.; Sunday, 9:30-11:45 a.m.
Image with caption: "The Super Expo-sciences Hydro-Québec, Québec Final 2013 - Roland Grand'Maison, Catherine Laprise, Luc Langevin national spoke-person, Catherine Munger and Marthe Poirier. (CNW Group/Conseil de développement du loisir scientifique)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130419_C6400_PHOTO_EN_25775.jpg
SOURCE: Conseil de développement du loisir scientifique
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