Hon. Carolyn Bertram, Minister of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour, today offered congratulations to track athletes Nathan Comeau and Curtis Arsenault, who recently won silver and bronze medals respectively at the Jeux de la francophonie canadienne (Canadian Francophone Games) in Edmonton.
Nathan won silver in the boy’s long jump in the 14-15 age group, while Curtis won the bronze medal in the boy’s 800m, also in the 14-15 age group. Nathan is from Charlottetown and Curtis is from the Évangéline region. “Congratulations to Nathan and Curtis for their medal-winning performances,” said Minister Bertram. “They represented Prince Edward Island proudly and demonstrated the true spirit of sportsmanship.”
Close to 1,200 young people took part in the Games held August 14-17, and all thirteen provinces and territories were represented. At the Games, participants compete in three categories of activities: sports, arts and leadership. PEI had entries in all three categories and in all but one of the many events.
While the medals were indeed a highlight, chef de mission Jeannette Gallant said she was very satisfied with the overall results. “Team PEI put in a solid performance in many events like track and field, volleyball, music and dance,” said Ms. Gallant. “We earned a number of 4th and 5th place finishes which is a significant progress from our last participation. Two of our musicians, Brandon Arsenault and Mitchell Richard, were even asked to take part in the closing ceremony show based on their performance in the music event.”
“A lot of work goes into participating in national games,” Minister Bertram noted. “This year, Prince Edward Island sent its biggest delegation ever with 83 youth and 21 accompanying adults. I commend the entire PEI delegation – athletes, musicians, volunteers and chef de mission Jeannette Gallant – for their exemplary efforts and their great success.”
The purpose of the Games is to foster exchanges and ties among youth from various Francophone communities. The Games promote a strong sense of belonging among French-speaking Canadian youth aged 13 to 18 while reinforcing their sense of identity. This was the third edition of the Games which are held every three years. Sudbury, Ontario, will host the next edition in 2011.