October 6, 2005 – Quebec’s Geneviève Gagnon was the recipient of the Hydro-Québec merit scholarship program, an annual program now in its eighth year. Gagnon received it after her third place at the Canada Summer Games. Here is the full release for the awards:

Marie-José Nadeau, Hydro-Québec’s Executive Vice President — Corporate Affairs and Secretary General, presented 22 scholarships of $3,000 each to some of Québec’s most promising young athletes as part of the 8th annual Hydro-Québec merit scholarship program. This financial support will allow the recipients to pursue their athletic career on the international scene.

Last year, Hydro-Québec reiterated his partnership with the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence by investing $300,000 over three years to allow the Hydro-Québec merit scholarship program to continue. Each year, $66,000 is awarded in the form of Hydro-Québec scholarships and $34,000 is invested as capital to ensure financial support for future generations of athletes. Created in 1998, the program was made possible thanks to an initial investment of $210,000 over three years. A second investment by the company in 2001, in the amount of $270,000 over three years, served to consolidate the merit scholarship program.

Ms. Nadeau underscored the importance of providing support to talented athletes who are not yet known and who, unfortunately, do not yet have access to financial assistance. She mentioned that these young athletes come from various regions of Québec and are seen as role models in their communities.

Many recipients of Hydro-Québec awards are now much better known and have distinguished themselves on the international scene. Among them, four athletes who performed extremely well at the last FINA World Championships in Montreal this summer : 10 meters synchronized diving bronze medallist pair, Roseline Filion (recipient in 2003) and Meaghan Benfeito (in 2004) and synchronized swimmers Anouk Renière-Lafrenière (in 1998) and Marie-Pier Boudreau-Gagnon (in 1999) who finished 5th in the team competition with also an excellent 6th place for Marie-Pier in the solo event. In winter sports, some Hydro-Québec past recipients are in preparation for the next Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy in February 2006. These athletes are in their way to qualified on the National Olympic Team: figure skater Joanie Rochette (in 2001), alpine skiers Jean-Philippe Roy (in 1998) and Érik Guay (in 1999), cross-country skier Dasha Gaïazova (in 2002) and a short track speed skater that has already earned his ticket for Turin, François-Louis Tremblay (in 1998).

The Hydro-Québec scholarships were presented at the Lion d’Or hall in Montreal in the presence of Claude Chagnon, President of the Foundation. Mr. Chagnon said he was very pleased with the support provided by Hydro-Québec, which has agreed to invest in athletes with strong potential who have just emerged on the national or international scene.