Sylvie Fréchette, former Olympic champion, motivational speaker.

This athlete has known her share of adversity and successes throughout her synchronized swimming career, a sport she practiced for over 20 years. From 1988 to 1992, she finished first at every international competition she participated in.

In spite of her grandfather’s passing and her fiancé’s suicide shortly before the start of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, she decided not to cancel her participation. Following a judge’s oversight, she was awarded the silver medal. It would take 16 months before that blunder was corrected and the gold medal was bestowed on her.

She retired from amateur sports after the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta where she won the silver medal. Among her distinctions are the Ordre olympique du Canada in 1994 and her inductment into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.

She worked on “O”, the Cirque du Soleil’s aquatic show presented in Las Vegas, as an artist, choreographer and trainer.

Daniel Germain, , social worker & Founding president of the Club des petits déjeuners and Breakfast Clubs of Canada.

Being from an underprivileged environment, Mr. Germain is able to understand the children that frequent the Club he started in 1994. Since its start, the Club has served over 17 million breakfasts in the province of Quebec. Its team is made up of 62 permanent employees and over 3,500 volunteers.

Over the course of the 2009-2010 school year, they served over 2 million breakfasts to 16,000 kids in 274 schools across the province of Quebec.

In 2006, Mr. Germain organized The Montreal Millennium Summit, an event that attracted the biggest international players of social activism, including Nobel peace prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

During his career, Mr. Germain has received numerous prizes and honours. He is a member of the Order of Canada and he received the Ordre national du Québec Medal (2007).

Dr. Gilles Julien, social pediatrician, Montréal

He is affiliated with the Montreal Children Hospital and Hôpital Ste. Justine and is currently assistant professor of Family Medicine and Pediatrics at McGill University and Chargé d'enseignement clinique, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal.

In 1996, he founded Assistance d'enfants en difficulté (AED), a community organism in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal. In 2003, in collaboration with the Lucie & André Chagnon Foundation, he set up the Centre de services préventifs à l'enfance de Côte-des-Neiges (CSPE) where he also works as a social pediatrician. Clinics associated with the Fondation du Dr. Julien have opened their doors in many areas of the province of Quebec, such as in Gatineau, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, and Trois-Rivières.

At La Presse’s 2004-2005 Gala Excellence, he is elected “Personality of the Year” in Human sciences, pure sciences and technologies.

In November 2006, he is the first Quebecer to be named Ashoka Fellow, a titled awarded to social entrepreneurs recognized for having innovative solutions to social problems and the potential to change patterns across society.

He is the author of many books and articles on the subject of social pediatrics. You may purchase his book Soigner différemment les enfants: L'approche de la pédiatrie sociale by clicking here: http://www.amazon.ca/Soigner...

Joé Juneau, former Olympian and professional hockey player NHL 1992-2004, NYHDP Coordinator, Kuujjuaq, Quebec.

This hockey player decided to help young Inuits by using sports as the main motivator.

In 1988, he is drafted by the Boston Bruins. During the 1992-1993 season, he established two team records by accumulating 70 assists and 102 points. He retired from the NHL in 2004, after having taken part in 828 games and earning 572 points.

Following a trip to Nunavik, he decided to come to the aid of young Inuits. In order to do so, he set up a program incorporating hockey and school.

To get access to the skating rink, the youths must apply themselves in their studies. In addition to preventing school dropout, the program also promotes healthy eating and physical activity in youths.

In 2007, this initiative earned him the title of “Personality of the Year” by La Presse/Radio-Canada.

Because he wanted to be closer to the youths, he moved to Kuujjuaq with his family in 2008.

He serves as a consultant to the Makivik Corporation for the Nunavik Youth Development Hockey Program.

Craig Kielburger, Founding president of Free the Children, author, lecturer and Nobel peace prize candidate.

When he was 12 years old, he read an article in the newspaper about child labour, specifically about the murder of a 12 year old child labourer.

Shortly thereafter, he got involved in the cause by founding “Free the Children”.  Eighteen of his classmates joined him and toured schools to talk about the cause and collect funds.

Less than a year later, he took part in a trip that gave him first-hand knowledge of child labour.  For 7 weeks, he visited Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Thailand, and Nepal.

Today, Free the Children is present in 35 countries, has participated in the construction of 650 schools around the world and over a million people have participated in its various projects and campaigns.  The achievements are numerous and millions of dollars have been provided in aid.

Craig’s efforts have allowed him to meet public figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Bill Clinton, in addition to being nominated for a Nobel peace prize.

Craig has written or contributed to many books.  You may purchase them by clicking here : http://www.amazon.ca/....

Me Benoît Pelletier, former minister, government of Quebec

Mr. Pelletier is a specialist on constitutional issues and Quebec-Ottawa relations.

He currently teaches law at the University of Ottawa. He was the elected representative for Chapleau at the National Assembly in Quebec from 1998 to 2008. Following the Liberal Party’s accession to the government and up to his departure in 2008, he was responsible for many portfolios, including minister responsible for the Francophonie, Canadian Intergovernmental Affairs and Indian Affairs.

In March 2010, he was named Commandeur de l’Ordre de la Pléiade.  This order recognizes the merit of personalities who have served the ideals of the francophonie and the Assemblée internationale des parlementaires de langue française.

In 2010, he accepted the title of honorary president for Moisson Outaouais’ fundraising campaign which aims to collect $2.6 M to feed 31,000 people.