Category: Bénévole de l’année (Volunteer of the Year) 

Prix Reconnaissance (Recognition award) - Sports 

Raluca Maria Stănescu

Mrs. Stănescu is a volunteer teacher and member of the Board of Directors of the Karate-Do Lachine organization. She established a meaningful sports program in the Saint-Pierre neighbourhood and guided young athletes to win medals at the Montréal Games. During the pandemic, she kept her group motivated by initiating online classes.

Prix Reconnaissance (Recognition award) - Culture

Marie-Claude Prévost

Since Mrs. Prévost became President of Concerts Lachine, the organization has increased its initiatives, notably by creating the Académie internationale vocale de Lachine and setting up a youth program for public school students. During the pandemic, she spearheaded the digital shift that made it possible to present virtual concerts and produce a podcast devoted to news from the musical world and the promotion of young talent.

Prix Reconnaissance(Recognition award) – special mention 

Lise Joly Dion (posthumously) and Michel Dion

These two people were extraordinarily involved in the political and social life of Lachine. Founding president of the Cercle des fermières de Lachine, Mrs. Dion was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Éclusiers de Lachine. She and her husband, Michel Dion, were active members of the Club optimiste de Lachine from 2002 until 2023. In a way, Mrs. Dion’s recent passing marks the end of the organization. Thank you to the Dions for their commitment to the community.

Prix Michel-Ménard

Centre de pédiatrie sociale et communautaire de Lachine

The Centre de pédiatrie sociale et communautaire de Lachine (CPSC) has been supporting vulnerable children and families since 2019. With its many interprofessional services, the organization ensures the optimal development of young people, while respecting their rights and interests. In recent years, the CPSC has consolidated its presence by getting involved in the community and by providing its services in the Saint-Pierre and Duff Court sectors.

Prix Conseil jeunesse de Lachine (Lachine Youth Council award)

Conseil jeunesse de Lachine

In 2022, the members of the Lachine Youth Council participated in a number of public consultations, took part in training sessions and mobilized for the Réflexion 2050 Montréal event. They held meetings with elected municipal officials where they discussed issues concerning Lachine youth. The free loan of sports equipment in parks and podcasts on cultural and sexual diversity are examples of their involvement.

Mérité civique (Civic merit) 

André Monette, Agathe Lafrance and Gilles Dion

Members of the Board of Directors of L’Oeuvre Soupe Maison, these three award winners support the mission of this organization, which offers complete hot meals to the most underprivileged in Lachine. Mr. Monette gives his heart and soul to improve the precarious situation of these needy people.

Category: Culture 

Prix Artiste professionnel ou amateur (Professional or amateur artist award)

Marianella Michaud 

A graduate of the National Circus School Montreal in trapeze dance, Marianella Michaud has worked as a professional circus artist internationally. From 2011 to 2022, she participated in more than 450 shows per year with Cirque du Soleil. Aerialist at heart, she dedicates herself to her second passion, when she has both feet on the ground (!), with the Argentine Tango. She even won a championship in the United States in this discipline in 2022.

Prix Noël-Spinelli*

Page par Page, Festival de littérature jeunesse de Montréal

Since 2019, Page par Page has been organizing the Festival de littérature jeunesse de Montréal at Parc Noël-Spinelli. The members of Page par Page volunteer to organize this event in order to promote the borough and to offer the community a literary event for children. Intended for families, the Festival is a place of literary discoveries and a space to meet the creators of children’s literature. 

*This new award recognizes a person, a business or a recognized organization whose activities have cultural, social and economic benefits.

Category: Sports 

Prix Athlète de l’année (Athlete of the year award)

Edward Ly 

A member of the Canadian table tennis team at international competitions, Edward Ly has been playing table tennis since he was 9 years old. He has many competitions under his belt and will soon be competing in the 2023 World Championships in South Africa. According to the WTTA (World Tennis Table Association), he is currently ranked 386th in the world. His chances of representing Canada at the next Summer Olympics in 2024 are reportedly very good…

Prix Équipe de l’année (Team of the year award)

C15 Juvénile homme of the Club de Canoë de Lachine

For the public, C15 (War Canoe) races are undoubtedly the most physical, the most demanding and especially the most exciting. The Club de Canoë de Lachine* team and their captain Dominic Gomez were proud to win the Gold Medal at the Provincial Championship and the Bronze Medal at the National Championship in 2022. Each athlete on the team also won their own set of medals in individual events during the season. 

*The team is composed of Yassine El Janati, Anthony Masella, Étienne Huot, Émile Brault, Philippe Dimitrov, Arnold Totev, Adam Marcoux, Laurent Rouleau, Daniel Slipak, Frédéric Brais, Stepan Kurochkin, Laurean Galatan, Noam Brault and Jérémy Leclerc-Ahad.

Category: Courage and détermination 

Prix Courage et détermination (Courage and détermination award)

Sean McLean 

A member of the Conseil jeunesse de Lachine, Sean McLean has been volunteering since he was very young. Despite difficulties along the way related to shyness, dyslexia, dysorthographia and bullying at school, he perseveres and gets involved in various committees and projects. Despite his young age, Sean has shown great maturity. His perseverance and involvement are an example to follow in our community.

Les Panthéons (Hall of fame)

Panthéon de la culture(Cultural Hall of famer)

Sylvie Blanchet

Teacher Sylvie Blanchet has developed various pedagogical approaches in the field of dance. Her achievements have earned her several awards, including the Essor award for the Expression troupe she founded and directed, the Prime Minister of Canada’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Hommage award from UQAM. 

In 1995, she founded Productions Multisens, a non-profit cultural and social economy organization that promotes the performing arts on stage and in the public space, notably through theatre training programs and the creation and dissemination of multidisciplinary artistic projects.

Panthéon des sports (Sports Hall of famer)

Christine Robinson 

An accomplished water polo athlete, Christine Robinson has won numerous championships and medals at the Pan American Games and took part in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. She was even recruited to play for an Italian team and helped them win championships. After 14 years with the Canadian national team, this Lachine resident hung up her jersey in 2018 and went back to school at Queen’s University to get her MBA.

Screened during the Gala, this video highlights Lachine volunteers: