Leading the CPC is new President Carla Qualtrough, from Vancouver, BC, a former Paralympic athlete, and two new board members made their debut: Hugues Gibeault, from Ottawa, ON, as Director of Marketing and James Westlake, Oakville, ON, as Director-at-Large. David Legg, Calgary, AB, was acclaimed in the new position of Vice-President, and Lorette Madore, Ottawa, ON, returns as Director of Administration. These five individuals join seven other dedicated and passionate CPC Board members.
Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan opened the organization’s annual meeting which wrapped up here Nov. 5 with a pledge to join CPC in generating a new level of recognition for the Paralympic Games and the country’s Paralympic athletes. He noted Vancouver is the first host city to fly both the Olympic and Paralympic flags in front of its City Hall.
“Great strides have been made in the awareness of the extraordinary athletic accomplishments of our Paralympic athletes, but we still have a long way to go,” said Ms. Qualtrough. “We must also work to create a system that ensures Canadians with physical disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in sports as able-bodied athletes. I am really excited to help advance the Canadian Paralympic movement as we prepare to showcase Canada’s Paralympians in my hometown of Vancouver in 2010.”
Ms. Qualtrough is a member of the International Paralympic Committee’s Legal Committee, and Director of Inclusion and Sport Tourism, and Legal Counsel for 2010 Legacies Now.
She was a Mission Staff Member at four Paralympic Games, and a Paralympic swimmer with a bronze medal from Seoul and two bronze medals from Barcelona. A lawyer with a specialization in human rights, she is an advocate of equity in sport and is committed to increasing opportunities for persons with a disability to achieve excellence.
Mr. Legg is the coordinator of the Bachelor of Applied Business and Entrepreneurship, Sport and Recreation program at Mount Royal College. As well, he is sport technical officer for the Americas Paralympic Committee and director of communications for Sport Alberta.
Ms. Madore, a full-time public health nurse, has been active in sport for the disabled since 1989. She is also a Canadian classifier for athletes with cerebral palsy and for volleyball.
Mr. Gibeault is currently Executive Vice-President and Co-founder of Optimé International Inc. Previously, he was Vice-President of Corporate Properties for the International Paralympic Committee from 1999-2000, Director of Corporate Properties at the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association from 1994-1998, Vice-President of Sales and Director of Corporate Properties for the Ottawa Rough Riders CFL team from 1993-1994, and Director of Marketing for Alpine Canada from 1990-93.
Mr. Westlake is Group Head, Personal and Business Clients Canada at RBC Financial Group. He is a member of the company’s group executive, which sets the strategic direction of the Royal Bank of Canada, a national sponsor of the CPC. He attended the 2006 Turin Paralympic Games, where his son Greg won gold as a member of Canada’s Ice Sledge Hockey team. He is past chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
