Alika Lafontaine, a 25-year-old Métis physician from Saskatchewan, was named Canada's Next Great Prime Minister on the annual reality-TV competition March 23rd.
Three former prime ministers – Paul Martin, Kim Campbell and John Turner – and the guest star premier, Danny Williams made up the panel that grilled four remaining contestants with questions and fictional scenarios.
A recipient of the national Aboriginal Achievement Foundation’s Youth Recipient Award in 1999 and a recipient of several NAAF scholarship and bursaries, Lafontaine was one of 10 finalists out of thousands who joined the contest.
2008 Finalists
Left to right: Alika Lafontaine, Kevin Royal, Pam Hrick, Rahim Moloo.
Lafontaine credits his win with “speaking from the heart” and hopes his victory will inspire other Aboriginal youth. “You really can have it all if you put the time and effort in,” he said.
Alika Fontaine won $50,000 and a six month scholarship to a post-secondary institution. He says he’ll likely use the money to help pay off his student loans.
Members of the voting audience were Toronto residents with strong roots across the country, chosen by COMPAS Inc. Public Opinion and Customer Research to simulate the national population.
Fontaine competed with four other finalists to pitch political power brokers on why they’d make a good future prime minister. The doctor wowed the panel with his proposal to create what he calls an Aboriginal House in Parliament, which would have a mandate to govern Canada’s Aboriginal peoples.
He was raised in Regina, SK, with his three brothers and one sister. Alika now currently resides in Saskatoon and is attending the University of Saskatchewan. Lafontaine recently graduated with his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Regina and is currently in is his first year of medical school at the University of Saskatchewan.
2008 Judges
Left to right: Paul Martin, Kim Campbell, John Turner & Danny Williams.
Lafontaine recently performed with his siblings as “The Fifth Generation” in the 15th Annual National Aboriginal Achievement Awards.
“Alika has been involved with the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation for over 10 years. He has been supported by our bursary program since he began his post-secondary studies, performed in some our annual awards galas and most importantly was awarded the Youth Recipient Award in 1999,” says National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation CEO Roberta Jamieson.
“These are the kind of students the foundation is especially proud of and we all congratulate him on this tremendous accomplishment.”
2008 Finalists
Left to right: Alika Lafontaine, Kevin Royal, Pam Hrick, Rahim Moloo.
Canada's Next Great Prime Minister is the successor to a program established by Magna International Inc. in 1995 to provide a national forum for young Canadians to put forth innovative proposals for a more prosperous country.
The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (NAAF) is a nationally registered non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to deliver programs that provide the tools necessary for Aboriginal youth to achieve brighter futures. Since 1985 the Foundation has awarded more than $27.3-million in scholarships and bursaries to First Nations, Inuit and Métis students across the country in all disciplines, including law, medicine, education, psychology, fine arts, business and computer sciences. Over $3-million was distributed in the last year.
Winner of the reality TV competition, Canada’s Next Great Prime Minister, Alika Lafontaine (second from left) recently performed with his siblings at the 15th Annual National Aboriginal Achievement Awards.
The 15th Annual National Aboriginal Achievement Awards will be broadcast on April 5 on APTN at 8 pm.