Carriere aims to be first Northern girl crowned Miss Universe Canada
Natalie Carriere (Photo courtesy of Portraits By Sherry)
IROQUOIS FALLS - Iroquois Falls is not necessarily synonymous with pageantry, but Natalie Carriere is hoping to change that.
The 22-year-old has been selected to represent her hometown at the upcoming Miss Universe Canada pageant, in a bid to become the first woman from Northern Ontario to bring home the crown.
A veteran in the pageant scene, Carriere said that competing in Miss Universe Canada this June has been a dream of hers since the age of 13.
“This has always been the goal and I’m excited to represent the North,” she said. “Everyone was waiting for this moment for me to go to Miss Universe Canada because it’s a big deal to represent Canada and there’s never been a woman from the North that’s been able to do so.”
While she has competed in numerous pageants in the past, this will be the biggest one to date and she said members of her community have been extremely supportive.
“I think a lot of people believe that I have a shot — and I believe that I have a shot!” she said.
Carriere will be competing against 63 other women from across the country at the pageant, which will be held from June 4 to 11 in Toronto. She is one of three competitors coming from Northern Ontario, the other two women hailing from Thunder Bay.
While she hasn’t received her official itinerary yet, Carriere said she’s competed in enough pageants to have a feel for what the experience will be like.
The women will take part in numerous photo shoots and interview sessions as well as participating in the traditional swimsuit and evening gown portions of the pageant.
There will also be a few days dedicated to touring the city.
The contestants will also have to discuss prominent issues affecting the country and why they would make a good representative on an international scale.
Carriere said she is a perfect candidate for this and is excited to have a platform to discuss prominent issues affecting the communities in Northern Ontario.
“I’d love to be a voice for the North,” she said. “I think Northern Ontario is always under the radar and being in Miss Universe would shed some light on all that we have to offer. I personally believe that Northern Ontario is the future of Ontario and we have room to develop and grow.”
She said she wants to “shed some light on our education system and health care system,” by discussing the fact that communities north of Sudbury and North Bay are often passed over and do not have access to the same services as southern Ontario cities.
She experienced this personally as a student at Cambrian College, where she studied public relations, as she saw numerous programs being slashed from the school’s offerings.
High schools in the North are also missing out, she noted, as there are many classes that she has learned are available in other cities but not in Iroquois Falls, or other communities in this part of the province.
“We need to remember there are so many cities past North Bay and Sudbury,” she said. “The North has so much to offer. There’s a lot of hockey players and successful business people that come from the North and so much beauty and I don’t think we’re being noticed as much as we should.”
Carriere said she is thankful to have competed in pageants because they gave her a platform to express these issues on a large-scale and to spread the positive things about the North, as well.
She started her journey participating in community pageants as a teenager before going on to win Miss Teen Ontario North and Miss North Ontario. She also won Miss Earth Ontario in Toronto and was then given the title of Miss Grand Canada, which gave her the opportunity to represent Canada in Bangkok, Thailand.
Her experiences have allowed her to become more comfortable in her own skin, which is something that she now teaches other young women in her community about, as well.
“Pageants made me feel comfortable with who I am,” Carriere said. “That’s really what pageants do, it’s not so much about trying to show girls it matters what you look like on the outside, no, it’s about portraying who you want to be from the inside out. It’s about representing something bigger than yourself.”
No matter what the outcome at Miss Universe Canada, Carriere said she is happy to be following her dreams.
“It doesn’t matter where you come from, if you’re from the smallest of towns, you need to remember it’s up to you to go after your dreams and goals no matter where you come from,” she said. “One of my biggest messages is to never let anything stand in front of your dreams; life is just really too short.”
http://www.timminspress.com/2016/05/26/carriere-aims-to-be-first-northern-girl-crowned-miss-universe-canada
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