Mission and history
37th edition
From August 29th to September 2nd 2024
Mission
The FMG organizes a large-scale event featuring rich and diversified musical programming supported by the distinctive character of the hot air balloon and by entertaining experiences that attract new audiences and build loyalty among a multigenerational clientele. Consciously committed to responsible and sustainable principles and practices, the Festival’s ambition is to showcase the City of Gatineau in such a way as to generate significant economic, social, cultural and tourism benefits.
Honorary presidents
Xavier de Montgolfier, a direct descendant of the Montgolfier brothers, inventors of the hot air balloon, was chosen as Honorary President of the 2nd edition of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival in 1989 while Philippe Husson, Ambassador of France to Canada, was the 1988 Honorary President.
His ancestors Joseph and Étienne de Montgolfier launched their first “lighter-than-air” balloon in 1783 in the town of Annonay, south of Lyon, in France. Two hundred years later, Xavier de Montgolfier joined with other family members to found the Club de montgolfières de la ville d’Annonay (the Annonay hot air balloon club).
“To appropriately celebrate the bicentennial of this great invention, explains Xavier de Montgolfier, we just had to find a hot air balloon. With sponsor support, we managed to obtain one and founded the club to enable all balloon enthusiasts to fly with us.”
Today, with six balloons and 21 members, the Annonay hot air balloon club operates in a very special manner. Its pilots don’t own the balloons they fly, since every piece of equipment belongs to the club and remains available to all members.
Don Cameron, owner of the most important balloon manufacturing plant in the world, was appointed Honorary President of the 3rd Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival in 1990.
Aeronautical engineer by trade and an airplane pilot from the age of 17, Don Cameron took an interest in ballooning in 1967. To Cameron and a group of friends we owe the first hot air airship in England, the “Bristol Belle”. His newfound passion turned into an occupation in 1968 when Don Cameron assumed ownership of the largest balloon manufacturing firm in the world.
Today, his Bristol (U.K.), Harrogate (U.K.), Moscow (Russia) and Michigan (U.S.A.) plants turn out an average of one balloon per day. Cameron hot air balloons, hot air airships and helium balloons can now be found in over 50 countries.
Don Cameron regularly flies his balloons in situations that put them to the test. When he attended the Gatineau festival, he experimented with a one-seat hot air balloon where the pilot sits on a chair fitted with a burner on its back and an envelope. The balloon is used for lifting off in confined areas. In 1972, Don Cameron crossed the Sahara desert in a hot air balloon and was the first balloonist to fly over the Swiss Alps, a feat for which he was rewarded with a bronze medal by the British Royal Aero Club
Alex Nagorski, Chairman of the Canadian Hot Air Balloon Association, has been named Honorary President of the 4th Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival held from August 30 to September 2, 1991.
Mr. Nagorski was Chairman of the Canadian Association for two years. The Association draws together over 200 balloonists from across the country. The attendance of Mr. Nagorski added a special luster to the Gatineau festival, which hosted the Canadian Ballooning Championships that year.
The Canadian Association chairman has been piloting balloons for over 15 years. He is also a member of the Edmonton Balloon Corporation.
Rocky H. Aoki, owner of BENIHANA, a world-wide chain of Japanese restaurants, was the Honorary President of the 5th Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival held in 1992.
But Rocky H. Aoki is not satisfied with being a great manager. He also ranks among the great balloonists.
He was the first to succeed a Pacific Ocean crossing aboard the “Double Eagle V”, establishing a world record. He entered the first aerostat competition held in the Community of Independant States (former USSR) and won against five American teams. He now adds the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival to his list of world-class events.
Hot air balloons have taken him to the four corners of the earth and have been widely used in his company’s advertising. Festival goers had a chance to see two of them: one representing the BENIHANA chain, the other featuring the BENIHANA chef.
The great winners of the first transatlantic balloon race were the guests of the city of Gatineau during the 1993 Festival. Bertrand Piccard and Wim Verstraeten were the honorary presidents of the sixth Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival.
The 200,000 visitors who attended this colourful event were able to see these two outstanding pilots aboard their most impressive balloon… in the shape of a smurf.
Swiss ultralight and hang glider pilot Bertrand Piccard came to the balloon quite naturally. As for the professional pilot, Wim Verstraeten, he was greatly noticed. He was the first to fly over Kilimanjaro and the first Belgian pilot in the history of aviation to cross the English Channel.
On March 21, 1999, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones were the first to fly non-stop around the world in a balloon.
André Bilodeau, a pilot who pioneered hot air ballooning in the province of Québec, has been named honorary president of the 7th Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival.
In 1994, the honor was bestowed on André Bilodeau, a Sherbrooke, Québec, resident and a Gatineau regular from the Festival’s very beginnings. He piloted the Matériaux Inovaco pink elephant balloon.
In 1980, Bilodeau, Michel Auzat (Télé-Direct balloon pilot) and a group of balloonists organized the Association de montgolfières du Québec to promote ballooning in Québec and increase safety measures for pilots. Bilodeau, who has twice been elected as the Association’s President, is an electrical contractor but also represents the “Balloon Works” and “Galaxie” hot air balloon companies.
Celebrated as the holder of world records for height, distance and duration, Per Lindstrand has literally revolutionized ballooning. In a public tribute to his hard work and ingenuity, the 8th Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival held in 1995 has chosen Mr. Lindstrand as its Honorary President.
Lindstrand perfected his hot air balloons through numerous experimental flights. In the late seventies, he became interested in lighter than air crafts. Working as an engineer at Thunder and Colt, he propelled the balloon manufacturing company to the top ranks, helping it become one of the European leaders in product quality.
Today, Lindstrand owns his own balloon factory in Oswestry, England, and specializes in hot air balloons, gas balloons and airships.
In 1996, Mady Smets from Brussels accepted the invitation to become Honorary President of the 9th Festival. She has achieved recognition as one of the foremost ballooning promoters in Europe. Founder and President of the Montgolfiades universitaires internationales de Bruxelles, Mrs. Smets has been instrumental in organizing this most popular European ballooning event, and has succeeded in getting active student participation from Belgium and other countries. Mady Smets is also well known in financial and pharmaceutical circles in Brussels. She has also been involved with the restoration of the village of Peyresq ruins (in the French region of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) by students from several countries, for the purpose of creating an international center for the humanities, arts, culture and science. Mrs. Smets brought with her to the Festival an exact replica of the original Montgolfier brothers hot air balloon.
To emphasize the long-standing friendship between the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival and the Adirondack Balloon Festival (Glens Falls, New York), the Organizing Committee chose Walter and Joan Grishkot as 1997 Honorary Presidents. Both have managed the Adirondack festival for 25 years. Since 1992, the two festivals have joined forces to initiate and promote an annual Canada-U.S. balloon race in which pilots from both countries enter in a friendly hare and hound competition. Gatineau hosts the first leg of the race, the second event being held at Glens Falls in mid-September. A third country, Japan, is joining the race in 1997. The first of three Canada-U.S.-Japan races is being held in November at the Saga Balloon Festival in Japan. Gatineau followed in 1998, with Glens Falls completing the cycle in 1999.
The Jean Boileau award
This annual award aims to underscore the work and involvement of a hot air balloon pilot, volunteer or member of the organizing committee. Its creation was announced in 2007 at the moving tribute to Mr. Boileau during the Festival’s 20th anniversary.
As the Hot Air Balloon Festival’s General Director from its inception to 2001, Jean Boileau helped rally numerous volunteers, pilots and different artists, making this event a must-see family and tourist activity in the Outaouais.
A selection committee comprising current and past organizers, including Jean Boileau, has the task of designating the recipient.
Michel DeMars has been composing the soundtracks for the various projects of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival since its creation in 1988. He has been able to highlight the emblematic character of hot air balloons, while helping to raise the profile of the city of Gatineau.
“For many years, Michel DeMars’ music has been a masterful accompaniment to the flights in La Baie Park,” says Jean Boileau, founder of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival. “He was able to bring out the power, the magic and the nuances of the wind mixed with the colours of the aerostats in the sky over the region. The album L’envolée, produced in 1998, is a testament to the talent of this Gatineau artist.
In 2023, Michel DeMars also wrote the soundtrack for the FMG’s new project: the multimedia night glow, a show projected onto a hot-air balloon structure over 20 feet high that captured the imagination of young and old alike.
The Jean Boileau Award, which since its creation in 2007 has honoured the commitment of FMG artisans, will be presented this year to Michel DeMars on the evening of Saturday August 31st, on the Loto-Québec Stage at the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival.
Since its creation in 2007, the Jean Boileau Award has highlighted the commitment of the people behind the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival, whether pilots, artists or volunteers. This year, Jean Boileau, founder of the FMG, chose to present the award to two photographers who have worked with the Festival for many years.
With their photos, Denis Tremblay and Sylvain Marier have shared with festival-goers and the general public a unique perspective on the magnificent spectacle of hot-air balloons and the many activities and events that take place in Parc de la Baie every year.
“With his panoramic cameras, his masterful shots and his network of contacts, Denis Tremblay was able to expand the reputation of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival by distributing his images in Europe and the United States, in various exhibitions and on various computer and web tools, including those of Microsoft. He has also enabled the FMG to establish numerous alliances with balloonists and balloon festivals around the world,” explains Jean Boileau.
“From an apprentice photographer under the supervision of René Binet, Sylvain Marier has captured every facet of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival for nearly thirty years, and above all has earned the recognition and appreciation of balloonists, artists and volunteers. His images are now part of the unique history of the FMG,” adds Jean Boileau.
The Jean Boileau Award, which annually recognizes the involvement of those who have made an outstanding contribution to the development of the FMG, will be presented this year to two former flight directors, André Boucher and Garry Lockyer. Both of whom have left their mark not only on the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival, but also on the world of hot air ballooning. The flight directors play a crucial role in the organisation of a balloon festival, overseeing the flights and analysing the available data to give the green light for pilots to launch.
Garry Lockyer was awarded this year’s CIA Montgolfier Diploma 2022 by the Ballooning Commission of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (CIA) for his contribution to the sport of ballooning. This is not surprising, as he is known to have left his mark on all continents, from Asia to Europe and Australia to America. He first became a pilot in 1978 and has accumulated more than 1,700 flying hours. Flight director for the first fourteen editions of the FMG, he has participated in countless competitions, be it as a competitor, jury, president or organiser.
“As flight director and with his involvement in the world of aerostation, Garry Lockyer was instrumental in establishing the reputation of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival, attracting many foreign pilots and holding competitive flights in the Outaouais skies, including the Canadian Hot Air Balloon Championship and the Intercontinental Race between the Saga Festival in Japan, the Glenn Falls Festival in New York and the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival. He was also involved in bringing the World Hot Air Balloon Championship to Gatineau in 1998,” explains Jean Boileau, founder of the FMG and Director of Communications for the City of Gatineau.
André Boucher is one of the most experienced pilots in Quebec. He was the sixth pilot from la Belle Province and completed his first flight in 1979. It was love at first flight! Founder of the Festivent, he was flight director in Gatineau from 2001 to 2019 and has flown all over Canada and the United States. For several years, he perfected the concept of the nightly illuminations presented in Gatineau, during which the hot-air balloons glow to the rhythm of the music. Under his guidance, the FMG became the first festival to use Google Earth to visualize the flights during the pilot briefing.
“Courtesy, kindness, attentiveness and above all, a passion for ballooning, this is how we can sum up André Boucher’s character traits. This makes him the prince of pilots. Thanks to these qualities, he knows how to rally the pilots around his decisions, come rain, shine, or fierce winds, in the Parc de la Baie”, adds Jean Boileau.
The FMG family was honored! Eight long standing volunteers will receive the Jean Boileau Award.
For the past 13 years, the Jean Boileau Award has recognized the commitment of the event’s artisans, whether they be pilots, artists, spokespersons or volunteers. In this special year, the founder of the FMG, Jean Boileau, and the president, Stéphane Riel, have chosen to underline the resilience of its organizing committee and its volunteers by highlighting the involvement of eight of the committee’s members, who are celebrating over 30 years of volunteer work within the organization.
“The Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival is first and foremost a family event, but it is also a large family of volunteers, some of whom have been involved for ten, twenty and even thirty years. It is this driving force that allows the event, the city of Gatineau and the Outaouais region to shine, to be recognized, and above all to offer a colorful weekend for young and old alike! Thank you to the eight volunteers honored this year and to their teams for their work behind the scenes in Parc de la Baie,” said Jean Boileau, founder of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival and Director of Communications for the City of Gatineau.
“Family is the foundation of our event. With all the upheavals the organization has experienced in the last two years due to the pandemic, it is important to recognize that it is thanks to this family spirit that we are able to offer this year’s event with an exceptional line-up, all in a safe environment. Thank you and congratulations to all of them,” added Stéphane Riel, President of the FMG.
Here is the list of the 2021 Jean Boileau Award recipients:
– Robert Asselin – Provisioning;
– Anne-Marie Mathieu – Pilots’ Pavilion;
– Lise Paquin McArdle – 1001 Trouvailles;
– Paul Cloutier – Security;
– Julie Mathieu – Hot Air Balloon Tours;
– Louise Dicaire – Provisioning;
– Lorraine O’Farrell – Flight Officer;
– Isabelle Laberge – Lost Children and Infant Care.
Patrice Bélanger, 12 years as our spokesperson!
Actor, host and spokesperson for the FMG – Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival, Patrice Bélanger has been wholly involved for 12 years with his region’s signature event. Born and raised in Gatineau, Patrice has participated in the event from a young age and could not imagine being anywhere else during the Festival. Year after year, he has walked the grounds of Parc de la Baie with family and friends, greeting and exchanging with festival-goers and volunteers alike. A veritable force of nature, Patrice is committed to sharing his passion and energy with the big family of the FMG. Truly devoted to the event, he is one of the first to arrive on the site in the early morning and one of the last to leave!
Patrice, a man with a heart of gold, has taken the time throughout this unprecedented year to reach out to the Organizing Committee and the FMG team. Even as his household slept, he was hard at work contributing to the creative process in preparation for the 2020 microevents. Patrice, as with each of the editions, was able to energize the team and motivate them to continue despite the many pitfalls encountered. True to himself, our spokesperson who wears his heart on his sleeve when talking about the event, did much more than he would have you believe for the FMG. For these reasons, and for many others, we would like to pay tribute to him and warmly thank him for his involvement in this community. Partly thanks to Patrice, our region was able to come together, even from afar, around the FMG’s festivities. Patrice is part of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival family and proudly represents his region and community. We sincerely hope that he will be with us for a long time to come!
“The love story between Patrice Bélanger and the FMG is nothing new! Even as a student, he was very tenacious and convincing. He would come to me year after year with his microphone and his media accreditation to do interviews for the radio and the student newspaper. Many years later, despite his brilliant career, he has managed to maintain his dynamic personality, his enthusiasm and his keen interest in the event that is the pride of Gatineau residents, all while promoting it with his new microphones … ” explains Jean Boileau, founder of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival and Director of Communications for the City of Gatineau.
Patrice Bélanger received the Jean Boileau award to underline the commitment of the artisans of the event, on September 4, during the FMG’s Comedy Gala which he hosted at the Maison de la culture in Gatineau.
Marie Dompierre and Jean-Pierre Lalonde, 28 Years of Outstanding Commitment!
In 1991, then-amateur photographer Jean-Pierre Lalonde joined the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon family of volunteers as a member of a chase crew. “Talk about a terrific opportunity to get some exclusive shots!” It turned out to be everything he had hoped for, so much so that the following year, along with his wife, Marie Dompierre, he joined the kitchen crew, which was in charge of feeding the small army of volunteers. These two generous Gatineau residents were far from imagining that this was to be the start of a long-term relationship with the region’s biggest event!
Their contribution to and involvement in the organization as volunteers has kept growing over the years, to the point where, today, Marie and Jean-Pierre are counted among the pillars of the organization. They are the bone and sinew of the Festival, and the purpose that lies at its very soul, which is to bring our community together around a moment of shared joy and pride. “What keeps us with the FMG is the sense of family, of being part of a tightly knit gang, not only amongst the volunteers, but with the entire permanent team,” indicated Jean-Pierre. “At the FMG, volunteers are not only the foot soldiers, they are at the heart of the action. The team treats the volunteers with a great deal of respect. We not only get tasks assigned to us, but also responsibilities. And that is not something you find everywhere, it truly is unique to the FMG,” added Marie, who now serves on the Board of Directors, in addition to being responsible for the volunteers.
“Because of their passion and volunteer work, Marie and Jean-Pierre have for 30 consecutive years supported, fed, organized and cared for the 1,500 volunteers in the organization to ensure that festival-goers get the most out of this big celebration,” explained Jean Boileau, the founder of the Festival and head of communications for Gatineau. “This is an invaluable and unique commitment on the part of a couple whom the FMG has tattooed onto its heart, and that must be underlined!”
The Jean Boileau Award highlights the involvement of the people who make the event. Marie Dompierre and Jean-Pierre Lalonde will receive their award on the Casino Lac-Leamy Stage on Saturday, August 31. Congratulations!
Gaston Lepage receives the Jean Boileau Award
Who can forget Gaston Lepage at the controls of his little experimental hot air balloon, which he would fly over the crowds gathered at parc de la Baie? An unabashed lover of the outdoors and open skies, he was the event’s first spokesperson, serving in that capacity from 1992 to 1999.
At the time, Gaston Lepage was an easy choice as spokesperson. He was a hydroplane pilot, and had just completed, in 1991, the script for a movie about a story that took place in a hot air balloon. He knew many pilots, as well as the basics of an aerostation.
The flame that burned so bright within him remains palpable to this day. “A hot air balloon ride is a fireworks that doesn’t need the night in order to light up the sky!” he will tell you without hesitation.
“Gaston Lepage’s involvement as spokesperson helped propel the event into every living room and kitchen in Quebec, and to spread the reputation of Gatineau and its Festival far and wide. For eight years, he presented the aerostation with passion and conviction, and kept attracting visitors. In fact, he was far more than a spokesperson: he was an important ambassador for the Outaouais. For all of his work and commitment, the time has come to tip our hats to the man in the big hat, that great adventurer from Quebec. Thank you Gaston!” noted Jean Boileau, FMG founder and Director of Communications for Ville de Gatineau.
Thérèse Cyr receives the Jean Boileau Award
Ask her anything at all about the Festival’s history, and Thérèse Cyr will have the answer!
As one of the Festival’s founding members, Thérèse has contributed to its growth, in particular by inviting dozens of community associations to join and by getting them to help sell wristband passports before and during the event. Thérèse has been a volunteer with the FMG for 30 years, and is the only one who has been on the organizing committee since the very first edition!
“Her dedication has been a source of inspiration for the volunteers, many of whom have gotten involved precisely because of her,” explained Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival founder and Gatineau’s Director of Communications Jean Boileau.
Diane Latreille receives the Jean Boileau Award
An outstanding volunteer, Diane Latreille, is this year’s recipient of the Jean Boileau Award!
As head of the Lost Children and Infant Care Committee, she relies on a team of 50 volunteers to ensure the well-being of the children throughout the site from the time it opens until it closes. And as if this were not enough, she also makes herself available the week before the event to help welcome RVers!
“Drying tears and comforting fears is not something that just anyone can do, but for Diane Latreille and her team of volunteers, it is more than possible. Through her volunteer work, Diane has created a home on the parc de la Baie site to welcome and care for children who have gotten carried away by the excitement of the activities at the Festival and for a few moments let go of their parents’ hands. For 29 years, she has been the adoptive mother of the Festival’s children, comforting them with her big heart, dedication, and tender smile,” noted Jean Boileau, the founder of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival, and the director of communications for Ville de Gatineau.
Berthe Miron receives the Jean Boileau Award
Berthe Miron is one of the founding members of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival, along with Jean Boileau, Claire Vaive and Thérèse Cyr.
“The Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival saw some of its grandest years under Berthe Miron’s presidency, with close to 150 hot air balloons and 225,000 visitors annually,” explained Jean Boileau, Festival founder and communications director for Gatineau. “The landmark event of her presidency was in 1998, when the World Hot Air Airship Championship was held for the very first time in North America along with regular hot air balloon flights. Thanks to her determination, her commitment to compromise and justice, during the six years of her presidency, she managed to earn the trust of the 1,500 volunteers and members of the organizing committee, and turned the Festival into a source of pride for the residents of Gatineau and the Outaouais,” added Mr. Boileau.
The Jean Boileau Award highlights the involvement of the people who make the event. Berthe Miron will receive her award on the Casino Lac-Leamy Stage on Sunday, September 6.
Hugo Girard receives the Jean Boileau Award
In 1999, Gatineau police officer Hugo Girard suggested to Jean Boileau that the Festival include strength athlete demonstrations. The rest is history! This larger than life athlete was crowned world champion in 2002, and was instrumental in promoting the athletic side of this sport. He was the North American champion in 2001 and 2002, and once even pulled an 80-tonne Boeing 737!Although he no longer competes, he is deeply involve…d in organizing our North American Championship! The Jean Boileau Award highlights the involvement of the people who make the event. Hugo, one of the Festival’s great ambassadors received his award on the Loto-Québec Stage on Sunday, August 31.
Rolly Hammond receives the Jean Boileau Award
Gatineau’s Rolly Hammond, line producer for the event from 1992 to 1999, will receive the Jean Boileau Award for this 26th edition! “Rolly Hammond is the one to whom we owe the continuous entertainment formula used throughout parc de la Baie. From the main stage to the rides, he helped bring heart and meaning to this big family party,” explained Festival founder Jean Boileau. The 86 year-old Rolly Hammond has had a unique career! Actor, producer, impersonator and entertainer, he has made the rounds of the world of showbiz, from Quebec to Hollywood. In addition to being the French voice of Donald Duck, he has shared the stage with some of the biggest names, including Ray Charles and Johnny Cash! It is thanks to his contacts and experience that the Festival was able to attract famous artists such as Céline Dion, Gilles Vigneault, Alannah Myles and Robert Charlebois.
Claire Vaive receives the Jean Boileau Award!
For this 25th anniversary, the Jean Boileau award, which is given once a year to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the Festival, goes to Claire Vaive. As the founding president, Claire Vaive managed to convince local elected officials, volunteers, associations and businesses of the need to create an event for Gatineau residents and families that would give them a chance to get together and that would position the region on the national and international playing field.
Walter Grishkot received the Jean Boileau award!
The Jean Boileau award for this 24th edition goes posthumously to Walter Grishkot, founder and organizer over 30 years of the Adirondack Balloon Festival (Glens Falls, New York).
Walter Grishkot, who died in May 2011 at the age of 85, was a powerful ally in promoting the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival among American pilots and media.
Lyne Leduc receives the Jean Boileau Award
The 23rd Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival Jean Boileau Award goes to Lyne Leduc. This is the third time that the Festival gives this award to a pillar of this great gathering. Ms. Leduc has been looking after wristband-passport pre-sales and sales since the very first editions of the Festival. “A lot has changed,” she points out. « Every year, we make adjustments to better meet the needs of our guests and volunteers. » She adds: « I’ve always enjoyed what I do, working with a terrific team. »
Jean-Claude Barbe receives the Jean Boileau Award
For a second year, the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival will be giving the Jean Boileau award to a pillar of this cultural event. This year’s honouree is Jean-Claude Barbe.
Mr. Barbe has been in charge of the electrical and plumbing crews at the site since the very first edition. This is an enormous responsibility when you consider the size of the site!
« I am very fortunate to have been part of the Festival since its beginning and to have had the chance to work with people I greatly appreciate », indicated the man of the hour.
Carolyn Mitrow – First Winner of the Jean Boileau Award
Carolyn, a Chelsea resident who has been a hot air balloon pilot since 1987, was for many years involved with the hot air balloon side of the Festival, among other things as the flight director. Her leadership and skills played a large part in the Festival’s growth.
Ms. Mitrow received her award, a work by artist Monique Savard, from Jean Boileau, the founder of the event, and Alain Fredette, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, on the Molson Dry Main Stage, on Saturday, August 30, 2008.
