The Town of Rosemère paid tribute to native-son and Olympic freestyle skiing champion Alexandre Bilodeau at an invitation-only event held on Tuesday, April 15 and attended by more than 80 guests. 

The ceremony sought to acknowlkedge the history-making feat of Alexandre who, last February in Sochi, became Canada’s first two-time Olympic gold medallist in freestyle skiing.  Among the guests in attendance were such notable personalities as Olympic medallists Sylvie Bernier (1984 gold medallist in diving) and Gaétan Boucher (1984 gold and bronze medals and 1980 silver medal in speed skating). They joined mayor Madeleine Leduc in awarding Alexandre and his entire family the gold family medal in recognition of the contribution of each member of the Bilodeau family to the tremendous success of this extraordinary athlete. 

An exclusive creation of Rosemère jeweller Dominique Dufour, this medal consists of four parts, each of which bears an attribute of Sylvie and Serge, Alexandre’s parents, as well as his sister Béatrice and brother Frédéric, all of whom were a source of inspiration throughout his journey. Other surprises awaited the Olympic athlete, including a crystal carafe and a symbolic key to the Town. 

Determined to emphasize the importance of family, the Town had also invited all of its employees along with their partners and children, as well as representatives of non-profit organizations to take part in the festivities. In addition, prior to the meeting, the Olympic champion was invited to meet with students of Alpha School, who all received a commemorative button. Subdued but quite emotional, these activities were designed to please! 

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Source:
Town of Rosemère

For information:
Michel Girouard
Director of Communications
Tel.: 450 621-3500, ext. 1243
Email: mgirouard@ville.rosemere.qc.ca