News Release

PRINCE GEORGE, B.C – Para cross-country skier Louis Fortin claimed silver in the para standing 2.5 kilometre classic event Monday at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, B.C.

“I gave it everything I had...it’s a super course and the weather is perfect,” said Fortin, following the race. “Going down the hills are hard because I am not used to them so I tried to save some energy and balance for that."

Fortin’s silver medal performances lifts Team New Brunswick’s medal total to eight at the Games. Fortin, a Grade 9 teacher at Oromocto High School, is a two-time Canada Winter Games medalist, striking silver twice at the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax. Fortin attended the 2014 Sochi Paralympics where he competed in three para-nordic skiing events.

In the 10-kilometre men’s classic event, Kevin Heppell, of Charlo  was the top New Brunswicker, finishing 38th followed by Vincent Leaclair, of Balmoral, 44th, Thierry Dugas, of Caraquet, 49th David Lanteigne, of Caraquet, 50th and  Alexandre Leclair of Campbellton 52nd.

Luisa Schwarz, of Fredericton, placed 42nd in the women’s 7.5 kilometre women’s classic race. Juliana Luiker, also of Fredericton, finished 50th followed by Michelle Landry, of Moncton, 51st and Melanie Hamel, of Fredericton 53rd.

Fortin and the rest of Team New Brunswick skiers return to the cross-country ski trails Tuesday.

The men’s hockey team lost 6-0 to Team Ontario in a late game Monday night.

In curling, Team New Brunswick lost 6-5 to Team Alberta. The foursome Brigitte Comeau, Justine Comeau, Emma LeBlanc and Keira McLaughlin, all of Fredericton, also lost 7-5 to Team Quebec in the evening draw.

Belledune’s Andrew Boudreau sits seventh in men’s pre-novice singles figure skating with Brantville’s Jolain Benoit in eighth. Boudreau and Benoit return to the ice Wednesday to skate the free program.

Following are Team New Brunswick Monday Feb. 23 results at the Games:

Badminton (CJNSC)

Singles Female --Samantha Zheng (BC) 2 Sneha Desai (NB) 0

Samantha Marie Rogers (NB) 2 Jodi Jiaru Fei (BC) 0

Jenny Wang (NB) 2 Brin Beyer (SK) 0, Jenny Wang (NB) lost 2-0 in second round

Singles Male -- Nathan Osborne (Alberta) 2  Pascal Roy (NB) 0

Philippe Giguère (QC) 2 Curtis McAuley Quigley (NB) 0

Jerry Zhang (NB) 2 Kyle Grymonpre (MB) 0, Jerry Zhang (NB) lost 2-0 in third round

Doubles Female-  Lam / Liew (MB) 2 Desai / Wang (NB) 0

Skinner / Stewart (NB) 2 Nakashuk / Omole (NU) 0, Skinner / Stewart (NB) won 2-0 in second round and advances to third round

Chowace / Dragon (NT) 2  Dionne / Quigley (NB) 0

Bergeron / Marin (QC) 2  Howland / Zhang (NB) 1

Doubles Mixed  Roy / Rogers (NB) 2 Cutler/Shewan (NS) 0

Dionne / Stewart (NB) 2 Chowace/Mooney (NT) 0

Doubles Mixed--Howland / Skinner (NB) 0 vs Laidlaw / Wu (MB) 2

Squash (UNBC)

Team competition – women’s: Alberta 4 New Brunswick 0

Team competition –men’s: Ontario 4 New Brunswick 0

New Brunswick (Stéphanie Babineau, Luke Burton, Julia Cook, Véronique Cyr, Sébastien LeBlanc, Éric Melanson, Jane Woodsworth, Bryson Woodworth)

Women’s Curling (Prince George Golf & Curling Club)

Alberta 6 New Brunswick 5

Alb. 021 000 110 1 6

N.B.100 111 001 0  5

New Brunswick 5  Quebec 7

N.B. 1002101000   5

Qc.   0020020210  7

Men’s Hockey (CN Centre)

New Brunswick 0 Ontario 6

NB (0 - 2)

Figure Skating

Pre-novice men's short competition – Andrew Boudreau,(Belledune)  7th and Jolain Benoit (Brantville) 8th

Pre-novice girls short competition -- Valérie Dery (Bouctouche) 15^th, Malika Boudreau (Petit-Rocher) 16th 

Cross Country Ski (Otway)

Interval Classic Women 7.5 km - Luisa Schwarz (Fredericton), 42nd, Juliana Luiker (Fredericton), 50th, Michelle Landry (St-Louis de Kent), 51st and  Melanie Hamel (Hanwell), 53rd.

Interval Classic Men 10km - Kevin Heppell (Charlo), 38th, Vincent Leclair (Balmoral), 44th, Thierry Dugas (Caraquet), 49th, David Lanteigne (Caraquet) 50th and Alexandre Leclair (Balmoral) 52nd.

Para nordic standing men Interval Classic 2.5km – Louis Fortin (Fredericton) 2nd, silver medal.