"Show Us Your Canada" entries shows Canada at its best

OTTAWA, Sept. 24, 2018 /CNW/ - Over the short span of three months, droves of Canadians submitted their best shots to the "Show Us Your Canada" photo competition. Launched by Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada in collaboration with Canadian Geographic, the contest's objective was to show the people of China the places and people that make Canada a unique and must-see destination to visit.

Canadians took up the challenge with impressive enthusiasm, sharing more than 4,600 photos of iconic places and people, and in the process telling a visual story about our history, culture and everything that makes us unique.

"I want to express my congratulations and thanks to all the winners and contest participants for helping bring Canada's diversity and distinctiveness to the world!" said the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie. "As we celebrate the Canada-China Year of Tourism, Canadians enthusiastically shared their pictures of what makes our country so unique to visitors. And the word is out: Canada welcomed a record number of tourists from China—300,800!—in the first six months of 2018, fuelling growth in our thriving Canadian tourism industry, which employs one in ten Canadians."

Calgary native Annie Fu, an IT professional by day, is a budding photographer in her off hours. She won the contest's grand prize with an ethereal photo of blooming wildflowers set against a sunset backdrop and jagged mountain peaks, which she took while hiking on the Parker Ridge Trail in the Columbia Icefields. "The wildflowers were blooming all over the mountain, waving under the wind. I set up my camera and shot a set of photos to capture this moment," says Fu. As the grand prize winner, Fu has won two Air Canada round-trip tickets from Canada to Shanghai or Beijing, China.

The "Show Us Your Canada" photo contest recognizes spectacular photos from entries in five categories: Parks, Cities, Indigenous Canada, Active Outdoors and a category for youth photographers. Here are the category finalists, each of whom will receive a VIA Rail Canada travel voucher for $750:

Parks: Jerry Shao of Calgary, Alta.
Cities: April Carandang of Winnipeg, Man. 
Indigenous Canada: Robin Luo of Markham, Ont.
Active Outdoors: Sofie Sharom, Ottawa, Ont.
Youth: Robbie Krysl, age 17, of Campbell River, B.C.

Competition judges included Javier Frutos, an award-winning photographer and the Creative Director at Canadian Geographic; Derek Mellon, the Media Relations Manager at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and part-time photographer; and Gabriel Rivett-Carnac, a photographer and outdoor adventure tourism professional and specialist in tourism trends.

"This contest has demonstrated the great emerging talent in photography we have in Canada," says Gilles Gagnier, Publisher of Canadian Geographic. "These photos are a visual invitation to come and visit to learn more about our country and who we are as a people."

The "Show Us Your Canada" photo competition is part of a full year of activities and events to celebrate the 2018 Canada-China Year of Tourism, which pays tribute to the deep ties between our two countries. Photographs that were submitted to the contest will be used in tourism campaigns to entice Chinese tourists to make Canada their top vacation destination.

SOURCE Royal Canadian Geographical Society