The televised contest, which debuted in February 2006, is the evolution of the
As Prime Minister Awards essay contest, which provided a national forum for the innovative ideas of Canadian college and university students. The original
As Prime Minister Awards essay contest was first founded in 1995 by
Magna International Inc. Chairman
Frank Stronach. Canadian college and university students were asked to submit a 2,500-word essay on what they would do as
Prime Minister of Canada. With the old essay contest, ten entrants from across the country were selected as Regional Winners by a National Panel of Judges composed of accomplished Canadians with backgrounds in business, academia, media and government affairs. Each National Finalist received a $10,000 cash award, a $15,000 internship, and had his or her proposal published in a book. One of the ten students was declared the National Winner and received a $20,000 award and $50,000 internship. All in all, the contest gave away at least $320,000 in prizes, thanks largely to Magna's contribution. After over a decade of motivating Canadian youth to think about how they would create a stronger and more prosperous country, the organizers decided to change the contest format to video. In the new incarnation, the 2,500 word essay submission is replaced by a 3-5 minute video. In 2005, representatives of Magna International Inc., the
Arthur Kroeger School of Public Affairs at
Carleton University and The
Dominion Institute judge the contest entrants and select the final five contestants who appear on the televised show. The 2005 winner, and the recipient of a $50,000 first-place cash prize, was determined by four former Canadian Prime Ministers:
Brian Mulroney,
Kim Campbell,
Joe Clark, and
John Turner. The first winner of the contest was the Sudbury, Ontario-born Deirdra McCracken. McCracken, at the time of the contest, was studying political science at
Université Laval in Quebec. In 2006, the show moved from
CTVglobemedia to
CBC Television where it was hosted by
Rick Mercer and watched by one million Canadians. Representatives of
Magna International, The
Dominion Institute, CBC and the
Fulbright Program selected four contestants to appear on the show after a cross-country university campus tour. The show aired March 2007 and was judged by four former Canadian Prime Ministers:
Brian Mulroney,
Kim Campbell,
Joe Clark, and
Paul Martin. The in-studio audience awarded first place to Quebec native Joseph Lavoie who received $50,000 and a 6 month internship with Magna International Inc. In 2007, recruitment for the next show began both in the cross-country campus tour and also online though
YouTube. From YouTube videos, ten semi-finalists were selected. These semi-finalists were sent to Toronto to compete in boot camp where four finalists were chosen. CBC released boot camp footage to the public as podcasts. The 2007/2008 show aired March 23 on CBC Television and was judged by
Kim Campbell,
Paul Martin,
John Turner, and
Danny Williams. The winner was 25-year-old Metis physician Alika Lafontaine from Saskatchewan. Pam Hrick placed second, followed by Kevin Royal in third and Rahim Moloo in fourth. ==International Sales==