Molson in the Community

Quelle magnifique mission que celle de la Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence du Québec qui a rendu hommage à 28 de ses boursiers qui ont représenté le Canada aux Jeux d’Hiver 2010. Selon Nathalie Lambert, chef de mission des Jeux de Vancouver, des 50 athlètes canadiens qui provenaient du Québec, on pouvait compter 28 boursiers de la fondation. Une statistique impressionnante qui en dit long sur l’importance d’un coup de pouce qui fait une réelle différence!

La Fondation a profité de notre spectaculaire Salle John-Molson pour présenter son plan stratégique 2010-2015, avec l’excellente nouvelle d’un investissement majeur du Président la Fondation, monsieur Claude Chagnon, de 1 million de dollars, soit 200 000$ par année, pendant la durée de cette importante campagne. Qui dit mieux? Selon monsieur Chagnon, il s’agit d’apporter la contribution de ses moyens … tous les dons valent leur pesant d’or et sont grandement appréciés!

Plusieurs membres de la communauté sportive québécoise étaient présents à cette conférence de presse, incluant les frères Molson qui en ont profité pour saluer les nombreux athlètes québécois qui nous faisaient honneur de leur présence, dont Alexandre Bilodeau, François-Louis Tremblay (l’un des athlètes ayant profité d’un appui de 20 000$ de notre campagne “Appuyons un champion de Molson Export”), Marianne St-Gelais, Jean-Philippe LeGuellec, et plusieurs autres.

Plusieurs autres événements sont à prévoir pour rendre hommage à cette excellente cuvée d’athlètes, et vous pouvez d’ores et déjà compter sur la présence de Molson Coors, fournisseur officiel des Jeux d’hiver 2010 et commanditaire des Jeux paralympiques d’hiver 2010, et fiers partenaire de la communauté!

Santé!

Countdown to the Games! Wow! It’s an unbelievable feeling and privilege to be here in Vancouver during the final countdown to the Games. Here in Vancouver, the anticipation is building to a pitch. Hundreds of elite athletes from Canada and over 80 countries have arrived to compete.  For us at our involvement with the Games goes way back and to celebrate International Olympic Day  last June, we fired up the grill and hosted barbecues for employees in Montreal, St-John’s, Moncton, Toronto and Vancouver. It was a way to shine a light on our role as the Official Beer Supplier of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic games and get everyone in the company excited about the Games.

Not only are we cheering for Canada to win, we handpicked  ten deserving Canadian athletes, to receive our hands-on financial support. In today’s report, you get to meet our “Fund a Champion” athletes and we bring you  an interview with Rene Holt our Vancouver Brewery Manager who tells us all about their preparation for the Games.

Compte à rebours des Jeux! L’anticipation est à son comble à Vancouver ces jours-ci. Des centaines d’athlètes de haut niveau du Canada et de près 80 pays sont arrivés et prêts pour la compétition. Molson Coors et ses employés à travers le pays y encouragera évidemment nos athlètes canadiens, mais plus particulièrement aussi à dix d’entre eux, ainsi qu’à toute l’équipe nationale féminine de hockey, à qui nous avons décidé d’offrir notre appui. Dans le Bulletin d’aujourd’hui, nous vous proposons une entrevue avec Rene Holt le directeur de notre brasserie à Vancouver.  Il nous parle de la préparation requise afin d’être fin prêt à bien servir les Jeux. On vous  aussi nos athlètes récipiendaires de notre campagne « Appuyons un champion ».

Molson Coors Vancouver 2010 Dispatches

I arrived in Vancouver yesterday, and it feels a little calmer than what I had expected, no major traffic jams to get downtown, or massive crowds on the streets. It is truly the “calm before the storm” feeling. I say that because you can see lots of visitors, media from around the world and their camera crews, you see the official VANOC vehicles roaming the streets. While it seems calm I sense the excitement and the trepidation of everyone I’ve met so far since I got here…the city is ready. Vancouverites are happy and it shows in their display  of hospitality everywhere, it will be without a doubt an exciting few weeks! And we want to bring you a piece of it by giving you an inside look at “our” Games.

As the official beer supplier of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games, Molson Coors and our brands will be under the spotlight at the 2010 Winter Games, and our “Roving Reporter” employees will be bringing you the hottest news direct from Vancouver the site of the world’s most prestigious winter sports competition. You won’t see the sporting events highlight, we leave that to the partner networks,  what our employee will be sharing is their insight on our Molson Coors Games. You’ ll see what we do to support our customers, brands and retail events, some of  the action at the Molson Canadian Hockey House, our VIP gatherings and receptions at our Vancouver Brewery. The Dispatches will also bring you exclusive interviews with our Molson Canadian/Export Fund Champion athletes, and much, much more.  Don’t miss the Dispatches! Every weekday, beginning on Thursday Feb 11, 2010.

Oh yes, if there’s anything you’d like us to report on about “our” games, sort of a special request, please let me or any of us on the team know and we’ll do our best to bring it to you.

Sebastien – @MolsonSeb

Go Canada Go!

Photo L-R: Brett Solmes, 1 Carlingview Dr; Brittany Webster, Beata Tomczyk, 33 Carlingview Dr; Hari Shivo, 33 Carlingview Dr

Brett, Beata and Hari shared  stories and video of their experiences of the day they ran with the 2010 Torch.  All had one thing in common, they did not want it to end.

Photo L-R: Valerie Fraser, Brewery Tour Guide ‘extraordine’ ; Brittany Webster holding one of the torches from the run

Photo L-R: Ferg Devins, Chief Public Affairs, Brittany Webster, Dave Perkins, President and CEO Molson Coors Canada

I met Brittany Webster at 33 Carlingview Drive when she arrived here from her trip to Quebec.  Brittany’s flight was late so we are running late right from the get go.  Off we went over to Toronto Brewery to give Brittany a quick tour of T6.  We stop and Brittany chatted with the employees and took pictures with them all.  You cannot help but like Brittany, she is cheerful, eager to see everything and talk to everyone.  After the tour we headed to the Toronto Brewery Pub and were greeted by employees from both 1  and  33 Carlingview Drive.  Our torch runners were on hand to share their experencies and we got a close up of the torch itself.   Brittany chatted with the employees and said a few words about how she ended up where she is today.  See Brittany’s Blog at Brittany Webster.  Brittany, we hope you will hear our cheers ringing out loud and clear – GO BRITTANY GO!!

Cheers CaroleB

Félicitations à nos équipes de ventes et à la marque Molson Export qui aura permis d’amasser, lors d’activités de levée de fonds qui se sont tenues le 28 novembre dernier, un montant additionnel de 20,000$ pour nos 10 athlètes visés par notre  programme “Appuyons un champion avec Molson Export. Un montant additionnel qui nous rapproche davantage de notre engagement de remettre 20,000$ à chacun des 10 athlètes sélectionnés pour le Canada.

Sur la photo, nous apercevons les responsables de cette belle initiative en compagnie de François-Louis Tremblay, un athlète en patinage de vitesse courte piste, qui nous représentera fièrement en février prochain, à Vancouver …

De gauche à droite:

Jean Bédard, Monique Dépatie de Molson Coors, François-Louis Tremblay en patinage de vitesse courte piste ainsi que Richard Groulx des Comptes majeurs de Molson Coors.

Bonne chance François-Louis, Joannie Rochette (partinage artistique) ainsi que Jean Labonté (hockey sur luge) ainsi qu’à nos sept autres athlètes au Canada. Cheers!

Vous connaissez les Frères Molson de cette célèbre famille qui a fait l’acquisition du Centre Bell, du Canadien et du Groupe Spectacles Gillet (GEG)? Cette même famille d’entrepreneurs qui a fondé notre brasserie ici-même à Montréal en 1786? Bonne lecture! http://lapresseaffaires.cyberpresse.ca/dossiers/la-presse-affaires-magazine/200911/30/01-926383-les-freres-molson-comme-vous-ne-les-avez-jamais-vus.php

Last week, I had the pleasure to accompany in Moncton one of our Canadian athletes Jean Labonte. Jean is a Paralympian and Captain of the Canadian Sledge Hockey Team. As an official supplier to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games, as well as a sponsor for the Paralympics, we introduced the Fund a Champion campaigna few months ago and committed up to $20,000 each to 10 athletes from across Canada, to help them close the competitive gap in their respective sports heading into the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. One of those athletes is Jean Labonté and he was our guest for this two day visit in Moncton. An important part of the program is to engage Molson Coors employees with Canadian athletes in the months leading up to the Vancouver Games next winter. So it was the primary reason why Jean was in Moncton, but while in town we took the opportunity to raise awareness of the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics and demonstrate the sport of sledge hockey. As part of Jean’s visit, Molson Coors also made a $5,000 donation to the Moncton Wheelchair Sports Association to help support sports activities for the physically disabled in the area.

So Jean’s visit was a busy one indeed. It began on Wednesday afternoon with a private tour of our brewery in Moncton lead by its brew master, David Hamel. The visit was followed by a “meet & greet” with all of the Moncton employees in the Brewery’s hospitality room. Jean had the opportunity to discuss with them about the life and preparation of an athlete in the months leading to the Games and talk about Sledge Hockey. Then we went on to dinner where we hosted Jean and some of our key local stakeholders and business partners. Amongst the many guests present George Leblanc, Mayor of Moncton and Clarence Sweetland, the Riverview Mayor. After dinner Jean and I went for a beer at one of our good customers in Moncton where he and I got to know each other a little more and share some good laughs.

On Thursday morning, we gathered at the University of Moncton arena to present our $ 5,000 donation to the Moncton Wheelchair Sports Association which Jean and Steve Dykeman, Molson Coors Regional Sales Manager for N.B. & P.E.I. presented to its President Peter Cameron. Peter was not only happy to receive our donation but also to meet Jean and discuss with him about sledge hockey. That was an important discussion since the Association plans start their own sledge hockey team.

Following the usual photo op, we arranged for the media, we were joined by some of Molson Coors sales representatives and players of “les “Aigles Bleus” the men and women’suniversity hockey team. It was for all a first try at playing hockey on a sledge and no matter if you were young, old, athletic or not so much, it proved to be quite challenging at first. But with Jean’s advice and coaching all were able to quickly get the hang of it and maneuver their sledges well enough to engage in a friendly game. I myself got on the ice and experienced sledge hockey…In my short shift I managed to score a goal, not a “highlight reel candidate” but still… Then I quickly came to the conclusion that I couldn’t keep up the pace with Jean and the younger athletes on the ice, so I opted to stick to my defensive zone and guard our team’s goal.

Jean and players of the “Aigles Bleus” men and women’s université de Moncton hockey team getting ready for face off in presence of the local media.

Game on!

Molson Coors sales representatives and players of the “Aigles Bleus” had a great time playing a sldge hockey game with Jean Labonté

It was a whirlwind visit but all who met him were very pleased with his visit and Jean was very pleased with the hospitality he received in Moncton. Some news fans who might be in attendance cheering for Jean and his teammates at the upcoming World Sledge Hockey Challenge in nearby Charlottetown, Nov 17-21. I sure am now a fan of our sledge hockey team and plan to follow them closely all the way to the Games. I told Jean I was going to be at the final gold medal game of the Sledge Hockey in Vancouver on Saturday March 20, 2010 and I semi-jokingly turned back to him and asked if he would be there? I have no doubt that he and the entire team is committed to do whatever it takes to be there…

Cheers to our Canadian Sledge Hockey Team!

Sebastien – follow me on Twitter @MolsonSeb