For the second year in a row Black Press is partnering with the Miss BC, Miss Teen BC and Mrs. BC Pageant as its official media sponsor and applications are open now.
This annual partnership means that women interested in participating can upload and share their information online through the on any Black Press website throughout the province.
Pageant organizers will then be in touch with the applicants to provide further information leading up to the pageant weekend, which takes place July 1 to 3 in Fort Langley.
Black Press will cover and report on the pageant, where three women will be named Miss BC, Miss Teen BC and Mrs. BC.
Creator and producer Darren Storsley says this is no typical beauty pageant, it鈥檚 about women empowerment.
鈥淭his is our 15th anniversary show this year, so it is really exciting for us,鈥� adds Storsley. 鈥淚 call it 15 years of women empowerment. I am a man, I am a feminist, I am a teacher, I developed this program years ago to begin self-esteem development in girls.鈥�
Unlike many of the tradition beauty pageants, this one invites women and teens of all ages, heights and weights.
鈥淥ur pageant has a mandate to provide learning and growth opportunities to women and girls across the province,鈥� says Storsley.
鈥淲e are the only pageant out there that doesn鈥檛 have a list of requirements. There needed to be an event for all women, because all women needed to be celebrated for being who they are.鈥�
He says one must redefine the traditional use of the word beauty.
鈥淚 think beauty should stand for who you are as a human being, how you take your positive attributes and your skills and use those skills to improve the world around you 鈥� that to me is beauty,鈥� says Storsley.
鈥淚f we can look at it that way then I say we can leave the beauty in beauty pageant. If you can鈥檛 see past the physical definition of what men have said beauty means for women than they can take the word out.鈥�
During the three-day event in July all of the participants are provided professional training in areas like public speaking, community development, health, fitness and nutrition, choreography, assertiveness training, media relations, self defence and more.
鈥淲e provide so many things that are very relevant for women today,鈥� adds Storsley.
Also, as part of the 15th Anniversary celebration, the Miss, Miss Teen and Mrs BC Pageant has created a new category: Junior Miss BC.
鈥淕irls aged 9-12 are invited to participate in this exciting event, where each participant will receive professional training in areas such as public speaking, manners and etiquette, anti-bullying and online safety, positive body images and vision boards, community involvement and more.鈥�
One overall winner will be selected as 鈥淛unior Miss BC 2017鈥�, while other contestants will be awarded the titles 鈥淪parkle Ambassadors鈥�.
This will be a special one-day event on Friday, June 30, with a presentation show open to the public in the evening.
鈥淲hat a great way for the girls to spend their first day of summer vacation.鈥�
To apply for the competition,
For more information, . The public is invited to log on and vote for their favourite contestant for the People鈥檚 Choice Award closer to the pageant date.
2016 WINNERS
- Miss BC 鈥� Gloren Guelos of White rock
- Mrs. BC 鈥� Tetyana Golota of Coquitlam
- Miss Teen BC 鈥� Alisha Kalia of Vancouver
- Mrs. Charity BC 鈥� Ramneek Jawandha of Surrey
- Miss Teen Fraser Valley 鈥� Frances Oliver of Agassiz
- Miss Fraser Valley 鈥揗argaret Onedo of Langley
- Miss Teen Greater Vancouver 鈥� Isabelle Calinisan of Burnaby
- Miss Greater Vancouver - Tamara Forsyth of Richmond
- Mrs. Lower Mainland 鈥� Erin Sanders of Abbotsford
- Miss Lower Mainland 鈥� Raven Thiara of New West
- Mrs. Vancouver Island 鈥� Sima Saxena of Victoria
- Miss Teen Vancouver Island - Jadyn Sanford of Victoria
- Miss Vancouver Island - Patrice Wilson of Victoria
- Mrs. Northern BC 鈥� Sarah Opdendries of Houston
- Miss Northern BC 鈥揗arie Stormy Hassenohrl of Prince George
- Miss Teen BC Interior 鈥� Bella Konschuh-Penney of Westbank
- Miss BC Interior 鈥� Danielle Beattie of Trail
- Miss Teen Lower Mainland 鈥� Nica Derakhshannia of Richmond
