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The voice of banned books echoes in Gatineau: announcement of the winners of Lance ton balado

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The winning teams of Lance ton balado have now been announced. They were revealed at a press conference held at the Salon du livre de l’Outaouais, ahead of the event to be held in Gatineau from February 19 to 22. Organized in partnership with French for the Future, the French Embassy in Canada, the French Institute, and the Salon du livre de l’Outaouais, the contest is celebrating its fourth edition this year, confirming its success with young people across Canada.

The Lance ton balado contest invites young people to lend their voices to issues affecting our society through the creation of an original podcast. For this edition, the theme “The Voice of Banned Books” led participants to reflect on censorship, freedom of expression, and the fundamental role of books in the transmission of ideas. The works submitted demonstrate literature's ability to resist silence, open minds, and remind us that certain stories, when threatened, become even more necessary.

The winners of this edition stood out for their creativity, use of podcasting, ethics, and depth of thought.

 

French as a First language category

 

- First position

Bannis au fil du temps, by Gabrielle and Olivier Lechasseur

 

- Second position

Les boutures de Baudelaire, by Micro au masculin singulier (Soulaymane Tazi)

 

- Third position

Les livres bannis, by Balado St-Jo (team composed by Charlotte Fortin and Audrée Lefebvre)

 

French as a Second language category

 

- First position

Derrière le placard fermé, by Balado 2398 (team composed by Aany Mariel Vital Ramos and Christopher Kempcke Ramos)

 

- Second position

Ne silence pas les mots, by Podcast BPV (team composed by Paige Cameron, Victoria Lu and Brooke Stevenson)

 

- Third position

Les livres interdits en Alberta: un problème de liberté, by Les Fromage Filles (team composed by Anaclara Leyenaar and Elizabeth Wedge-Lafferty)

 

The winners will be offered an all-expenses-paid trip to Gatineau to receive their awards at the Salon du livre de l’Outaouais, a special opportunity to showcase their work and commitment.

 

Teams will also have the opportunity to participate in a post-production workshop with Marie-Hélène Frenette-Assad, a Quebec director and producer who is an expert in podcasting, during their stay at SLO!

Through this competition, the partners affirm a shared ambition: to defend access to the French language, encourage critical thinking, and give young people the means to express themselves on fundamental challenges. French for the Future, the French Embassy in Canada, the French Institute, and the Salon du livre de l'Outaouais are thus joining forces to make the voice of literature resonate with new generations.

Lisanne Rheault-Leblanc, Co-director and Artistic Director at the Salon du livre de l'Outaouais: "Another successful edition of Lance ton balado has come to an end, this time with a record number of entries from across Canada, from the Northwest Territories to Prince Edward Island to Quebec City. This proves that the flame of Francophone culture is alive and well across Canada. We look forward to welcoming the two winning teams in French as a mother tongue and French as a second language to the SLO. They impressed the jury and showed boundless imagination in declaring their love of French."


Geneviève Gobeil, interim Director of French for the Future: "For more than 25 years, French for the Future has been working to provide young people across Canada with concrete opportunities to experience French beyond the classroom. By supporting initiatives such as Lance ton balado, the organization helps create inclusive spaces for expression where young people, whether French is their mother tongue or second language, can develop their confidence, assert their identity, and actively participate in the vitality of Canada's Francophone community."

 

Alice Valade-Furia, Director of the French Institute of Canada: "Lance ton balado puts young people at the heart of a challenging and stimulating project, where the French language becomes a tool for expression, reflection, and creativity. This year, the podcasts give voice to banned books and to young people who have chosen to make them heard."


The Salon du livre de l’Outaouais, which will be held from February 19 to 22, 2026, will provide a space for reflection and celebration around the theme “Entre nos mains” (In Our Hands), echoing that of the contest. Giving a voice to banned books also means recognizing the power we have, in our hands, to read, pass on, and defend them. Books circulate from hand to hand, carrying knowledge, freedom, and resistance, reminding us that literature remains a living act, sometimes fragile, but always essential.


Congratulations to the winners of this fourth edition of Lance ton balado, and bon voyage to Gatineau to celebrate, together, the power of words and the freedom they carry.