This year’s Bon Soo carnival to include three pageants

The annual Bon Soo winter carnival hasn’t included pageants on its list of events for many years.

However, this year’s carnival, which runs from Jan. 31 to Feb. 9, will include the Miss Teenage Northern Ontario and Miss World Northern Ontario events, along with a Bon Soo Kids pageant, at The Machine Shop.

Miss Teenage Northern Ontario contestants are 13 to 18 years of age, Miss World Northern Ontario candidates 19 to 26. 

“I’m so excited about it...Bon Soo organizers were completely 100 per cent for this,” said Christi Duke, Miss Teenage Northern Ontario and Miss World Northern Ontario delegate coordinator, speaking to SooToday.

At least one Sault woman will be a Miss World Northern Ontario contestant, Duke said.

Winners in the Miss Teenage Northern Ontario and Miss World Northern Ontario pageants will go on to national level pageants to be held in Toronto in the summer.

Winners in the national events go on to compete internationally, Duke said. 

“There are opportunities for girls to go on into the modelling world. We’ve had girls sign with major agencies and travel throughout the world. There are a lot of opportunities beyond.”

“We want this to be an annual event (in the Sault). Why would I want to take it anywhere else?” said Duke, who has northern Ontario roots as an Elliot Lake native.

Contestants go through a preliminary interview with pageant judges via Skype, then, at the pageants, introduce themselves and take part in swimsuit and evening gown competitions.

“They’re judged on their poise on stage,” Duke said.

At the national level, there is a public speaking platform and a charity of choice for contestants to speak of.

“I was contacted by the Miss Teen Canada organization, and they have their own rules, but it was a natural fit to have the Bon Soo Kids Pageant as well,” said Jeany White, Bon Soo event manager.

“They are going to help run it and help make the criteria they would use for a children’s pageant along with the Miss Teen and Miss World pageants, (but) we will have input on what goes on,” White said.   

Each pageant will be held at The Machine Shop Sunday, Feb. 9, doors for the Kids pageant opening at 12:30 p.m., the event beginning at 1 p.m.

Doors for the Miss Teenage Northern Ontario and Miss World Northern Ontario pageants will open at 5:30 p.m., the events starting at 6 p.m.

The annual Bon Soo winter carnival launched in 1964, and in earlier years, featured the Miss Bon Soo pageant, a carnival queen chosen from a list of contestants. In 1993, the Bon Soo board of directors chose to discontinue the pageant.

Could this year’s pageants lead to a revival of the Miss Bon Soo pageant?

“It would take a big volunteer base, a group of people to make a Miss Bon Soo pageant happen again. We haven’t really discussed it, but it will be on the table if the idea is brought forward by someone who wants to run it,” White said.

“People ask us all the time about it. It is a constant conversation that does happen.”

“I’ve been in this management position at Bon Soo for three years and involved with Bon Soo for quite a few years before that, and people have asked me ‘hey, when are we going to get the pageant, Miss Bon Soo was such a big thing.’ People are asking about it...I think there is an interest.”

As for the Bon Soo Kids pageant, White said “it’s not a ‘drama’ kind of pageant people see on TV.”

Bon Soo Kids competition categories, for both boys and girls, include:

• Bon Soo Baby (newborn to one year old)
• Bon Soo Infant (two to three years old)
• Tiny Miss and Mr. Bon Soo (four to five years old)
• Little Miss and Mr. Bon Soo (six to eight years old)
• Pre-Teen Miss and Mr. Bon Soo (nine to 11 years old)

Parents may contact Bon Soo for more information on the Bon Soo Kids Pageant by email

Meanwhile, women interested in being contestants in either the Miss Teenage Northern Ontario and Miss World Northern Ontario pageants have until Feb. 2 to do so by going to the Teenage website or the World website but are encouraged to contact pageant organizers soon, Duke said.

Tickets for the pageants are $30 each or four for $100, available at The Machine Shop box office.