Latest news with #MissCanada
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Economic Times
Jamie VandenBerg, crowned Miss Universe Canada; know her mission and brave journey after a near-death attack
Jaime VandenBerg crowned Miss Universe Canada 2025 and vows to use her platform to fight gender-based violence after surviving a near-fatal abduction abroad Jamie VandenBerg's coronation as Miss Universe Canada 2025 was met with cheers and applause, but her story goes far beyond the runway. The 28-year-old international model and actress from Lethbridge, Alberta, won the national title in Windsor, Ontario. She will represent Canada at the Miss Universe competition in Thailand this November, with her crown placed on her head by Ashley Callingbull, the first Indigenous Miss Canada and a pageant icon VandenBerg has admired for years. Her road to the title began more than a decade ago, marked by years of training, competing, and fundraising. But behind the glamour of the crown is a story of survival, one that now fuels her mission to fight gender-based working abroad during the pandemic, VandenBerg lived through an ordeal that she says forever changed her perspective on life and safety. She shared the video on her Instagram account, where she said: 'I was walking down a busy street in broad daylight when I turned around and found myself looking down the barrel of a revolver,' she recalled. 'He had been following me. At first, I thought it was a robbery. He took my phone, my bag, but then when he grabbed my arm, I realised this wasn't about money. He was trying to take me.' She remembers how 'time slowed' in that moment. 'I had to decide, comply and hope, or resist and risk everything. It felt like choosing between a short death and a long one. I took what I believed was my last breath and I pulled back.'The gunman fired, but at the exact moment, a stranger intervened, grabbing him from behind and forcing his arm to move. The shot missed her by inches. 'Every 11 minutes, a woman loses her life due to gender-based violence. That could have been me,' VandenBerg said. 'By the grace of God and the courage of a complete stranger, I'm alive today.'That single moment, she says, deepened her purpose. 'No matter how far my work takes me, I make time to serve, to speak up, to show up for those who can't, because life is fragile and every moment we are alive is a chance to make it count, a gift that we should never take for granted.' VandenBerg now plans to use her platform as Miss Universe Canada to advocate for gender-based violence prevention.
Global News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Global News
Jamie VandenBerg of Lethbridge wins Miss Universe Canada 2025
It was a surreal night in Windsor, Ont., as Lethbridge's Jamie VandenBerg was crowned Miss Universe Canada 2025. The 28-year-old international model and actress will represent Canada at the Miss Universe competition in Thailand this November. 'When you experience things that are so surreal, it doesn't matter if it's good or bad, your body goes back into that fight, flight or freeze sometimes. For me, it just puts me back into this box of, 'Oh, it's so incredible that it can't be real,'' she said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy VandenBerg's crown was placed by Ashley Callingbull, the first Indigenous Miss Canada and a longtime pageant icon. Having admired Callingbull for years, VandenBerg says the moment felt like a dream. Her journey to the crown began more than a decade ago and included years of training, competing, and fundraising. Story continues below advertisement Behind the glamour is a survivor's story. While modelling abroad, VandenBerg narrowly escaped a violent abduction and point-blank shooting a moment that changed her perspective forever. 'If I have one last decision in my life to make, I'm going to make it protecting my own autonomy… I will never have the right amount of words to tell somebody, 'Thank you for saving my life,'' she said. Now, she's using her platform to advocate for gender-based violence prevention and to inspire others to overcome life's obstacles.
Globe and Mail
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
Juliette Powell, former Miss Canada and MuchMusic host turned tech critic, remembered for challenging biases
Juliette Powell, who once commanded attention as the host of MuchMusic's live dance party Electric Circus and later as a respected commentator on the societal risks of advanced technology, has died at 54. The former television host, author and New York University faculty member was found dead at home on June 3, said Art Kleiner, the co-author of her 2023 book The AI Dilemma. He said the cause of death was acute bacterial meningitis. It came as a shock to many friends who say Ms. Powell's energetic personality and drive to shatter barriers defined her life up until the end. 'She was obviously brilliant,' Mr. Kleiner said Wednesday in a phone interview. 'And she had a charismatic personality.' Many Canadians will remember Ms. Powell's radiance, captivating smile and towering figure best from her role as ringleader on Electric Circus, where she mingled with the show's fashionable dancers as they moved and grooved to the latest 1990s club hits. Her experience in the spotlight actually began years earlier after she moved from her birthplace in Manhattan to Montreal with her French-Canadian mother. As a young adult, she entered local beauty pageants in hopes that she could challenge racial biases that were prevalent in the industry. She placed second in the Miss Montreal Pageant and became the first Black woman to win Miss Canada in 1989. The recognition opened doors to TV opportunities and Ms. Powell was eager to walk through many of them. In 1992, she joined Montreal music video channel MusiquePlus as a video jockey and the bilingual host of its weekly dance show Bouge de là!. The station's founder, Moses Znaimer, said Wednesday in a post on X that he was struck by the young Ms. Powell's 'sass' and 'smarts,' though he couldn't recall if she challenged him for the job or he offered it to her first. Ms. Powell held onto her TV gig while studying finance and business at McGill University. Eventually, she moved to Toronto, where Mr. Znaimer handed her the reins of Electric Circus, which had been hosted for years by Monika Deol. Both women were beauties suited for television, and many former Much staffers acknowledge Ms. Powell had big shoes to fill. She did it with her own trademark style, frequently wrapping her long arms around people she interviewed as she floated through the open studio in downtown Toronto with her wireless microphone. 'Spirit of MuchMusic' still alive at documentary premiere in Toronto with former VJs in attendance 'You have to be warm, you have to give of yourself,' said Tony Young, also known as Much VJ Master T. 'She came in there and handled it famously.' When Nam Kiwanuka joined the MuchMusic team in 1999 as an intern on Rap City, Ms. Powell was already on a roll. Her weekly presence on Friday night TV, and the bilingual music video show French Kiss, had made her a household name. So Ms. Kiwanuka was surprised to learn that her office desk would be right next to Ms. Powell's at 299 Queen St. W., which made her a frequent observer of her mentor's enigmatic appeal. 'She was one of those people that when you spoke to her, you were the only person in the room,' Ms. Kiwanuka said. 'There was an energy about her; she was very confident. Whenever stars came in, they seemed to be more enamoured with her.' Powell signed off from Electric Circus in 2000 by popping a bottle of champagne on-air as the dancers surrounded her. Together, they rushed onto the streets outside the studio, everyone bobbing to the groove of a disco beat. 'I will never, ever forget this,' Ms. Powell said while clutching armfuls of bouquets and stuffed animals. She assured viewers she wasn't leaving TV entirely. Her next stop was as a business reporter at news channel CablePulse 24, now known as CP24, a role she insisted wasn't so different 'because money is very sexy, too.' However, Ms. Powell would eventually drift away from her role as a TV personality, and friends say she became accustomed to a more private life. She founded media consulting company Powell International Entertainment Inc. and took advisory roles at the United Nations, World Economic Forum and the World Bank. New documentary 299 Queen Street West tracks how MuchMusic became a star-making machine In 2009, she wrote her first book, 33 Million People in the Room: How to Create, Influence, and Run a Successful Business Using Social Networking. By then, she had already found a new calling in the fast-evolving world of technology, eventually becoming a voice for the societal risks of a world dominated by artificial intelligence. In 2014, she met Mr. Kleiner through a mutual friend who felt they could be fruitful collaborators on the ethics of tech. Mr. Kleiner said the intellectual spark between them happened quickly and he saw an opportunity to work together. 'She commands the room just in the way she shows up,' he said, pointing to YouTube videos of her conversations about unconscious biases in technology, data ownership and privacy. The pair published the 2023 book The AI Dilemma: 7 Principles for Responsible Technology, which explored the risks and misuses of machine learning. It expanded on her interests in the intersection of media, technology and ethics, a topic she taught as part of NYU's faculty in the interactive telecommunications program. Last year, they founded Kleiner Powell International, an AI consultancy firm for business clients, one of several projects he said Ms. Powell was working on up until her final days. 'Everyone that I talked to had some future thing they planned with Juliette.'
Toronto Star
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Former MuchMusic VJ Juliette Powell, a ‘vibrant spirit and memorable presence,' dies at 54
Juliette Powell, former MuchMusic television host, beauty queen, tech leader and trailblazer, has died at age 54. Powell died of acute bacterial meningitis on June 3. She grew up competing in beauty pageants and became the first Black winner of the Miss Canada pageant in 1989, going on to represent Canada in Miss Universe. Powell was the first Black winner of Miss Canada in 1989. Ron Bull Powell's magnetic personality and knack for connecting with audiences made her a natural fit for television. She began as a VJ at Quebecois television broadcaster MusiquePlus in 1992, hosting the dance music show 'Bouge de là!' In 1996, she moved to Toronto and joined MuchMusic, where she became host of the shows 'Electric Circus,' a live dance music program, and 'French Kiss,' which aired French-language music videos. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'Bell Media is deeply saddened to hear the news of Juliette's passing,' wrote Justin Stockman, spokesperson for Bell Media, in a June 10 email to the Star. 'Her vibrant spirit and memorable presence for both MuchMusic and MusiquePlus, on iconic programs such as Electric Circus and French Kiss, left an enduring legacy. Juliette's warmth and energy resonated with audiences and her contributions to Canadian television will never be forgotten.' Juiette Powell interviewing dancers during a live broadcast of 'Electric Circus.' Tony Bock In 1999, she founded her own media company, Powell International Entertainment, through which she produced features with luminaries such as Nelson Mandela, Janet Jackson and Steven Spielberg. Born in New York City, Powell moved to Montreal at age eight. She returned to New York to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology at Columbia University, and ultimately became a faculty member in the Interactive Telecommunications Program at New York University. Powell became an author as well, writing '33 Million People in the Room: How to Create Influence, and Run a Successful Business Using Social Networking' in 2009. In 2023, she co-authored 'The AI Dilemma: 7 Principles for Responsible Technology' with Art Kleiner, and was a founder and managing partner of Kleiner Powell International, a consultancy focusing on business strategy and the responsible use of artificial intelligence. Condolences can be left at
Hamilton Spectator
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Juliette Powell, ravishing MuchMusic host turned insightful tech critic, dies at 54
TORONTO - Juliette Powell, the captivating former MuchMusic VJ and host of live dance show 'Electric Circus,' has died at 54. The television personality who became an author and technology commentator was found dead at home in New York on June 3, says Art Kleiner, the co-author of her 2023 book 'The AI Dilemma.' He said the cause of death was acute bacterial meningitis. Friends and colleagues say Powell's professional achievements often broke down barriers. As a young adult she entered beauty pageants to challenge racial biases and in 1989 she became the first Black woman to win Miss Canada. That same year she represented the country at Miss Universe. By the mid-1990s, her towering height and captivating smile landed her jobs on Montreal music video channel MusiquePlus and eventually its Toronto sister channel MuchMusic. Powell later became a business reporter at TV news channel CablePulse 24, now known as CP24, and founded media consulting company Powell International Entertainment Inc. She launched another career in the fast-evolving world of technology, where she established herself as a trusted commentator on user privacy and published two books on entrepreneurship and artificial intelligence. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025.
