Kingsey Falls, June 16, 2026 – Against the stunning backdrop of Marie-Victorin Park in Kingsey Falls, Cascades awarded a total of 100,000 $ in scholarships and services to 20 recipients of the 2026 edition of the Cascades Program, administered by the Aléo Foundation.
For more than two decades, Cascades has been a loyal partner of the Aléo Foundation and has played a tangible role in its growth since 2005. By investing over 2,000,000 $ in student-athletes over the years, including local stars such as Mikaël Kingsbury, Alex Harvey, Amélie Kretz, Emilie and Hugues Fournel or Alexandre Bilodeau, Cascades helps create Quebec's leaders for the next generation.
Renewal of the agreement until 2028
The scholarship award ceremony also provided an opportunity to announce the extension of the agreement between Cascades and the Foundation through 2028. A total of 200,000$ will be allocated 100% to scholarship recipients over the next two cycles and will be awarded in the form of scholarships and services.
Give to the following
Furthermore, a former scholar of the Cascades program, who is now a donor within the program Give to the following, took advantage of the moment to award its annual scholarship. Marie-Claude Surprenant supported for a second consecutive year Shelby Lajeunesse, in triathlon.
In their own words:
«At Cascades, we believe that with the right tools, discipline, and support system, everyone can elevate their potential to new heights. That is why our partnership with the Aléo Foundation makes complete sense. We are proud to positively contribute to the development of dozens of student-athletes who will become role models in our society.»
– Hugues Simon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cascades
«Cascades is a pillar for the Aléo Foundation. Present for 21 years, and surely until 2028, it is one of the loyal allies that allow us to carry out our mission with confidence for more and more Quebec student-athletes. We are extremely grateful for the trust that Cascades places in us, and it is an honor to continue this partnership with a flagship Quebec company that shines worldwide. This is a concrete example of leadership offered to the young recipients of the Aléo Foundation.»
– Patricia Demers, Executive Director of the Aléo Foundation
Recipients of the 2026 Cascades Scholarship Program
| Name | Discipline | Age | City | School |
| Ann-Sophie Bachand | Short track speed skating | 21 | Sherbrooke | Concordia University |
| Lily Bernier | Artistic swimming | 18 | Saint-Jérôme | Collège de Maisonneuve |
| Cédrick Brunet | Long track speed skating | 25 | Gatineau | Les Navigateurs Adult Education Center |
| Elizabeth Desrosiers-McArthur | Sprint canoeing | 20 | Lac-Beauport | Garneau College |
| William Doyon-Verdon | Fencing | 19 | Gatineau (Aylmer) | College of Old Montreal |
| Sara-Maude Dupuis | Figure skating | 21 | Montreal (Anjou) | University of Montreal |
| Liliane Gagnon | Cross-country skiing | 23 | Shawinigan | Laval University |
| Sandrine Gauthier | Figure skating | 22 | Saint-Constant | TÉLUQ University |
| Melody Grenier | Judo | 17 | Val-des-Sources | Collège de Maisonneuve |
| Laurence Labadie | Diving | 16 | Laval | Ste-Thérèse Academy |
| Léa Lambert | Alpine skiing | 20 | Victoriaville | University of Ottawa |
| Adriel Oviedo-Ladik | Water polo | 21 | Montreal (Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension) | McGill University |
| Vicky Roblain | Freestyle skiing (moguls) | 16 | Saint-Colomban | Les Estacades Academy |
| Félix Roussel | Short track speed skating | 24 | Sherbrooke | TÉLUQ University |
| Charlotte Simoneau | Weightlifting | 21 | Saint-Hyacinthe | Polytechnique Montréal |
| Maxime St-Onge | Mountain bike | 20 | Saint-Denis-de-Brompton | Cégep de Sherbrooke |
| Ann-Sophie Taschereau | Weightlifting | 24 | Plessisville | University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières |
| Catherine Toshkov | Judo | 20 | Sainte-Julie | Collège de Maisonneuve |
| Christo Toshkov | Long track speed skating | 20 | Sainte-Julie | Sainte-Foy College |
| Naomi Urness | Freestyle skiing | 21 | Mont-Tremblant | Cégep at a distance |
| Shelby Lajeunesse | Triathlon | 21 | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu | Wingate University |
About Cascades
Founded in 1964, Cascades offers sustainable, innovative, and value-creating solutions in packaging, hygiene, and recovery. The company has nearly 9,000 employees working across a network of 60 operating units located in North America. Its participatory management, half-century of experience in recycling, and sustained research and development efforts are all strengths that enable it to provide innovative products for its customers while contributing to the well-being of people, communities, and the entire planet.
About the Aléo Foundation
The Aléo Foundation's mission is to maximize the full potential of as many outstanding student-athletes as possible from all backgrounds, in order to generate significant and lasting impact. Created in 1985, it has awarded over $25 million in scholarships to more than 5,000 student-athletes from across Quebec. In addition to these scholarships, there is an essential component of services provided for life to all recipients during and after their athletic and academic careers. To support these mentoring services, the Aléo Research Chairis now a vector for scientific results available to the entire sports community here.
The fundraising campaign Impact for Generations Its goal is to raise six million dollars in three years to move closer to our great vision: that student-athletes of excellence enrich society through their current and future leadership, both through their exceptional contributions and the inspiring examples they embody.
To support Impact for Generations
For more information: fondationaleo.ca
LinkedIn Facebook Instagram YouTube Spotify
– 30 –
Annie Dubé
Director of Communications and Marketing
Aléo Foundation
438 884-6626
annie.dube@fondationaleo.ca
Hugo D'Amours
Vice President, Communications, Public Affairs, and Sustainable Development
Cascades Inc.
819-363-5164
hugo_damours@cascades.com
The Aléo Foundation’s Cascades Scholarship Program: Investing in the next generation of leaders
Kingsey Falls, June 16, 2026 – Against the stunning backdrop of Marie-Victorin Park in Kingsey Falls, Cascades awarded a total of $100,000 in scholarships and services to 20 recipients of the 2026 edition of the Cascades Program through the Aléo Foundation.
For more than two decades, Cascades has been a loyal partner of the Aléo Foundation and has played a key role in its growth since 2005. By investing over $2,000,000 in student-athletes over the years—including local stars such as Mikaël Kingsbury, Alex Harvey, Amélie Kretz, Émilie and Hugues Fournel, and Alexandre Bilodeau—Cascades is helping to develop Quebec’s next generation of leaders.
Agreement renewed through 2028
The scholarship award ceremony also provided an opportunity to announce the extension of the agreement between Cascades and the Foundation through 2028. A total of $200,000 will be allocated entirely to scholarship recipients for the next two award cycles and will be distributed in the form of scholarships and services.
Pay it forward
In addition, a former Cascades program scholar, who is now a donor to the Pay It Forward program, took the opportunity to present her annual scholarship. For the second year in a row, Marie-Claude Surprenant supported Shelby Lajeunesse in triathlon.
In their own words:
“At Cascades, we firmly believe that with the right tools, discipline, and support system, everyone can reach new heights. That’s why our partnership with the Aléo Foundation makes perfect sense. We are proud to make a positive contribution to the development of dozens of student-athletes, who will go on to become role models in our society.”
– Hugues Simon, President and Chief Executive Officer
“Cascades is a pillar of support for the Aléo Foundation. Having been with us for 21 years—and certainly set to remain so until 2028—it is one of the loyal partners that enable us to confidently carry out our mission on behalf of a growing number of student-athletes in Quebec. We are extremely grateful for the trust Cascades has placed in us, and it is an honor to continue our partnership with this Quebec flagship company that shines brightly around the world. This is a concrete example of the leadership offered to the young recipients of the Aléo Foundation.”
– Patricia Demers, Executive Director of the Aléo Foundation
Cascades 2026 Scholarship Program Recipients
| Name | Discipline | Age | City | School |
| Ann-Sophie Bachand | Short-track speed skating | 21 | Sherbrooke | Concordia University |
| Lily Bernier | Artistic swimming | 18 | Saint-Jérôme | Collège de Maisonneuve |
| Cédrick Brunet | Long track speed skating | 25 | Gatineau | Les Navigateurs Adult Education Center |
| Elizabeth Desrosiers-McArthur | Canoe sprint | 20 | Lac-Beauport | Garneau College |
| William Doyon-Verdon | Fencing | 19 | Gatineau (Aylmer) | College of Old Montreal |
| Sara-Maude Dupuis | Figure skating | 21 | Montreal (Anjou) | University of Montreal |
| Liliane Gagnon | Cross-country skiing | 23 | Shawinigan | Laval University |
| Sandrine Gauthier | Figure skating | 22 | Saint-Constant | TÉLUQ University |
| Melody Grenier | Judo | 17 | Val-des-Sources | Collège de Maisonneuve |
| Laurence Labadie | Scuba diving | 16 | Laval | Ste-Thérèse Academy |
| Léa Lambert | Alpine skiing | 20 | Victoriaville | Ottawa University |
| Adriel Oviedo-Ladik | Water polo | 21 | Montreal (Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension) | McGill University |
| Vicky Roblain | Freestyle skiing (moguls) | 16 | Saint-Colomban | Les Estacades Academy |
| Félix Roussel | Short-track speed skating | 24 | Sherbrooke | TÉLUQ University |
| Charlotte Simoneau | Weightlifting | 21 | Saint-Hyacinthe | Polytechnique Montréal |
| Maxime St-Onge | Mountain biking | 20 | Saint-Denis-de-Brompton | Cégep de Sherbrooke |
| Ann-Sophie Taschereau | Weightlifting | 24 | Plessisville | University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières |
| Catherine Toshkov | Judo | 20 | Sainte-Julie | Collège de Maisonneuve |
| Christo Toshkov | Long track speed skating | 20 | Sainte-Julie | Sainte-Foy College |
| Naomi Urness | Freestyle skiing (freestyle) | 21 | Mont-Tremblant | Cégep at a distance |
| Shelby Lajeunesse | Triathlon | 21 | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu | Wingate University |
About Cascades
Founded in 1964, Cascades offers sustainable, innovative, and value-creating solutions in the areas of packaging, hygiene, and recycling. The company employs nearly 9,000 talented individuals across a network of 60 operating units located in North America. Its participatory management style, half a century of experience in recycling, and sustained efforts in research and development are key strengths that enable it to provide innovative products to its customers while contributing to the well-being of people, communities, and the entire planet.
About the Aléo Foundation
The Aléo Foundation’s mission is to maximize the full potential of the greatest number of excellent student-athletes from all walks of life, in order to generate a significant and lasting impact. Founded in 1985, the organization has awarded over $$25 million in scholarships to more than 5,000 student-athletes across Quebec. In addition to these bursaries, the Foundation also provides lifelong services to all recipients during and after their athletic and academic careers. To support these services, the Aléo Research Chair is now a vector of scientific results available to the entire sports community.
The Generations of Impact The fundraising campaign aims to raise six million dollars over three years to bring us closer to our grand vision: that excellent student-athletes enrich society through their current and future leadership, both through their exceptional contributions and the inspiring examples they embody.
To support Generations of Impact
For more information:fondationaleo.ca
LinkedIn Facebook Instagram YouTube Spotify
– 30 –
Annie Dubé
Director of Communications and Marketing
Aléo Foundation
438-884-6626
annie.dube@fondationaleo.ca
Hugo D'Amours
Vice President, Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability
Cascades Inc.
819-363-5164
hugo_damours@cascades.com
