Over 1000 Ottawa-area youth to attend Canada 2020 event with President Obama

May 22 2019 (Ottawa) – Canada 2020 is pleased to announce a civic partnership with a number of community groups and youth-focused organizations ahead of next week’s event with President Barack Obama, happening on May 31st, 2019 at the Canadian Tire Centre.

Canada 2020 is sponsoring over 1000 Ottawa-area students and young people to attend the event, free of charge. Representatives from the Boys & Girls Club of OttawaUnited Way Centraide Ottawa and the #BeMoreCommUNITY will be in attendance.

From the community:

“I’m very proud that Canada 2020 can make this moment possible for so many Ottawa-area youth, and I’m even more thankful that we found such great partners at the Boys & Girls Club, United Way and the #BeMoreCommUNITY. The energy and excitement that these young people will add to the room will be electric, and a perfect encapsulation of what good can happen when communities work together. Civic action, community building and showing-up as citizens are core to President Obama’s own story, and Canada 2020 is thrilled to help spread that inspirational message to the next generation.”



– Alex Paterson, Executive Director, Canada 2020

“The youth at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Ottawa are so incredibly excited to see Barack Obama in person this month, as they regard him as one of their biggest role models in society today. In fact, many of our clubhouses have a wall of inspiration on which Barack Obama figures prominently.”


– Stephen Beckta, Board Chair of Boys and Girls Clubs of Ottawa

“In Ottawa we are fortunate to have a diverse, vibrant community full of young people with hopes of changing the world. We are so pleased to partner with Canada 2020 to bring these youth to hear from former President Barack Obama – one of the most inspiring leaders of our time. This opportunity will fuel their ability to shape the future of our city – and beyond.”


-Michael Allen, CEO of United Way

“On behalf of the #BeMoreCommUNITY of 3Dreads and a Baldhead, I am excited to be part of the community initiative created to ensure black youth from Ottawa are able to attend President Obama’s speech. “You can be what you see” and this is the generation who can fully claim, they’ve seen it.”


– Adrienne Coddett, Founder and Opportunities Broker of #BeMoreCommUNITY

An extremely limited number of tickets are still available at Ticketmaster.ca. For more information, please visit canada2020.ca/obamainottawa

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Media inquiries can be directed to Mira Ahmad at 613.220.9163 or  [email protected]

Canada 2020 is Canada’s leading, independent progressive think-tank. Founded in 2006, Canada 2020 has spent over a decade producing original research, hosting events and starting conversations about Canada’s future. Canada 2020’s goal is to build a community of progressive ideas and people that will help shape governments. For more, visit www.canada2020.ca