4 mars 2004
Mercedes Benz was retirement gift from Olympic biathlete's sponsors, ad agency
ELIZABETH THOMPSON and DAVE STUBBS
The tale of former Olympic athlete Myriam Bédard's involvement with Via Rail and Groupaction took a bizarre twist yesterday, following revelations that Bédard was given a luxury Mercedes Benz convertible when she retired from competitive sports in 1999 - paid for in part by Groupaction.
It was also revealed that Bédard had close ties to the communications company now under police investigation, working with Groupaction on ads for some of her sponsors, such as Oasis juices.
However, Bédard says Groupaction was only one among several agencies she dealt with when she was competing in biathlon competitions for Canada.
"It's true that I had known people from Groupaction for some time," Bédard told The Gazette.
"As I had known people from other agencies for some time, as well. These were companies that handled the advertising for my sponsorships."
The Journal de Québec reported that Groupaction had picked up the tab for 25 per cent of a $70,000 1999 indigo-blue, two-seat Mercedes SLK 230 convertible, presented to Bédard in 1999 when she retired as an athlete.
Jean-Marc St-Pierre, Bédard's agent at the time, said a car dealership in Quebec City that had sponsored Bédard paid the lion's share of car's cost while the rest came from Vidéotron and Groupaction.
Michel Corriveau, spokesperson for Groupaction, confirmed that company president Jean Brault wrote a cheque in March 1999 to help pay for the luxury car.
"If was following the good professional relations that there were between Madame Bédard, Groupaction and Madame Bédard's major sponsor at the time, Oasis fruit juices."
Bédard said the car was a gift.
"They wanted to give me a car after I retired, something that would be symbolic of my career," she said.
Bédard drives a Volvo, a more practical car for her needs, and hasn't driven the Mercedes in about a year.
In May 2002, she gave it to her partner, Nima Mazhari, a sculptor, who plans to convert it into a sculpture after he completes a 6,000-square-foot studio that can accommodate the vehicle and the equipment necessary to do the work.
"We spoke with Maurice Parent (of Chatel Automobile) in May 2002 and told him our plans," Bédard said. "He was surprised, but he laughed and said, 'Can't you find something else to sculpt?' "
Ultimately, Mazhari hopes to donate the finished work to a museum for display.
page mise en ligne le 4 mars 2004 par SVP
