Sturgeon Falls Idol

While Meagan Lachapelle would love to become the next Canadian Idol, the Sturgeon Falls teen says her world won’t fall apart if it doesn’t happen.

Lachapelle, 16, recently won the Northern Idol North Bay auditions and will be in Sudbury Sunday for the finals, competing against Lacey Marie Dalton, of Sault Ste. Marie, Thor Bonfig, of Sudbury, a Timmins entry who will be announced tomorrow and a yet to be named wild card entrant.

Inspires me to keep singing
The Grade 11 Franco Cite student tried out for Northern Idol and spent 12 hours waiting in line at the Capitol Centre March 4 for her shot.

“I decided to do this because my parents really encouraged me as did my very good friend and music teacher Anne Gingras,” Lachapelle said Tuesday, during an interview in Gingras’s classroom.

“She really inspires me to keep singing, keeps pushing me to sing, and helps me pick my songs.”

Did the trick
Lachapelle sang Christina Aguilera’s Reflection when she finally got up in front of the judges around 5 p.m.

“There’s no real reason I picked that song except that it shows off my voice,” Lachapelle said.

It obviously did the trick, because two weeks later an MCTV camera crew showed up at Franco Cite looking for Meagan.

“My principal said they wanted to interview me about my co-op program but then they said ‘You’re the winner’ and I just freaked out. I started screaming and practically jumped on Anne saying ‘Oh my God, I won.’”

Gingras has been helping Lachapelle prepare for the finals, although Meagan remains mum about the song she’ll be singing.

“I’m keeping it a secret,” she said.

Prepared for Sudbury
While it’s impressive enough winning the North Bay auditions, Gingras says that’s only the tip of the vocal chord.

“You haven’t seen her full potential yet because she just went in and did the North Bay thing last minute,” Gingras said.

“But we’re well prepared for Sudbury and we’ll see what happens.”

Looked too old
Lachapelle said she’s the only chanteuse in a family full of non-singers.

“She has the talent, but we’re really, really excited and really proud of her because we’ve seen her start from when she was a young girl to where she is now, and she just keeps surprising us every time,” Gingras said.

“And she’s pretty level headed for a 16-year-old because speaking to her is like speaking to an adult.”

Northern Idol noticed that too at the North Bay audition, Lachapelle said.

“The judges said I looked too old for my age, so I’ve changed my look, curled and lightened my hair, and I’m going to wear jeans and a black shirt.”

One career option
Lachapelle has recorded a CD featuring two songs—Repose-toi and Minuit—written by Gingras. It was sold locally in Sturgeon Falls to help raise money for autism research.

If she wins Sunday Meagan will represent Northern Ontario at the Canadian Idol finals April 6 in Winnipeg.

Although the lure of the entertainment industry interests Lachapelle, it’s just “one career option” she’s looking at.

“I love to work with autistic children and I baby-sit an autistic boy who I love with all my heart,” Lachapelle said.

“So that’s one thing I would enjoy doing too, working with handicapped or autistic children.”

Other stars
Back on the show biz front, Lachapelle still has the Sudbury finals to contend with.

And Gingras said she’ll have some words of encouragement for Meagan before she heads out in front of the judges.

"I’ll tell her ‘just sing the way you can sing, stop panicking and do it, do what you love doing and if it works out it works out, and if it doesn’t there are other stars waiting for you somewhere.'"