Beauty comes in small packages in Canada

Following in the footsteps of its American neighbors to the south, beauty contests for children are gaining in popularity in Canada with savvy youngsters viewing the pageants as a possible career opportunity, or even better, a shot to fame. A wintery Sunday morning in the township of Fort Langley, British Columbia, provided a good indication of just how far parents will go in their quest to make their children famous as the parking lot at the Langley Fines Arts School had vehicles bearing license plates from such far off destinations as Alberta, Oregon and neighboring Washington State.

The visitors had descended on the Vancouver-area suburb town to support their offspring competing in the Rhinestone Beauty/West Coast All Canadian Girl double beauty pageant.

Altogether, 47 girls, ranging in ages of eight months to 18 years were competing in the pageant, paying 50 to 75 Canadian dollars (49 to 73.5 U.S. dollars) each for the privilege.

While the phenomenon of child beauty contests has been going in America since the 1960s when the Little Miss America Pageant was launched in New Jersey. Liz McKinnon, organizer of the Fort Langley event, said the concept was relatively new to Canada.

After previously taking her own daughter to compete in events stateside, she decided to create the West Coast All Canadian Girl circuit last year because there previously was nothing available.

Since her first event last April, more than 180 girls have competed in McKinnon’s pageants, winning tiaras, sashes and prizes in the process. By comparison, the upcoming Rhinestone Beauties International Finals, from Mar. 18-20 in Charlotte, North Carolina, is offering 30,000 U.S.dollars cash in prizes..

“Our pageants are small in comparison,” said McKinnon, “but the kids here today can earn points and go on to the national pageant down in the States and compete. I’ve seen kids win 10,000 dollars cash on stage.”

“The response in Canada has been absolutely outstanding. I think some people see it as a hobby and it’s fun and not all kids want to play hockey or soccer. They want to get dressed up and this is their sport. And I think pageants are really misunderstood because reality TV pageants become a dirty word. But really, when you come out to one, you watch one, it’s not at all.”

Though at only 4, Brianna Whitely from nearby Washington State is a seasoned pageant veteran. Her mom Mandy first put her on stage at the tender age of six months. She estimates the family attends about 20 pageants annually up and down the West Coast, but their efforts, both in time and money, have paid off. Brianna currently holds the title of Miss America Starlet and recently won another event, Winter Nationals.

Whitely admits attending the pageants is expensive for her family, but her blue-eyed, blonde-haired daughter enjoys the competitions. She helps pay for the excursions by selling candy bars, organizing fundraisers and making her daughter’s dresses and costumes herself.

She said it’s not uncommon in the States to see little girls at pageants have their hair and make-up professionally done and come to events with four dresses costing anywhere from 500 to 1500 dollars each.

“It is very big in the States...it’s not a beauty pageant, it’s really about socialization with other kids. She [Brianna] has learned so much from some of the bigger girls that are role models, and just the public speaking and the parties and the fun they have, and I think that gets lost in all of this.” The business of child beauty contests, however, has had its detractors. Critics charge training children to look and emulate adult women is not natural, while the whole process of the contest promotes the sexualization of children.

The pageant business came under heavy scrutiny in late 1996 when six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey was found strangled to death in the basement of her parent’s affluent Colorado home. Despite heavy media coverage and suggestions that her participation in the pageants led to the murder, nearly 15 years later no one has been charged in Ramsey’s death.

Whitely dismissed any criticism of child beauty pageants, adding that “If you don’t like it, don’t do it.” Yana Barschatov, a 13-year-old eighth grader who could pass for a grown woman when she is in full make-up and pageant gown.

Xinhua