“I have great confidence in my voice and thought there was a good possibility I could win, but I was unsure of what my competitors would be like,” she said. “There were so many great people, which made me even more nervous.”
Her favourite song she performed during the competition was “Simple Kind of Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, which she dedicated to her late uncle, who passed away five years ago.
“His memorial date was the day after the competition, and that song was played at his funeral,” said Valiquette. “I loved singing it because it felt like he was there with me, and I put my heart and soul into singing it.”
She said winning the competition has further boosted her confidence and encouraged her to pursue music more in the future.
She has written a couple of songs which she hopes to record in the near future after she moves to Calgary, where she hopes she will have more opportunities to showcase her talent.
“If I can make a living out of doing something I love and with a gift God gave me, that would be amazing,” she said. “I will never give up on my dreams.”

Kimberley Massey photo

Second place winner Cierra Shortreed sings “Samson” by Regina Spektor.

Valiquette said she plans to use the prize money she won from the competition to pay off some of her debt, and to get her going in the right direction again.
“It was truly a great experience and so much fun, and I am thankful for all the friends and family that supported me,” she said. “I can’t wait to see the talent they have next year.”