At the finale of Miss Earth Canada 2018 held on 11th August 2018, Jaime Yvonne VandenBerg was crowned the new queen. Jaime will now represent Canada in the upcoming Miss Earth 2018. Born and raised in the Windy City of Lethbridge, Alberta, Jaime Vanderberg’s list of special talent and training are Runway, Photography, Acting, Public Speaking, Mixed Martial arts, Gymnastics, Belly Dancing, Singing, and Percussion and Piano. Jaime has been volunteering since she was young and believes that with determination and passion anything can happen and anyone can make a difference.

As Jaime prepares to represent her country at Miss Earth 2018, she finds time to talk about her dreams, ambitions and guilty pleasures in an exclusive interview with Angelopedia.

Q. How does it feel to be crowned Miss Earth Canada 2018and now a delegate of Miss Earth2018?

It feels so surreal to be the new Miss Earth Canada! This will be my first time competing in an international pageant so I hope I make a positive impact wile representing my country.

Q. What is the best lesson you’ve learnt in your journey as the delegate of Miss Earth Canada 2018?

The best lesson I’ve learnt, as a delegate of Miss Earth Canada 2018, is that the best way to make the most out of a pageant is to use the title to make a difference. Sometimes good things come to those who wait but, great things come to those who work hard and strive for excellence.

Q. What is the one thing that keeps you going and inspires you to be the best version of yourself?

One thing that keeps me going and inspires me to be the best version of myself is to remember what I am representing with my title. If I want to do the best I can, I need to be in the best shape I can, both body and mind. It is important to live a well-balanced live style in order to maintained focused on your goals.

Q. You also won Miss Teen Alberta pageant. How did your passion for pageants stem at a young age?

My passion for pageants grew when I began meeting so many other young women who were as motivated as I was. I felt like I didn’t fit in well with my high school friends, so after I met a few girls in the first pageant it grew my confidence level. Pageants helped me to realize that long distant friendships are some of the best and can last a lifetime!

Q . How would you like to represent yourself at the international stage of Miss Earth 2018?

I would like to represent myself for exactly who I am honest, humble, and kind. I am unapologetically myself and I hope I make my country proud.

Q. We have also heard you have done a lot of social service throughout the globe. Would you like to tell us something about that?

I have done a beach clean up in Costa Rica, a silent protest with an indigenous rights group in San Clemente and I helped build a school in a tribal village in India. I volunteer quite a bit in Canada as well but since I love travelling I try to give back to some of the places I visit. Volunteering in other countries is a great way to connect with the community there and learn more about the culture. 

Q. If you could be invisible for a day, how would you like to spend it?

If I could be invisible for a day, I would spend it by visiting government offices or city council meetings so that I could hear why some environmental actions are not being taken. In my community, the blue bin idea has been around for a while but it continually is not being put into effect. Several other surrounding communities have a black bin, a blue bin and a green bin to separate garbage, recycling and compost at residential homes. I am very interested in finding out why my community has not yet made the change.

Q. Would you like to share your most special childhood memory with us?

My most special childhood memory would be a compilation of all of the road trips we had taken together. Since my father owns an RV dealership he would often buy new units from the United States and as a family, we would drive them back making a vacation out of the trip. It was a great growing up learning the importance of balancing family, work and fun.

Q. What or who empowers you to be yourself and work hard every day?

I believe the strongest king of motivation is self- motivation. I empower my self by being grateful for the life I was given and understanding that there is so much inequality in the world. I want to make the most out of my life and I strongly believe that helping others is how I can achieve that. Weather it is illness or loosing your job any one's life can take a turn in the road and all we can do is come together as a community to help others in need.

Q.Who is your ideal, if any and what values of theirs do you wish you could inculcate in your own life, and teach the next generation?

My idol is Darcy James; she is the director of the Victim Services Unit at the Lethbridge police station. Darcy was the first woman police officer in Lethbridge and worked in the force for 30 years before moving on to work the Victim Services Unit. Darcy teaches the volunteers how to handle crisis situation with such great passion and fire. It is so inspiring to see some one do what they love despite the obstacles they have had to over come in order to make a difference in their community. I believe it is very important to be passionate about what you do in order to reach your full potential and live a happy life. I would teach the next generation that money can’t buy happiness, many people chose their occupation based on the income it will give but if you are spending a great deal of your life working that job wouldn’t you rather do something you enjoy?

Q.What is the one thing you can label as your guilty pleasure?

My guilty pleasure is mac and cheese. It is my absolute favourite comfort food!

Q.We are sure that this competition is another milestone in your life. What is that one thing that you ultimately want to achieve?

I ultimately want to achieve a true purpose in life. I think many people like my self who volunteer and put themselves out there are actively trying to make a difference in the world. It is important to do many things in life in order to find out what your best at. I believe doing what your best at will give you a sense of fulfillment and purpose.

Q. If you were granted 3 wishes right now, what would you ask for?

If I was granted 3 wishes right now, I would ask for a solution to reverse the climate change we have experienced, an opportunity to present the solution to the officials that could make it happen and the ability to create fresh water by the snap of my fingers.

Q. Lastly, is there any message that you would like to give to your fans of Angelopedia?

To the fans of Angelopedia, thank you for your support. With out the support of family and friends, I would not be where I am and I am forever grateful for this opportunity to represent my country. I truly believe in the message behind Miss Earth, that we can all make a difference and we can protect mother Earth. By making even the smallest changes in an individuals lifestyle we can create a lasting environmental impact. So, thank you for inspiring me to use my beauty to advocate for change.