team canada debate
about the team
Team Canada is a group of nine debaters from
across the country who compete for their nation
in international tournaments.
They represent the pinnacle of high school debat-
ing and train year-round for the World Schools
Debating Championships (WSDC).
This competition is the highest level of debate in
the world and is attended by over 35 countries.
The 2010 will be held in Doha, Qatar in February
2010.
wait.... what’s debate?
Debate, or debating, is a formal activity where
two teams argue a given topic. One side is “for”
the topic while the other is “against.” Thousands
of students across Canada compete in formal
debate tournaments every year.
how’s the team selected?
Team Canada is selected through a nation-wide
qualification tournament that students qualify for
at a provincial level.
The team that is selected trains for approximately
a year through online training, a summer training
camp, and regional training sessions.
how do they do?
Team Canada is consistently an “A” ranked team,
amongst the best in the world.
In September 2009, Team Canada placed first in
this year’s Four Nations West Coast Worlds Cup
in Scotland.
team members
Iqbal Kassam (Team Captain) - Iqbal attends
West Point Grey Academy in Vancouver. He was
the top speaker on the 2009 team, placing 8th in
the worlds. He plays baroque violin and has a
flair for cooking.
Jonathan Carson - Jonny attends West Point
Grey Academy. When not debating he is the goal-
ie on his hockey team and striker for his school’s
soccer team.
Veenu Goswani -Veenu Goswami attends Web-
ber Academy in Calgary. He also enjoys cricket,
soccer, rugby and basketball.
Keenan MacNeal - Keenan attends William Ab-
erhart in Calgary. He is involved in the Skeptic’s
Movement and enjoys magic tricks.
Lyle Dobbin - Lyle attends Citadel High School
in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Outside debate, Lyle
loves sailing and skiing.
Sophie Bird - Sophie attends West Point Grey
Academy. Sophie is also a provincially competi-
tive volleyball player and pianist.
Sarah Levy - Sarah attends St. John’s-Raven-
scourt School in Winnipeg. She is passionate
about painting, drawing, and sarcasm.
Andrew Morrison - Andrew attends Sacred
Heart Boys’ School in Halifax. He also enjoys
track and field, soccer, and tennis.
Vinayak Mishra - Vinayak attends Halifax Gram-
mar School. He is also an aspiring musician and
head boy.
Team Members were selected at a National
Selection Tournament and will have trained for a
year before representing Canada in Qatar.
www.csdf-fcde.ca
the coach: tracey lee
Tracey Lee has coached debate in British Co-
lumbia for over 16 years. With a teaching back-
ground in History, Law and English and graduate
degrees in International Relations and Counsel-
ling Psychology, Tracey enjoys the challenge of
working with some of our brightest minds in her
role as national team coach.
Tracey coached Team Canada 2009 in Athens,
Greece to a 6th place finish and is excited at
the prospect of improving thos standings at this
year’s WSDC in Qatar 2010.
national impact
Team Canada and the Canadian Student Debate
Federation (CSDF) works independently and with
partner organizations to spread debating through
classrooms across Canada. This is acheived
through regional and national competitions, work-
shops, and resources for students and educators.
3 ways to support the team
1. Visit www.csdf.ca - The Canadian Student
Debate Federation promotes debate and public
speaking activities across Canada. They provide
debate resources and more information about the
team.
2. Tell 5 Friends - Tell 5 Friends about Team
Canada. If they are students, encourage them
to get involved with debating. If they are adults,
encourage them to follow the team and consider
supporting debate in Canada.
3.Support the Team - Team Canada is an incor-
porated non-profit and charity within Canada. All
donations support debate across the country and
are eligible to receive a tax receipt. If you or your
company are interested in supporting the team,
contact our media spokesperson to be put in con-
tact with out Individual and Corporate Giving staff
members.
media inquiries
Interested in writing a story about Team Canada?
Have a question about the team or debate in
Canada? Want to start a debate team at your
school?
All media-related information requests can be
directed to our media contact.
Andrew Rusk
andrew.rusk@gmail.com
647-339-0635
75 St. George, Suite 501
Toronto, Ontario M5S 2E5
www.csdf-fcde.ca