The Dream Catchers, solo singer, replace youth choir at Symons ceremony

In a break from tradition, the Confederation Centre Youth Choir will not sing O Canada during the Symons Medal ceremony for Justin Trudeau in Charlottetown this year.

Trudeau was announced as the winner of the Symons Medal earlier this month, and will speak at Confederation Centre of the Arts on Nov. 23.

The centre's youth choir is the usual pick for singing O Canada at the ceremony, but a member of the Charlottetown Festival cast will sing it instead this year. In addition, 13 members of the Young Company will be flown into Charlottetown to perform a 30-minute version of The Dream Catchers, the noontime show that ran in the centre's amphitheatre this summer.

Confederation Centre CEO Jesse Inman said the program has been arranged with the Prime Minister's Office, and the schedule is very tight.

"We run these things 30 seconds at a time, and it's going to be a very busy two hours," said Inman.

"It just logistically takes a long time, because of the preparation required to put that many people on stage and take them off again."

Trudeau has asked for a 50-minute question and answer session because there will be a lot of students in attendance.

Tickets for the event are free, but with limited availability. People lined up two hours before the box office opened Thursday morning, and they're all gone. The centre is taking names for a waiting list for tickets.

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