The Great Canadian Song Quest

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CBC Radio 2 wants to know who your favourite Canadian artists and locations are. The national public broadcaster launched the Great Canadian Song Quest, a national competition that will ultimately offer up 13 original songs about 13 Canadian spots selected by public vote. Sixty-five artists, five from each province and territory, are vying for the chance to immortalize Canada's favourite places in song.

Manitoba's contenders include three of this province's award-winning roots acts, recent Juno-winners Chic Gamine, The Duhks, and Nathan. Expats Joel Kroeker, who currently makes his home in Vancouver, and Chantal Kreviazuk, who splits her time between L.A. and Toronto, are also up for Manitoba. Winnipeg-based singer/songwriter Leanne Goose is competing in her birthplace, the Northwest Territories

The shortlisted locations include Winnipeg, Lac du Bonnet, Waskada, The Forks, and Flin Flon. CBC recently posted some stats on who's leading in the votes and Winnipeg has taken the lead with The Forks and Flin Flon taking the second and third spots.

Other shortlisted acts from across the country include Hawskley Workman, Amelia Curran, Joel Plaskett, Malajube, and Oh Susanna.

The competition's line-up was selected from Radio 2's playlist, which includes a fairly large variety of genres and artists from across the country. From that list, the Canadian public was able to nominate those that ended up on the 65-act short list.

Once selected, finalists in each province and territory will have four weeks to write and record an original song inspired by the most popular location from their respect regions. The 13 finalists will be named on October 26 and the final locations and songs will be accounced on November 23.

Radio 2 is also giving Canadians a chance to upload their own original songs about Canada on the Song Quest website, starting October 26.

Online voting closes at 12am ET on October 23.

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