Prince Rupert will be represented at the Miss Canada pageant in Montreal this week, as Navneet Kaur will compete after winning National Canadian Miss British Columbia last summer.
Kaur had been deliberating whether or not to take part, after also being invited last year, but then decided it's not often you get invited to Miss Canada twice.
"I feel excited to be able to represent all of B.C., to represent the north, to be representing Prince Rupert. It's nice to put our community on the map," Kaur said.
The pageant takes place from March 1-5 and the Rupert native has been doing lots of preparation, such as going over question-and-answer footage from various pageants, ranging from 1994 until 2016.
She feels like she is able to set herself apart from the others and she's confident in her abilities going in.
"My passion and ambition is what I bring to the table. I don't get super overwhelmed when I take on multiple projects at once," Kaur said.
As a full-time business student, she already has schoolwork, as well as volunteer and community work, managing travel and pageants, among other things, on the go at once, so she knows she could handle the different responsibilities that come with being crowned Miss Canada.
Winning the title would mean a platform for her.
"My platform is women and girl's empowerment, so I think this would give me a lot of exposure and open up a huge door of opportunity for me to be able to connect with girls and women, not only across British Columbia, but across Canada," Kaur said.
She thinks the key for her is to come across as well-spoken and eloquent and put together. Kaur just hopes her personality shines through to the judges.
People who wish to support her can do so by voting for her at misscanada.org/navneet-kaur-n/. It does cost a small fee, but the proceeds go to support her during her reigning year, as well as to a children's charity in Quebec. Kaur is currently in the top three for national online vote.