Aubut, a corporate lawyer who has been a member of the COC executive committee since 2005, will serve alongside current president Michael Chambers until after the organisation meets again in 2010 following the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

 

The COC decided in 2005 that whoever was elected in quadrennial voting in 2009 would serve alongside Chambers in that span so leadership would remain unchanged during the run-up to the Vancouver Winter Games next February.

 

Aubut was the first person from Francophone Canada to be elected to the COC presidency.

 

He said: "Though language was not an issue in this election, I am proud to be the first Francophone to lead this prestigious organisation.

 

"I feel honoured to have been chosen to lead the COC by those who are among the most important people in sport in Canada.

 

"It is clear that the support came from every region of the country.

 

"They choose me as their leader and I will not disappoint them.

 

"The COC, National Sport Federations and athletes can count on me to work with all stakeholders in the Canadian sports system to take this organisation to the next level and secure the means to realise our dreams.

 

"We will succeed if we all work together."
 

Tricia Smith, a four-time Olympian rower who took a silver medal in 1984, was the only other candidate for the post.

 

She will serve as a vice-president.

 

Chambers said: "We had two exceptional candidates running for the position of president-elect, and I am pleased that we will retain the services of both, with Marcel Aubut as our president-elect, and Tricia Smith serving as vice-president.

 

"The COC Members have also elected an exceptionally qualified set of officers and Board members.

 

"We now proceed forward on very solid footing."

 

Gordon Peterson, a lawyer based London who has been a COC member since 1993 and has represented the sport of diving on the Board since 1998, was elected as the second vice-president.

 

Wayne Russell, the former chief executive of Own the Podium, was acclaimed to a second term as treasurer.
 

New members of the COC 20-member board of directors, who will serve through 2012, were also elected.

 

They include two-time women's hockey Olympian Therese Brisson, International Olympic Committee member Charmaine Crooks and former Canadian Football League commissioner Larry Smith.