With colourful handmade posters and slick professional signs declaring in French that "Gatineau supports Eva Avila," a crowd of 600 jumped to its feet after Canadian Idol host Ben Mulroney announced the winner.

Ms. Avila's win meant a great deal to Cesar Ormeno and his family, who are friends of the family and lined up more than an hour before the doors opened to make sure they were the first people into the party.

"We are from the same country as Eva's father," said Mr. Ormeno, who wore a red "Eva #1" headband and waved a Peruvian flag. "We've known Eva since she was a small child."

The national capital region's Peruvian community is proud of Eva, says Ormeno, whose eight-year-old son, Shaun, was especially insistent that the family go to the live event. "He was so excited, (saying) 'I want to be the first one ... I want to say hi to Eva,'" said Ormeno, as Shaun showed off the poster he'd spent two hours making.

Tracy Cameron, 38, and her mother, Gertrude, are outside the age demographic that Idol usually attracts. But both were pleased with the success of Gatineau's darling.

Prior to the show, an area French-language radio station whipped the crowd into a frenzy of "We love you, Eva!" and handed out Canadian Idol trading cards, lanyards and Eva posters. Three girls waved their neon-coloured signs at passing cars, chanting "Let's go, Eva, let's go!" and "Va-t-on, Eva!" A vendor from Toronto hocked red headbands with a choice of pro-Eva slogans.

"She's exceptional to learn and sing (a song)," said Anne Marie Mathieu, a teacher at Ecole secondaire De l'Ile in Hull. "Emotion, nuance, she can do it."

Vanessa Lalonde, 19, who has known Avila since they were 10, says her friend is the same person she is on TV. Lalonde missed a call from Avila just before the show began, but did get a text message from the singer saying she was nervous.

The contest has parachuted Avila into a whole new life that includes autograph-signing, vocal training from celebrities such as Chantal Kreviazuk and Martina McBride, and even a new love: Avila began dating Idol contestant Chad Doucette, 18, about a month ago. Doucette, from East Chezzetcook, N.S., was eliminated after making it to the top four.

Avila, 19, was a postal clerk and beauty consultant before heading to Toronto to compete for the title. Last night, she got to perform on the same stage as her idol Nelly Furtado -- another Canadian with Latin roots --for the second time.

The Canadian Idol title means that Avila will record an album backed by major label BMG Canada and will tour Canada in the coming year. Last year's winner, Melissa O'Neil, from Calgary, saw her post-Idol album go multi-platinum in Canada.

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