|
Newsmaker Events
Congratulations
to all the 2005 winners
who were honored at the
Second Annual West
Quebecers
Community Awards Banquet
at Camp
Fortune in Chelsea
on Friday June 10th!
For media release on winners
 The
Wakefield Players are planning to expand their theatre
workshop activities to Aylmer and Shawville. With the support of the Regional Association of West
Quebecers – which is responsible for this Cultural
Bulletin – they are hoping to secure funding from Heritage
Canada in order to establish a regional base for their
community theatre productions. It is intended to bring in
David Diamond, a director with an international reputation,
from Vancouver to take charge of the venture.
The Players’ publicist Brenda Rooney says: “It’s a step
towards regionalism. The workshops will focus on social
issues in the community, and then that would be the basis of
a new production.”
On Sunday, June 12, the second Annual Armstrong Heritage
Farm AutoFest
was held at the Shawville fairgrounds to raise money for
the Armstrong Heritage Farm project (see this Bulletin
at the General page of the Winter 2004-2005 issue). The
show attracted 90 entries, including cars and trucks
dating from the 1930s up to the 2000s. Two local
entries won awards, Brent Plouffe from
Bristol
(one of the top five prizes for his 1966 Mustang) and
Randy Pitt of Shawville (one of the twelve best awards
for his 1972 Nova SS).
The Armstrong Heritage Farm project was launched in 2003
for the purpose of restoring the farm and the brickyard
which once occupied the land donated by Grant Armstrong
to the
Municipality of Shawville. Completion is expected in
about six to eight years. Donations and voluntary help
are most welcome.
Visit the project website at
www.armstrongheritagefarm.com.
from which e-mails can be sent.
Over
the weekend of June 11-12 the Pontiac Artists’ Studio Tour was visited by the
President of Outaouais Tourism, Jean Thiffault). He remarked, after stopping at the
studio of Stephen Scrak, in Vinton, that the work of
Pontiac
artists should be more widely known: “There is a lot of
good painting by artists in the Pontiac and the
Outaouais ... they should be open all season.” He added
that the art should be displayed in public buildings,
such as libraries and municipal offices, with
information showing how to contact the artists. For information about the
Pontiac artists
call (819)
647-3416
or
visit their website at
www.pontiacartists.com
On June 5, the Castenchel Choir,
together with youth performers and soloist Gary Dahl, the
Choir’s new Director,
performed at St. Andrew’s United Church in Wakefield.
 June
5. Book Launch and Chelsea Cemetery Tour.
The Mayor and Council of Chelsea
held an inauguration
ceremony at the Old Chelsea Protestant Burial Ground at 11:30
pm in connection with Chelsea’s 130th Anniversary
Community Days Festival. The ceremony was
followed by
a book signing: Carol Martin will be
launching her book In Memory of
Chelsea’s Historic Cemeteries.
Ms. Martin will conduct two cemetery tours, at 12:15
and 1 pm.
Carol Martin’s book may be ordered from the author
by calling
(819) 827-1633
or via
e-mail
ricmartin@primus.ca
Price: $14.50 (plus postage, if required). The publisher is
Castenchel Editions.
On Sunday, May 29, there was a concert at Cobden, Ontario,
in support of radio station CHIP.
Performers from the Ottawa Valley included Gail Gavan and
Joanne Dubeau, from the Pontiac.
On May 26, Dr. S.E. McDowell Elementary School, in Shawville,
presented a celebration of Canadian Heritage.
Cycle 1 Year 2 Class and Cycle 2 Year 1 Class performed 14
acts of song, dance, skits and readings. While studying
Canada in class the students worked with guest visitors who
taught heritage crafts, such as crocheting, and step-dancing
and square-dancing. There were also historical
presentations. The students used what they had learned to
put on their show for parents.
Strong showing at the Regional Heritage Fair.
Students from Onslow Elementary, S.E.McDowell, Dr.Wilbert
Keon and St. John's Schools participated in the Regional
Heritage Fair recently held at McDowell School. On
Thursday, May 5, the six judges picked the five finalists,
from whose projects they will pick two to be shown at the
National Heritage Fair in Saskatoon in July.
The five finalists, with their exhibitors and the schools
they come from, are as follows: Royal Canadian Mint, by Bria
Hearty and Makayla Campbell (McDowell); Halifax Explosion,
by Kyle Harris and Taylor Orr (McDowell); Wyman, by Josh
Greenshields (Onslow); Jeffrey Mines, by Stephane Chartrand
(Dr. Wilbert Keon); Canadian Armed Forces, by Tyler Toupin.
Four projects were selected for honourable mention:
Mackenzie King Estate, by Brett Nugent; Landmark Shawville
Fires, by Colby Richardson; Hudson Bay Company Award,
Trapping, by Tiffany Bretzlaff; Aboriginal Award, Jeffrey
Mines, by Dustin Raymond.
 From
April
9
to April
27
the annual Young Authors and Illustrators Conference was
held in Ottawa.
Four students from the Gatineau Valley attended. Their
names are: Molly Cockburn and Michaela Tommy (from Wakefield
Elementary School) and Emilie Macfie and Scott Thompson
(from Chelsea Elementary School). They attended workshops
with local author Brian Doyle and Governor General's Award
winners Arthur Slade and Julie Johnston, and with Budge
Wilson, recipient of the Order of Canada.
These students, who are interested in writing and drawing,
were nominated by their peers and teachers.
The Conference is organized by Multicultural Arts for
Schools and Communities (MASC).
|
