Ottawa – (Sunday, August 19, 2007)
The Federation was pleased to unveil the Telling Our Stories/Racontons nos histoires publication to municipal leaders at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference today. Thank you to all who attended the launch and made the unveiling a huge success. Thank you to Mahalya Havard, 1st place Francophone contest winner and Jennifer Milne, 3rd place English contest winner for attending. As well, we were very pleased to have a number of municipal mayors and reeves in attendance to share in this event. Over 5000 copies of the publication will be dispursed throughout the province with specific mailings to Members of Parliament, Members of Provincial Parliament and Ontario’s Mayors and Reeves.
(LtoR): Jane Horrocks, Chair, Federation of Ontario Public Libraries; Jennifer Milne, 3rd place Telling Our Stories contest winner; Mahalya Havard, 1st place Racontons nos histoires contest winner.
To order a copy of the Telling Our Stories/Racontons nos histoires publication print and fax or mail your completed order form to Library Services Centre attention Angela.
Telling Our Stories Winners’ Reception- Video clips
February 1st, 2007
- Hon. James K. Bartleman
a) A Personal Story
b) books, literacy and reading- Hon. Caroline DiCocco, Minister of Culture
a) opening remarks – a personal story
b) about Ontario public libraries- Paula Todd, Host Person 2 Person, TVO – about the contest and libraries
- Pierre Granger, Host Panorama, TFO – personal library experiences
- Announcement of the winning stories
- Pierre Granger reads 1st place, Mahayla Havard’s winning story.
- Paula Todd reads 1st place Geoffrey Snow’s winning story.
Telling Our Stories Contest – Winning Stories
Toronto – (Thursday, February 1st, 2007) With exuberant support from the Honourable James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and the Honourable Caroline Di Cocco, Minister of Culture, celebrations of the first province-wide writing contest about the magic of public libraries took place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre last evening (Wednesday, January 31st, 2007) at the Ontario Library Association Annual Super Conference. The Winners’ Reception for Telling Our Stories hosted over 150 guests in a heart-warming, inspiring 90 minutes of how public libraries have changed the lives of many Ontario residents.
From left to right: Geoffrey Snow (1st prize English), Paula Todd (TVO), Mahalya Havard (1st prize French), Pierre Granger (TFO), the Honourable James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor
English story winners were as follows:
First prize winner – Possibility – Geoffrey Snow from Waterford
Second prize winner – It Should Have Been Skates- Jack Nahrgang from Kitchener
Third prize winner – Ronnie’s Story- Jennifer Milne from Bracebridge
French story winners were as follows:
First prize winner – Du rêve à la réalité- Mahalya Havard from Plantagenet
Second prize winner – Un amour de bibliothèque- Marie-Claire Vignola from Verner
Third prize winner – Bibliothèque publique: bouée de sauvetage devenue cadeau- Francine Lafortune from Sudbury.
Contest Winners (Foreground, left to right): Geoffrey Snow, Mahalya Havard, Jack Nahrgang, Marie-Claire Vignola, Jennifer Milne, Francine Lafortune
Contest Winners (Foreground, left to right): Geoffrey Snow, Mahalya Havard, Jack Nahrgang, Marie-Claire Vignola, Jennifer Milne, Francine Lafortune
These six winners were awarded cash prizes (First prize $1,500; Second prize $1,000; Third prize $500 in each language). In addition, a donation of $250 will be made on behalf of the 6 winners and the top 10 runners-up to each of the Ontario public libraries named in their entry forms.
Ten Runners-up and their stories:
Sandra Jayne Bishop -“A Librarian Remembered.”
Tanya Elchuk – “Book + Imagination: A Journey of Heart & Mind”
Ralph Glover – “A Home for a Lifetime: The Port Stanley Public Library”
Iris Kinsman – “The Magic of Tears”
Nancy Lalonde – “Ma bibliothèque publique, une inspiration!”
Sophie Lauzon - “Une passion pour la vie”
Myra A. Mackie Coons – “A Small Town’s Tale”
Jannette Mann – “The Library Card”
Crystal Piche – “A Blessing”
Francine Ste-Croix – “La bibliothèque: quelle belle aventure!”
“Telling Our Stories has emphasized something fundamental about Ontario’s public library system,” said Minister of Culture Caroline Di Cocco. “Libraries have a genuine and positive impact on our lives because they bring people together. Not only are they centres of literacy and learning, libraries are community hubs as well.”
“Everyone who works in a public library hears heartwarming stories of how libraries have changed lives. Now, it is so exciting to have the opportunity to gather and share stories widely with all of Ontario through Telling Our Stories,” says Jane Horrocks, Chair of the FOPL Board of Directors.
Telling Our Stories contest partner TVO and official spokesperson Paula Todd, from TVO’s ‘Person 2 Person’, was joined at the festivities by Pierre Granger, co-host of TFO’s ‘Panorama’, and sponsors 3M, Whitehots, Library Services Centre, Counting Opinions, Library Bound, Libraries in Transition, King Township Public Library and the Ontario Library Association.
A selection of stories from the Telling Our Stories contest will be published as an advocacy tool for public libraries please watch for it in your mail in early July.
