The Townships Sun hosted an award ceremony for the Townships Young Voices project on March 26, where 18 awards recognized creative youth ages 11 to 27. Entries came in from all over the Eastern Townships including one work co-written with a student in Shanghai, China. First prize winners received $100; second prizes were $50 each. All the winning works will be published in the Townships Sun over the coming year, its 50th year of publication.
The audience included more than 100 people in person and by Zoom. Author Ross Murray and Townshippers’ Association agent Abbigail Whitcher emceed the event in the Amédée-Beaudoin Community Centre in Lennoxville.
First Prizes
In the nonfiction category, co-writers Jenny (Jiayi) Yin of Shanghai, China, and Ruohan Wallis
of St-Denis-de-Brompton, both age 17, won first prize. Their article was entitled "Waste and
You: A Look at Canada and China." In the fiction category, Jillian Davidson of Sherbrooke, age 16, took first place with a story, "My Journey." In poetry, Sarah Freiberg, also of Sherbrooke and age 16, won first prize with a poem entitled, "Snow Angels of the Bulge." The first prize in photography went to Solomia Salameh of Sherbrooke, age 18, for a photo
entitled "Mirror." In the art category, Emily Callalily (Callaghan), age 24, of Sherbrooke, was
awarded first place for her mixed media artwork, "Elemental Connection."
Second Prizes
Second prize in nonfiction went to Bryan Laprise of Sherbrooke, age 16, for an article, "Local
History: Sherbrooke: Tramway." In fiction, Alexandra Welton of Bromont, age 13, won second place for the story, "Snow Joke."Leo James Webster of Sherbrooke, age 22, earned second place in poetry for the poem, "Midsummer." Harry Welton of Bromont, age 11, won second prize in photography with a photo entitled, "Everyday Amazing," and in art, Océane Dessureault-Opalewsky of Sherbrooke, age 27, earned second prize with a mixed media work, "Under Construction."
Third Prizes
In nonfiction, Léa Côté from Compton, age 21, won third prize with an article, "Learning
Outside of the Classroom: My EL Experience," and Levin Kerrigan of North Hatley, age 12,
received honorable mention for the article, "How and Why Dungeons & Dragons is
Awesome." In fiction, third place was shared by Megan Fostor of Dunham, age 12, for a story, "Lockdown" and by Johnny Beauvais of Cowansville, age 15, for a story, "The Traveler and The Stranger." "Secrets of Snow," by Arabella Macaulay-Fishman of Hatley Township, age 14, won third prize in poetry. Diana Callaway of Stanstead, age 21, received third prize in photography for a photo entitled "Beebe Plain Farm." In the art category, Andra Denver Quilliams of West Bolton, age 19, won third prize with a sculpture, "Forest of Dendra" and Avigaelle Court of Moe's River, age 11, received honorable mention for a painting, "Moe's River Community Church."
Townships Young Voices Project
"Led by our assistant editor, Marie Moliner, Townships Young Voices was a real community
effort, carried out by countless volunteers and supported by other community organizations," said Rachel Garber, editor of the Townships Sun. During the past year, the Townships Sun created an e-Guide, 32 YouTube videos, and a TYVoices Instagram account offering tips to Townships Young Voices participants. Write Here, Write Now! of the Bishop's University Lifelong Learning Academy organized workshops for participants. The experiential learning program at Bishop's University paid the salary of a videographer, Léa Côté. Both Townshippers’ Research & Cultural Foundation and Townshippers’ Association gave financial support, as did the Rotary Club of the Boundary in Stanstead.
Garber said many in the audience were writers, photographers or artists who contributed to
the community magazine over the past 18 months since she became editor.
The Townships Sun's board of directors are David Wright (Publisher/President), Rachel
Garber (Editor), Melanie Cutting (Secretary), Janet Angrave, Jennifer Brown, Angela Leuck,
Beverly Taber Smith, and Scott Stevenson, assisted by Marie Moliner (Assistant
Editor/Townships Young Voices Coordinator), Marion Greenlay, and John Mackley.
Credit: John Mackley. The audience was intergenerational at the Townships Sun's luncheon for the Townships Young Voices awards.
Credits: Lea Chorush. Léa Côté of Compton (centre) with Ghislain Demers, head of the Experiential Learning program at Bishop's University, between emcees Ross Murray and
Abbigail Whitcher. Côté placed third in nonfiction for her story about her experiential learning work as videographer for the Townships Young Voices project.
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