Call for nominations to Ontario Heritage Trust community recognition programs

TORONTO, March 29, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - The Ontario Heritage Trust is seeking nominations to its Young Heritage Leaders, Heritage Community Recognition and Community Leadership programs. The annual nomination deadline is June 30.

The Trust's recognition programs celebrate volunteer and community contributions to identifying, preserving, protecting and promoting Ontario's heritage. The Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award is the highest level of recognition awarded through the programs.

"By conserving our heritage, volunteers and communities help to ensure that Ontario's history lives on," said Dr. Thomas H.B. Symons, Chairman of the Ontario Heritage Trust. "Our past tells the story of how life in Ontario has changed and evolved over time, which enriches our understanding and experience of living in Ontario today."

"The Ontario Heritage Trust's recognition programs provide an important opportunity to celebrate volunteers and communities for their contributions to heritage conservation," said Michael Chan Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. "Through their commitment and dedication, nominees help preserve and promote our shared history for generations to come."

Achievements in built, cultural and natural heritage conservation are eligible for recognition through the programs:

...Young Heritage Leaders recognizes exceptional young volunteers. The top individual and group nominees are eligible for the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Youth Achievement. The most outstanding individual also receives a $2,000 post-secondary scholarship, awarded by the Ontario Heritage Trust and program sponsors Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life.

...The Heritage Community Recognition Program celebrates volunteers for local conservation activities. Individuals with contributions over a period of 25 years or more can be nominated for the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement.

...The Community Leadership Program recognizes communities for leadership in heritage conservation and promotion. Through the program, communities can nominate themselves for the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Community Leadership.

Nominations to the recognition programs must be endorsed by a motion of a municipal council, regional council, First Nation band council or Métis community council and include supporting material. For Young Heritage Leaders, school principals can also endorse nominations.

Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life have supported the Young Heritage Leaders program since its inception with funding through the companies' national corporate citizenship program.

"We have sponsored Young Heritage Leaders for more than a decade because we understand the value of encouraging youth to take the lead in preserving local heritage and ecology," said Jan Belanger, Assistant Vice-President, Community Affairs, for Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life. "We are pleased that our long-term support helps the Ontario Heritage Trust recognize and inspire young leaders to greater involvement as we all work to build stronger communities together."

The Ontario Heritage Trust is an agency of the Government of Ontario dedicated to identifying, preserving, protecting and promoting Ontario's heritage for the benefit of present and future generations.

Learn more:

Program guidelines and nomination forms are available at www.heritagetrust.on.ca.

A TITANIC SCANDAL at Guelph Civic Museum!

GUELPH, Ontario March 28, 2012 - Author Hugh Brewster presents his new book RMS TITANIC in an illustrated talk at Guelph Civic Museum on Wednesday, April 4, 7 pm.

Hear about the girl from Guelph who became a famous fashion designer and survived the Titanic - only to become notorious in its aftermath.

Lucile, Lady Duff Gordon was the Edwardian world’s most famous couturiere with elegant salons in London, Paris and New York. Yet this aristocratic lady had grown up as plain Lucy Sutherland in a place she called “dirty little Guelph.” When urgent business called Lucile to New York in April of 1912 she took the first available ship - which happened to be the Titanic. How Lucile and her husband Sir Cosmo escaped from the sinking liner became the most sensational news story of the Titanic disaster.

Author and Guelph native Hugh Brewster gives a hometown launch of his new book, RMS Titanic: Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage with a specially created multi-media talk about the most famous woman ever to have come from Guelph. Books will be available for sale and signing.

The new Guelph Civic Museum is located at 52 Norfolk Street. For further information please contact Val Harrison, Coordinator of Public Programs, Guelph Museums, at 519-836-1221 x2773 or visit guelph.ca/museum.

New University of Guelph CIO and Chief Librarian Named

GUELPH, Ontario March 22, 2012 - University of Guelph Campus Bulletin - Rebecca Graham has been named the University of Guelph’s new chief information officer (CIO) and chief librarian. Her five-year term begins May 23.

The announcement was made today by provost and vice-president (academic) Maureen Mancuso, who chaired the search committee.

"Rebecca possesses the knowledge, skills and qualities that we were looking for in our next CIO and chief librarian,” Mancuso said. “She is a strategic thinker and an exceptional leader whose experience, vision and passion will help us further build our reputation as a forerunner in information technology and library systems."

In making the announcement, Mancuso expressed gratitude to Catherine Steeves, the University’s associate chief librarian, who has been acting in the role since Mike Ridley completed his second term in January.

Mancuso also thanked members of the search committee, which included faculty, students and staff members, for their hard work and commitment, and the University community for its participation.

Most recently, Graham was the associate librarian for preservation, digitization and administrative services at Harvard College Library (HCL) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She oversaw all administrative services and managed a $90-million budget and 12 library buildings, and was responsible for HCL’s preservation and digitization program. She also led the effort to expand the library’s digitization of special collections, particularly in support of teaching and learning.

She was also the co-director at Harvard Medical School’s Countway Library of Medicine and headed computing services and the digital library program at Johns Hopkins University. Graham also served in various capacities at the Digital Library Federation in Washington, DC, and managed integrated systems at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

"Given the continuing influence and impact of technology in higher education, the opportunity to serve in a strategic role with oversight of both IT and the library is unparalleled," Graham said. "To do so at an innovative institution like the University of Guelph is all the more compelling. I look forward to joining the Guelph community."

At U of G, Graham will be responsible for the overall strategy and policy administration of the University’s information technology, information services and information resources. She will also oversee the administration of the library as chief librarian and of Computing and Communications Services (CCS).

She earned a bachelor's degree in organizational management from Wilberforce University in Ohio and a master of library and information science from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. She was a member of the inaugural cohort of the Association of Research Libraries Research Library Leadership Fellows in 2004.

Canadian Government Invests in Museum London

LONDON, Ontario, March 23, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - Visitors to Museum London will continue to have access to art and artifacts of national and local significance, thanks to an investment from the Government of Canada. This was announced today by Susan Truppe, Member of Parliament (London North Centre), on behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.

Funding will allow the London Regional Art and Historical Museums (Museum London) to purchase and install new lighting and skylight shading systems in its exhibition galleries. The shading system will be custom-designed to complement the Museum's large skylights.

The new systems will allow the Museum to decrease its energy consumption and costs. With improved lighting control, the Museum will be able to better protect and display art work and artifacts in its various exhibitions.

"Our Government received a strong mandate from Canadians to invest in projects that improve the facilities of organizations like Museum London," said Minister Moore. "By supporting these organizations, our Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen our economy and support our arts, culture, and heritage."

"Museum London is not only recognized for its terrific collection and presentation of visual art and artifacts, but also for the unique architecture of its building," said Ms. Truppe. "With this Government of Canada investment, the new light and shading system promises to make the Museum more energy-efficient while enhancing visitor experiences."

"Lighting is an incredibly important consideration for museums. The type and amount of light present in our exhibitions can have a significant impact on the integrity of artworks and artifacts, as well as the quality of the visitor experience," said Brian Meehan, Executive Director, Museum London. "We are extremely grateful to the Government of Canada for its support of this project."

The Government of Canada has provided funding of $474,600 through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage. This program seeks to improve physical conditions for artistic creativity and arts presentation or exhibition. It is also designed to increase access for Canadians to performing, visual, and media arts, and to museum collections and heritage displays.

Canada Post commemorates Canadian Titanic ties with stamps

Canadian recovery efforts saluted in marking 100th anniversary of the ship's disaster

OTTAWA, March 20, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - Canada Post unveiled today the images of the five stamps that will be issued on April 5 to mark the centennial of the sinking of RMS Titanic. The collection, created by Haligonian design team of Dennis Page and Oliver Hill, showcases the best-known ship in the world with depth and realism and adds some poignant Canadian attributes.

Canadians, and the citizens of Halifax, Nova Scotia, in particular, played a central role in the Titanic event through recovery efforts.

"To this day, Canada, and especially Halifax, has an enduring and remarkably human connection to the Titanic story," says the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Regional Minister for Nova Scotia. "The Canadian legacy of the Titanic still resonates strongly with everyone."

Creating a detailed image of a ship that has been under water for a century presented a wonderful challenge for Halifax-based designer Dennis Page. "This was the biggest man-made moving object on earth that after setting off on her maiden voyage hit an iceberg and ended in disaster. That really stuck with me and how I was going to show that feeling." Page basically put himself in the moment. "I imagined myself standing below her bow looking up which really gives that vantage point and perspective at how vast something like this could be."

Through this stamp collection Canada Post takes pride in respectfully marking an event in which so many lost their lives, and honouring the countless Canadians who helped in the recovery mission.

"This is really our way of paying tribute to the Canadians involved," says Mary Traversy, Canada Post's Senior Vice-President of Mail. "With these stamps, we hope to preserve the legacy of the Canadians whose lives were deeply touched when Titanic sank off our coast."

The collection will be available on April 5 in all Canada Post outlets, online and via mail order. Pre-orders are also possible on canadapost.ca/shop.

The Titanic stamp collection

The Titanic stamp collection is composed of five stamps, a stamp pane, a souvenir sheet, an uncut press sheet, prepaid postcards, framed prints, a collectible album and a stamp and coin collector envelope.

The four PERMANENT™ domestic-rate stamps come as two pairs of se-tenant stamps. Two show the Titanic's impressive bow and the other two feature the stern. The stern stamps are available only on the pane of 16 stamps, which includes eight stern stamps and eight bow stamps. The bow stamps are also available in a booklet of 10 and on the pane of 16 stamps. The international rate stamp shows a full-colour side illustration of the Titanic, sailing on a calm ocean with a layered map showing relevant locations. It is available in a booklet of six stamps, a souvenir sheet and a limited edition uncut press sheet. There will be two Official First Day Covers. The first will feature a photo from Father Brown's collection of the captain of the Titanic walking on the deck with the bow and the stern stamps. The second cover makes use of the international denomination stamp and features a photo of a paper boy in New York City announcing the disaster.

Additional information about Canadian stamps can be found in the news section of Canada Post's website, and photos of these new stamps are also available. Stamps and other products will be available at participating post offices, or can be ordered online by following the links at canadapost.ca/collecting, or by mail order from the National Philatelic Centre. From Canada and the USA, call toll-free 1-800-565-4362, and from other countries, call 902 863-6550.

U of G History PhD Student, War of 1812 Event Make Headlines

GUELPH, Ontario March 12, 2012 - University of Guelph In the News

A War of 1812 symposium hosted by the University of Guelph received extensive coverage in the weekend’s Globe and Mail. The newspaper’s “Focus” section included a front-page article about the conference and the history and politics of the war, and two photo galleries of people in period costumes.

The news story featured U of G history PhD student Elaine Young. Young, who studies historical commemoration, was a keynote speaker at the symposium. She said that the War of 1812 is heavily promoted as part of the country’s military heritage because “Canadian’s have long had trouble defining themselves, and so there's a search for the good old days of national unity when we all came together.”

The symposium brought some of Canada’s most respected and popular War of 1812 historians to campus Feb. 25.
It was sponsored by U of G’s Department of History and the Cambridge, Ont.-based 41st Regiment of Foot re-enactment group, as well as “living history” groups in London and Hamilton, the .Wellington County Museum, the Guelph Historical Society and Guelph Museums.

Country-wide Bell Ringing Will Mark the 2012 London Olympics' Opening

photo credit: all the bells/Public Domain

from TreeHugger.com
by Bonnie Alter - Living / Culture

The cultural component to London's 2012 Olympics is both traditional (lots of Shakespeare) and quirky. The All the Bells project falls into the charmingly eccentric category. On July 27, 2012, bells will be ringing across the UK to celebrate the opening of the Games.

Orchestrated by artist and musician Martin Creed, the project gets people everywhere to ring every kind of bell imaginable: alarm clock bells, bicycle bells, boat bells, mobile phone bells, church bells, cowbells, handbells, school bells, town hall bells, and jingle bells to usher in the Olympics.

Dare we call it green? It's simple, no-tech, free, local and community based, no cars, no planes used AND inspirational. Bells have a particular resonance: for over 1,200 years church bells have called the faithful to worship in churches across the land, helping people to celebrate triumph and loss.

"It's by the people and for the people. On the morning of the opening of the games, it's a massive signal that something is happening," says Creed.

The project is formally called "Work No. 1197: All the bells in a country rung as quickly and as loudly as possible for three minutes throughout the country as the UK welcomes 205 nations from around the world."

It will take place at 8 a.m. because that is when the Olympic Torch will begin its final journey from Hampton Court Palace, through London, and on to the Olympic Stadium.

Lest you think that's an easy task, contemplate the scope of the All the Bells project. There will be church bells. That will include people in churches' bell towers taking part. Then there are the Morris Dancers, who jingle bells in their distinctive dancing.

Then there are the town criers from the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Town Criers who still work as volunteers in many small towns, ringing bells and spreading the word. A composer will create a new work for eight church bells with the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers.

Creed is a conceptual artist. Previous works have included a specially commissioned work for the Tate Britain Art Gallery consisting of a runner sprinting through the galleries at the art museum.

Creed will also be creating his own Martin Creed ringtone for your cell phone...as he says

"hold onto it, it’ll be worth something one day."