Celebrating the 2026 Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Literacy Award Recipients!

The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick held their annual Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Literacy Awards at Government House in Fredericton on April 23^rd, 2026. It was a truly inspiring event, and we are so grateful to everyone who attended to celebrate the award winners and their amazing contributions to literacy.

These awards recognize outstanding achievements in the fields of literacy, essential skills and lifelong learning.

“The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick has been proud to present these annual awards,” said Susan Yarom, Executive Director of the Literacy Coalition and Master of Ceremonies for the evening. “We are also here in the name of Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell who originated these awards in 1988 when she was lieutenant governor. Marilyn has done so much for literacy over her incredible career, and we are so grateful to have her continue to lend her expertise to us.”

The Honourable Louise Imbeault, Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, gave opening remarks in both official languages. She spoke of how wonderful it was to hold the event during what would have been the Queen’s 100^th birthday.

Giving greetings on behalf of the province in both official languages was Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, Claire Johnson. She congratulated the winners on their incredible work, and reiterated the importance of literacy and learning.

“Learning can happen at any time,” the Minister said.

Finally, while Dr. Trenholme Counsell was unable to attend, there were two very special guests who said a few words. Dr. Trenholme Counsell’s grandchildren, Benjamin and Nicholas, congratulated those who were receiving an award in her name in both English and French.

Seven amazing award winners were honoured during the evening with a framed certificate and an engraved pewter bowl, presented by Literacy Coalition President Brent Melanson and Her Honour Louise Imbeault.

LCNB Recognizes Outstanding Achievements in the Field of Literacy

The Dorchester Memorial Public Library received the first award for Community Literacy Program. Founded after the Second World War, this “little library that could” has a large number of wonderful programs for patrons of all ages. It also works closely with the DCS Kids Daycare to provide programs to children. Library Manager Krista Johansen accepted the award on behalf of the Library, and spoke about how literacy is at the heart of what they do.

The Miramichi Literacy Council received the second Community Literacy Program award. The Miramichi Literacy Council works to improve adult literacy through a multitude of programs, including many programs with the New Brunswick Women’s Correctional Centre. One of these programs led to the creation of a published collection of poetry titled We the Women. Accepting on behalf of the Miramichi Literacy Council was President of the organization, Pat Hegan. She spoke of their mandate of “Each One, Teach One” and thanked their parent organization, READ NB.

The Together Time Program at Mount Allison University was the recipient of the Early Childhood Literacy award. Together Time is co-directed by Dr. Susie Andrews, Dr. Kiera Galway, and Dr. Jill Rourke. It delivers almost 200 story sacks each year to more than 400 children at six schools. Accepting the award on behalf of the program was Dr. Jill Rourke, who showed one of the wonderful story sacks the program gives out. She spoke about how the interdisciplinary effort of their team lets them see literacy as an interdisciplinary form of learning.

The Early Intervention Program at Elsipogtog School received the award for Outstanding Effort in Indigenous Literacy. Led by Director of Education, Ivan Augustine, the Elsipogtog School Specialist Team aims to help children with neurological conditions succeed in this innovative program. It is rooted in early identification, family partnership, and Indigenous ways of knowing. The program uses Indigenous-led principles to assess students, diagnose conditions and provide specialized teaching. Ivan Augustine accepted the award on behalf of the team at Elsipogtog School, and he reiterated how important early intervention is. He thanked the incredible team for their hard work in the program.

Nathasha Pilotte received the award for Published Author. A self-taught artist, Nathasha has published beloved children’s books in both official languages such as Luna n’aime pas (Luna the Cat Doesn’t Like That) and Zim s’imagine. Nathasha and her puppets have become a favourite at book fairs and school presentations, where she shares her vibrant and colourful stories. Her stories, which are in English and French, encourage observation, description, vocabulary building, and meaningful interactions between children and adults. Nathasha brought some of her books to display at the ceremony, and spoke passionately about her work.

We had two very deserving winners in the final category.

Lynda Homer was the first recipient of the Individual Outstanding Contribution to Literacy award. Former Executive Director of LCNB, Lynda has worked tirelessly for literacy in New Brunswick for people of all ages. Today, Lynda continues to give back to the community as President of Born to Read, a volunteer run organization giving their signature red bags of books to families of newborns. While Lynda couldn’t be at the ceremony, Susan Yarom read her speech, which spoke about her incredible journey in education and literacy. She thanked the Literacy Coalition and spoke of how her work with LCNB was one of the greatest joys of her professional life.

Dr. Doug Willms was the second recipient of the Individual Outstanding Contribution to Literacy award. Throughout his extensive career, Dr. Willms has had an immense impact on literacy in New Brunswick. In 2004, Dr. Willms founded The Learning Bar with the goal of translating his research into practical use. While the Learning Bar now reaches far and wide, its HQ is located in Fredericton – a testament to Dr. Willms’s continued commitment to New Brunswick. One of his most significant contributions has been the Early Years Evaluation (or “EYE”), which has been implemented in schools both in the Anglophone and Francophone sectors across the province. He spoke about Dr. Trenholme Counsell’s legacy and the importance of all of the work being done for literacy.

To close out the evening, Dr. Trenholme Counsell’s son, Giles Counsell, gave the closing remarks. He spoke highly of his mother and congratulated the winners for their incredible work. 

The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick provides leadership to advance literacy, lifelong learning, and essential skills for all citizens through partnerships and collaboration with government, educational institutions, business, labour, community organizations and individuals.

For more information contact Susan Yarom, LCNB Executive Director:
Phone: 506-457-1227
Email: lcnb@nbliteracy.ca