Winners Announced for the 2024 Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Literacy Awards

May 29, 2024 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FREDERICTON, NB – The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick is proud to name the winners of the 2024 Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Literacy Awards. The awards will be presented on Tuesday, June 11^th in Fredericton at Old Government House. The reception with refreshments will begin at 6:00 pm, with the ceremony starting at 7:00.

These awards recognize outstanding achievements in the fields of literacy and lifelong learning. In 1998, Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell established the awards during her term as New Brunswick’s lieutenant-governor. Since 2007, the Literacy Coalition has continued to present these awards annually.

“We are very pleased to name Sally Armstrong as a winner of the Outstanding Individual Contribution to Literacy,” says LCNB President, Brent Melanson. She is an award winning author, journalist, and human rights activist. She has dedicated her career to telling the stories of women and girls, highlighting their fight to survive and thrive in the midst of great conflict.

Sharing her time between New Brunswick and Toronto, Sally resides in Bathurst for 6 months of the year and has spent many summers there since she was a teenager. Her remarkable book, The Nine Lives of Charlotte Talyor, is set in New Brunswick and tells the story about Sally’s great great, great grandmother, who was known as “The Mother of Tabusintac”. It showcases Sally’s love for, and close ties with, New Brunswick, bringing to life the conflicts and communities of the past which shape our reality in the present.

As an incredible activist for women and girls, Sally has brought international attention to the struggles of women and children in turbulent areas across the globe. She is a member of the Order of Canada, and has been awarded multiple Honorary Doctorates, including an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Royal Roads and an Honorary Doctor of Letters from McGill University.

Roseanne Clark is the recipient of the Outstanding Effort in Indigenous Literacy award. Best known as an ambassador of the Wolastoqey language, Roseanne has led her family in the development of a Wolastoqey online dictionary, “Words from the Crow Clan” (“Kahkakuhsuwakutomuhtit ’Kolusuwakonuwal”). This incredible project is a living document that, as stated on their website, “serves as a testament to the resilience and endurance of the Wolastoqey people, who have preserved their language and traditions in the face of immense challenges”. Over the years, the Wolastoqey language has been displaced by English and is threatening to go extinct. However, Roseanne refuses to allow that to happen, and has been an incredible advocate fighting for its survival. Roseanne has also translated many children’s books and has written a book herself about a family member.

The Early Childhood Literacy award goes to Myriam Raiche Landry. Myriam Raiche Landry is an exceptional educator who is deeply committed to improving literacy and French language for young children in the Miramichi, Rogersville, and the Baie-Saint-Anne regions. Myriam received her diploma in early childhood education in 2023. Since then, one of her most outstanding projects has been working with 4-year-olds from the Carrefour Communautaire Beausoleil childcare center to help them create their own book. All of the illustrations and content in the book were created by the children, who were thrilled to see the results of their creativity and hard work. Myriam’s dedication and efforts in ensuring that the next generation of French speakers have all the tools they need to succeed is truly inspirational.

Jeff Somers is the recipient of the Published Author award. His book, Avery and the Special Shoe, is about an active and spunky little girl who, like thousands of other kids, happens to be living with Cerebral Palsy. When his daughter was diagnosed with the disease, Jeff wanted to find stories, books, and toys that would help her learn and process what it meant to live with the condition. However, there weren’t many out there where she could see herself in the story. And so, Avery and the Special Shoe was born. Jeff is also an East Coast Music Award and Covenant Award nominated musician from Moncton, and leads the music team at Lewisville Baptist Church.

We have two winners in the Community Literacy Program category.

Established in 2008, the Central Valley Adult Learning Association (CVALA) is committed to adult education and literacy. Each year, over 200 individuals benefit from their free programs which are tailored to meet diverse learning needs, including Canadian Adult Education Credential (formerly the GED) prep classes and digital literacy programs. Many learners who find themselves directionless have relied on CVALA’s programs to ensure they can continue their learning journey.

The Owens Art Gallery in Sackville at Mount Allison University provides a multifaceted series of education and outreach programs that support children, youth, adults, and many more. Under the guidance of Lucy MacDonald, Curator of Education and Community Outreach, the Owens Art Gallery has built a community literacy program dedicated to removing barriers to art and improving visual, museum, and cultural literacy. These programs are grounded in a simple, yet powerful idea: learning is easier and deeper when you feel like you belong. In 2023 to 2024, the gallery’s various programs reached 3,405 people, including 2,036 children and youth.

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.

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