Directory > Artists
Literary Arts and Heritage Programmers
Heritage Programmers
Lesley Curthoys
Email: lcurthoy@lakeheadu.ca
Phone: (807)343-8744
Lesley Curthoys is an associate professor at Lakehead University, School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism. She teaches heritage interpretation, as well as other conservation-related courses. Lesley worked as a heritage interpreter for a variety of parks and nature centres while living in Alberta.
Shy-Anne Hovorka
Tel: (807)727-7238
Email: shyanne.leah@gmail.com
Shy-Anne Hovorka is a former Native Language teacher from Red Lake, Ontario. She is also an avid musician. Shy-Anne loves to share her knowledge of music and Native Tradition with students of all ages to help foster a positive understanding of the culture through hands on art activities as well as interactive music activities. She is very energetic, and students of all ages leave with new knowledge, new art, new understanding, and with a smile.
Susan Johnston
Email: weshkaday@shaw.ca
Susan Johnston is a member of Lake Helen Band; she was born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Susan had both traditional and formal education, having been taught by her grandfather before going to study at Lakehead University and received two degrees, Honours Bachelor of Arts, Indigenous Learning and Women Studies. Susan is an energetic cultural teacher and sole proprietor of Weshkaday. Susan spends her time volunteering and working for a small Aboriginal women’s group and volunteering for the Thunder Bay Friendship Centre in the Aboriginal Community Council Program. Susan writes her own material for the workshops that she offers. Much of her work has been focused on promoting traditional culture through hands on activities among urban Aboriginal women and children by using cultural teaching through her workshops. Susan is also a children’s author writing Aboriginal children’s books. Nuka and the Three Island is her first publication.
Susan
Kakepetum
Tel: 344-7723 (h) or
(807)620-2477
Email: susan.kakepetum@shawcable.com
Susan Kakepetum is an artist and heritage programmer from Lac Seul First Nation. She from the Bear clan and is a mother of 7 children and a grandmother of 22. She has been doing crafting and regalia for some years and was originally taught by her mother. Crafts have become a way to pass on teachings. Susan uses them as a means of relaxing and thinking things though.
Ron Kanutski
Tel: (807)624-6996
Email: ronsha@shaw.ca
Ron Kanutski is an energetic social worker, cultural teacher, facilitator and sole proprietor of With Care Consulting. For more than 21 years, Ron has delivered a variety of culturally sensitive wellness presentations, workshops and services to both Anishnawbae and multi-cultural children, youth and adults. He has worked in urban, rural and remote communities throughout Ontario, Manitoba, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois. Ron has worked with the Children’s Centre , Sister Margaret Smith Centre, Dilico Ojibway Child & Family Services, Thunder Bay Indian Friendships Centre, Anishnawbe Mushkiki,. Creighton Youth Services, CAHEP and the Lakehead District School Board. Ron has been active in providing Anishnawbae cultural programming at the Ogden Public School and he is the 2007 recipient of the “Award of Excellence” from the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association. Please review more about Ron and his work at www.withcareconsulting.com
Natalie Legarde
Email: natalie.legarde@gmail.com
Natalie is Ojibway-Cree, originally from Lake Nipigon. She was raised in Thunder Bay, ON from the age of three years old. Natalie’s father was an Ojibway from McDiarmid, ON, and her mother was a Cree from Longlac, ON. Natalie started creating Ojibway crafts at the age of 23 years old, to occupy her time, while raising her daughter, at home. Natalie attended Lakehead University, with a major in Political Science. She facilitated many moccasin- making workshops while attending university. Among Natalie’s many custom designs are beaded buckskin jackets; dream catchers, leather mitt-making, granny quilts, medicine pouches, and regalia for pow-wows, (Jingle dress). At one Natalie owned her own floral design company, named “The Wallflowers” and she also does drawings of depictions of the traditional Anishinabek way of life.
Literary Arts
Eleanor Albanese
Tel: (807)344-1163
Fax: (807)344-1163
Email: eleanoralbanese@shaw.ca
Website: www.eleanora.ca
Eleanor has over thirty years of experience in arts education. She has many years experience facilitating and guiding learners towards writing their own play, whether it is issue based, historical or just for fun. Her own plays have toured nationally and are well respected and loved.
Elle Andra-Warner
Tel:(807)767-8315
Email: elle@andra-warner.com
Elle Andra-Warner is an author, freelance journalist and photographer who has been writing professionally for over 10 years. Her feature articles appear in publications worldwide. Her most recent books include The Mounties: Incredible Tales of Adventure and Intrigue From the Early Days; Robert Service: A Great Canadian Poet's Romance with the North; and, Hudson's Bay Company Adventures: Rollicking Saga of Canada's Fur Traders. I am currently working on two more books: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald and a children's book on a Canadian Prime Minister.
Elle is a member of Periodical Writers of Canada (professional status), Writers Union of Canada, North American Travel Journalists Association, Writers Guild of Alberta, NOWW.
Elinor Barr
Tel: (807)344-8355
Email: pebarr@tbaytel.net
Websites: www.swedesincanada.ca
www.writersunion.ca
For a long time Elinor’s specialty was Northwestern Ontario’s fascinating past, including the White Otter Castle presentation which is listed in the Writers-in-the-Schools program sponsored by the Ontario Arts Council. She has also written books about Silver Islet, the PeeDee Railway, the Scandinavian Home Society and her home town of Ignace. For the past ten years she has turned her attention to researching and writing a comprehensive history of Swedes in Canada, which is soon to be published. Elinor likes to talk about Northwestern Ontario’s past to small groups.
Debby deBakker
Tel: (807)345-0353
Debby belongs to the Writers Guild and has been a member for 8 years. She is also a member of Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop and Pulp Fiction.
Holly Haggarty
Tel: (807)768-7867
Fax: (807)768-7867
Email: hhaggart@shaw.ca
French, English and bangii anishinaabemowin
Holly Haggarty is an author, storyteller and educator with over thirty years experience in arts and education. Her publications include the children's novels, Dream Dad (Napoleon) and Summer Dragons (Napoleon). She is particularly interested in the fundamental of story to both learning and creative expression. Holly can enrich your classroom with art and arts-based inquiry through programs such as...
Meet the Author
You loved the book but you've always wondered: Who wrote it? Where did the author get her ideas? Could I write like that?
Storytelling Performances
Enjoy the traditional art of stoytelling. Choose from a menu of themes and curricular links.
Creative Writing Workshops
Learn secrets of effective writing from an award-winning author through active and engaging exercises.
Forget memorization -- with story theatre, you jump right into the fun parts: improvisation, characters, movement, masks, puppets...
This is a twenty-five hour, multi-media, literacy development program based on Holly's latest novel and is subsidized by the Ontario Arts Council. Contact Holly for a full information package.
Drew Locking *
Tel: (807)344-1743
Toll-Free: 1-888-220-4679
Fax: (807)344-1743
Cell Phone: (807) 628-3870
Drew has been offering programs in the schools for twenty plus years. He does a variety of presentations including the reading advocacy shows: "Red Hot Reading", and "Reading Magic", designed for elementary school grades with the emphasis on grades 1 through 6. new in 2005 to his repertoire is an anti-bullying presentation featuring slides, overheads, or power point visuals combined with a participative lecture which also incorporates some magic illusions, clowning and/or story telling. This presentation has been tested in racially integrated schools as well as in first nation's reservation schools at the elementary and secondary levels and also in presentations for adult workers in the schools, social system and health care workers, and interested elders within the aboriginal communities of some far northern reserves in Northwestern Ontario.
Drew has also done presentations for teachers, principals and school board supervisory staff with his workshops: "Humour as a Stress Reliever", "Humour as a Teaching Tool", and "Magic as a Teaching Tool". He has also appeared as a guest lecturer for theatre arts classes at the secondary school level and in the private sector, touching upon performance skills, makeup and special effects, clowning skills and sound and lighting techniques.Drew performs as Bingo T. Clown or Mr. Andrew THE Magician, and, as well as the above mentioned theme shows and workshops, he also offers general assembly and outdoor field day entertainment shows custom tailored to the clients' needs.
Heather McLeod
Booking #: (807)768-7885
Email: heather.bellamuse@gmail.com
Heather McLeod is familiar to CBC radio listeners as co-host of Northwestern Ontario's current affaires and cultural program Voyage North. She launched her writing career upon leaving the CBC with Kiss Me! (I'm a Prince!). The saucy children's book (published internationally by Fitzhenry & Whiteside) is enjoying great success. Pre-dating both of these careers is Heather's music. She has been composing, performing and recording music since her teen years with three CDs of her own songs, three of jazz standards and a handful of film scores to her credit, not to mention thousands of performances across Canada and the United States.
Heather brings inspirational joy and great animation and listening skills to her work with kids. From storytelling to song writing and performance, she engages the most reluctant learners.
Debbie Metzler
Tel: (807)623-6143
Email: debonair@tbaytel.net
Debbie is a visual artist, writer and art educator (BEd) with over thirty years experience teaching art and writing in public schools, galleries and for community groups such as the Canadian Cancer Society. She is a published author, mentor and an active participant in the writing community. She is comfortable teaching creative people of all ages and abilities, and she has a keen interest in environmental issues and the healing aspects of creativity.
Jean E. Pendziwol
Tel: (807)473-4569
Email: pendzi@tbaytel.net
Jean E. Pendziwol is the author of seven books for children including the critically acclaimed "No Dragons for Tea: Fire Safety for Kids (and Dragons)" (Kids Can Press 1999, illus. Martine Gourbault) which has been translated into five languages, and "Marja's Skis" (Groundwood Books, Douglas and MacIntyre, 2007, illus. Jirina Marton). which was shortlisted for the 2007 Governor General's Awards. Using both written and oral language, she likes to explore the lements of story. Workshop opportunities include presentations on the development of a story from creation to completion and all elements in between; presentations on Fire Safety, Water Safety, Stranger Safety and Bullying (for primary grades); how to use the tools of the trade to enhance narrative writing, and a variety of creative writing exercises. "The Red Sash" which was released in the fall of 2005, provides a great starting point for learning about fur trade history and Fort William. Jean E. can also work with educators to develop a program suited to specific needs.
Ruby Slipperjack
Tel: (807)343-8424
Fax: (807)343-8023
Email: ruby.farrell@lakeheadu.ca
Ruby loves to write for young audiences and her stories revolve around First Nations people of Northwestern Ontario. Ruby will give presentations on writing, publishing and literature to students in Thunder Bay Schools.
Bonnie H.
Tittaferrante
Tel:
622-0904
Email: bonnieheather@tbaytel.net
Website: http://my.tbaytel.net/bonnieheather/index.htm
Bonnie Tittaferrante is a professional author located in Thunder Bay. She has published articles, stories, poems and a YA Book. Her Young Authors Group won Scholastic’s “Create a Book Contest”. Bonnie wrote a humour column for the Chronicle Journal for 3 years. She has been published on CBC Online. She has also spent 33 years as a public school teacher and teacher-librarian.
