From September 21 to December 14, 2009, Heather is offering a 12-week course called "Creative Writing Fundamentals" on Monday evenings at Georgian College in Barrie. For more details please go to the website www.choosegeorgian.ca/continuing-education and search the "Liberal Arts" courses.
On Saturday November 7, 2009, Heather is offering a one-day seminar called "Writing for Children" at Georgian College in Barrie. For more details please go to the website www.choosegeorgian.ca/continuing-education and search the "Liberal Arts" courses.
On Monday June 1, 2009, Heather and six other writers from Simcoe County sold their books all day long at the entrance to the cafeteria of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie. The writers were raising money for the RVH Auxiliary.
On Tuesday November 11, 2008, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Canadian author, Mazo de la Roche (1879-1961), best known for her series of 16 award-winning, world-famous novels about the fictional Whiteoak family. The Whiteoaks live for a century on an estate somewhere in southern Ontario called “Jalna.” Heather’s talk, which took place at the Aurora Public Library in Aurora, Ontario, was part of the National Public Readings Program sponsored by the Writers’ Union of Canada and the Canada Council. The maternal grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather of Mazo de la Roche lived on a large farm within the boundaries of today’s Aurora. This farm closely resembled Jalna.
On Tuesday November 4, 2008, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche. The talk, which took place at the Elman W. Campbell Museum in Newmarket, Ontario, was part of the National Public Readings Program sponsored by the Writers’ Union of Canada and the Canada Council. Mazo de la Roche was born in Newmarket.
On Tuesday October 7, 2008, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche. The talk took place at the Peter Gzowski branch of the Georgina Public Library in Sutton West, Ontario. Mazo de la Roche is buried in Georgina in the graveyard of St. George’s Anglican Church on the south shore of Lake Simcoe near Sibbald Point Provincial Park.
On Monday evenings from September 14 to December 8, 2008, Heather gave a twelve-week course on creative writing at the Barrie campus of Georgian College.This course was offered by the Part-Time Studies department of the college.
On Monday June 2, 2008, Heather and a number of other Simcoe County writers, sold books and poems from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the entrance to the cafeteria of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie, Ontario. The writers were raising money for the RVH Auxiliary.
On Wednesday May 28, 2008, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche to the Stroud Book Club at the Stroud branch of the Innisfil Public Library in Innisfil, Ontario. Mazo de la Roche and her cousin and life-long companion, Caroline Clement, had many relatives in Innisfil and frequently vacationed there during the summer from youth until mid-life. Like Grandfather Whiteoak in the Jalna books, Caroline’s Grandfather Clement owned 1,000 acres of land. Like the Whiteoaks, the Clements had a proud tradition of service in the British army.
On Wednesday May 21, 2008, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche to the Orillia Historical Society in Orillia, Ontario. Mazo de la Roche spent at least four years of her childhood in Orillia.
On Saturday April 12, 2008, the Government of Canada officially declared Mazo de la Roche a person of “national historic significance.” At the same time the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada unveiled a plaque commemorating de la Roche at Benares Historical House in Mississauga, Ontario. Benares has long been considered an important inspiration for the fictional home of the Whiteoaks. For more information about the unveiling ceremony please see the website of the Mazo de la Roche Society at www.mazo.ca.
On Tuesday March 18, 2008, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche to the Simcoe County Historical Association in Barrie, Ontario.
In November 2007, Heather’s second book about Mazo de la Roche was published by Tecumseh Press of Ottawa, Ontario. This book was titled, Who Were the Whiteoaks and Where Was Jalna?
Tecumseh is an imprint of Borealis Book Publishers, which specializes in Canadian literature.
On Saturday October 20, 2007, Heather gave a one-day seminar on writing for children at the Barrie campus of Georgian College. This seminar was offered by the Part-Time Studies department of the college.
On Tuesday October 16, 2007, Heather was the local author featured at the annual Authors’ Reading evening sponsored by the Gryphon Theatre Guild of Barrie, Ontario. Two well-known writers were the main attractions: Karolyn Smardz Frost, author of I’ve Got a Home in Glory Land, and William Stevenson, author of Spymistress. This event took place at the MacLaren Art Centre in Barrie. A few weeks later, I’ve Got a Home in Glory Land won the 2007 Governor General’s Award for nonfiction. (Congratulations to Karolyn Smardz Frost!)
In May 2007, Heather was a reader for the eleventh annual Writing for Children Competition sponsored by the Writers’ Union of Canada.
On Thursday April 26, 2007, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche at the Barrie Public Library at 60 Worsley Street in Barrie, Ontario.
On Monday April 23, 2007, Heather and several other local authors sold their books and poems at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie, Ontario to raise money for the RVH Auxiliary.
On Thursday April 12, 2007, Heather attended the “80th Anniversary Dinner” in Mississauga, Ontario. This dinner, sponsored by the Mazo de la Roche Society, marked the 80th anniversary of Mazo de la Roche’s winning the Atlantic Little Brown competition with her novel, Jalna.
On Tuesday March 20, 2007, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche at the Orillia Public Library in Orillia, Ontario.
On Sunday March 18, 2007, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche to the King Township Historical Society. This event took place in the King Township Museum in King City, Ontario.
On Friday February 2, 2007, Heather signed copies of her book, Mazo de la Roche: Rich and Famous Writer, at the Ontario Library Association conference at the Metro Convention Centre in Toronto.
On Saturday January 20, 2007, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche to the Innisfil Historical Society. The event took place in the Churchill Community Hall in Churchill, Ontario. Just a few metres from the Hall is St. Peter’s Anglican Church. In the graveyard of St. Peter’s are buried the mutual grandparents of Mazo de la Roche and Caroline Clement: Hiram and Caroline Willson. The Willsons provided many characteristics of the fictional Vaughan family in the Jalna novels.
On Sunday December 17, 2006, Heather signed copies of her book, Mazo de la Roche: Rich and Famous Writer, at Benares Historical House in Mississauga, Ontario. Benares is a museum partly dedicated to Mazo de la Roche.
On Wednesday November 15, 2006, Heather gave an illustrated talk on Mazo de la Roche to the Aurora Historical Society at Hillary House in Aurora, Ontario. Hillary House is a national historic site.
On Thursday October 5, 2006, Heather signed copies of her newly published book, Mazo de la Roche: Rich and Famous Writer at the Chapters store in Barrie, Ontario. Heather’s 200-page biography of de la Roche was part of the “Quest” series of biographies brought out by XYZ Publishing of Montreal which has since been bought out by the Dundurn Group of Toronto.
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