Free Poetry Workshops

Did you know that April is National Poetry Month?

Established in Canada in 1998, National Poetry Month strives to increase awareness and appreciation of poetry and the important role it plays in our culture.

Poetry is celebrated in Wood Buffalo through the annual Words in Motion program. Residents of all ages- whether they are a student, a professional writer, or a novice wordsmith- are encouraged to submit their poetry. You can learn more about Words in Motion at www.rmwb.ca/wordsinmotion 

The deadline to submit your poetry is February 3, 2017. Once the program closes, an external panel of judges will select the poems to be displayed in Wood Buffalo Transit buses and on the Municipal website. Authors of the selected poems will be invited to participate in a celebration event at the Wood Buffalo Regional Library in April.

To help get your creative juices flowing, Dr. Ryan Cox of Keyano College will be facilitating two poetry workshops on January 10th (for adults) and January 18th (for ages 13-18) at the Wood Buffalo Regional Library. Attendance is free of charge! Be sure to register your spot here.

Happy Writing!

Relaxation During the Hustle and Bustle

The holiday season can be so busy, you may get caught up in the bustle and bustle.  It is important to take time for yourself so you don’t feel overwhelmed.  Enjoy the small things.

Put together a holiday playlist with some of your favourite tunes.  Music is a great way to help you relax. A quote by Plato really captures the power of music, “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, and life to everything.”  Take time to enjoy some music over the holidays.

Maybe a family colouring night is in the books this year.  Colouring is a great way to de-stress and bring out your creativity.  There are colouring books in numerous styles, making it easier to find one that suits each member of the family.  As well, there are many sites which offer free printable pages such as: http://www.crayola.ca/free-coloring-pages/ ; http://www.supercoloring.com/ ; and http://www.canadianfamily.ca/colouring-pages/ .  Dig out some pencil crayons, crayons or markers and have some fun colouring!

It might be a good time to start reading a new book.  Reading a well-written book can help by taking you away from the busyness of life.  According to Readers Digest, the following are the best new books for December 2016: 

• 99: Stories of the Game by Wayne Gretzky
• Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
• Canada by Mike Myers
• The Whistler by John Grisham
• Appetites by Anthony Bourdain
• A Game of Thrones: The Illustrated Edition by George R. R. Martin
• Live by Night by Dennis Lehane
• Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham
• Cooking for Jeffrey by Ina Garten
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling.  

You can find a brief description of each novel here. If one of these sparks your interest, why not visit the Wood Buffalo Regional Library and check one out? For those exceptionally cold nights, reading is a great way to pass the time! 

Find some time to relax.  Enjoy the festive lights. Reward yourself with time just for you.

Community Calendars

September is the most exciting month for anyone with a passion for stationary and office supplies (some adults are just as passionate about those “back-to-school” sales as the students are) .  However, December presents another opportunity for anyone that craves the freshness of crisp blank pages and the excitement of selecting design: buying a new calendar for the year ahead.

As you start to fill your calendar with appointments and meetings, you could consider looking ahead at local events to ensure you don’t miss anything in the months ahead!

There are a few local organizations that provide lists of upcoming community events.  

Arts Council Wood Buffalo: http://www.artscouncilwb.ca/calendar/
This is a listing of events within the arts community, and is colour coded by discipline (ie; performing arts, literary arts, etc)

McMurray All Connected: http://mcmurrayallconnected.ca/calendar/
This community calendar includes a variety of broad, searchable categories (ie; business, seniors, etc)

The Hub: http://www.thehubfrc.ca/index.php/hub-calendar
Have little ones?  Keep them busy all year by finding out what events are taking place at The Hub!

Wood Buffalo Regional Library: http://wbrl.ca/events
The library is not just for books anymore!  Library events include ESL Conversation and craft classes – all free of charge!

RMWB Community Calendar: http://www.rmwb.ca/living/Events-and-Festivals/Community-Calendar.htm#/?i=1

Fort McMurray Tourism: http://www.fortmcmurraytourism.com/things-to-do/events
A wide variety of events are listed in this calendar, along with website links.

Community Photo Archive

The Wood Buffalo Regional Library is currently showcasing a collection of McMurray Metis photos and videos as part of a Community Photo Archive. The photos are on display on the 2^nd floor of the Library until January 5, 2016.

The Library interviewed 14 residents, including honoured Elders, and gathered hundreds of photos and many hours of video footage for the project.

Everyone is encouraged to take a look, explore our Region’s history and learn more about the Metis!

Photo courtesy of the Wood Buffalo Regional Library

Celebrating Family Literacy Month

October 2015 Activities

Reading is important! It exercises our mind, it’s one of the building blocks of life, helps us discover new things, improves our concentration, relaxes the body, and calms the mind. So many reasons to bring your family to one of the many October activities celebrating Family Literacy Month in the Wood Buffalo Region.

Family Literacy Month Kickoff

October 1, 2015

McMurray Experience 10am-11:00am

Join us as we kick off the month of literacy. Bring your wee ones for a “theatrical” reading of favorite Imagination Library books. Snacks and drinks are provided.

Jacqueline Guest Reading

Oct 20, 2015

Wood Buffalo Regional Library, 7-8:30pm

Jacqueline Guest is a celebrated Canadian youth and children’s storyteller. Many of her award

winning books have main characters of ethnic

backgrounds including First Nations, Inuit or Metis. If you’ve read her books you’ll agree she brings

magic and immense awe. If you haven’t had a chance to read Jacqueline’s books then take this

opportunity and be prepared to be drawn into her storytelling. Bring your Jaqueline Guest books or

pick up one of her new ones she will be available for signing.

Rural School Author Tour

October 20-22, 2015 Various Locations

Students and staff at elementary schools in the rural schools in Wood Buffalo will be enjoying magical and adventurous storytelling by our local author, Sheila Chartrand, and celebrated Canadian youth and children’s storyteller, Jacqueline Guest. They will travel to schools in Fort McKay, Anzac, Conklin, Janvier, and Fort Chipewyan to share their talents and stories, entertain, and inspire young ones to read and perhaps even begin writing.

Youth Writers Workshop

October 22, 2015 Red Poll Centre 6-9pm

Fee: $15/$20 snacks provided Register at

ch-youthwriter.eventbrite.ca

Charlene Hammond will teach your budding youth author how to bring stories to life. The workshop will help writers learn the process of writing from start to finish. For more info please contact

info@artscouncilwb.ca

Authors Success Program

October 24, 2015

Shell Place Diamond Ball Room

Fee: $40/$50 Lunch is provided Register at

ch-youthwriter.eventbrite.ca

Charlene Hammond will help you master the tools to launch or re-launch your book and sell the work, create a global presence, secure media and much more! For more info please contact

info@artscouncilwb.ca

Family Book Swap

October 31st

Wood Buffalo Regional Library 12:30-4:30pm

Come in costume and fill your bags and treats.

Exchange and share your favorite adults and

children’s books. Let’s spread the love of reading.

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