Editor: For close to two decades, Project Bookmark Canada has been creating a literary trail across Canada. The trail is marked by bookmarks (plaques) highlighting a poem or passage from fiction installed in the location the writer imagined when writing the words.
I am delighted the trail has extended to Southwestern Ontario.
How appropriate that the first bookmark in Southwestern Ontario celebrates its most famous writer, Robertson Davies, who was born in Thamesville. A passage from his novel Fifth Business now has a permanent home on the bookmark in Thamesville, named Deptford in his novel.
How did this bookmark happen? Our board member Carolyn Beacroft suggested the specific passage and location. When she told people about the project, they enthusiastically embraced it.
I would call Chatham-Kent an ideal host. They enthusiastically embraced the goal of Project Bookmark Canada, recognizing that celebrating our writers is very important. People here share a great sense of community where people join together in a common cause!
They certainly did that for the Davies’ bookmark. This community has been supportive in every way. And the community has been generous financially. Thanks to the Municipality of Chatham- Kent, the Chatham-Kent Community Foundation and so many people who made personal donations. Together, you made this happen!
The unveiling event was well-attended with a crowd of about 60 people. We were delighted that Mayor Darrin Canniff; Coun. Morena McDonald; chief librarian Heidi Wyna; and Chris Pegg, executive director of the Chatham-Kent Community Foundation, took time from their busy schedules to participate in the event.
Davies, whose first love was the theatre, would have been pleased that Theatre Kent actor Keith Burnett read the Bookmarked passage as well as the wonderful tributes to Davies from writers Terry Fallis and John Irving as well as from Davies’ editor Doug Gibson.
Thanks to Thamesville Tim Horton’s for donating coffee and to TekSavvy for supplying the tent (in case of rain, but nature supplied a sunny day!). We called on Bent Tin Bakery for refreshments and Impact Graphics and Design for the installation. All local businesses did a great job! Isaac Meriano of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent captured the event in photos. Indeed a community project!
Our small group of volunteers is ready to add another milestone to the trail. We will celebrate local writer Lori Lansens with a bookmark highlighting her novel The Girls. Lori will be the first woman writer in Southwestern Ontario to be honoured with a bookmark.
Please join us on Nov. 18 at 1:30 p.m. at the Chatham Public Library. Lori will be present for this event. You may be lucky to win a copy of her novel, donations by Penguin Random House. I am sure Lori will sign your copy.
Finally, we welcome donations to this bookmark. To make a donation, check out the website www.projectbookmarkcanada.ca
Hughena Matheson
President of the board of directors
Project Bookmark Canada
