Close
friends, colleagues and
supporters of Stephen Leacock
were the original members of the
Leacock Associates (originally
the Stephen Leacock Memorial
Committee) when it was formed in
1946 under the guidance of
Packet Editor, C. H. Hale.
Membership was Orillia-based,
but quickly spread through North
America and England.
The
Association had three immediate
objectives: to set up a
collection in the Orillia Public
Library of books, letters and
personal items relating to the
life and works of Stephen Leacock; to commission a bronze
bust of Leacock by Elizabeth Wyn
Wood, a famous Canadian sculptor
and native of Orillia; and most
notably to establish a memorial
Medal to be awarded annually for
the best book of humour written
in the previous year by a
Canadian,
Among the
early supporters of the Leacock
Associates were: B. K. Sandwell,
publisher of Saturday Night
magazine and one-time student of
Leacock at Upper Canada College;
William Arthur Deacon, president
of the Canadian Authors'
Association; Thomas B. Costain,
Canadian historian and novelist;
and economist, Eugene Forsey.
Paul Copeland,
Q.C. was the first President of
the Leacock Memorial Committee
with an executive that included
John Drinkwater, W. O. Tudhope,
Maude Ardagh, Marg Tudhope,
Geoff Beament and chief
librarian of the Orillia Public
Library, Mary Sheridan.
As
contributions arrived from
supporters and admirers,
sculptor Emmanual Hahn, another
Orillia resident, designed the
Leacock Memorial Medal. The
first recipient was Harry Symons
for his book, Ojibway Melody.
The award was presented at a
dinner in Orillia, June 1947.
Elizabeth Wyn Wood's bronze bust
of Leacock was completed in 1951
and was unveiled by Premier of
Ontario, Leslie Frost. The
sculpture is displayed in the
Orillia Public Library, where
one may also find a collection
of Leacock's books. Thus by
1951, all three immediate
objectives had been reached.
The Stephen
Leacock Memorial Medal has been
awarded every year since 1947,
with the exception of 1959. The
number of entries has grown
until, in 1998, a total of
fifty-five books were put
forward for consideration. A
panel of Judges is appointed
from across Canada by a
committee of the Associates'
Board of Directors. Publishers
and writers across Canada await
the announcement of the winner
each year. A short list of five
books is published in March and
the winning book is announced in
April. The Medal and cash award
is presented at the Award Dinner
held in late May or early June,
in Orillia. The award has
attained an international
reputation and is the only award
of its kind for Canadian humour.
Cash prizes to
accompany the medal were offered
beginning in the year 1970 in
turn by the Manulife Insurance
Company ($1,000) and by the
Hudson's Bay Company ($1,500). In
1984, J. P. Wiser Distillers
offered the J. P. Wiser cash
award of $3,500 and in 1994, the
Manulife Bank of Canada took
over, offering a cash award of $5,000. In 1995, the Laurentian
Bank of Canada became the award
sponsor maintaining the cash
award of $5,000 to the winner.
This was increased to $10,000 for the year 2002. In 2004 the
Laurentian Bank was purchased by Toronto Dominion, and the T.D.
Financial Group took over sponsorship of the $10,000 cash award.
In 1969, to
mark the centenary of Leacock's
birth, the Associates
established a publication called
The Newspacket. It was
originally published as a
quarterly newsletter, now it is
published three times a year,
January, May and September,
serving not only as a vehicle of
communication for Associates and
Leacock fans around the world,
but as a showcase for writers of humour.
In 1977, the
Board formed a committee to
administer a Student Award for
Humour to encourage young
writers. The committee sponsored
an annual writing competition
among secondary school students
in Simcoe County. This
competition was withdrawn in
1993. A successful revival of
this competition took place in
the fall of 2000 with two
categories offered - Secondary
Schools and Community Colleges.
The winners were honoured at the
June 2001 Award Dinner.
The Board of
Directors of the Stephen Leacock
Associates and the Board of
Directors of the Stephen Leacock
Museum work in close cooperation
to promote the legacy of Stephen
Leacock and Canadian Humour.
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Description of the
Stephen Leacock
Memorial Medal
The medal, cast in silver and designed by Canadian
sculptor Emmauel Hahn, is two inches (5cm) in diameter and approximately
one eighth of an an inch (.25cm) thick. It weights 3 1/8 ounces.
On the obverse is a profile of Stephen Leacock's head
with the dates of his life span (1869 - 1944) beside it. The words Stephen
Leacock Memorial Medal Founded 1946 are worked around the perimeter
The reverse side features the words Orillia - The
Sunshine Town - Award for Canadian Humour. A jolly face represents the
sun resting on waves and the latitude and longitude of Orillia appear in
small figures at the top. Two small fish swim beneath the waves and two
large mosquitoes are depicted - one on the sun, the other in the water.
Below the design there is room for the winner's name and date to be
inscribed and a small maple leaf.
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