With the deadline for submissions for the students awards set at May 15, 2023, we're trying to reach as many Ontario students as possible. The Snapchat campaign starts on March 6 and ends on April 14. Here are the two ads that will be displayed; the first was prepared by David Mallinson, and the second by Heather Price-Jones.
March 4, 2023
Submissions for the 2023 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour are now closed unless your book submission package was in the mail and postmarked prior to midnight on December 31, 2022. As of the deadline date, we are expecting the final count of submissions to be 72. However, we have still to receive and/or process the packages of books for a number of submissions, so the final entry list is not yet complete.
January 2, 2022
The Board of Stephen Leacock Associates will hold its annual general meeting on Sunday, November 13, 2022 using the Zoom online meeting software. Members of Stephen Leacock Associates and members of the public are welcome to attend the AGM, the public session of which will commence at 3 p.m. Anyone wishing to attend the meeting should contact the Associates at pr@leacock.ca to register no later than noon on Friday, November 11, 2022. Registrants will be emailed the link to the meeting and instructions on how to use Zoom.
October 14, 2022
At the Leacock Gala Award Dinner hosted by CBC personality Ali Hassan on a warm evening on Saturday, September 17th, Rick Mercer was announced the winner of the 2022 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour for his memoir Talking to Canadians, published by Doubleday Canada. In an acceptance speech to around 230 attendees, Rick lived up to his reputation with a hilarious account of an encounter with a pigeon following a visit to the dentist; it succeeded in elicitating immoderate laughter from his audience. Rick beat out the other two shortlisted authors, fellow Newfoundlander Mark Critch and Saskatchewan Cree author Dawn Dumont, for the prize.
The weekend started the previous evening with a "Meet the Authors" and Student Showcase event hosted by author Terry Fallis on a very cool evening in a tent on the lawn of the Leacock Museum and Historical Site. Despite the cold, attendees were treated to humorous essays read by the winners of the student competitions of 2021 and 2022, namely Vincenzo Fracassi, Bethany Robert, Cais Harbridge, Amy Ghobrial and George Vanderlaan. This was followed by amusing readings or commentaries by the Medal shortlisted authors for 2020, 2021 and 2022, Heidi Jacobs, Drew Hayden Taylor, Joe Kertes, and Morgan Murray, then by an entertaining question and answer session with a panel of authors having questions fired at them by Associates treasurer Josh Milligan and the audience.
In the coming days, photos of all the events that took place on the weekend will appear on our Photo Gallery page.
(Photo: Orillia Matters)
September 19, 2022
The countdown to our Gala Weekend has started! Top entertainers Mark Critch and Rick Mercer will be attending the Gala Dinner at which the winner of this year's Leacock Medal will be announced. Ali Hassan will be the emcee. Many past winners and shortlisted authors will also be in attendance at this entertaining event. See how many you can identify in the photos below.
September 1, 2022
We have only just been made aware of a situation with Dawn Dumont, one of the finalists for the Leacock Medal, and have added this statement to our shortlist press release today:
While the Leacock Associates are happy and proud to include Dawn Dumont as one of the finalists for the Leacock Medal in 2022, we are extremely concerned for the current safety of Ms. Dumont, who also goes by the name Dawn Walker. She and her son Vincent have been missing in Saskatchewan since July 22. Saskatoon police and the RCMP continue their on-going investigation.
August 3, 2022
UPDATE: We are glad and relieved to hear that Dawn and her son have been found safe in Oregon today.
August 5, 2022
ORILLIA, Ont. — The president and board of directors of Stephen Leacock Associates are pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2022 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. In the running for the medal and $25,000 prize are, in alphabetical order by author surname:
· Mark Critch, An Embarassment of Critch’s (Viking Canada)
MARK CRITCH is one of the most recognizable faces in Canadian comedy and he has won multiple awards for both writing and performance. For fourteen years, he has starred on CBC's flagship show, This Hour Has 22 Minutes. As an anchor and “roving reporter,” he has brought celebrities and politicians to Canadian living rooms across the nation. He is the host of CBC’s Halifax Comedy Festival and has written for and appeared in CBC’s world-renowned Just for Laughs series.
· Dawn Dumont, The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour (Freehand Books)
DAWN DUMONT is from the Okanese Cree Nation, located in southern Saskatchewan. She is the award-winning writer of Nobody Cries at Bingo, Rose’s Run and Glass Beads. Dawn is a keynote speaker, comedian and humourist for Eaglefeather News and the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.
· Rick Mercer, Talking to Canadians (Doubleday Canada)
RICK MERCER co-created and performed on CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes, created and starred in Made in Canada, and created and starred in Talking to Americans, the most-watched comedy special in Canadian television history. He went on to host the hugely successful Rick Mercer Report for 15 seasons. Rick was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2014 for his work with charitable causes and “his ability to inspire and challenge Canadians through humour.” In 2019, he received a Governor General’s Performing Arts Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award. He is from Middle Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Books selected for the Stephen Leacock medal must be not only humorous but also well-written, showing style and depth. The three finalists this year meet those criteria without question,” said Leacock Associates president Michael Hill. “Our panel of judges has selected three outstanding books from seventy-eight entries. It will be exciting to see which one was determined to be the most humorous of the year.
The winner will be announced on Saturday, September 17, 2022, at the Leacock Medal Gala Dinner where the three 2022 finalists will join the shortlisted authors from 2020 and 2021 for celebrations that have been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year is the 75th anniversary of the Leacock Medal, and many former winners will also be attending. Tickets for this memorable event and for the “Meet the Authors” and Student Showcase event the previous evening are available for purchase online at www.leacock.ca/gala.php.
The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour awards are generously sponsored by the Dunkley Charitable Foundation.
For more information about Stephen Leacock Associates, please visit the website at www.leacock.ca.
August 3, 2022
The Stephen Leacock Associates are pleased to announce the winners of their
2022 Student Humorous Short Story Competition.
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First Place: |
Second Place: "Nothing Ever Changes in Fairy Tale Forest” Written by George Vanderlaan, H. B. Beal Secondary.School, London. |
Third Place: |
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The winners will receive $1,000 (first place), $700 (second place) and $300 (third place).
Stephen Leacock Associates congratulates all the winners and finalists. The judges were certainly challenged this year. All entrants are encouraged to participate in this worthwhile competition next year.
At the "Meet the Authors" event on September 16th, the winners will receive their awards and will read parts of their essays.
June 16, 2022
As of today, tickets are available for the events of the 75th Anniversary Gala Weekend that takes place September 16 and 17, 2022.
We are delighted to welcome two well-known humourists to act as emcees:
Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Leacock Medal, will host the "Meet the Authors" and Student Showcase evening, on Friday, September 16 at 7 p.m.
Ali Hassan, host of CBC's "Laugh Out Loud" and "Canada Reads", will host the Leacock Medal Award Gala Dinner, Saturday, September 17 at 5 p.m.
Details about these events can be found on our Gala Weekend page, where you may also purchase tickets. This year, all tickets will be sold online. Anyone needing assistance may visit the Leacock Museum, 50 Museum Drive, Orillia or phone 705-329-1908, where staff will provide help.
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June 15, 2022
The Stephen Leacock Associates are pleased to announce the 2022 long list for the annual Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour. Celebrating 75 years since its inception, this annual award recognizes excellence in Canadian literary humour. Past winners have included Terry Fallis, Will Ferguson, W.O.Mitchell, Stuart McLean and Mordecai Richler. Board President Michael Hill thanks the national panel of judges and a committee of local readers for their thoughtful recommendations with this “long list”. He also thanks the authors for their submissions, and commends them on the quality of their writing.
The three finalists for the award will be named on Monday, August 15, 2022, with the medal winner being announced on Saturday, September 17, 2022 at the Leacock Medal Award Gala Dinner.
The long list for the 2022 Leacock Medal can be viewed here,
June 1, 2022
The deadline for the student award competition has been extended by a whole month. Originally, entries had to be submitted by April 15, 2022, but the new deadline is now May 15, 2022. This is a great opportunity for students between the ages of 14 and 19 to win some money for their college or university education (or for any other purpose!) Start writing now! See the details on our Student Award page.
April 15, 2022
The Stephen Leacock Associates has certainly appreciated your support over the past year!
And the Associates would appreciate your continuing support if you decide to continue as a member - another trip around the Sun, as they say - at just $10.00 (single), $20.00 (dual), or the very efficient $100.00 Life category.
We make this suggestion because our membership 'marker' date is fast approaching: April 1 (yes, THAT day!).
But you wouldn't be a fool for signing on again. As we emerge from our two years' pandemic, we again can get together in person at our annual Gala weekend of September 17, 2022.
The grounds of the national historic Stephen Leacock Home will be the scene of our events over three days. Events may be at no charge, or individually priced to defray costs. You will be the first to know when tickets become available for the Gala Award Dinner on Saturday.
You will be able to meet friends old and new over dinner, celebrate the awarding of our 75th silver medal and accompanying $25,000.00 cash award offered by our new sponsor, the Dunkley Charitable Foundation.
The writing efforts of our youth will be recognised too, as top stories are presented at the Friday evening salon, and the authors of the top student stories receive their awards.
Have the satisfaction of encouraging award-winning Canadian writers! I look forward to seeing you at these events.
Jim Harris, Chair: Membership
To renew, simply click on this link: https://leacock.ca/renew.php
March 6, 2022
We have launched a Snapchat advertising campaign to run from January 18th to February 18th to advertise the Student Humorous Essay competition for Ontario students from the ages of 14 to 19. The deadline for submissions is April 15, 2022, and winners will be announced on May 15th. More details are given on our student awards page. At the same time, we emailed as many Ontario high schools as possible. Results from the campaign so far have been encouraging, as visits to the student awards have increased in January.
The ad is shown on the right.
February 1, 2022
The final list of entries for the 2022 Leacock Medal includes 78 books. Click here to see details of the books and authors. If you want a copy of the list in PDF format, click here. Our judges will now have the pleasure of reading them all and selecting the long list which will be published on Wednesday, June 1, 2022.
January 31, 2022
Yes, our website looks different! We have opted for a fresher, less-cluttered and more modern look. The changes are merely cosmetic; all the information is still here, and is accessible in the same way as before.
January 14, 2022
Submissions for the 2022 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour are now closed unless your book submission package was in the mail and postmarked prior to midnight on December 31, 2021. As of the deadline date, 78 submissions have been received on-line. However, we have still to receive and/or process the packages of books for 15 submissions, so the final entry list is not yet complete.
January 2, 2022
The donors listed below each contributed $100 or more to our August/September/October on-line fundraising campaign in 2020. We are very grateful to all of you (including people who donated lesser amounts) for your support of the Leacock medal.
| Anonymous | Ramara, ON |
| Richard Eedy | St. Mary's, ON |
| Jonathon Tait | Barrie, ON |
| Lesley Holland | Toronto, ON |
| Christina Perry | Conception Bay South, NL |
| Valerie McDonald | Toronto, ON |
| Kit Dobson | Calgary, AB |
| Anonymous | Bracebridge, ON |
| Margaret Atwood | Toronto, ON |
| Leslie Dobson | Orillia, ON |
| John Frankel | Toronto, ON |
| Derek Ford | Orillia, ON |
| David Wimsett | Kentville, NS |
| Sheila Burvill | Ottawa, ON |
| Anonymous | Dunrobin, ON |
| Anonymous | London, ON |
| David Eastaugh | Toronto, ON |
| Karla Tremblay | Toronto, ON |
| Verla Hall | Orillia, ON |
| Peter Babiak | Vancouver, BC |
| Anonymous | Toronto, ON |
| Nickle Family Foundation | Calgary, AB |
| Dick and Wendy Johnston | Orillia, ON |
| William Greenizan | Toronto, ON |
| Ted Tiffany | Midland, ON |
| Steve Skurka | Toronto, ON |
| Mary Lou Fallis | Port Hope, ON |
| Michael Mallinson | Toronto, ON |
| June Maresca | Markham, ON |
| Gilbert Storey | Richmond Hill, ON |
| Joan Dejesus | Georgetown, ON |
| R Bruce MacKeen | Guysborough, NS |
| Mauer Chiarello | Toronto, ON |
| Melanie Hazell | Toronto, ON |
| Peter Nosalik | Waterloo, ON |
| Anonymous | Toronto, ON |
| Graham Yeates | Kitchener, ON |
| Edwin and Margaret Johnson | London, ON |
| Susan Grant | Orillia, ON |
| Anonymous | Hafford, SK |
| Grant Dickson | Toronto,ON |
| Donnajean Jefferies | Orillia, ON |
| Anonymous | Calgary, AB |
| Barbara Bissonette | Washago, ON |
| Richard (Dick) Bourgeois-Doyle | OTTAWA, ON |
| Drew Taylor | Curve Lake, ON |
| Douglas Gibson | Toronto, ON |
| Lynn Murray and Bob Gauldie | Orillia, ON |
| Anonymous | Windsor, ON |
| Marion Reidel | Guelph, ON |
| Andrew Lam | Toronto, ON |
| Daniel Byers | Orillia, ON |
| Anne Kallin | Orillia, ON |
| Joe and Pat Dell'Aquila | Cambridge, ON |
| Judy Millar | Calgary, AB |
| Derek Ford | Orillia, ON |
| William Tweed | Toronto, ON |
| Anonymous | Vancouver, BC |
| Terry Toews | Swift Current, SK |
| Marian Robinson | North Bay, ON |
| Anonymous | Eston, SK |
| Beverley Slopen | Toronto, ON |
| Caged Element Inc. | Etobicoke, ON |
| Karleen Bradford | Orillia, ON |
| Anonymous | Bristol, UK |
| Janie Chang | Vancouver, BC |
| Sandra Thomson | Nanaimo, BC |
| Lynda Simmons | Burlington, ON |
| Christopher Cameron | Campbellford, ON |
| Christine Barbetta | Toronto, ON |
| Peggy Bereza | Victoria, BC |
| Vivian Carter | Unionville, ON |
| Kenneth Drope | Keswick, ON |
| Wendy and Fred Fallis | Coldwater, ON |
| Elsa Lam | Toronto, ON |
| Susan Juby | Nanaimo, BC |
| Anonymous | Orillia, ON |
| Doris McLean | Orillia, ON |
| William Deverell | Pender Island, BC |
| Jodie Schaefer | Barrie, ON |
| Mark Lefebvre | Waterloo, ON |
| Jay Fallis | Orillia, ON |
| Terry Fallis | Toronto, ON |
| Words Indeed Publishing | Toronto, ON |
| Sue Mallinson | Orillia, ON |
| David Mallinson | Orillia, ON |
