Popular Children’s Author Delights Students in Labrador

Twenty years ago, bestselling children’s author Robert Munsch and his son made a visit to the Town of Rigolet in northern Labrador.

He visited the school, rode a snowmobile, and went ice fishing with Roger Shiwak and his daughter Cheryl. While he didn’t catch a fish, the master narrator did turn his adventure into a storybook which, two decades later, was instrumental in bringing Mr. Munsch back to Labrador last week.

In the fall of 2010, Scholastic Canada decided to hold a contest to celebrate Munsch's 30th book published by that company. They asked fans to help decide which of three possible books would be published. The three stories were set in Fort MacMurray, Alberta, Brussels, Ontario, and Rigolet. The battle was on, and by the time the online voting was over, the story set in Rigolet, Give Me Back My Dad, was the clear winner with 170,000 votes.

The contest prize was the promise of a personal visit from Mr. Munsch, who would visit the community where the book was set to celebrate its launch.

This past Friday, Mr. Munsch was at Northern Lights Academy in Rigolet to make good on that promise. He also took the opportunity on Thursday to visit Peacock Primary and Queen of Peace Middle School in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Students from other area schools, including Lake Melville School in North West River, École Boréale in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Mud Lake School, Sheshashiu Innu School and St. Lewis Academy were also in attendance. Students at A.P. Low Primary in Labrador City and J.R. Smallwood School in Wabush were hooked up via video link.

What a thrill for the young students in Labrador to have an international bestselling author visit their schools, tell them stories, and serve as an inspiration.

I invite my colleagues in this House to join me in congratulating the Northern Lights Academy school community in Rigolet for their work in helping to secure the online win which, in turn, enabled many of their fellow students in Labrador to have the opportunity to meet the popular children’s author.

2011 05 30                                                                            1:45 p.m.