Margaret Laurence Award Winners (L-R): Warren Johnson (Rural Winner) Barb Toews (Event Hostess Winner), Solange Constant (Urban Winner)

More than 400 adult students, practitioners, and partners in literacy gathered at the Morden Recreation Centre at Sunday, September 12, to honour the recipients of the fourth Annual Margaret Laurence Award and the 1999 Canada Post Awards.

The Pembina Valley Learning Centre and Pembina Valley Language Education for Adults hosted the event.

Cheryl Campbell, manager of the Pembina Valley Learning Centre said, “We were proud to host the celebration and enjoyed the occasion to showcase our programs. Our learner committee and staff worked though the summer to prepare many other activities and a picnic supper featuring local ethnic food.”

Margaret Laurence Award

Literacy Partners of Manitoba created the Margaret Laurence award four years ago to recognize the worthy individuals who volunteer countless hours to facilitate the learning that takes place in community adult literacy programs throughout the province.

First held on the steps of the Margaret Laurence home in Neepawa in 1996, the ceremony has continued in Selkirk, Thompson, and now Morden.

This year, two individuals have been chosen to receive the volunteer tutor award: a rural and an urban winner.

Solange Constant has volunteered in various roles over the past nine years at the Transcona Literacy Centre. She served on the board for two years, ran three student book clubs, worked on many fund-raising with training tutors and working with learners.