Maritime Series
Presented by the Port of Montreal
IN COLLABORATION WITH
The Saint-Lawrence River is a fundamental fixture of our collective landscape, economy and imagination. This is especially true for those living along its shores. But how well do we really know this river of ours?
Since 2018, the TD-Blue Metropolis Children’s Festival has presented a series of youth workshops at the libraries of riverside communities on the South Shore of Montreal—Varennes, Verchères, Contrecœur and Sorel-Tracy. Within this context, storytellers Mme Chose and Anne-Marie Aubin as well as children’s authors Caroline Barber and Jeanne Painchaud have facilitated creative workshops that mix writing and drawing in order to instill in children an awareness of the world of the Saint-Lawrence in particular and of the nature of Quebec more generally. Workshops culminate with the libraries exhibiting sprawling murals created by participating young people for a few weeks. Library patrons then have the opportunity to appreciate the perspectives of these children, illuminated by poems and illustrations, on the territory upon which they live.
SWALLOWS AND BATS
In 2022-23, the series was enriched by a special two-class visit at Mère Marie-Rose in Contrecœur. Nicolas Bérubé, a biologist associated with the Port of Montreal, employed visual and other support materials to illustrate the steps taken to protect the swallow and bat populations that frequent the shores of the river. Models of swallow birdhouses and bat condos were particularly appreciated by students! Workshops facilitated by Caroline Barber followed this visit and empowered students to make use of poetry to express their points of view on these animals.
Click here to view the schedule
indiginous story time
A second initiative was added to this series dedicated to the river and its ecology. The numerous waterways of Quebec have long since constituted important means of travel for First Nations people, whose traditional knowledge has always foregrounded the importance of the natural world and protection of the environment. To help impart these values and traditions via the power of storytelling, in the spring of 2023, actor Marco Collin and author and visual artist Christine Sioui Wawanoloath will visit school groups at Montreal’s riverside neighbourhood libraries (Saul-Bellow in Lachine, St-Charles in the South-West and Mercier in Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve) and in Contrecœur.
Click here to view the schedule
On this platform we propose an assortment of documentaries for the whole family, stories for the little ones, fascinating novels for the older kids, podcasts for grade-schoolers on themes related to ecology, and a quiz on the world of water to test the knowledge of children and parents alike.
Discover a thousand and one secrets about the river, fish and marine mammals, the boats of yesteryear and today, all featuring a horizon-broadening perspective on nature, weather, trees, pollination, and much more!
PHOTO EXHIBIT OF THE 2022-2023 MARITIME SERIES WORKSHOPS
DISCOVER THE PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
2023 EDITION
École Mère-Marie-Rose (Contrecœur)
Located in Contrecœur, École Mère-Marie-Rose welcomes nearly 380 students in grade 4 through 6 for the 2022-23 school year. Students are under the supervision of a team of teachers and specialists, as well as various professionals trained to meet the particular needs of the school’s students. The complementary services team includes a psychologist, psycho-educator, speech therapist, social worker, nurse, and dental hygienist. The educators of “L’Amuse-heure” daycare, for their part, offer energetic programming that includes activities both stimulating and motivating. Together, the team members at the school pool their professional expertise to offer students and parents the full range of services offered by the various programs of the school board. From daycare services and early screening for language difficulties to individual lesson plan support and rehabilitation activities, the school provides a diverse assortment of services to meet the particular needs of its student body.
MEET THE PROJECT FACILITATORS
CAROLINE BARBER
Since 2012, Caroline Barber has published many titles for young audience, both in France and in Quebec, taking it upon herself to breathe a poetic sensibility into the everyday under the guise of l’empoétineuse (“the impoetor”). With that in mind, she brings digital artworks, boxes of poems, and phrase poems on the urban landscape into public spaces. Caroline divides her time between artmaking, creative writing workshop facilitation, and author residencies. Words are icebergs for her; 90% of their significance is invisible. It is the emotional mark words leave on each reader that Caroline Barber hopes to affect.
MARCO COLLIN
Marco Collin completed his intensive theatre training with Ondinnok, a theatre company with whom he has since frequently collaborated. He has also worked on various productions and storytelling and narration projects. He has appeared on many shows of various television stations, including APTN, Radio-Canada, TVA, among others. He has acted in numerous Quebec and Ontario television series, including, most notably, as Wabo on Les Pays d’en haut. He has also worked on various films, including Mesnak, Roche papier ciseau, Feed the devil, Le Dep and Miséricorde. He is also the author of Tu É Moi and Le sentier des rêves, among many other plays. He was a member of the Muliats collective and is currently at work on his next text, Mashinikan, le Livre.
CHRISTINE SIOUI WAWANOLOATH
Christine Sioui Wawanoloath published her first book, the adventure novel Taxi en cavale, some thirty years ago. She has since authored ten young audience novels, a couple of short story collections, and six albums. Her acclaimed first album, Le monde de Théo, was illustrated by Philippe Béha, a finalist for seven prize, and the winner of two. As Christine puts it, “I writes a wide range of stories because inspiration doesn’t always take the same… shape. Sometimes it brings forth stories where, for instance, three children learn to be more self-confident thanks to three special candies, and at other times it offers up a story like the one where an old abandoned car tells us the lovely story of its life.” This openness to different forms of storytelling led her to write a detective novel for teens and young adults. Three years later, in 2020, Les ennemis invisibles was published, telling the story of a young, not very courageous man who somehow feels compelled, after hearing screams one night, to head off with his little dog to save the charming woman next door. The way Christine sees it, “If I so love to write it’s because it enables me to live many lives. One life… is just not enough!”
PHOTO EXHIBIT FROM THE PREVIOUS EDITIONS OF THE MARITIME SERIES
READING SUGGESTIONS
ON THE THEME OF BATS, SWALLOWS, AND THE WILDLIFE OF QUEBEC
FOR THE CHILDREN
La chauve-souris, Élise Gravel, La courte échelle, 2016
Les chauves-souris, Alain M. Bergeron (texte) et Sampar (illustrations), Éditions Michel Quintin, 2012
Mes amies les chauves-souris, Faith McNulty, Éditions Scholastic, 2002
Lili la chauve-souris, Hélène Chetaud, Casterman, 2021
La chauve-souris qui a peur du noir, Valérie Gagné, Éditions Coup d’œil, 2022
Charlie à l’école des chauve-souris, Lucie Papineau (texte) et Yves Dumont (illustrations), Éditions Auzou, 2020
Où naîtront les hirondeaux?, Émilie Demers (texte) et Réjean Roy (illustrations), Éditions Bouton d’or d’Acadie, 2022
L’araignée et l’hirondelle, Annie-Claude Lebel, Éditions Envolée, 2022
L’hirondelle qui voulait voir l’hiver, Philip Giordano, Éditions Milan, 2017
Nos oiseaux, Éric Dupont (textes) et Mathilde Cinq-Mars (illustrations), Éditions Marchand de feuilles, 2020
FOR TEENS AND ADULTS
Les hirondelles, Jean O’Neil, Libre Expression, 1995
Le fleuve, Jean O’Neil, Éditions 10/10, 2009
L’hirondelle, Érick Sablé, disponible en édition numérique seulement
Poissons d’eau douce du Québec, Jean-François Desroches et Isabelle Picard, Éditions Michel Quintin, 2013
Guide de la vie marine des rivages du Québec et des Maritimes, Geneviève Simard et Jim Cornall, Éditions Multimondes, 2012
Les baleines et autres cétacés du St-Laurent, Jean-Pierre Sylvestre, Éditions GID, 2017
Le monde marin du St-Laurent, Cathy Faucher (textes et illustrations) Éditions Goélette, 2021
Chez les oiseaux, Pierre Morency, Éditions Multimondes, 2004
Le comportement des oiseaux du Québec, Suzanne Brûlotte, Éditions Broquet, 2019
ON THE THEME OF WATER
DOCUMENTARIES
Le Saint-Laurent, Jacques Pasquet, Bayard, 2015 : rempli de magnifiques photos, un documentaire pour découvrir toute la richesse de notre fleuve
L’eau, Pierre-Marie Valat, Gallimard, 2010 : un documentaire sur l’eau, de la formation des nuages jusqu’à la mer
Les mystères de l’eau, Blaise Hoffman (texte) et Rémi Farnos (illustrations), Éditions Joie de lire, 2019 : une jeune fille s’adresse à des professeurs de l’université afin de comprendre les mystères de l’eau
Tout un monde sous l’eau, Kate Messner (texte) et Christopher Silas Neal (illustrations), Éditions Grund, 2017 : à la découverte des animaux qui vivent sous l’eau
Les poissons, Allison Larin et Bobbie Kalman, Bayard, 2007 : une mine de renseignements sur le mode de vie des poissons d’eau douce et d’eau salée
Fabuleux navires, Pommier, Gallimard, 2009 : textes, photos et illustrations pour découvrir les plus beaux bateaux d’hier et d’aujourd’hui, de la frégate au porte-avion
ALBUMS, TALES AND NOVELS
Le brunissement des baleines blanches (2020) et Jo Groenland et la route du nord (2020), Boucar Diouf (texte) et François Thisdale (illustrations), Éditions La Presse : deux contes scientifiques pour tous les amoureux du Saint-Laurent
Au fil de l’eau, Daniel Miyares, Éditions Scholastic, 2017 : un magnifique album sans texte sur un petit garçon et le bateau qu’il a fabriqué avec du papier journal
Un fantôme pour L’Empress, Mireille Noël, Québec Amérique, 2018 : un roman plein de rebondissements qui rend hommage aux marins du Saint-Laurent
Léo et les presqu’iles, Gilles Vigneault (texte) et Stéphane Jorish (illustrations), Éditions Planète rebelle, 2010 : un livre disque sur un fils de pêcheur qui devient le plus petit capitaine d’un grand bateau avec les voix de Fred Pellerin, Pascale Bussières, Clémence Desrochers et plusieurs autres artistes
Une nuit un capitaine, Denis Robitaille, Fides, 2005 : un roman d’aventure inspiré de la vie du capitaine Cotté qui transportait des passagers sur le fleuve Saint-Laurent au 19e siècle
Un grand fleuve si tranquille, Louise Turcot, Boréal, 2003 : le Saint-Laurent est au cœur de ce roman sur une jeune fille qui attend le retour de l’été au bord du fleuve
Piégés sur le bateau maudit, Hubert Ben Kemoun, Flammarion jeunesse, 2018 : un suspense à bord d’un traversier
Des poissons et des bulles, Édith Bourget, Éditions de l’Isatis, 2011 : un recueil de poésie rempli de poissons fantaisistes
ON THE THEME OF NATURE
DOCUMENTARIES
L’imagerie de la terre, Émilie Beaumont et autres, Éditions Fleurus, 2019 : un documentaire en images avec une application gratuite où trouver des activités ludo-éducatives, des jeux, des quiz, etc.
Mon premier herbier des arbres du Québec, Stéphane Labbé et Iris Martinez (texte) et Laucolo (illustrations), Éditions Mammouth Rose, 2019 : ouvrage ludique et éducatif pour reconnaître les arbres de partout au Québec
Absolument tout sur la météo, Kathy Furgang Éditions Scholastic, 2017 : un documentaire rempli de photos et de faits divertissants sur les phénomènes météorologigues
La pluie : à la découverte de la pluie, Lauren Taylor, Éditions Scholastic, 2015 : pour tout savoir sur ce phénomène qui nous ravit ou nous ennuie
Petits animaux de la nuit, Anne Jankéliowitch (texte) et Delphine Chedru (illustrations), Éditions de la Martinière, 2016 : un album phosphorescent pour tout savoir sur ces bêtes qui vivent la nuit
100 infos insolites sur notre planète, Jérôme Martin et autres, Éditeur Usborne, 2020 : la réponse à 100 questions dans un livre original et instructif
Le livre des saisons, Sophie Coucharrière (texte) et Hervé Le Goff (illustrations), Père Castor Flammarion, 2015 : un album sur le temps et les saisons pour les plus jeunes
Sous la terre, Sabine Boccador et Maud Bihan, Éditions Fleurus, 2020 : pour découvrir le monde souterrain, les grottes, les petites bêtes qui y vivent
ALBUMS, TALES AND NOVELS
Un jardin pour Tipiti le colibri, Lucie Papineau (textes) et Lucie Crovatto (illustrations), Éditions de la Bagnole, 2020 : un album rempli de fleurs, de bourdons et de papillons pour découvrir les secrets de la pollinisation
De Jade Janvier à Dany Décembre, Bertrand Gauthier (texte) et Manon Gauthier (illustrations), Éditions de l’Isatis, 2019 : douze histoires poétiques pour raconter les mois et les saisons
La pluie, Catherine Leblanc, Éditions Mijade, 2008 : un bel album, une ode à la pluie
Les redoutables croquins, Elisabeth Brisset des Nos, Éditions Cardinal, 2019 : les aventures de Giovanni le Brocoli, Omar l’oignon et Mendi l’épinard pour apprendre aux enfants à aimer ces précieux légumes
Mandarine et Kiwi : le temps des petits fruits, Laïla Héloua (textes) et Nathalie Lapierre (illustrations), Bayard, 2013 : une aventure gourmande de deux enfants pour découvrir les petits fruits des champs
DISCOVER THE BOOKS OF THE PROJECT FACILITATORS
CAROLINE BARBER
Contes culottés, de Caroline Barber, ill. par Élo, éd. Les 400 coups, 2022
Le vol, de Caroline Barber, ill. par Laura Giraud, éd. Les 400 coups, coll. Grimace, 2019
Gaivrotte, l’orgre végétarien, de Caroline Barber, éd. Bayard Canadam coll. Œil de Lynx, 2017
MARCO COLLIN
Muliats, de Charles Bender, Natasha Kanapé Fontaine, Charles Buckell, Marco Collin, Xavier Huard, éd. Hannenorak, 2018
CHRISTINE SIOUI WAWANOLOATH
L’ours et la femme venus des étoiles, de Christine Sioui Wawanoloath, éd. Hannenorak, coll. Sentier de portage, 2021
Tsoutare’: sept histoires contemporaines, Christine Sioui Wawanoloath, éd. Hannenorak, 2019
Une coccinelle au Nunavik, de Christine Sioui Wawanoloath et Isabelle Larouche, éd. Hannenorak, coll. Du Soleil de minuit, 2019
discover OUR green montreal literary walking tour
Available on April 17th, 2023
Many projects around town prove it: a greener Montreal is emerging. What is green Montreal today? What will it be tomorrow?
This walking tour in podcast form proposes the perspectives of three Montreal writers on various places emblematic of the current state of green Montreal, including the Échappée belle green alley, the Saint-Lawrence River, and the channels of the Boucherville Islands.
Each writer presented in this series has combined documentary research with a creative touch to explore one of these places in an original literary essay both informative and personal.
The young ecologist club, youth engaged podcasts
Younger generations’ environmental consciousness is sharper than ever.
Four charming stories for young people to show it off.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE WITH OUR QUIZ
l’EAU, LE FLEUVE , LA MER!
How well do you and your children know the St. Lawrence River? And the oceans? Do you know anything about maritime professions? About the different types of boats? Do you know what lives under the river? Test your knowledge with this little literary and educational quiz. You’ll be amazed by what you’ll learn!
(Quiz only available in French)
DISCOVER OUR LITERARY WALKING TOUR
CONTRECOEUR, DANS MES YEUX, DANS MON COEUR
Living by the river… A joy renewed each day for some. An unexpected love for others, who marvel at the beauty of the shores and the charm of little shoreside towns. Contrecoeur is one of these places between the Saint Lawrence and road 132. Not far from Montreal, it exudes a particular charm, as much for those whose childhood was spent there as for those who made it a quiet haven to start a family, to enjoy their retirement, or to create by the rhythm of the water. But then, what is Contrecoeur like? What sets it apart? Discover it with three authors, and three distinct generational perspectives.
THANKS TO THE PRINCIPAL PARTNERS OF OUR YOUTH SECTOR AND 2022-2023 EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL PROGRAMS
MERCI AUX PARTENAIRES MAJEURS DE LA PROGRAMMATION POUR ENFANTS ET À CEUX DE NOS PROGRAMMES ÉDUCATIFS 2022-2023
