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 SPRINGSONG BANQUET IS NOW SOLD OUT!!!

PLEASE EMAIL TO BE PUT ON THE WAITING LIST

24th Annual Springsong Weekend– A Celebration of Birds and Birding 

May 9-11, 2025 

 

THIS EVENT IS A MAJOR FUNDRAISER FOR THE HERITAGE CENTRE THUS TICKETS WILL BE NON REFUNDABLE UNLESS GOVERNMENT RESTRICTIONS PREVENT THE  EVENT FROM HAPPENING. SHOULD YOU CANCEL YOU WILL RECEIVE A CHARITABLE TAX RECEIPT FOR THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE TICKET.

Thank you!

Sincerely, Kim

A  MAJOR fundraising in support of the Pelee Island Heritage Centre

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Springsong Weekend – Traditionally held on Mother’s Day Weekend. It is a weekend of celebration involving books and birds. This event was started seventeen years ago as a fundraiser for The Heritage Centre with the help of Pelee Island Bird Observatory and Margaret Atwood. There is a 24 hour green “bird race” competing for the coveted Botham Cup. Margaret Atwood continues the tradition of bringing award winning authors to our island where they are introduced by her at our traditionally sold out banquet.

 

GUEST AUTHOR – Sarah Polley

Sarah Ellen Polley OC (born January 8, 1979) is a Canadian filmmaker, writer, political activist and retired actress. She first garnered attention as a child actress for her role as Ramona Quimby in the television series Ramona, based on Beverly Cleary‘s books. This subsequently led to her role as Sara Stanley in the Canadian television series Road to Avonlea(1990–1996). She has starred in many feature films, including The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), Exotica (1994), The Sweet Hereafter (1997), Guinevere (1999), Go (1999), The Weight of Water (2000), No Such Thing (2001), My Life Without Me (2003), Dawn of the Dead (2004), Splice (2009), and Mr. Nobody (2009).

Polley made her feature film directorial debut with Away from Her (2006), for which she won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Director and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Her second film, Take This Waltz(2011), premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival, followed by her first documentary film, Stories We Tell (2012). She also wrote the miniseries Alias Grace, based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood.[In 2022, she wrote and directed the film Women Talking, based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Miriam Toews, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

                                     

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CELEBRITY BIRDER  –  Dan Mennill 


Dan Mennill  Professor, Associate Dean of Science
Email: dmennillATuwindsorDOTca
Web: www.uwindsor.ca/dmennill

Dan’s research interests include bioacoustics, animal behaviour, and animal migration, with a special focus on field studies of birds, whales, and frogs. Dan received a BArtSci from McMaster University, a PhD from Queen’s University, and conducted post-doctoral research at Cornell University and Auburn University. He joined the University of Windsor in 2005; he was granted tenure in 2008 and became a Full Professor in 2018. Dan is a Fellow and an Elected Councillor of the American Ornithological Society, and a lifetime member of the Society of Canadian Ornithologists and the Animal Behavior Society. Dan has served as Associate Editor at Biology Letters, Condor: Ornithological Applications, and Acta Ethologica. Since 2017 Dan has served as the Associate Dean of Science, Graduate Studies and Research. Dan received the Alumni Award for Distinguished Contributions to University Teaching, and on three occasions he received the Award for Excellence in Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity.  Dan lives with his wife and children in Lasalle.

 

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PAST AUTHORS

                               Author                                 Celebrity Birder 

2002                           Margaret Atwood                  Kevin Seymour

2003                           Farley Mowat                         Unveiling Stone Road Plaque

2004                           Alistair MacLeod                    Orlando Garrido & Arturo Kirkconnell (Cuba)

2005                           Jane Urquhart                         Bill Lishman

2006                           Alice Munro                            Peter Matthiessen

2007                           David Suzuki                           Fred Bodsworth

2008                           Vincent Lamb                         Bridget Strutchbury

2009                           Joseph Boyden                       Mystery Birder

2010                           Brian Brett                              Robert & Birgit Freybe Bateman

2011                           Nino Ricci                                Trevor Herriot

2012                           Wayne Grady &                      Ian Davidson Merilyn Simonds

2013                           Elizabeth Hay                          TBA

2014                           Linden MacIntyre                   TBA

2015                           Lawrence Hill                          Trevor Herriot

2016                           Miriam Toews                        Graeme Gibson the Younger

2017                           Michael Crummey                 Wayne Grady

2018                           Madeleine Thien                    Sean Dooley

2019                          Steve Burrows                        Danny Catt

2020                          Lorna Crozier                        Trevor Herriot

2021                          Louise Penny                        David Lindo

2022                          Lorna Crozier                        David Lindo

2023                         Randy Boyagoda                   Ian Davidson

2024                         Helen Humphreys                Rodrigo López  

2025                         Sarah Polley                           Dan Mennill           

peleeislandhc@gmail.com

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!

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Botham Cup Bird Race

– Take part in the 24 hour “green” bird race and rally for the coveted Botham Cup. The official gong is sounded at the Heritage Centre, Friday at noon. Your team will have 24 hours to spot as many of the 314 species of birds that visit our island. Finish the day at Springsong Banquet where Margaret Atwood will give out the famous rubber chicken awards!

2025 RESULTS
GREEN TEAMS
FIRST PLACE – PIBO Jazzy Birders –   103 species –   WINNERS OF THE BOTHAM CUP                                                                                                                                                                                                 
 
SECOND PLACE  – N See Seabirds – 94 species

 NON GREEN TEAMS

FIRST PLACE – DOCTORS WITHOUT BIRDERS – 92 species

David Eisenstein, 

SECOND PLACE – CANADIAN DIPPER

Graeme & Sumiko – 79 species

 

A TOTAL OF 146 SPECIES WERE SPOTTED!!! WELL DONE!
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL TEAMS AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE BOTHAM CUP BIRD RACE!!

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ATTENDED AND TO ALL PARTICIPATING TEAMS!!!

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14th Annual Chili Cookoff  –  Saturday, August 9,2025 @ Pelee Island Wine Pavilion

 

2024 CHILI COOKOFF JUDGE’S RESULTS ARE:

JUDGE’S AWARDS
  1. Trailer Park Boys – Matty
  2. Chili Chili Bang Bang – Clark & Dave
  3. Chill Out – Wolf & Aurella
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
  

2nd PLACE –   TRAILER PARK BOYS – Matty

 3rd PLACE –   CHILL OUT – Wolfgang & Aurella

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

STONEMAN’S CHILI – BRIDGETTE ROMAN, CHUCHIE & MICHELE HAUBIEL AND MOM HAUBIEL
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR PARTICIPATING TEAMS!!!!

Chili Cookoff – Now in the 12TH year, it is a great community gathering where teams compete for great prizes the Official Chili Cup and the People’s Choice Award. A great fundraiser for the Heritage Centre; it is drawing competitors from outside our country making the Pelee Island Southernmost Chili Cookoff a truly international event. To sign up as a contestant please contact the Heritage Centre at 519-724-2291.

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15th Annual Heritage Weekend  – Friday, September 6 & Saturday, September 7, 2025

 Unique Places & Spaces on Pelee Island

 Itinerary to be announced by end of May

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15th Annual Harvest Dinner –  Saturday, September 13, 2025

Join us at the Pelee Island Wine Pavilion for a scrumptious end of the season banquet! And don’t forget – Island Pie for dessert! Tickets are limited and are non-refundable. In the event that you cannot attend, please contact the Heritage Centre and every effort will be made to re-sell your ticket. Our last Harvest Dinner was a sold out event so save the date as this will no doubt be a very memorable evening!

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  • HELL ON HEELS – PELEE ISLAND OCTOBER 19, 2025

  • STAY TUNED FOR 2023 TIMES/DATE

  • REGISTER BY PHONE/EMAIL TO HERITAGE CENTRE 

    519-724-2291 OR PELEEISLANDHC@GMAIL.COM

    DIG OUT YOUR HEELS & SEE YOU AT THE REGISTRATION TABLE @WESTVIEW ON RACE DAY!!!

  • THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!!!