The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick (LCNB) celebrated literacy and lifelong learning at its 2026 Literacy Dinner and Auction on October 6^th at the Delta Fredericton. We are pleased to announce that this major event was another success!

Our Master of Ceremonies for the evening was Mark Depow, and the Honouable Claire Johnson, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, gave wonderful opening remarks on behalf of the province.

This year, LCNB recognized Tom Liston as the 2026 Literacy Champion. As a dedicated community leader and active volunteer, Tom shared his experiences with the World’s Oldest Basketball Court and reminded us that literacy extends far beyond reading and writing. His message highlighted the many ways literacy connects us to our communities, creates opportunities, and enriches our lives.

The Marian Zaichkowski Memorial Award recognizes outstanding contributions to literacy and lifelong learning. Greg Gillis was recognized for his longstanding commitment to LCNB, including more than 15 years on its Board of Directors, where he served first as a business representative, and going on to become Treasurer. His financial stewardship and dedication helped shape the organization. Greg also supported school-based literacy coaching during his time at AMEC Land & Environmental.

The President’s Award was presented to the late Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to literacy in New Brunswick. Her daughter-in-law, Ashley Counsell, accepted the award on her behalf. A former Senator and Lieutenant Governor, Marilyn served on LCNB’s Board for nearly 20 years, including as President and Past President. In 1988, she established the Lieutenant Governor’s Literacy Awards, which LCNB continues to present today. Her legacy of leadership and commitment to literacy continues to inspire.

A special part of the evening was celebrating adult learners whose stories demonstrate how education can change lives.

In “Learning Changes Lives,” by Amy Mills, she shared her journey of overcoming addiction and returning to school to build a brighter future for herself and her daughter. With encouragement and support, she passed exams in English, Social Studies, and Science, with only Mathematics remaining. With plans for college underway, they have found renewed confidence and hope for the future.
While Amy could not attend, LCNB’s Executive Director, Susan Yarom, read her essay in her place.

In the French-language story “L’apprentissage a transformé ma vie” (“Learning Transformed My Life”), Fabrice Nduwimana described leaving school after experiencing war, displacement, and bullying. Inspired by becoming a parent and supported by his partner and teachers, Fabrice returned to education and began working toward completing Secondary 5. His goal is to attend vocational school and become a carpenter.

Together, these stories highlight the courage and determination of adult learners and demonstrate how education creates opportunities for individuals and their families. Their awards were presented by LCNB’s President, Brent Melanson, and Hon. Claire Johnson.

We want to congratulate Tom Liston and all those recognized for their significant contributions to literacy. We also are delighted to celebrate the adult learners whose achievements remind us that learning can change lives at any age. Thank you to Snaptrade, who was our Adult Learner Sponsor this year!

We want to extend our sincere thanks to our title sponsor, Propertyguys.com, and our Platinum Sponsor, Hon. Frank McKenna, as well as all of our gold sponsors: Atlantic Digital Reproductions, Medavie, Delta Hotels Fredericton, and KPMG.

“I would like to thank our generous sponsors and all who supported us by purchasing tickets, making donations and attending this important event,” said LCNB President, Brent Melanson. “A sincere thank you as well to our co-chairs, Bob Scott and Ashley Counsell, and the entire Planning Committee for all of their remarkable efforts in making this year’s event another success.”

Since the inaugural Peter Gzowski Dinner and Auction, the Literacy Coalition has raised more than 1.6 million dollars for literacy in New Brunswick.

“We want to share our sincere appreciation of all of our donors, supporters, and everyone to attended this wonderful event,” said Susan Yarom, Executive Director of the Literacy Coalition. “Thank you to everyone who came out to support literacy and lifelong learning for all New Brunswickers.”

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For more information, please contact:

Susan Yarom
Executive Director
Tel: 506.457.1227
Email: lcnb@nbliteracy.ca

We at the Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick are deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell. We wish to offer our sincere condolences to her family and friends.

A former Senator and Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, Marilyn was always passionate about literacy. She served on LCNB’s Board for nearly twenty years, first as President and then continuing on as Past President. During her tenure as Lieutenant Governor, Marilyn focused on early childhood development, particularly early childhood literacy, in recognition of her life as a mother, family physician and New Brunswick’s first Minister of State for the Family, and later Minister of State for Family and Community Services. She also delighted young children, parents and teachers with her Lieutenant Governor’s Story Hours. With the IODE and Les Dames d’Acadie, she succeeded in making Born to Read/Goût de lire a province-wide program.

In 1988, Marilyn established the Lieutenant Governor’s Literacy Awards, later named the Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Literacy Awards. LCNB has been proud to carry on these awards annually to honour the incredible achievements in the field of literacy and essential skills in New Brunswick. Nominations for these awards are open year round, and the form can be found by clicking here.

Marilyn had an immense impact on New Brunswickers over her incredible career, and her many accomplishments speak for themselves. But to us at LCNB, Marilyn was a friend, mentor, and committed supporter of literacy. She was always ready to share her wisdom, insight, and vast knowledge with us whenever we needed it. As an instrumental part of our Board, Marilyn rarely missed a meeting, never hesitating to dedicate her time, energy, and expertise to our mission of advancing literacy and lifelong learning for people of all ages.

“Marilyn was a champion of literacy right to the very end. She cared deeply about the people of New Brunswick, and that could be felt in everything she did. It is hard imagine LCNB without her.” – Susan Yarom, Executive Director

“She was a driving force for literacy in the province. Marilyn was a truly remarkable person who did so much for literacy in New Brunswick. She will be dearly missed by all of us.” – Brent Melanson, LCNB President

The Literacy Coalition will continue to hold our Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Literacy Awards to celebrate achievements in literacy and essential skills. Marilyn’s legacy is one that will continue to help New Brunswickers for many years to come, and we at LCNB are honoured to be able to continue her work.

To donate to the Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick in memory of Marilyn:

Click here to donate online.

You can also send a cheque to:

Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick
212 Queen Street, Suite 303
Fredericton, NB, E3B 1A8

Registered Charity Number: 882480205RR0001

LCNB is holding its annual Literacy Gala Dinner and Auction on Tuesday, October 6th at the Delta Fredericton, and we are thrilled to announce our 2026 Literacy Champion: Tom Liston!

Mr. Liston began his career with Yorkton Securities as a Research Analyst covering public Software and IT Services companies. In 2003, he joined Versant Partners in the same role and was quickly promoted to Director of Research while maintaining his coverage of technology companies.

In 2012, Versant Partners’ team was acquired by Cantor Fitzgerald, where Mr. Liston served as Director of Canadian Research and covered the technology sector. Mr. Liston has received more StarMine stock picking awards than any other technology analyst and has been consistently ranked among the top technology analysts in several surveys, including StarMine, Brendan Wood, Greenwich Associates, and Reuters.

After his Equity Analyst career, Mr. Liston became a Managing Partner at Difference Capital, a technology-focused venture capital firm. In his venture capital role, he is responsible for leading investments in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), FinTech, eCommerce, and Healthcare IT fields.

A dedicated community leader and active volunteer, Mr. Liston is currently leading an $18 million fundraising campaign as the Chair of Fundraising for the restoration of the World’s Oldest Basketball Court in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. He has actively guided UNB’s Student Investment Fund (SIF) for over two decades and actively serves on the UNB Faculty of Management Advisory Board. His philanthropic efforts extend to the MLSE Foundation, where he has raised over $100,000 as a member of its President’s Club. Alongside his wife Krista, he has contributed to Canada Basketball and is a member of its Podium Club. Additionally, he was a top 100 fundraiser out of 7,000 riders in his first two years of the Ride to Conquer Cancer, raising over $23,000 and cycling over 400km. He is highly active in youth sports, coaching for the North Toronto Soccer Club and the North Toronto Huskies Girls Rep basketball teams, specifically working with the U15 and U19 divisions.

Mr. Liston is a Chartered Financial Analyst charterholder. He completed a Bachelor of Business Administration degree (Finance Concentration) from the University of New Brunswick in 1996 and a Master of Arts in Economics and Finance from Queen’s University in 1998. He was a recipient of UNB Faculty of Management’s Certificate of Achievement in 2017 and was recognized with the Proudly UNB Alumni Award of Distinction in 2020.

He lives in Toronto, Ontario and St. Andrews, New Brunswick with his wife Krista and their two children.

The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick held their annual Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Literacy Awards at Government House in Fredericton on April 23^rd, 2026. It was a truly inspiring event, and we are so grateful to everyone who attended to celebrate the award winners and their amazing contributions to literacy.

These awards recognize outstanding achievements in the fields of literacy, essential skills and lifelong learning.

“The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick has been proud to present these annual awards,” said Susan Yarom, Executive Director of the Literacy Coalition and Master of Ceremonies for the evening. “We are also here in the name of Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell who originated these awards in 1988 when she was lieutenant governor. Marilyn has done so much for literacy over her incredible career, and we are so grateful to have her continue to lend her expertise to us.”

The Honourable Louise Imbeault, Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick, gave opening remarks in both official languages. She spoke of how wonderful it was to hold the event during what would have been the Queen’s 100^th birthday.

Giving greetings on behalf of the province in both official languages was Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, Claire Johnson. She congratulated the winners on their incredible work, and reiterated the importance of literacy and learning.

“Learning can happen at any time,” the Minister said.

Finally, while Dr. Trenholme Counsell was unable to attend, there were two very special guests who said a few words. Dr. Trenholme Counsell’s grandchildren, Benjamin and Nicholas, congratulated those who were receiving an award in her name in both English and French.

Seven amazing award winners were honoured during the evening with a framed certificate and an engraved pewter bowl, presented by Literacy Coalition President Brent Melanson and Her Honour Louise Imbeault.

LCNB Recognizes Outstanding Achievements in the Field of Literacy

The Dorchester Memorial Public Library received the first award for Community Literacy Program. Founded after the Second World War, this “little library that could” has a large number of wonderful programs for patrons of all ages. It also works closely with the DCS Kids Daycare to provide programs to children. Library Manager Krista Johansen accepted the award on behalf of the Library, and spoke about how literacy is at the heart of what they do.

The Miramichi Literacy Council received the second Community Literacy Program award. The Miramichi Literacy Council works to improve adult literacy through a multitude of programs, including many programs with the New Brunswick Women’s Correctional Centre. One of these programs led to the creation of a published collection of poetry titled We the Women. Accepting on behalf of the Miramichi Literacy Council was President of the organization, Pat Hegan. She spoke of their mandate of “Each One, Teach One” and thanked their parent organization, READ NB.

The Together Time Program at Mount Allison University was the recipient of the Early Childhood Literacy award. Together Time is co-directed by Dr. Susie Andrews, Dr. Kiera Galway, and Dr. Jill Rourke. It delivers almost 200 story sacks each year to more than 400 children at six schools. Accepting the award on behalf of the program was Dr. Jill Rourke, who showed one of the wonderful story sacks the program gives out. She spoke about how the interdisciplinary effort of their team lets them see literacy as an interdisciplinary form of learning.

The Early Intervention Program at Elsipogtog School received the award for Outstanding Effort in Indigenous Literacy. Led by Director of Education, Ivan Augustine, the Elsipogtog School Specialist Team aims to help children with neurological conditions succeed in this innovative program. It is rooted in early identification, family partnership, and Indigenous ways of knowing. The program uses Indigenous-led principles to assess students, diagnose conditions and provide specialized teaching. Ivan Augustine accepted the award on behalf of the team at Elsipogtog School, and he reiterated how important early intervention is. He thanked the incredible team for their hard work in the program.

Nathasha Pilotte received the award for Published Author. A self-taught artist, Nathasha has published beloved children’s books in both official languages such as Luna n’aime pas (Luna the Cat Doesn’t Like That) and Zim s’imagine. Nathasha and her puppets have become a favourite at book fairs and school presentations, where she shares her vibrant and colourful stories. Her stories, which are in English and French, encourage observation, description, vocabulary building, and meaningful interactions between children and adults. Nathasha brought some of her books to display at the ceremony, and spoke passionately about her work.

We had two very deserving winners in the final category.

Lynda Homer was the first recipient of the Individual Outstanding Contribution to Literacy award. Former Executive Director of LCNB, Lynda has worked tirelessly for literacy in New Brunswick for people of all ages. Today, Lynda continues to give back to the community as President of Born to Read, a volunteer run organization giving their signature red bags of books to families of newborns. While Lynda couldn’t be at the ceremony, Susan Yarom read her speech, which spoke about her incredible journey in education and literacy. She thanked the Literacy Coalition and spoke of how her work with LCNB was one of the greatest joys of her professional life.

Dr. Doug Willms was the second recipient of the Individual Outstanding Contribution to Literacy award. Throughout his extensive career, Dr. Willms has had an immense impact on literacy in New Brunswick. In 2004, Dr. Willms founded The Learning Bar with the goal of translating his research into practical use. While the Learning Bar now reaches far and wide, its HQ is located in Fredericton – a testament to Dr. Willms’s continued commitment to New Brunswick. One of his most significant contributions has been the Early Years Evaluation (or “EYE”), which has been implemented in schools both in the Anglophone and Francophone sectors across the province. He spoke about Dr. Trenholme Counsell’s legacy and the importance of all of the work being done for literacy.

To close out the evening, Dr. Trenholme Counsell’s son, Giles Counsell, gave the closing remarks. He spoke highly of his mother and congratulated the winners for their incredible work. 

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The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick provides leadership to advance literacy, lifelong learning, and essential skills for all citizens through partnerships and collaboration with government, educational institutions, business, labour, community organizations and individuals.

For more information contact Susan Yarom, LCNB Executive Director:
Phone: 506-457-1227
Email: lcnb@nbliteracy.ca

Adult Literacy Week is an occasion to acknowledge the triumphs that many New Brunswickers have and celebrate the importance of life-long learning in our lives.

We were thrilled to receive over 30 wonderful and inspiring submissions this year! A huge thank you to each learner who took the time to submit an essay!

We are excited to announce the winners! Click on their names below to read their winning submission:

Read all of the amazing essays in the ebook by clicking here.

You can also scroll down to read them directly on this page. Use the arrows at the top or bottom left of the document to change the page.

FREDERICTON, NB – The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2026 Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Literacy Awards. The awards will be hosted by the Lieutenant Governor, The Honourable Louise Imbeault, O.C., O.N.B., on Thursday, April 23^rd in Fredericton at Government House. The reception with refreshments will begin at 6:00 pm, with the ceremony starting at 7:00pm.

These awards recognize outstanding achievements in the fields of literacy and lifelong learning. In 1998, Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell established the awards during her term as New Brunswick’s lieutenant-governor. Since 2007, the Literacy Coalition has continued to present these awards annually.

This year, we have two winners in the Individual Outstanding Contribution to Literacy category,

“We are very pleased to name Dr. Doug Willms and Lynda Homer as winners of the Outstanding Individual Contribution to Literacy award,” says LCNB President, Brent Melanson.

Dr. Doug Willms has made immense contributions to literacy in New Brunswick, making extraordinary efforts to improving literacy outcomes throughout the province. From 1995 to 2018, he served as a professor of Education at the University of New Brunswick, authoring more than 200 research articles and monographs. His work continues to shape literacy research and educational policy both within New Brunswick and beyond.

In 2004, Dr. Willms founded the Learning Bar with the goal of translating his extensive research on children’s development and assessment into widespread, practical use. Though the company provides research and assessment services in multiple countries, its headquarters remain in New Brunswick, which is a testament to his continued commitment to and focus on New Brunswick.

In 2014, the Learning Bar and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development partnered to implement the Early Years Evaluation (EYE) in schools across the province. The EYE has directly supported early literacy development for New Brunswick children for over a decade. This data tracks literacy trends over time at both the provincial and district levels, helping identify children who may require additional support.

Lynda Homer, former Executive Director of the Literacy Coalition, has worked tirelessly throughout her career for literacy in New Brunswick. She was involved in the New Brunswick Curriculum Framework for Early Learning and Childcare – English, a framework that weaves family literacies throughout each goal, and has been a champion of the framework since its publication in 2008. Lynda’s involvement in Parenting for a Literate Community project yielded a book, Baby and Mommy go Walking.  The series of books, Books for Children and Families, published by the UNB Early Childhood Centre, supports parents in their crucial role and their children’s first teachers.

During her time at LCNB, she oversaw several award winning projects and initiatives. A few of these included the Essential Skills projects, which saw underemployed and undereducated receive sector-specific training and employment opportunities, and Family Time Online, which strengthened digital literacies for families, adults, and early childhood educators.

Lynda’s leadership with Born to Read saw the publication of multiple NB books for babies and an inspiring video demonstrating how to read with infants. Today, Lynda continues to give back to the community as President of Born to Read, a volunteer run organization giving their signature red bags of books to families of newborns.

The Early Intervention Program at Elsipogtog School is the recipient of the Outstanding Effort in Indigenous Literacy award. This incredible program, led by Education Director of Elsipogtog First Nation Ivan Augustine in collaboration with the school staff, aims to help children with neurological conditions succeed, supporting children long before they formally enter the school system. It is rooted in early identification, family partnership, and Indigenous ways of knowing. The Elsipogtog School Specialist Team uses Indigenous-led principles to assess students, diagnose conditions and provide specialized teaching. In partnership with the Culture and Language Lead Teacher, the team is developing culturally relevant resources with the goal of supporting literacy development in both English and Mi’kmaq. 

In the category of published author, the recipient is Nathasha Pilotte. A self-taught artist, Nathasha’s work includes Luna the Cat Doesn’t Like That/Luna n’aime pas and Zim s’imagine. Nathasha and her puppets have become a favourite at book fairs and school presentations, where she shares her vibrant and colourful stories. She has also taught the felting technique with primary school students, letting children explore fiber and colour. Her stories, which are in English and French, encourage observation, description, vocabulary building, and meaningful interactions between children and adults.

The Early Childhood Literacy award goes to the Together Time program at Mount Allison University. Originally launched in 2021, this incredible program delivers close to 200 “story sacks” each year to more than 400 children at six schools. These sacks are filled with books, puzzles, and games on a wide variety of topics that encourage playful, literacy-focused learning. Reaching families far and wide in rural New Brunswick, Together Time fosters a love of learning and connections. Since its inception, the program has expanded to include day trips to Mount Allison.  Co-directed by Dr. Susie Andrews, Dr. Kiera Galaway, and Dr. Jill Rourke, the program also consists of dozens of Mount Allison student volunteers.

Finally, we have two winners in the Community Literacy Program category.

First is the Miramichi Literacy Council. Established in 1973, the Council strives to improve adult literacy rates in New Brunswick with a wide variety of programs, including one on one tutoring. Since 2015, the MLC has had a continuous partnership with the New Brunswick Women’s Correctional Centre (NBWCC) offering a growing list of literacy programs, including a biweekly book club, the Cooking to Learn program, and Mommy Reads to Me, a program intended to help maintain the bond between incarcerated mothers and their children. The MLC also published a collection of poetry titled We the Women, Vol. 1 written by the women who participated in a six-week writing course at NBWCC. Most recently, the MLC instituted the Legal Info for Tablets initiative, with 4 tablets donated for NBWCC client use, providing bilingual documents related to law, individual rights, and adult custody policies. This fantastic initiative gives women the ability to educate themselves on legal proceedings and better inform them of their legal rights.

Second in this category is the Dorchester Memorial Public Library. The Dorchester Memorial Public Library has been supporting literacy for many years, becoming part of the New Brunswick Public Library Service in 1959, and continues to offer many programs to encourage literacy in its patrons of all ages. As “the little library that could”, it continues to provide quality programming such as Board Book Story Time for babies and toddlers, a Ninja Reading Corner for school age children, and writing workshops for all ages. The library also works with the DCS Kids Daycare, with 3 – 4 year olds coming in every week for a story and an associated art activity. Over the summer, the library holds its Summer Reading Club, encouraging reading for children of all ages. This fall, the library is planning both art and creative writing clubs for the Daycare’s after school club and is open to all children in the community. Its outstanding programs not only enhances literacy for young children, but also cultivates community support and engagement.

Congratulations to these incredible winners!

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The Literacy Coalition of New Brunswick provides leadership to advance literacy, lifelong learning, and essential skills for all citizens through partnerships and collaboration with government, educational institutions, business, labour, community organizations and individuals.

For more information contact Susan Yarom, LCNB Executive Director:
Phone: 506-457-1227
Email: lcnb@nbliteracy.ca

Do you work with families of preschool children?

Would you be interested in taking training to become an Early Literacy Mentor in your organization or on your team?

If you said “YES”, join us for our third year of the Talking Singing Reading…Everyone, Everywhere! project from September 2026 – April 2027 for:

1. Training in performative literacies:
2. Storytelling
3. Reading Aloud
4. Singing (Parent – Child Mother Goose)
5. Communities of practice
6. Sharing Days

Benefits: Receive children’s books and other props for storytelling and singing as part of the package.  There is sponsorship potential for travel and stipend for training days.

Eligible candidates are those working with families and/or children of preschool age (early childhood educators, family educators, literacy workers, volunteers). Ideal candidates will have completed the 30 hr. New Brunswick Curriculum Framework for Early Learning and Childcare online module, but this module can be taken during the training.

For more information, please contact Susan Yarom at lcnb@nbliteracy.ca by June 1, 2026.

Family Literacy Day is coming up on January 27th, with the theme being “Make mealtime family learning time.” Getting everyone together for a meal is the perfect opportunity for learning, and it’s always more fun when you do it as a family!

To celebrate, we’re holding a contest on our Facebook page! You can enter for a chance to win a gift card to the bookstore of your choice – $50 gift card and two $25 gift cards will be up for grabs!

To enter, all you need to do is:

1. LIKE our post. Click here to be taken to the post on Facebook.
2. COMMENT and tell us about your family’s favourite meal, or how you will be making mealtime learning time!
3. BONUS ENTRY: you can be entered again by sending us a picture of your family’s mealtime! Send your photo to administration@nbliteracy.ca or tag us on Facebook!

Contest ends on January 27th at midnight!

This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook/Meta.