Townships Young Voices 2026: What is in the Hearts of Today’s Youth

Melbourne, QC – March 31, 2026. The fourth edition of the Townships Sun’s Townships Young Voices contest concluded on Sunday March 29th at La Galerie Perkins in Melbourne, Quebec. Twenty prizes were presented to the winners during the awards ceremony, two teachers were celebrated for their outstanding support of the contest, and the special issue of the Townships Sun was unveiled and handed to the finalists ahead of its wider distribution. The April issue of the magazine features all twenty winning pieces of art, writing, poetry, and photography.

Finalists, with their friends and family, gathered to receive their awards and were recognized for their creative accomplishments. Works were judged anonymously by five expert jurors. Seven of the finalists had also won prizes during previous editions of the competition. Overall, $3125 in prizes were distributed to 20 young winners and one teacher.

A question of Heritage

With QAHN (Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network) being a major sponsor of this year’s edition, contest participants were invited to reflect and submit a piece that touches on a topic of heritage. This could be inspired by their own personal heritage, or by a cultural aspect of the Eastern Townships that they believe will be important in the future.

Many contestants understood the assignment perfectly and put forth works that covered a variety of subjects which capture the essence of our area. From maple syrup to iconic buildings and from natural landscapes to the preservation of the latter, the combined works of these 11- to 29-year-olds ̶reveal what is in the hearts of today’s youth.

New This Edition

Having listened to the feedback from past jurors as well as participants, this year’s edition was not only split by category, but also by age group. Rather than judging the works of 11-year-olds beside those of 29-year-olds, judges were invited to pick two pieces from contestants who were between 11 and 17-years-old, and two pieces by 18- to 29-year-olds. We must note, however, that the age groups for the categories of Art and Fiction were, following jurors’ feedback, adjusted to 11-15 and 16-29 during the judging process, as they found a noticeable leap in the works submitted around the 16-year-old mark and older. Overall, dividing submissions by age groups made the jurors’ tasks easier and it allowed us to celebrate the talents and offer a cash prize to five more participants than in past editions.

A Few Statistics

As Ross Murray, returning MC and Board Director of the Townships Sun, said during the gala, we were in a room full of artists, not mathematicians! Still, there are quite a few notable numbers worth mentioning. Students from over 16 schools, without forgetting many homeschooled students and youth that have finished their studies, submitted a total of 144 submissions. That is a 60% increase and a new record! We had entries from 28 municipalities across the Eastern Townships and over 120 people gather in Melbourne for the award ceremony.

The Importance of Creative Opportunities for Youth

“Opportunities like the Townships Young Voices contest are crucial for young people everywhere,” explains Noémi Blom, Publisher of the Townships Sun. “For many, including myself, contests like TYV have and still act as a stepping stone to building a portfolio and gain experience, as well as allow young people to develop their skills, all things that can help them apply to schools, obtain jobs, or kick start their creative careers.” The Townships Sun is proud to be able to offer such an opportunity to youth in every corner of the region, and wishes to continue doing so for years to come.

This competition could not have been possible without the financial support from grants and sponsors. This year especially, rather than being completely volunteer-run, a grant from SHARE, possible through QAHN and Canadian Heritage, empowered us to hire Xania Keane as Townships Young Voices Coordinator and special issue designer. Having Keane spend many dedicated hours on the project, from promoting it through newsletters, communication with schools, and social media to organizing an unforgettable award ceremony, allowed for a greater reach among today’s youth and increased participation in the contest. The rising number of participants and submissions, the fact that many participants submit work in more than one category, and the fact that many participants submit year after year all showcase the importance of creative platforms for youth.

Winners of the 4^th edition of the Townships Young Voices Contest

The TYV Gala was an opportunity to discover the inspiring imaginations of our Townships’ youth, to reflect on topics of heritage that are of importance to our region, and of course, to celebrate the talents and commitment of each finalist. Below are the winners for each category and age group, whose works have been published in the April issue of the Townships Sun.

Teachers Who Go Above and Beyond

Although no prize was initially planned for schools this year, Drummondville Elementary School teacher Juana Ataalla had to be recognized and celebrated. She encouraged over 20 students (35 submissions) to submit their artwork to the contest, making Drummondville Elementary the educational establishment with the highest participation level. Atalla was awarded $125 and celebrated with four of her students who were present at the gala.

 

Alden Chorush, a teacher at the Cegep de Granby, received an honourable mention, as he too has been an amazing promoter of the contest, especially among the older age group. With the vast majority of TYV participants being under 15, his efforts among teens and young adults didn’t go unrecognized.

About the jurors

Each submission category had a specialized juror. These judges come from the many corners of the Townships, from Orford to Drummondville and from Baldwin’s Mills to Kingsey Falls and were carefully selected by the Townships Young Voices and Townships Sun teams. 

• Rebecca Taylor (Art) – Director of La Galerie Perkins in Melbourne, Certified art therapist and writer. Rebecca is actively involved in committees that support local culture, arts, and collective well-being.
• Brenda Hartwell (Fiction) – writer, proofreader, and editor who lives in Baldwin’s Mills, Quebec. Her novel, No Wrong Seasons, was published in 2025 by Inanna Publications.
• Nick Fonda (Nonfiction) – Regular contributor to The Record and author of five books. Recently, he co-authored Voices Lost in Time with Barry Husk, published in 2024.
• Jasmine Rose (Photography) – Professional photographer for eight years now, with a specialty in weddings, family and influencer photography.
• Rebecca Welton (Poetry) – Poet, author of six novels and two novellas, and writing mentor. Rebecca runs creative workshops with Write Here, Write Now and has recently co-authored Suden Rain, the first book of a collaborative poetry series.

Sponsors and Funders

TYV first started as an initiative to recruit younger readers and contributors to the Townships Sun magazine. “Our efforts to reach out to the Townships’ younger community have been more and more successful, thanks to the constant support of funders and many sponsors who allow the Townships Young Voices contest to return every year,” says Myrthe Langeveld, President of the Townships Sun Board of Directors. Indeed, throughout the more recent issues of the magazine, we can find a wider range of ages amongst our contributors.

This year, we were able to celebrate and recognize the talents of five additional contestants, and in doing so, produce a 32-page issue (usually 28) with eight coloured pages (usually four). With this embellished issue, we were able to showcase all visual art and photography pieces in full colour within the print issue. “It is, in my opinion, the most eye-catching issue of the magazine’s history,” declares Noémi Blom, publisher, about Xania Keane’s layout and graphic design.

 

Shout out to the sponsors:

• Townships Sun, TYVoices special issue
• Government of Canada
• SHARE micro-grants program (QAHN and Canadian Heritage)
• Sherbrooke Rotary Club
• Mme Geneviève Hébert, MNA (St-François)
• Marianne Dandurand, MP (Compton-Stanstead)
• Louis Villeneuve, MP (Brome Missisquoi)
• André Bachand, MP (Richmond)
• Canton of Melbourne
• Donations from individuals, including Marie Moliner, Esther Saanum, and Steve Luxton

About Townships Young Voices

The Townships Young Voices contest is an opportunity for youth from all corners of the historical Eastern Townships to put forth their creative works. Through this initiative, the Townships Sun team aims to inspire and nurture young artists of all kinds by providing them with a platform to share their voices.

For more information about Townships Young Voices, please contact:
Xania Keane, TYVoices Coordinator: [email protected]