Ottawa Children’s Storytelling Festival 2023
Tellers Appearing on Youtube
Brad Denys
Walking a long winding path, Brad has been performing around the world for the past 30 years as a dancer, actor, and clown with the likes of Cirque du Soleil, Philippe Decoufle, Cavalia, Film Festival of Cannes and Carbone-14. He has performed in over 37 countries and has gained quite a few stories along the way. He is now on a new adventure as a storyteller with the Ottawa StoryTellers. A big fan of folktales and adventures he is thrilled to share his unique style of telling stories with you.
Claude Garneau
Claude (Le Pére) Garneau has over 15 years' experience creating, writing and telling stories, hosting a television program and is a published author. His stories, the fruits of his vivid imagination, are a blend of humour, wisdom, history and magic.
Janet LeRoy
Janet’s original stories delight audiences of all ages. Her repertoire includes folktales, children’s stories, finger-plays, rhymes, riddles, and personal stories. A dynamic storyteller, Janet has performed in festivals, schools, libraries, day camps, community centres, bereavement groups, and senior centres. She has been leading Story Time at the Wakefield Library for seven years. Her story, Gift for the Grieving, was published in Today’s Parent Magazine. Audiences say her stories are captivating, heart-warming, fun, and entertaining.
Jennifer Jerome
Jennifer Jerome is a member of the Algonquin Nation, from Kitigan Zibi, PQ. As a child, Jennifer grew up closely with her cousins, frequently spending time at her grandparents house. Her grandparents often took Jennifer and her cousins on camping trips to the bush where they would hunt and trap. This is how Jennifer learned stories, teachings and legends about her nation’s spiritual and mythological beings. Consequently, every story had a hidden lesson. Jennifer is a registered Early Childhood Educator, and currently the Family Support worker at Odawa Native Friendship Centre. Jennifer has worked with Wasa-Nabin Urban Youth at Odawa and with children of all ages at the well-known Aboriginal Experiences- Arts & Culture Centre.
Kathie Kompass
A storyteller since 1983, Kathie’s desire is to light a verbal candle, drawing the audience closer. She likes the taste of sharp, keen, vivid words in her mouth. Words that will create a picture in the Listeners mind as the story reveals itself. Kathie tells in English. She finds folktales and legends from China, Europe, Japan, Africa and the Caribbean a pleasure to tell. There is mischief and wisdom in those tales. When storytelling for youth groups she creates chants and participation stories to enrich the theme of the event and involve the audience.
Laura Davidson Leet
"Telling stories in the forest fills me with so much joy. When I cannot do that I bring the forest into the classroom and into my home. I am always thrilled to have a child ask to hear a story again and even more excited when that child starts telling me their own stories. I love creating personalities for animals in order to bring them to life for the children. The stories involve a bit of whimsy, taking the children along for an adventure with the animals." Laura is a storyteller, a Forest and Nature School educator, a teacher, and a parent who loves to spend time outdoors.
Marie Victoria Robertson
As a writer, director, and performer, Marie spent over 15 years in theatre. She performed at the National Arts Centre, the Shenkman Centre, and in Fringe festivals across Canada (but decided there’s no place like home— Ottawa!). Since 2018, she’s been part of Ottawa StoryTellers and enjoys telling tales to kids and grownups alike. This is her third year with the Children’s StoryTelling Festival.
Mary Gunner
Mary Gunner is the Indigenous Healthy Babies Healthy Children program coordinator at the Odawa Native Friendship Centre. She is originally from Moose Factory, Ontario, an island at the mouth of James Bay. She is Cree, a mother of 3 grown boys, and a proud grandmother of 3 grandsons. She graduated from the Early Childhood Education Program at Algonquin College many years ago. Mary has always enjoyed working with children and their families. She is excited about sharing her stories with you.
Will Morin
Will is an Ojibway Anishinaabe storyteller, artist and educator. He lives and works in Sudbury Ontario with his family with family ties to Michipicoten FN and on the Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory. A professor of Indigenous Studies for over 20 years at the University of Sudbury for Laurentian University and other post secondary schools in Ontario. Holding a diversity of degrees; B.F.A., B.A. Native Studies, B.Ed, Interdisciplinary M.A. and a PhD (ABD), Will has taught all levels from Elementary to University. During the Oka Crisis and the first Gulf War Will in 1990 served as a Medical Assistant.
Mary Wiggin
For 20 years, Mary Wiggin has delighted audiences with her storytelling as a frequent featured teller at the Ottawa StoryTellers’ (OST) series at the National Arts Centre, the Children’s Storytelling Festival and Story Stage. She also tells at a variety of community settings including seniors’ programs, museums, schools and fundraising events.
In 2016, Mary toured British Columbia with The Game’s Afoot: Stories from Sherlock Holmes; returned to Vancouver Island in 2018 with Oatcakes and Heartaches: Scottish Tales Carried Over the Ocean; and again in 2019 with Winter Tales to Warm the Heart.
Renowned for her exquisite sense of language, Mary is a subtle master of the literary tale. She favours folktales and fairy tales with strong heroines and sound plots, but listeners should be ready for some surprises. Her no-nonsense style is the perfect set-up for the uncanny and the fantastic.
In addition to telling stories, she is delighted to be the co-facilitator of Welcome to Storytelling: Ten Things You Need to Know, OST’s introductory storytelling workshop.
Mary specializes in offering stories for adults but she also enjoys telling to younger audiences. Her repertoire includes literary, historic, folk and fairy tales and she is especially fond of stories that tickle the funny bone.
“Polished, accomplished, filled with energy and wit!”
“She told the story so well I was smiling from start to finish!”
Uchechi Ogbonna
Once upon a time in a country called Nigeria, there was a special girl named Uchechi. She loved to tell stories! Uchechi felt very happy when she told stories because it helped her tell others about her culture.
Now, Uchechi lives in a place called Ottawa, and she continues to share her experiences with everyone by telling stories that are easy for people to understand and enjoy.
Uchechi wants people to learn and have fun at the same time. So, she tells stories that we can all relate to. When we listen to her stories, we feel happy and maybe learn something new too!
Where to find the recordings
Details to be added soon.