Heather Huxter Writing Contest Book Launch 2024

The Heather Huxter Book Launch

On October 9th, 2024, Gaston C. Létourneau Manager of Projects and Development delivered Heather Huxter Memorial books to French Immersion schools on his way to the Heather Huxter Book launch. Each school received over 90 books.

The Heather Huxter’s book launch was held on October 10th, 2024 at Ecole C.C.Loughlin School in Corner Brook Newfoundland.

The event involved community interviews, family attendance, and a reading by contest-winning students, making it a memorable and engaging experience for all.

Event Highlights

Interviews with CBC Bernice Hillier, with Heather Huxter’s mother Elaine Huxter, and Gaston Létourneau (CPFNL) kicked off the day on October 10, 2024.

The event at the C.C. Loughling school began at 1:00 pm. The celebration was also attended by Heather’s family, the students, the teachers, the President Annette Hiscock, and the Vice President Kevin Mitchell of the Corner Brook Canadian Parents for French.

Elaine Huxter spoke to the students and published story writing winners were there to read their stories. Violet Halford, who won in the 2023 category for Grade 4, and Carson Baker, the 2022 winner, category francophone, who is currently in grade 9, read his story, and Maeve Pandey, the Grade 4 winner for 2024 contest edition, read her story as well.

The two cakes were presented to the pupils, instructors, and family as a celebration. Each winner was given their own books.

Distribution

90 books were delivered to every French Immersion School across Newfoundland.
1800 plus books was distributed in 20 schools total.
For J.R. Smallwood school in Wabush and Sacred Heart school in Marystown the books were mailed via Post Canada.

A word from Heather ‘s mother, Elaine Huxter

Heather was a fun loving 9-year-old girl who went to CC Loughlin School. She died in 2000 in a motor vehicle accident at the age of 9. In life Heather was larger than life. She loved being creative whether it was dressing up as her favorite movie character, acting in a play, hanging out with her friends and taking piano and voice lessons. She was a great friend and was kind to others. Although she didn’t always love doing her homework, she loved speaking French. It wasn’t always easy, and homework was hard, but I knew she would be able to do it when I heard her and her sister playing with their Barbie Dolls in French!

We wanted to make sure that nobody ever forgot Heather. One of the things that was done that has created an ongoing legacy is this story writing project.

Writing stories, whether they are imagined or about things that really happened is so good for us. We get to write about how we are feeling, about our dreams, about the things we love or maybe don’t like. Sometimes we want to share our thoughts with everyone, sometimes we journal our personal thoughts to work through something. It is all important.

Elaine Huxter, Heather ‘s mom.

I had a message from a parent, one of the winners of the contest. She said:

I have wanted to express to you how significant it is that you have fostered creativity in your daughter’s memory, but I have never known how to say it. Honestly, I still don’t know how to say it which, admittedly, reinforces how valuable it is to have established a contest that helps kids develop their communication skills. Storytelling is so important in how we convey our feelings to one another, and I think you are equipping a lot of young people with better skills to share their thoughts and ideas.

I want to thank Canadian Parents for French staff and board, past and present for ensuring that the memory of our daughter is continued through this contest. It has encouraged children to write hundreds and hundreds of stories in French.