I had a great time at Ottawa’s CanCon and Aurora Awards this past weekend. It was great fun despite the Minto Hotel’s tendency to shut down room parties by 11 pm. Highlights included introducing Aurora nominee and Bundoran author Neil Godbout at the Bundoran Press room party, seeing Hayden Trenholm win and Aurora for Best Related work, and presenting the Filk award to Kari Maaren when original presenter Suzanne Church took ill. With doing panels and working at the Bundoran table in the Dealer’s room, I’ve never been so busy at a Con.
I did manage to find some time for other panels, including Hayden Trenholm and Lifetime achievement recipient Robert Sawyer interviewing each other. For the most part, however, I was one busy little conventioneer. The only thing I can say is, in the future, if it’s the last day and I’m on a ‘thinking’ panel, I may opt out simply because my brain is mush by then.
Maybe.
Special thanks to Derek Kunsken for convincing me to go, and to the Con Committee for the hard work they put in. And now some picture:
Robert Sawyer searching for a chair.
The Aurora awards.
Hayden Trenholm is a man of many hats: Guest of Honour, Award MC, and trophy security guard.
Opening the ceremony with Chris Hadfield’s I.S.S. (Is Someone Singing)
Hayden Trenholm presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to Rob Sawyer.
Robert Sawyer with his award.
Tanya Huff
Matt Moore.
Marie Bilodeau.
David Clink accepting his award via cell phone.
Jean-Louis Trudel
Tanya Huff with her Aurora Award for best long form. (novel)
Jean-Louis Trudel giving Tanya Huff her monetary award for winning Canada’s version of the ‘Big One.’
Award winners and their stand-ins.
View from my hotel room.
Costi Gurgu reading from his story appearing in Tesseracts 18.
A fuzzy Derek Kunsten reading from ‘Chilling Tales.’
Robert Sawyer and Hayden Trenholm interviewing each other.
Neil Godbout reading from his novel, ‘Dissolve.’
Newest Bundoran author, Tom Barlow, giving a reading at the Bundoran launch party.
Liz Trenholm presenting.
Randy McCharles phoning in his acceptance for Best Fan Organizational.
Me! That’s me presenting for Best Fan Filk! Only in Ottawa can an obscure writer grow up and become an award presenter overnight.
Kari Maaren tickled pink to have won for Best Fan Filk.
Neil Godbout presenting the Best Fan Publication to Derek Newman-Stille.
Violet Malan and Brett Savory accepting the Best Artist for Erik Mohr.
Editor David Hartwell giving editor Hayden Trenholm his Aurora for Best Related Work.
