Sesquicentennial Authors' Symposium in High Park
Presented by Toronto Arts in the Park and the Swansea Historical Society
August 27, 2017
Author Will O'Hara reading from his book, Enemy Arrows
In honour of Canada's 150th birthday, a selection of distinguished local writers read excerpts from their work in Toronto's historic High Park.
The guest of honour, Canada's Parliamentary Poet Laureate George Elliott Clarke, kicked off the free event.
Authors who were scheduled to read include: Will O'Hara, George Elliott Clarke, Melanie Mah, Neil Ross, Danila Botha Vernon, Michelle Alfano, Andrew Borkowski, David DePoe, Angie Littlefield, Bruce Meyer, Kevin Hardcastle, and the Event Coordinator, Bianca Lakoseljac.
For more details, visit the Arts in the Parks website.
Author Evening & Dinner at Mimico Cruising Club
Author evening and dinner at MCC - Toronto, ON
May 11, 2017
Click through the gallery below to see photos from the Enemy Arrows book event at Mimico Cruising Club in Toronto featuring author Will O’Hara
On May 11, 2017, Will O'Hara presented the book Enemy Arrows at Mimico Cruising Club. Books were available for purchase and a lively discussion was had. Guest also enjoyed a delicious meal in the clubhouse!
Ancient Aboriginal sites in West Toronto
Bicycle Tour
October 15, 2016
Will O'Hara, author of ENEMY ARROWS, lead a bicycle tour of aboriginal sites in High Park and beside the Humber River, originally Huron-Wendat territory.
Discover the burial sites near Grenadier Pond, the Seneca village of Teiaiagon at Baby Point, the controversial Snake and Bear Mounds in High Park, the 5,000-year-old Thunderbird Mound and the 10,000-year-old Carrying Place Trail. Touch an oak tree that sprouted 350 years ago.The two-hour tour will cover approximately 12 km. Cycling will be easy to intermediate level. (We'll walk bikes up the hills.)Meet at 2:00 p.m in High Park, at the green benches just south of the Grenadier Restaurant. Bring a working bicycle, water and snacks. Rain or shine. No cost.
Swansea Historical Society
On February 4, Will presented a virtual tour of Huron-Wendat Toronto in the year 1420, with a special focus on Swansea, High Park, Baby Point and the Humber River.
To hear Will’s presentation and see the slide show of pre-contact Toronto, click here.
Parkside Elementary School Visit
Reading the beat hunt story in Enemy Arrows at Parkside Elementary School in April of 2015
Visit to Karen MacGillivray's class
On February 27, Will was the visiting author in Karen MacGillivray’s grade three and four class in Kanata, Ontario. Karen had read the book to her students and had explored the themes of the book with her students in detail. The children had prepared excellent questions for Will and they discussed the characters and the concepts woven into the book. The student were especially curious about the environmental themes, the relationships among the three main characters – three young friends – and the way the members of the Wendat nation interacted with other nations.
Click through the gallery below to see photos from Enemy Arrows author Will O’Hara’s classroom visit.
Karen had all of her students prepare and decorate ‘snowsnakes’ and the late afternoon the class members, the teacher, assistant teachers and the visiting author went outside to play snowsnakes, a Wendat game described in ENEMY ARROWS. Each snake was hurled down a snow trough and the one that slithered the farthest was the winner. They played several games to perfect the snake hurling technique!
Click through the gallery below to see photos from Enemy Arrows author Will O’Hara’s classroom visit
The students of Karen MacGillivray’s class presented Will with handmade gifts they had created themselves, including a giant thank-you card, images from ENEMY ARROWS, and a faux beaver skin carrying case. Thanks to each and every student for the wonderful gifts!
Click through the gallery below to see photos of Enemy Arrows author Will O’Hara’s classroom visit.
Some reviews of ENEMY ARROWS prepared the students of Karen MacGillivray's class.Will's review of Karen's efforts to convey the book to her students: BRILLIANT! Will's review of Karen's students, their wonderful welcome, their insightful questions, their brightly-coloured snowsnakes, their hurling techniques and their generous gifts: SUPERLATIVE!
Click through the gallery below to see book reviews from Enemy Arrows author Will O’Hara’s classroom visit.
