Monday, July 21, 2008

Ashley readies her new album

Lively City column by Dan Hilborn
Published Feb. 15, 2006


Big things are happening for Burnaby's own Canadian Idol top 10 finalist, Ashley Leitao, who will be releasing her first album later this spring.

Leitao was the 19-year-old songstress who lit up our television sets last summer with her stirring rendition of Vanessa Williams' song Colours of the Wind, which placed her into the top 10 of Canada's most popular summertime TV series.

Leitao received the star treatment upon her return home from Toronto, where she worked with series' host and star, Ben Mulroney, the son of the former prime minister. She served as a guest of honour at last year's Edmonds Fall Fair, where she joined Mayor Derek Corrigan in judging the second annual Edmonds area talent contest.

Stay tuned for details of Ashley's first solo album, which should be on shelves by the end of spring.

Meanwhile, the 2006 Canadian Idol audition tour gets underway this week, with the show setting up shop in Vancouver on Feb. 25 and 26. Any Canadian citizen between the ages of 16 and 28 is eligible, and complete regulations can be found on the Juno Award-winning website www.idol.ctv.ca.

HELP FOR NEW WRITERS

Aspiring writers will have several opportunities to hone their craft and learn how to get published in the coming weeks, thanks to the advice of several established authors in our midst.

The first big event is a workshop for aspiring writers of children's books, which features long-time Burnaby resident Diane Haynes, the author of Flight or Fight, the wildlife rescue novel featured in the Feb. 4 edition of the Burnaby NOW.

Haynes will join a panel of children's authors and illustrators as they discuss the ins and outs of getting published at 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 20 at the Vancouver Public Library. Admission is free, and more information is available by caling 604-331-3603.

The second opportunity to hone your craft comes via the writer- in-residence program at Simon Fraser University, where poet and novelist Larissa Lai has agreed to offer one-on-one consultations with apsiring writers.

Lai, the author of When Fox Is A Thousand and Salt Fish Girl, is the second writer-in residence at SFU, and will give a series of lectures and readings in addition to serving as a mentor during her six-month appointment.

Anyone with an interest in writing is welcome to meet with Lai, but appointments are limited. Writers must provide at least 10 pages of poetry or 15 to 20 pages of fiction or non-fiction to qualify for the consultation. For more information, call 604-291-3136.

COMEDY AT WORK

Is there a ham in your office? Are all of your co-workers cut- ups? If so, then you should enter the third annual Humour in the Workplace Awards sponsored by VanCity Savings Credit Union, Business in Vancouver and the Century Plaza Hotel.

Lower Mainland businesses that use humour to help build their bottom line will be honoured at a special awards ceremony hosted by the corporate training and entertainment firm Rock.Paper.Scissors at Yuk Yuk's Comedy Club on May 23.

Awards are given for best use of humour in a large organization (100-plus employees), small organization (fewer than 100 employees) and by an indvidual. Winners receive a specially designed trophy - think rubber chicken - a complimentary entertainment or corporate training session, plus a second training session to be donated to the winner's favourite non-profit organization.

For more information, including samples of previous winning nominations, check out the website at www.rpsinc.ca.

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