FilKONtario

FilKONtario
Status	Active
Genre	Filk music
Location(s)	Mississauga, Ontario
Country	Canada
Inaugurated	1991
Website	http://www.filkontario.ca

Introduction

FilKONtario is a small filk convention in Ontario. Established in 1991, it is the first and only filk convention in Canada. In its fifth year (1995), the convention initiated the Filk Hall of Fame, a component that continues.

History

The early days of FilKontario were difficult. The convention committee was primarily Howard Scrimgeour and Heather Borean, both of whom continue on concom at time of writing. Attendance was low the first few years, but a feeling of relaxed inclusiveness became the conventions overall mood. In 1994, the convention became a big draw with guest, Kathy Mar, and has been quietly growing since that time.

Like most filk conventions, other than the Ohio Valley Filk Festival, it is a small event, usually with about 130-150 attendees. Gradually the convention has grown to offer programming Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, with requisite filk circles until the early morning, and a "Dead Penguin" sing Sunday evening. IN addition, the guest roster has gone from a single GoH, to having a GoH, a Filk Waif (an idiosyncratic term honoring the first waif, Mary Ellen Wessels. The role is identical to Toastmaster), an Interfilk Guest and an occasional Special Guest.

In 2007, in cooperation with Interfilk and after two years of fundraising, FilKONtari's Guest of Honor was the n'Early Music Consort, a choir of sixteen performers from England. This is one of the larger guests slates offered at a small convention.

Typical Activities

Programming typically includes: Concerts, song-writing contests, workshops on guitar, voice, performance, etc, one-shots, dealers' room, a fundraising auction for Interfilk, Theme circels, and, especially, open song circles where everyone who chooses can sing and play, and listeners are especially welcome. The circles start late and go into the early hours of the morning, or later. There is an opening reception, and sometimes a CD release. Some children's programming is usually available.

The Filk Hall of Fame

Inductions into the Filk Hall of Fame take place at the Saturday evening banquet. The Hall was created to honour "contributions to filk music and the filk community". Each year a jury reviews the nominations and votes anonymously for their selections. Once the votes are tallied, the Administrator contacts the inductees for the current year. The citations noting the inductees' contributions are read at the banquet, and those present are given a copy of the citation and a plaque.

The next day there is a concert in honour of the new Hall of Fame inductees. Each new inductee selects five pieces of music significant to him, her or them. These are performed at the concert.

A Synopsis of the First Twenty Years of FilKONtario

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FKO	DATES	LOCATION	GUEST OF HONOUR	OFFICIAL FKO FILK WAIF	INTERFILK GUEST	SPECIAL GUEST	SONGWRITING CONTEST	HALL OF FAME	CONCOM
1	April 12-145, 1991	Holiddya Inn Mississauga	Bill and Brenda Sutton	--	--	--	FilKONtario	--	Heather Borean (chair), Howard Scrimgeour, Wayne Borean, Duane Elms, Joan MacDougall, Terri Neal, Lidia Tremblay
2	April 10-12, 1992	Holiday Inn Mississauga	Tom Smith	--	--	--	Buttons and T-Shirts	--	Heather Borean (chair), Howard Scrimgeour, Wayne Borean, Lidia Tremblay, Lloyd Penney, Yvonne Penney
3	May 7-9, 1993	Holiday Inn Mississauga	Michael Longcor	Mary Ellen Wessels (unofficial)	--	--	Aliens	--	Heather Borean (chair), Howard Scrimgeour, Judith Hayman, Dave Hayman, Wayne Borean, Lidia Tremblay, Lloyd Penney, Yvonne Penney
4	April 15-17, 1994	Regal Constellation Etobicoke	Kathy Mar	Mary Ellen Wessels	Heather Rose Jones	--	Technology	--	Heather Borean, Wayne Borean, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (chair), Howard Scrimgeour, Linda Hurdis, Linda Baker
5	Mar 21-Apr 2, 1995	Holiday Inn Yorkdale, Toronto	Decadent Dave Clement	Steve Macdonald	--	--	To the Stars and Fools that Go Filk in the Night	Bob Asprin Leslie Fish Off Centaur Publications	Heather Borean, Wayne Borean, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (chair), Howard Scrimgeour, Rob Sutherland, Linda Hurdis, Linda Baker
6	Apr 19-21, 1996	Venture Inn Toronto Airport	Mary Ellen Wessels	Barry and Sally Childs-Helton	Steve Dixon	--	Magic and Magicians	Juanita Coulson Julia Ecklar Bob Laurent Kathy Mar Bill Maraschiello	Heather Borean, Carolyn Brown, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (chair), Haoward Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde, Lloyd Penney, Yvonne Penney
7	April 11-13	Venture Inn Airport, Etobicoke	Talis Kimberley	Clif and Carol Flynt	Doug Wu	--	Songs based on written SF or Fantasy	Lee and Barry Gold J. Spencer Love Margaret Middleton	Heather Borean, Carolyn Brown, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (chair), Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde, Lloyd Penney, Yvonne Penney
8	Apr 17-19 1998	Travelodge Hotel Toronto East	Heather Alexander	John Hall	Juliane Honisch and Katy Droege	--	A place you'd like to go to	Rafe Culpin Cynthia McQuillin Erwin "Filthy Pierre" Strauss	Heather Borean, Carolyn Brown, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde (co-chair)
9	March 26-28	Quality Hotel Toronto Airport, Mississauga	Urban Tapestry	Don Neill	Harold Groot	--	To Space	Gary Anderson Decadent Dave Clement Mary Ellen Wessels	Heather Borean, Carolyn Brown (co-chair), Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde (co-chair)
10	March 31-April 2, 2000	Quality Hotel Toronto Airport, Mississauga	Larry Warner	Diana Huey	Scott Snyder	--	Tricksters	Zander Nyrond Dr. Jane Robinson Bill Roper	Heather Borean, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (chair), Sally Headford, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde
11	April 5-7, 2001	Quality Hotel Toronto Airport, Mississauga	Bill and Brenda Sutton	Steve Simmons	Erica Neely	--	Mars and Beyond	Gordon R. Dickson Gytha North Bill and Brenda Sutton	Heather Borean, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (chair), Sally Headford, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde.
12	Mar 29-31, 2002	Four Points Toronto Airport (now Delta Toronto Airport West), Mississauga	Joey Shoji	Dave Weingart	Anke Teschke	Tanya Huff	1. A song based on Tanya's writing 2. Technology Past and Future	Lissa Allcock Kirstin Tanger Alan Thiesen	Heather Borean, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford (chair), Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde
13	March 28-30, 2003	Delta Toronto Airport West	Dr. Jane Robinson and Cynthia McQuillin	Mark Bernstein	Robert Cooke	--	Travellers of the Deep	Karen and Poul Anderson Barry and Sally Childs-Helton Bob Kanefsky Chris Malme	Heather Borean, Wayne Borean, Ingrid de Buda, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford (chair), Linda Hurdis, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde
14	March 26-28	Delta Toronto Airport West	Michael Longcor	Kathleen Sloan	Blind Lemming Chiffon	--	Based on written military SF	Katy Droege and Juliana Honisch Valerie Housden Gary McGath	Heather Borean, Ingird de Buda Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford (chair), Linda Hurdis, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde
15	April 1-3, 2005	Delta Toronto Airport West, Mississauga	Steve Macdonald	Judith Hayman	Carla Ulbrich	Michelle Sagara	Recycling in the Future	Clif Flynt Judith and Dave Hayman Tom Smith	Heather Borean, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford, Linda Hurdis, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde
16	March 31- April 2, 2006	Delta Toronto Airport West, Mississauga	Chris Conway	Tanya Huff	Judi Miller	--	Tolkien's World	Franklin Gunkelman Steve Macdonald Lois Mangan Gretchen Roper	Heather Borean, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford, Linda Hurdis, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde
17	March 23-25, 2007	Delta Toronto Airport West	n'Early Music Consort (a sixteen person filk choir from England)				Harmony	Chris (Keris) Croughton Bruce Pelz Kathleen Sloan	Heather Borean, Wayne Borean, Ingrid de Buda, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford, Linda Hurdis, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde
18	April 4-6, 2008	Delta Toronto Airport West	Vixy and Tony (Michelle Dockery and Tony Fabris)	Bill Roper	Marilyn Miller	Heather Bruton	Nightmares in the Dark	Bob (Doc) and Anne Passovoy Steve and Colleen Savitsky	Heather Borean, Wayne Borean, Ingrid de Buda, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford (chair), Linda Hurdis, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde
19	April 3-5, 2009	Delta Toronto Airport West	Heahter Dale	Urban Tapestry	Gary and Sandy Tyra	Rob Sawyer4	Space Games	Erica Neely Frank Hayes	Heather Borean, Wayne Borean, Ingrid de Buda, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford (chair), Linda Hurdis, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde
20	April 9-11, 2010	Delta Toronto Airport West, Mississauga	Jeff and Maya Bohnhoff	Erica Neely	William Mark Simmons	--	Time Travel	Jan Dimasi Kristoph Klover Mike Whittaker	Heather Borean, Jane Garthson, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford (chair), Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde
21	April 1-3, 2011	Delta Toronto Airport West	Wild Mercy	Karen Linsley	Ghost of a Rose	--	Coming of Age	TBA at the con	Jane Garthson, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford, Sue Jeffers (chair), Tom Jeffers, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde

From the FilKONtario program book archive. Used by permission

References

Personal interviews with members of the FilKONtario Concoms.

Access to the print archives of FilKONtario -- program books, progress reports, etc. 1991 to 2011.

FilKONtario web site

[http://www.filkontario.ca/hof/hofmain.html Filk Hall of Fame web site</a>

External links

• FilKONtario Home Page
• Interfilk
• Filk FAQ
• Filk Hall of Fame