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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Kids' coup a bright spot amid mill lockout

Powerview drama students bound for Disney World

By: Jennifer Pawluk

27/11/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 2

Drama students at Powerview School have earned the chance to perform at a major education conference to be held at Disney World in Orlando, Fla. next month. (SUPPLIED PHOTO )

Locked-out Tembec workers are carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders right now, but a bit of magical news has put a spring in their children's steps.

Twenty members of Powerview School's Grade 6 to 9 drama club will perform at Disney World in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 10. Powerview was one of eight schools, and the only Canadian one, selected to perform during a national education conference there.

From Dec. 8 to 12, the students will receive star treatment at the kingdom of magic. They will be participating in seminars and workshops, as well as performing, at the 2009 Blueprint for Excellence conference. For a town burdened by corporate-union battles and financial hardship, this is a success story not unlike Cinderella's.

"It's a great opportunity at a particularly stressful time," said Tanya Magnan, the group's instructor, though "it would be exciting at any time."

"Our presentation will be representative of who the students are," Magnan said, adding that they're putting a lot of Canadian flavour into their production. The students are of aboriginal, Métis and European backgrounds. Their performance is an original production about cultural diversity and acceptance that involves improv and mime work as well as choral speaking.

Almost 300 workers have been locked out of the Tembec newsprint mill in Pine Falls since Aug. 31 after union members rejected a company proposal to cut wages and benefits by about 35 per cent.

"We won't tax our community," Magnan said, about fundraising efforts for the trip.

So far they haven't had much success, though the local Knights of Columbus council has been generous, said school principal Trevor Reid. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he added. "Despite any struggles, we've got to make it happen."

Magnan has worked with many of the students for five years. The group has received numerous accolades in that time, including highlight awards at the Agassiz Festival of the Arts. In March 2009, Sunrise School Division nominated them for the Premier Award for School Board Innovation. Because of these achievements, the group qualified to perform at the conference and Magnan decided to apply.

Now, 20 of the school's most talented drama students will perform for about 1,000 people in less than two weeks.

One of those students is 11-year-old Sydney Borlase. Her father, Guy, is one of the locked-out mill workers.

Borlase says she likes acting and is looking forward to the conference, especially going to the theme park and having fun with her friends.

"It's just so exciting... really, really exciting," she exclaimed.

The cost for one student to register for the conference is US$395. This doesn't account for travel costs. And given the burden the lockout has caused, the group hasn't been able to fundraise but is relying on grant applications and foundation support instead.

jennifer.pawluk@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition November 27, 2009 A8

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