By Tyler Marr

Local youth pens winning national poem

Jun 17, 2017 | 4:06 PM

A poem written by 14-year-old Emily Zbaraschuk was selected as the winner in the national 2017 Canada Day Challenge “Write it!” category.

Each year, the government asks youth across the country to submit their most dynamic drawings, photos or pieces of creative writing about Canada. As it is Canada’s sesquicentennial, participants were asked to submit pieces centred around Canada’s future.

“My poem looked at the ideas of the places and people and the things that Canada is from. It had the theme of where we as Canadians are from,” Zbaraschuk said, who was selected out of over 1,300 entries.

An avid writer and drawer, Zbaraschuk was inspired to pen the poem through her current study of Canadian identity in Social Studies. Learning about what has shaped Canadian history and who Canadians are, the young lady wanted to incorporate this into her poem. Entitled Where are we from, the piece evokes the idea that people, places and ideas are what shape our country.  

“I wanted to put a piece of Canada into my poem so that anyone from any province could read my poem and see a little piece of themselves in it.”

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Her mother Lorie, a teacher at Meath Park School in which Emily attends was “very proud and very excited” for her daughter. She said it was a “once in a lifetime kind of opportunity.”

As the winner, Emily and her mother have been invited to visit Ottawa for Canada 150 celebrations on Parliament Hill, which Emily said is an item on her bucket list. Alongside the winners from the drawing and photography categories, Emily will have the opportunity to visit Parliament, museums and national historical sites during their visit.

However, the crowning point in Emily’s victory is the fact her poem will be displayed at the Canadian Museum of History from June to September. The family visited the museum a number of years ago, adding to the excitement. Additionally, Emily and the National Film Board of Canada will collaborate on a short film based on the region. 

“I am looking to do something on rhubarb and how everyone is connected through growing and eating rhubarb in our community,” she said.

tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr