Welcome To My World
Tuesday May 1st, 2018 with Kim Kilpatrick and Shelley Ann Morris
Hootin' and Hollerin'

It's May 1, and in Ottawa that means Gil's Hootenanny. Information about this annual event is below. Kim and Shelley will also talk about a couple of developments, including information that you will want to know about Ottawa's LRT and important information concerning Ontario's Assistive Devices Program (ADP) in light of the upcoming Ontario election. Shelley will also talk about volunteering at the Ottawa Grassroots Festival. Gil’s Hootenanny is a community sing-along event that takes place each year on May 1st, May Day, the international workers’ holiday. Musicians from a range of backgrounds take turns leading the audience to sing songs of protest and songs of hope. Gil’s Hootenanny was inspired by Gil Levine (1924-2009), the founding Director of Research at the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and a great lover of folk music. Gil’s vision of a better world included bringing people together to experience the collective power of song and to celebrate the stories, struggles and victories of working people. Gil saw May Day as an important time for working people around the world to gather together, speak up and sing out. First presented in 2010, the annual hootenanny has seen increasingly larger audiences coming out to sing each year, with more than 300 expected this year. The organizers and sponsors of Gil’s Hootenanny would like to see similar events taking place on May Day across the country. For information and advice on how to organize a May Day sing-along event in your community, contact info@gilshootenanny.ca. The 2018 Hootenanny will take place at 7:30pm in the Clarke Room at the RA Centre, 2451 Riverside Drive. Staffed by UNIFOR members, the RA Centre is accessible, has loads of parking and is well serviced by OC Transpo. Inspired by the legacy of Gil Levine, Tuesday, May 1st, 2018 will mark the 9th year for Ottawa’s Gil’s Hootenanny, the annual community sing-along celebrating the stories, struggles and victories of working people. Gil Levine spent his life working for social justice and was the founding Director of Research at the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). A great lover of folk music and an enthusiastic supporter of folk musicians, Gil believed in the collective power of song to bring people together to speak up and sing out for change. First presented in 2010, the annual Hootenanny has seen increasingly larger audiences who join featured artists and the house band in singing along with new and traditional songs of hope and protest. The featured artist in 2018 is Eve Goldberg (http://www.evegoldberg.com). Returning co-hosts for this year’s Hootenanny are Karen Flanagan McCarthy and Tony Turner. The Hootenanny band will comprise members of the Elizabeth Riley Band. Tickets are $10, kids are free. http://gilshootenanny.ca/