To reach us
Canadian Folk Music Awards
508-B Gladstone Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 5P1
Media
Rebecca Webster
Webster Media Consulting
416 562-5294
Rebecca@webstermediaconsulting.com
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Board of Directors
Alka Sharma
Alka joined Folk Music Ontario as the Executive Director in 2013. Prior to that, she worked as the Interim Executive Director at the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival and spent many years working as the Senior Manager of Operations with the Toronto International Film Festival. She joined the CFMA Board of Directors in 2015.
Bill Werthmann
Bill Werthmann is the Founder/AD of The Northern Lights Folk Club in Edmonton presenting over 200 shows over the past 16 years. Bill is also performer and has worked as a booking agent/manager for some of Canada’s leading Folk Artists and has been a panelist, mentor and has served many times as a juror for music industry awards.
Bob Stark
Bob is a performing songwriter and recording artist, originally from Ottawa, ON, who relocated to the left coast in 1996, where it is much warmer. Bob teaches songwriting in Vancouver, BC, through the Moveable Music School and Georgia Strait Guitar Workshop. Bob has worked for the CRTC as a radio programming analyst, radio policy wonk, and client service ‘dodge and re-directer’.
Diana Stewart-Imbert
Diana is currently on staff at the Vancouver International Children’s Festival, Board President of VICO, the Vancouver Intercultural Orchestra, and “extreme vocalist” in the VOICE OVER mind Choir. A graduate of Studio 58 Theatre Arts Program, her credits include Production Stage Manager for various Vancouver theatre companies, world music agent (France & Canada) and founder of the Vancouver World Music Collective. She has been with the CFMA since 2013.
Graham Lindsey
Graham Lindsey owns a media production company (focusing mainly on website development) and plays in a number of Celtic, folk and roots bands in Ottawa and Montreal. A relatively recent (2007) addition to the folk scene, he is happiest when playing music—as evidenced by the “idiot’s grin” he often sports while playing.
Grit Laskin
Grit Laskin is an Order of Canada and Estelle Klein Award recipient, given for his profession as a guitarmaker and also his dedication to the Folk Music community. He is a founding partner of Borealis Records, a founder of the CFMAs, and one of the directors of The Woods music camp.
Judith Laskin
Judith Laskin spent 33 years in Education, as teacher, principal, curriculum leader and teacher trainer for York University. A life-long love of folk music is reflected by her years on the Mariposa Festival Board under Estelle Klein, her years as music coordinator for the Common Thread Choir, her ongoing co-directorship of The Woods music camp, and as a founder of the CFMA.
Robert Soucy
Bob has been active as a musician for many years playing solo and in various bands and, notably, as the composer for the CBC/Disney kids’ TV series Under the Umbrella Tree in addition to a number of film projects. He was also the Director of the Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office and currently sits on the board of the Forum for Research and Policy in Communications.
Scott Merrifield
A founder and past Artistic Director of Northern Lights Festival Boréal for 14 years, Scott is also a director and past President of Folk Music Ontario. Since 1992 he has been presenting approximately 8 house concerts per year, and he also curates a bi-weekly dinner concert series at The Motley Kitchen in Sudbury. He retired as Director of Policy & Planning for FedNor in 2008 after 33 years in the federal public service, delivering community-based social and economic development programs throughout Northern and rural Ontario, including extensive work with Aboriginal communities and the Community Futures Program.3
