Dear listfolk,
I thought you might like to see this article from the Morden Times.
Morden is the town Loreena was born in - it's in rural Manitoba.

Best
Karen Shook

November 25, 2002, Morden Times

Welcome to McKennittown?
By Lorne Stelmach

She's earned acclaim from all corners of the globe, but there is some feeling Loreena McKennitt has not received the recognition she deserves from her hometown.

And the Morden Chamber of Commerce is looking to correct that by honoring the internationally known and acclaimed singer/songwriter in some way.

The chamber annually presents an award in McKennitt's honour to a participant who excels in the Morden Festival of the Arts. However, chamber directors acknowledge some community residents have long felt something more could be done.

"We've had people calling often through the years saying 'why doesn't Morden do something to recognize her?'," said Cheryl Link, manager of the Morden Chamber of Commerce.

The idea of some kind of sign honouring McKennitt and marking Morden as her birthplace was raised by the chamber back in 1997. But when McKennitt stepped back from public life after the death of her fiance, the idea was not pursued further.

Link said their first step was to obtain McKennitt's permission for them to use her image for a sign or in some other way. After making contact recently through McKennitt's mother, the chamber received her approval.

"The first step was getting her permission to use her image," Link said. "Now, we will be able to start working on ideas and possible designs."

Link noted a sign was one idea they have pursued, but she said they are open to ideas from the community for how they could best recognize McKennitt.

-- Karen Shook
karen@torr.demon.co.uk