According to Castor Legion president Lyn Holloway, when one of the winners of the 2022 National Poster and Literary contest was determined to be from Altario the first question asked was “Where’s that?”
For those unaware, Altario is a remote-rural hamlet just off Highway 12 near the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. The community school is one of six under the umbrella of the Castor Legion.
Every year, to promote remembrance efforts, the Royal Canadian Legion hosts a National Poster and Literary Contest in the schools administered by local legions.
While individual winners are selected by the local Legion at the school level, some student submissions are sent for judging at the provincial level. At the provincial level, winners are then submitted for judging at the national level. First-place winners of the national prizes win a trip for themselves and a parent to the national Remembrance Day service in Ottawa in 2023.
As an added bonus, winners at the senior level also win $1,000, which will be presented in Ottawa.
Managing to work her way all the way to the top is Altario Grade 11 student Vlada Paschenko.
In addition to her first-place national win, Paschenko won two second-place provincial prizes, one for black and white posters, and one for poetry.
There are cash prizes for provincial winners as well.
“It’s quite an accomplishment,” said Castor Legion president Lyn Holloway, who, along with Legion member Ken Jackson, made the trip to Altario to present the student with a plaque acknowledging the win.
Paschenko says that her family has been in Canada for around two-and-a-half years, having moved from Ukraine.
“(Art) is in my blood,” said Paschenko.
“A lot of my relatives are artists, I don’t think I’ll ever stop.”
Paschenko says, staying with an art theme, she is considering a career as an architect when she completes school.
As for her wins, Paschenko says she is “really happy right now.”
The colour poster Paschenko created will be displayed at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa for one year.
In total, 291 submissions were received by the Castor Legion for judging. Of those, two posters from Altario, two posters from Coronation, and a poem from Altario were sent to the Legion District command in Lacombe.
Altario School is a full Kindergarten to Grade 12 facility, with 54 students.
