The SFContario programming page is now online. You can give us ideas for panels or other program events on this page. Also, if you are interested in participating in the program, there’s a form where you can give us information about yourself.

The best convention programs I’ve seen are those that bring in the best ideas from many people. With about three tracks of programming, we won’t be able to use every idea or every person who volunteers, but we’ll use as many good ideas and good people as we can. So let us know what you’d like to see or talk about at SFContario. We look forward to your suggestions.

Many of us have donated money to charities helping earthquake survivors in Haiti. A few of us have skills to offer. My friend Ann Totusek is heading to Haiti from March 20th to 28th has been asked by Dr. Alan Koslow to work as a nurse as part of a medical relief team organized by the Jewish Renaissance Foundation. This is a self-financed operation (i.e. the doctors pay their own way and the nurses hit up their friends) that brings supplies, including medical supplies, on their missions.

Her personal expenses for this mission will run possibly a thousand dollars. (Not counting airfare, for which someone has kindly offered airline points.) She has set up a ChipIn donation page. This is not one of those religious organizations offering sermons with the assistance; it’s just a group with people and skills available for good causes. I’ve known Ann for seven years and I can vouch for her personally; she was asked to go because of her prior experience with relief operations. If she has a shortfall, a few of her friends have offered to cover her outstanding expenses; if she gets more than she needs, the surplus will be donated to ongoing medical relief in Haiti. If a few dozen more people put in ten or even five dollars, it should cover her expenses. Online payment is through PayPal (so any credit card will work). If you have questions, you can ask me and I’ll find out, or you can ask her on her ChipIn page.

Here’s a question for our group mind: which Hugo and Nebula winners are Canadian?

The answers could be added to the Wikipedia.

A fan on a mailing list to which I subscribe explained “I’m editing the Wikipedia again. and would like to stick in a list of the Hugo- and Nebula-winning Canadian writers (not to mention checking to make sure all the Canadian SF writers are in the relevant
articles). Can anybody play “spot-the-Canadian” on the winners lists
and let me know? I’m a clueless Yank, and may not know which ones
aren’t as aggressively known as Canadian.

“I will leave it to you how you classify the immigrants like Dickson and Ryman.”

Dickson is Gordon Dickson, emigrant to the U.S. Ryman is Geoff Ryman, emigrant to the U.K.

I claim the emigrants, the never lefts, _and_ the immigrants.

Here is a list that claims to include all winners of both awards:

http://bit.ly/8OssUa

Who are Canadian?

The Aurora award nominees have been announced. Congratulations to all the nominees and to concom member Sue Posteraro Jeffers in particular. Yay Sue!!

We’re putting together a Hugo recommendation page, similar to the Aurora recommendation page we put up recently. If you’d like your suggestions to be included on our page, please contact Diane at program2010-at-sfcontario-dot-ca.

The CUFF ballot has been posted online at http://sfcontario.ca/cuff/.

Because of the delay getting the ballot up, voting has been extended to March 13th.

Many thanks to Colin and Alex for their help in getting the ballot together.

SFContario has Twitter: follow @SFContario

Back yesterday from Boston and Boskone 47: 12 hours and 10 minutes on the road, including 90 minutes crossing the border at Lewiston, with many other Ontarians at the end of Family Day. Note 1: next year, do not arrive at border at 5:15 p.m. Note 2: instead, cross at Rainbow Bridge.

Almost all of SFContario 1’s guests were at Boskone.

If during SFContario 1 you see Michael Swanwick with a thick notebook, ask him nicely and he will let you hold it and look through it. The academic institution that eventually acquires The Michael Swanwick Papers is in for a treat: much more interesting than a stack of compact disks or a thumb drive of files.

If you like semi-precious stones and polished fossils, you have a comment hook, in addition to writers, about which you can talk to Teresa Nielsen Hayden. Mary Ellen described Teresa’s necklaces as “stunning.”

And if you find yourself in a bar with Patrick Nielsen Hayden, you can offer to buy him a Guinness.

Geri Sullivan as one of the guests of SFContario 1 might be easier to find in one place for more than a few minutes, because she will be a guest. Or maybe not. During Boskone, to my knowledge, and I am sure this list is incomplete, on Friday she was involved in decorating the Zombie Casino and was in charge of the Reno in 2011 Worldcon party; Saturday she was a member of the crew during rehearsal of, and the subsequent performance of, the world premiere of Roger Zelazny’s three act play, Godson.

Or at least their musicians! We are pleased to learn and share that the Bedlam Bards are coming to SFContario. Hawke and Cedric are a couple of great performers, long established in Celtic music and now widely known for their music about the worlds of Firefly and Serenity. The local filk community is reportedly excited to have these great filkers coming up all the way from Texas, and we’re hoping that a segment of Browncoat fandom will come along to join the fun.

Just a quick reminder for those who have not yet nominated: you still can! The deadline for submitting nominations for the Aurora Awards is tonight on Monday, February 15. You may use the online nomination form.

If you’re not sure who to nominate, please come to our Aurora recommendations page for some ideas. Please also feel free to look at Marcel Gagne’s excellent online reference of Canadian science fiction. The Aurora committee has also posted some of their favorites on the Aurora award web site.