Anne of Green Gables and PEI Highlighted at Expo 2005 in Japan
Anne of Green Gables and Prince Edward Island will be the focus of a special theme day on May 5 at the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan.
Kate Macdonald Butler, granddaughter of author L.M. Montgomery, and Duncan McIntosh, member of the L. M. Montgomery Institute's International Advisory Board, representing Prince Edward Island, will attend "Anne Day" at Expo 2005 and will announce the launch of a Japanese-language website about L.M. Montgomery's personal scrapbooks and images of her book covers, and a special year in honour of Anne of Green Gables that will take place in 2008.
The website is a gift from the L.M. Montgomery Institute at the University of Prince Edward Island to the people of Japan in recognition of their love of Anne and in celebration of Expo 2005. It is a translation of Picturing A Canadian Life: L.M. Montgomery's Personal Scrapbooks and Book Covers, a website developed by the L.M. Montgomery Institute, the Confederation Centre Art Gallery, University of Prince Edward Island, University of Guelph, Virtual Museum of Canada, Lucy Maud Montgomery Birthplace, and National Library of Canada. The url for the website is http://lmm.confederationcentre.com.
Ms. Macdonald Butler and Mr. McIntosh will also announce a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the publication of the novel Anne of Green Gables on Prince Edward Island in 2008. Eri Muraoka and Mie Muraoka, grandchildren of Hanako Muraoka who translated the novel into Japanese, will be guests at the announcement. Jennifer Toulmin, who plays Anne Shirley in the Charlottetown Festival's production Anne of Green Gables - The Musicaland#153; and Wakana Uchibayashi, who has played Anne in Tokyo, will sing two songs from the world-famous musical. Toulmin is one of six Canadians featured in the Canadian Pavilion during Expo 2005.
A committee consisting of representatives of the L.M. Montgomery Institute, Tourism Prince Edward Island, Parks Canada, the Confederation Centre of the Arts, the provincial Department of Education, various tourism businesses and the Tourism Industry Association of P.E.I. is already working to plan the celebration. The Honourable Marion Reid, CM, a long-time Montgomery enthusiast and former lieutenant-governor of Prince Edward Island, is honourary chair of the celebration.
"Through her writings, particularly Anne of Green Gables, and her life-long love of her native Island, L.M. Montgomery has drawn our beautiful province to the attention of millions of people around the world," said Macdonald Butler and McIntosh, on behalf of the Honourable Marion Reid, CM, who was unable to travel to Japan for Anne Day. "Each year hundreds of thousands of people come to the Island to see for themselves the natural beauty that she expresses so eloquently in her novels, poems, letters and journals. We invite the people of Japan to come to Prince Edward Island in 2008 and join us as we celebrate our beloved L.M. Montgomery and her creation, Anne."
While the planning process is just beginning, the Anne2008 Centennial Committee's goal is to create a celebration of imagination, inspiration and creativity that will solidly link L.M. Montgomery and her fictional character Anne to their birthplace Prince Edward Island. The celebration will involve academic and cultural events such as the L.M. Montgomery Institute's biennial international conference scheduled for 2008, the Charlottetown Festival's production of Anne of Green Gables - The Musicaland#153;, the annual L.M. Montgomery Festival and much more. The committee has set up a website, http://www.anne2008.com, where information about the celebration will be posted as it becomes available.
Funding partners are the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the Department of Canadian Heritage, Tourism Prince Edward Island and the University of Prince Edward Island. L.M. Montgomery is a trademark of the Heirs of L.M. Montgomery Inc. and Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Green Gables - The Musical are trademarks of the AGGLA and used under license.
