# FilKONtario

FilKONtario is a fan-run convention in the Greater Toronto Area, Ontario area dedicated to filk, the music of science fiction and fantasy fandom. Established in 1991, it is the only filk convention in Canada. In its fifth year (1995), the convention initiated the Filk Hall of Fame, which continues to recognize those who have made significant contributions to filk music and the filk community, worldwide. This international awards program is administered through FilKONtario, with an international jury.

## History

At the time FilKONtario was founded, there were only five filk conventions worldwide: Consonance (San Francisco area), ConChord (Los Angeles area, started 1983), the Northeast Filk Con, and Ohio Valley Filk Fest (Columbus area, started in 1984), and the British Filk Con (started in 1989). Heather Borean, the first conchair, wanted something a little closer to home and proposed the idea of founding a new con. The name is a concatenation of "Filk", "KON" (for "convention") and "Ontario." The early days of FilKONtario were a bit challenging. Attendance was low the first few years, but a feeling of relaxed inclusiveness, following the lead of the con's first year guests, Bill and Brenda Sutton, became the norm. In 1994, the convention drew a large crowd, with guest Kathy Mar, and has been quietly growing since that time.
In the first year the convention mascot was established, which is a penguin with a guitar.
Like most filk conventions, other than the Ohio Valley Filk Fest, FilKONtario is a small event, usually with about 130-150 attendees. Gradually the convention has grown from modest beginnings to offer programming Friday evening through Sunday afternoon, with requisite filk circles until the early morning, workshops in the mornings and a "Dead Penguin" (a play on "dead dog") sing Sunday evening. In addition, the guest roster has grown from a single guest of honour, to having a GoH, a Filk Waif, an Interfilk Guest and an occasional Special Guest, an author or artist from Southern Ontario. "Filk Waif" is an idiosyncratic term honoring the first waif, Mary Ellen Wessels, whom two of the concom members brought to the con at their expense because she couldn't afford it. (Hence, "waif".) The role is identical to Toastmaster.
In 2007, in cooperation with Interfilk and after two years of fundraising, FilKONtario's only guest was the n'Early Music Consort, a choir of sixteen performers from England. This is thought to be one of the largest guest slates offered at a small convention.
FilKONtario has been the honoured recipient of guests funded by Interfilk since 1994. Interfilk is an international arts charity registered as a 501(c)(3) in California. FilKONtario is one of the recognized cons on that charity site.

## Typical convention activities

Programming typically includes: Concerts, song-writing contests, workshops on guitar, voice, performance, etc., one-shots, dealers' room, a fund-raising auction for Interfilk, theme circles, and, especially, open song circles where everyone who chooses can sing and play, and listeners are especially welcome. The circles start in the late evening and go into the early hours of the morning, or later. There is an opening reception, and sometimes a CD release. Some children's programming is usually available.
Recording of the concerts and filks has been done since the first year of FilKONtario, resulting in the following releases, the first two on tape, the remainder on CD:
* Make Believe (FilKONtario 1), Wail Songs
* Let's Have a Filksing (FilKONtario 2), Wail Songs
* Songs From FilKONtario 7: Why Can't Penguins Filk?, Love Song Productions, A Dozen Cats Studios (Savedsounds and USB Studios)
* Where the Magic is Real (FilKONtario 8), a joint production of FilKONtario and USB Studios
* Filk Dreams — music from FilKONtario 9, USB Studios
* Filk Memories — music from FilKONtario 10, USB Studios
* FilkNotes — the music from FilKONtario 11, USB Studios
* Filk Together — music from FilKONtario 12, USB Studios
* Triskaidekafilkia — music from FilKONtario 13, USB Studios

## Filk Hall of Fame

Inductions into the Filk Hall of Fame take place at the Saturday evening banquet. The Hall was created to honour "contributions to filk music and the filk community". Each year a jury reviews the nominations and votes anonymously for their selections. Once the votes are tallied, the Administrator contacts the inductees for the current year. The citations noting the inductees' contributions are read at the banquet, and those inductees present are given a copy of the citation and a plaque. These items are mailed to those not present.
The next day there is a concert in honour of the new Hall of Fame inductees. Each new inductee selects five pieces of music significant to him, her or them. These are performed at the concert.
There is additional extensive material about how to nominate and what constitutes contributions to the filk community on the Filk Hall of Fame web site. In addition there is a complete list of inductees and their citations.
Citation: Songs noted in citations for inductees to the Filk Hall of Fame were used as part of the empirical database for this academic article

## Outreach

The FilKONtario Concom (convention organizing committee) has twice produced the filk track at a Worldcon: At Torcon 3, 2003, Toronto, ON and at Anticipation, 2009, Montreal PQ.
In preparation for Anticipation, two of the concom developed a multi-media presentation called "From the Earth to the Moon: a celebration of manned space flight". This presentation included PowerPoint, live narration and live music, with many members of the concom and filkers who were present at the con. It was the keynote filk track item for Anticipation.
Since then the concom has staged "From the Earth to the Moon", four more times: FilKONtario 2010, a meeting of the USS Hudson Bay (a local science fiction fan club) June, 2010; SFContario, November, 2010; and ConFusion, January, 2011. The latter three were by specific invitation of the organizing group.
In addition a similar performance focusing on both manned and unmanned space exploration was performed at the invitation of the University of Toronto's Astronomy and Space Exploration Society presentation on 26 September 2009 as an opening act for keynote speaker Dr. David Charbonneau.

## Previous conventions

| # | Dates | Location | Guest of Honour | Official Filk Waif | Interfilk Guest | Special Guest | Songwriting Contest | Hall of Fame | Committee |
| 1 | Apr 12-14, 1991 | Holiday Inn Mississauga | Bill and Brenda Sutton | -- | -- | -- | A theme song for FilKONtario | -- | Heather Borean (chair), Howard Scrimgeour, Wayne Borean, Joan MacDougall, Terri Neal, Lidia Tremblay |
| 2 | Apr 10-12, 1992 | Holiday Inn Mississauga | Tom Smith | -- | -- | -- | Buttons and T-shirts | -- | Heather Borean (chair), Howard Scrimgeour, Lidia Tremblay, Wayne Borean, Lloyd Penney, Yvonne Penney |
| 3 | May 7–9, 1993 | Holiday Inn Mississauga | Michael Longcor | Mary Ellen Wessels (unofficial) | -- | -- | Aliens | -- | Heather Borean (chair), Howard Scrimgeour, Judith Hayman, Dave Hayman, Wayne Borean, Lloyd Penney, Yvonne Penney |
| 4 | Apr 15-17, 1994 | Regal Constellation Etobicoke | Kathy Mar | Mary Ellen Wessels | Heather Rose Jones | -- | Technology | -- | Heather Borean, Wayne Borean, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (chair), Howard Scrimgeour, Lynda Hurdis, Linda Baker |
| 5 | Mar 31-Apr 2, 1995 | Holiday Inn Yorkdale Toronto | Decadent Dave Clement | Steve Macdonald | -- | -- | To the Stars and Fools that Go Filk in the Night | Bob Asprin Leslie Fish Off Centaur Publications | Heather Borean, Wayne Borean, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (chair), Howard Scrimgeour, Rob Sutherland, Lloyd Penney, Yvonne Penney |
| 6 | Apr 19-21, 1996 | Venture Inn Airport Etobicoke | Mary Ellen Wessels | Barry and Sally Childs-Helton | Steve Dixon | -- | Magic and Magicians | Juanita Coulson Julia Ecklar Bob Laurent Kathy Mar Bill Maraschiello | Heather Borean, Carolyn Brown, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (chair), Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde, Lloyd Penney, Yvonne Penney |
| 7 | Apr 11-13, 1997 | Venture Inn Airport Etobicoke | Talis Kimberley | Clif and Carol Flynt | Doug Wu | -- | Songs based on written SF or Fantasy | Lee and Barry Gold J. Spencer Love Margaret Middleton | Heather Borean (co-chair), Carolyn Brown, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (co-chair), Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde, Lloyd Penney, Yvonne Penney |
| 8 | Apr 17-19 1998 | Travelodge Hotel Toronto East | Heather Alexander | John Hall | Juliane Honisch and Katy Dröge | -- | A place you'd like to go to | Rafe Culpin Cynthia McQuillin Erwin "Filthy Pierre" Strauss | Carolyn Brown (co-chair), Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Glenn Simser, Peggi Warner-Lalonde (co-chair), Lloyd Penney, Yvonne Penney |
| 9 | Mar 26-28, 1999 | Quality Hotel Toronto Airport, Mississauga | Urban Tapestry | Don Neill | Harold Groot | -- | To Space | Gary Anderson "Decadent" Dave Clement Mary Ellen Wessels | Heather Borean, Carolyn Brown, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (chair), Sally Headford, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Glenn Simser, Peggi Warner-Lalonde (co-chair) |
| 10 | Mar 31- Apr 2, 2000 | Quality Hotel Toronto Airport, Mississauga | Larry Warner | Diana Huey | Scott Snyder | -- | Tricksters | Zander Nyrond Dr. Jane Robinson Bill Roper | Heather Borean (co-chair), Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (co-chair), Sally Headford, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde |
| 11 | Mar 30-Apr 1, 2001 | Quality Hotel Toronto Airport, Mississauga | Bill and Brenda Sutton | Steve Simmons | Erica Neely | -- | Mars and Beyond | Gordon R. Dickson Gytha North Bill and Brenda Sutton | Heather Borean, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (chair), Sally Headford, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde, Lloyd Penney, Yvonne Penney |
| 12 | Apr 5-7, 2002 | Four Points Toronto Airport (Delta Toronto Airport West) Mississauga | Joey Shoji | Dave Weingart | Anke Teschke | Tanya Huff | 1. A song based on Tanya's writing 2. Technology Past and Future | Lissa Allcock Kirstin Tanger Alan Thiesen | Heather Borean, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford (chair), Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde, Lloyd Penney, Yvonne Penney |
| 13 | Mar 28-30, 2003 | Delta Toronto Airport West, Mississauga | Dr. Jane Robinson and Cynthia McQuillin | Mark Bernstein | Robert Cooke | -- | Travellers of the Deep | Karen and Poul Anderson Barry and Sally Childs-Helton Bob Kanefsky Chris Malme | Heather Borean, Wayne Borean, Ingrid de Buda, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford (chair), Lynda Hurdis, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde, Lloyd Penney, Yvonne Penney |
| 14 | Mar 26-28, 2004 | Delta Toronto Airport West | Michael Longcor | Kathleen Sloan | Blind Lemming Chiffon | -- | Based on written military SF | Katy Droege and Juliana Honisch Valerie Housden Gary McGath | Heather Borean, Wayne Borean, Ingrid de Buda, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour (chair), Peggi Warner-Lalonde, Lloyd Penney, Yvonne Penney |
| 15 | Apr 1-3, 2005 | Delta Toronto Airport West, Mississauga | Steve Macdonald | Judith Hayman | Carla Ulbrich | Michelle Sagara | Recycling in the Future | Clif Flynt Judith and Dave Hayman Tom Smith | Heather Borean, Wayne Borean, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford (chair), Lynda Hurdis, Ken Lalonde, Sue Posteraro, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde |
| 16 | Mar 31- Apr 2, 2006 | Delta Toronto Airport West, Mississauga | Chris Conway | Tanya Huff | Judi Miller | -- | Tolkien's World | Franklin Gunkelman Steve Macdonald Lois Mangan Gretchen Roper | Heather Borean, Wayne Borean, Dave Hayman (chair), Judith Hayman, Sally Headford, Ken Lalonde, Sue Posteraro, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde |
| 17 | Mar 23-25, 2007 | Delta Toronto Airport West, Mississauga | n'Early Music Consort (a sixteen-person filk choir from England) | n'Early Music Consort (a sixteen-person filk choir from England) | n'Early Music Consort (a sixteen-person filk choir from England) | n'Early Music Consort (a sixteen-person filk choir from England) | Harmony | Chris (Keris) Croughton Bruce Pelz Kathleen Sloan | Heather Borean, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (co-chair), Sally Headford, Ken Lalonde, Sue Posteraro, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde (co-chair) |
| 18 | Apr 4-6, 2008 | Delta Toronto Airport West, Mississauga | Vixy and Tony (Michelle Dockery and Tony Fabris) | Bill Roper | Marilyn Miller | Heather Bruton | Nightmares in the Dark | Bob (Doc) and Anne Passovoy Steve and Colleen Savitsky | Heather Borean, Jane Garthson, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (co-chair), Sally Headford, Lynda Hurdis, Ken Lalonde, Sue Posteraro, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde (co-chair) |
| 19 | Apr 3-5, 2009 | Delta Toronto Airport West, Mississauga | Heather Dale | Urban Tapestry | Gerry and Sandy Tyra | Robert J. Sawyer | Space Games | Erica Neely Frank Hayes | Heather Borean, Jane Garthson, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford (chair), Sue Jeffers, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde, |
| 20 | Apr 9-11, 2010 | Delta Toronto Airport West, Mississauga | Jeff and Maya Bohnhoff | Erica Neely | William Mark Simmons | -- | Time Travel | Jan Dimasi Kristoph Klover Mike Whitaker | Heather Borean, Jane Garthson, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford, Sue Jeffers, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour (chair), Peggi Warner-Lalonde |
| 21 | Apr 1-3, 2011 | Delta Toronto Airport West, Mississauga | Wild Mercy | Karen Linsley | Ghost of a Rose | -- | Coming of Age | Ellen Kranzer Howard Scrimgeour Urban Tapestry | Jane Garthson, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Sally Headford, Sue Jeffers (chair), Tom Jeffers, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde |
| 22 | Apr 20-22, 2012 | Delta Toronto Airport West, Mississauga | Kathy Mar | Paul Estin | Steve and Dorotha Biernesser | -- | The End of Time | Tom Jeffers Gary Ehrlich Persis Thorndike | Jane Garthson, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (co-chair), Sally Headford, Sue Jeffers, Tom Jeffers, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde (co-chair) |
| 23 | Apr 19-21, 2013 | Delta Toronto Airport West, Mississauga | Tim & Annie Walker | Rand & Erin Bellavia | Katt McConnell | -- | FANtastic Canada | Cecilia Eng Roberta Rogow Volker Tanger | Jane Garthson (co-chair), Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (co-chair), Sally Headford, Sue Jeffers, Tom Jeffers, Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde |
| 24 | Apr 25-27, 2014 | Delta Toronto Airport West, Mississauga | S.J. Tucker | Gary Ehrlich | Piers Cawley | Lorna Toolis | Music in Space | Michael Longcor Talis Kimberley Kathy Hamilton | Jane Garthson, Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman (co-chair), Ken Lalonde, Howard Scrimgeour, Peggi Warner-Lalonde (co-chair) |
| 25 | Apr 16-19, 2015 | Delta Toronto Airport West, Mississauga | Bill & Brenda Sutton Talis Kimberley | Kari Maaren | Nicole Dieker (Hello, the Future!) | Heather Borean | Silver | Kay Shapero Nick Smith Steven Joel Zeve | Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Ken Lalonde (chair), Peggi Warner-Lalonde |
| 26 | Apr 9-10, 2016 | Toronto Airport West, Mississauga | Cecilia Eng | Peggi Warner-Lalonde | Batya Wittenburg | | Animals in Space | Mark Bernstein Eli Goldberg | Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Ken Lalonde, Peggi Warner-Lalonde, Morva Bowman, Alan Pollard |
| 27 | Apr 21-23, 2017 | Toronto Airport West Hotel, Mississauga | Mike Whitaker | Cat Faber | Shawna Jacques | | Wandering the Digital Highway | Gary Hanak Judi Miller Maya and Jeff Bohnhoff | Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Ken Lalonde, Peggi Warner-Lalonde, Morva Bowman, Alan Pollard, Sally Headford |
| 28 | Apr 20-22, 2018 | Monte Carlo Inn Brampton Suites, Brampton | Leslie Hudson | Tim Griffin | Sabine and Michael Kinder | | First Contact | Sibylle Machat Paul Willett | Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Ken Lalonde, Peggi Warner-Lalonde, Morva Bowman, Alan Pollard, Sally Headford |
| 29 | Apr 12-14, 2019 | Monte Carlo Inn & Suites Downtown Markham | Juanita Coulson | Margaret Davis & Kristoph Klover | Summer Loraine Russell | | Cosmic Hotels | W. Randy Hoffman Harold Stein | Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Ken Lalonde, Peggi Warner-Lalonde, Morva Bowman, Alan Pollard, Sally Headford |
| 30 | Apr 24-26, 2020 (Postponed) | Monte Carlo Inn & Suites Downtown Markham | Stone Dragons | The Blibbering Humdingers | PDX Broadsides | | Back to the Moon | Juliana McCorison Rob Wynne Blind Lemming Chiffon | Dave Hayman, Judith Hayman, Ken Lalonde, Peggi Warner-Lalonde, Morva Bowman, Alan Pollard, Sally Headford |
From the FilKONtario program book archive.