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Media Advisory

February 24, 2012 For immediate release

Canada Science and Technology Museum marks The 2012 JUNO Awards with exhibit celebrating Gordon Lightfoot's "Canadian Railroad Trilogy"

OTTAWA, February 24, 2012 – The Canada Science and Technology Museum will honour a great Canadian classic to mark the occasion of the JUNO Awards this year in Ottawa.

From March 2nd to September 9th, visitors to the Museum will have the opportunity to view 29 vibrant pastel drawings pulled from the pages of Ian Wallace's illustrated book Canadian Railroad Trilogy. This children's book highlights Gordon Lightfoot's iconic song of the same name. In twelve verses, Lightfoot reflects the optimism of the railroad age while also focusing on the cost in blood and sweat of the forgotten labourers who built Canada's railway.

A 28-time nominee and winner of 13 JUNO Awards, Gordon Lightfoot is a prolific Canadian singer/songwriter whose creative talents have been credited for helping define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s. He has been referred to as Canada's greatest songwriter and is known internationally as a folk-rock icon. Several of his albums have reached gold, platinum, or double platinum status in Canada; and in 1986, he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.

Ian Wallace is a Canadian author and illustrator. He is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design, and has had a long and distinguished career creating award-winning picture-book classics. Wallace's visual interpretation of the "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" captures the essence of each specific line of Lightfoot's song.

The pastel drawings are on loan from Groundwood Books. Artwork of Ian Wallace. This exhibit is sponsored by Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC).

Moreover, the Museum is also taking part in JUNO Pianos in association with the 2012 JUNO Awards Host Committee, which will see public pianos set up in various locations across Canada's Capital Region. Visitors to the Museum will have the opportunity to showcase their musical talent in the grandiose venue that is the Locomotive Bay.

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About CARAS:
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences/L'académie canadienne des arts et des sciences de l'enregistrement (CARAS) is a not-for-profit organization created to preserve and enhance the Canadian music and recording industries and to contribute toward higher artistic and industry standards. The main focus of CARAS is the exploration and development of ongoing opportunities to showcase and promote Canadian artists and music through vehicles such as The JUNO Awards and other yearround initiatives. For more information on the 41st Annual JUNO Awards or The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' (CARAS) website please visit www.junoawards.ca or www.carasonline.ca.

About OMDC:
Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) is an agency of the Ontario government that facilitates economic development opportunities for the province's cultural media industries including: music, book and magazine publishing, film and television and interactive digital media industries.
Visit www.omdc.on.ca.

Media inquiries only:

For information on the museum, contact:
Olivier Bouffard, Media relations, (613) 949-5732 or obouffard@technomuses.ca

For more information on CARAS and the 2012 JUNO Awards, contact:
Adrienne Kakoullis, 416.628.5610 or akakoullis@hccink.com
www.hccink.com