The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) will oversee the Richard Allen Chase Memorial Award (RACMA) as of this year. Created in memory of the late Richard Chase, a former teacher-librarian from Lethbridge, Alberta, the annual award with a cash prize of $2,500 is given “to a Canadian children’s title written for an elementary school-aged audience exemplifying Richard’s guiding principles of compassion, kindness, humanity, environmentalism, inclusivity, and connection to the land.”

The award was established in 2022 by the board of the Rocky Mountain Book Awards (RMBA) “in recognition of Richard’s contributions to Canadian children’s literature and his compassion, patience, and love for all who crossed his path.” Richard, along with his wife Alice, were teachers at Lakeview Elementary School, in Lethbridge, Alberta.

By taking over administration of the award, the CCBC has fulfilled the RMBA and Alice’s pledge to make this a national award. “The CCBC is thrilled to be the new home for the Richard Allen Chase Memorial Award,” said Stephanie Wells, executive director of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre in the press release. “Richard was a long-time friend and supporter of the CCBC and we are honoured to be entrusted with bestowing this award as part of his legacy and in support of Canadian authors and illustrators.”

The call for submissions is now open. The deadline for submissions is May 10, 2024. The prize will be awarded this fall at the CCBC Book Awards in Toronto.