OYEZ! OYEZ! OYEZ!
On May 9th and 10th 2026, 13 Town Criers and their consorts filled the air at the Canadian Tulip Festival with joy, humour, and many OYEZs as they competed to see who could outcry the rest. The intense competition for bragging rights was fought over three cries each with their own theme, and was planned in partnership between the Ontario Guild of Town Criers, Capital Heritage Connexion, and the Canadian Tulip Festival.
Congratulations to the winners!
First Place: Chris Whyman from the City of Kingston
Second Place: Bruce Kruger from the Town of Bracebridge
Third Place: Bill McKee from the Township of Uxbridge
Most Humourous: Won jointly by by Bill and David McKee, brothers who both serve as Town Criers
We would like to thank Stu Schwartz, Brian Wilson, Stuart Lazear, Ruby Edet, Keisha Cuffie, Jonathan Hinkins, Claudine Mitchell, Colonel By (Steve Reid), Claude Naubert, Jennifer Ford, Susan Tunicliffes, and Lorraine Jeansonne for their work as judges.
Thank you to Patrick Edet, Fatemeh Makvandi, Lantana Dazang, Kadima Bony-Lévy, Cherise Elliott, and Genevieve Hilton for their support as event volunteers.
Special Thanks to Jo Hall and Craig Coleman from the Canadian Tulip Festival for their support and giving the criers such an iconic backdrop for their competition.
Meet the Criers
Day 2
