The Betty Tomlinson Anderson Literary Award of Excellence was created in 2025 by the Tomlinson family and South Simcoe Arts Council in memory of Betty (1923-2016). Echoing the words of the Arts Council in 2003, when Betty was honoured with a Lifetime Membership, this Award is presented with deep appreciation of Betty's immense contribution to the Arts Community and the Arts Council.

The truth is that without Betty and her husband Allan Anderson, armed with their tenacity and combined set of skills, there might never have been an Arts Council. When the two of them saw a need in the community, their first response was to look for solutions. Their second response was to involve as many people as possible in their current projects, such as the Tecumseth Township history book and the annual Meet Your Neighbour Picnic. They were very persuasive in a good cause and great delegators. While Allan might have been the driving force of their joint projects, there was no doubt that it was Betty who was the quiet navigator in the background that kept the follow-through firmly on track.

Betty and Allan believed that the 1991 amalgamation of Alliston, Beeton, and Tottenham with the surrounding Township of Tecumseth provided the perfect opportunity to build a cohesive arts and culture community. They invited a selection of local artists, musicians, writers, and arts supporters to a meeting in the Tecumseth Administration building in Beeton. They became a steering committee which created a mailing list for a new ArtsTalk newsletter and an Arts Directory. Over several months enough of a buzz was created to fill the Hall at the Tottenham Legion with an enthusiastic crowd of arts supporters. By the end of this founding meeting, resolutions were passed to form an Arts Council, elect the Executive with Betty and Allan as President and Vice-President, and form Committees to draft a Constitution, build the membership, raise funds, and sponsor arts events.

In the early years under their guidance the momentum continued. The Annual General Meetings featured local entertainment, art displays, and cheesecake to entice people to listen to the obligatory annual reports. A day-long Spring Fling Showcase of the Arts invited the public to enjoy the talents of local performers and visual artists. Shopkeepers were convinced to display the works of artists in their front windows. The Andersons had planted the seeds that eventually grew into the South Simcoe Arts Council, the Spring Festival of the Arts, and Arts on Main. When Betty retired as President in 1996, she left a thriving arts community as her lasting legacy to the residents of New Tecumseth and the adjoining municipalities of Adjala-Tosorontio, Essa, Bradford West Gwillimbury, and Innisfil.