Lynn Johnston has been sharing the amusing, moving lives of the Patterson family with millions of readers since 1979 in her award-winning comic strip For Better or For Worse. In 1992 Johnston was awarded the Order of Canada. Please reach her at www.fborfw.com.
Peter Jordan is host of the hardest working show on television, “It’s a Living.” Every week on CBC TV, he tries people’s jobs for a day. Today he’s trying to be a writer. He also contributes humorous stories for CBC’s Olympic coverage on “Peter Jordan’s Olympic Living.”
Kahlee Keane, Root Woman, is an educator and eco-herbalist. Her books, courses and medicine walks stress the sustainable use of medicinal plants and teach others to make and use the medicines that are their birthright. The founder of Save Our Species, she has a memoir in progress to be published in 2004. She can be reached at www.connect.to/rootwoman, or
[email protected] or at Box #27, 2001–8th Street, East, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7H OT8.
Craig Kielburger is the author of Free the Children (McClelland & Stewart) and coauthor of Take Action: A Guide to Active Citizenship for Youth (Gage Educational Publishing). For more information on how you can get involved in FTC’s school building campaign or volunteer overseas, please visit: www.freethechildren.com and www.leaderstoday.com. Or, contact by mail: 50 High Oak Trail, Richmond Hill, Ontario L4E 3L9.
W. P. Kinsella has published over thirty books and novels. Shoeless Joe (the most honoured novel in Canadian history) was turned into the Academy-Award-nominated movie Field of Dreams. He has been distinguished alumni lecturer at the University of Iowa. He is a winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour for his book The Fencepost Chronicles. Kinsella has three grown daughters and four grandsons. He lives in Chilliwack, British Columbia, in an 1891 Victorian Gothic home, which he and his wife, graphic artist Barbara Turner, are refurbishing. Contact him at
[email protected] Ernest Kowalchuk was born in Rivers, Manitoba, in 1945, moved to Toronto in 1950, and taught there from 1966 to 1970. He attended the University of Western Ontario, graduating with a degree in geology. He moved to London in 1970, teaching there until retirement in 1998. Outside interests lie in antiques, gardening, fishing, hunting and family.
Gary Lautens (1928–1992) The Toronto Star newspaper columns of Gary Lautens, Canada’s well-loved humorist and columnist, were syndicated throughout Canada, and briefly in the United States, during his thirty-year career at the Star. His columns have been compiled into several books, mostly on family themes. More information can be found at the Web site of his son, Stephen Lautens—www.lautens.com.
Mark Leiren-Young is a playwright, screenwriter, journalist, performer and Canucks fan. His plays, Shylock and Articles of Faith, are published by Anvil Press, and he created two CDs with his comedy troupe, Local Anxiety— Greenpieces and Forgive Us, We’re Canadian. Contact him through www.leirenyoung.ca or
[email protected] Jeanette Lynes is a teacher, poet and novelist living in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. She is also an associate editor at The Antigonish Review, a journal of creative writing. She can be reached c/o www.antigonishreview.com or by e-mail at
[email protected] Natalie MacMaster was born and raised in Cape Breton and started fiddling at age nine. She possesses a teaching degree, but has opted to pursue her music career, taking it to the international stage. Her accolades include a Grammy nomination, several East Coast Music Awards, Juno Awards and a Gemini Award. Catch the latest news on Natalie along with tour dates and locations at www.nataliemacmaster.com.
Steve Magee received his B.S., with Honours, and is vice principal of Erin District High School in Erin, Ontario. Steve anticipates “touching the face of nature” while canoeing and hiking over North America. Founder of the Harbourfront Canoe and Kayak Centre, you can contact him at
[email protected] Ted Mahovlich is a schoolteacher and author. His last book, The Big M: The Frank Mahovlich Story, was a number-one national bestseller in Canada. Ted is currently writing the biography of hockey great Marcel Dionne. A music enthusiast, Ted loves spending time in New Orleans.
Brenda Mallory is a legally blind artist, author, motivational speaker, journalist and comic. She taught grade one for many years in British Columbia. She lives on a five-acre bird sanctuary where she pursues her many careers. Please reach her at 250-846-5095, or at Box 550, Telkwa, British Columbia V0J 2X0.
George Mapson received his grade nine education. He would have continued school, but to help his mother meet expenses he went to a logging camp to work when he was fourteen years old. He has been happily married for fifty-three years and has been blessed with six children and eleven grandchildren. His hobbies are fishing, hunting and bird-carving.
Paul Martini skated with partner Barbara Underhill for twenty-one years. Before retiring in 1998, they were five-time Canadian Pair Champions, 1984 World Pair Champions, two-time Olympians, and won seven professional titles. In 1988 they were inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. Paul has provided colour commentary for skating events on CBC TV since 1991, including three Olympic Games. He and wife Elizabeth have two children, Robert and Kate. Contact Paul at
[email protected] Shelly McEwan lives in Sarnia, Ontario, with her husband Gord and their sons Joshua, Adam and Noah. She is an Early Childhood Educator at Lambton College. “Letters of Hope” was written for Gord’s grandparents, William and Martha Lindsay, who are now together in heaven, never again to be parted.
Darlene Montgomery is an internationally respected authority on dreams, spiritual perspectives and ideas. Author, speaker and clergywoman, she speaks to groups and organizations on uplifting subjects. Her book, Dream Yourself Awake, chronicles her personal journey to discover her own divine mission. To learn more about Darlene Montgomery’s keynotes and seminars visit www.lifedreams.org, call 416-696-1684, or e-mail her at
[email protected] Marc André Morel is one of Canada’s most sought-after speakers on business and personal success. He delivers powerful keynotes to Fortune 500 corporations, associations and organizations around the world. Past president of the Montreal Chapter of the Canadian Association for Professional Speakers, he is also the founder of the Morel Centre of Leadership for Youth and of the Winners Circle of Montreal. He has been interviewed and featured in Canadian business journals. www.marcandremorel.com
Mary Lee Moynan is an optimist, a Christian, a passionate wife, and a compassionate mother and grandmother. Her inspirational book, Get off Your Knees, is available through her publisher at www.publishamerica.com, or by calling PublishAmerica, Inc. directly at 1-877-333-7422 or
[email protected] Elisabeth Munsterhjelm earned her H.B.A. and M.A. from the University of Western Ontario, which included a year at the University of Madrid, Spain. During her teaching career, Elisabeth took a year’s leave to travel extensively around Latin America. She currently owns two import boutiques and can be reached at
[email protected] Vern Murphy served almost twenty years in the Royal Canadian Navy and eighteen years as director of public relations with Veterans Affairs Canada in Ottawa, Ontario. As a writer he has produced various recollections of his experiences. He and his wife Pat reside in Charlotetown, Prince Edward Island, and can be reached at
[email protected] Diane C. Nicholson is a freelance writter and award-winning photographer living in British Columbia. She and her family own Twin Heart Photo Productions and sell photo art prints and Limited Edition Prints, specializing in horses and companion animals through their Web site at www.twinheartphoto.com. She can be contacted at 250-546-2560 or at
[email protected] Tim O’Driscoll is a Burlington, Ontario lawyer. His general practise focuses on wills, estates and real estate. Tim is Karen’s happy husband and Liam’s proud father. For legal services, please contact Tim at 905-634-5581. For speech-writing (weddings, eulogies, etc.) or other writing assignments, please reach Tim at
[email protected] Susan Owen is a Kingston, Ontario writer. Her main focus is short story and me
moir writing, but truth be told, procrastination is her specialty.
Bob Proctor is the bestselling author of You Were Born Rich. Author, business consultant, Fortune 500 trainer—these are just some of the many hats Bob Proctor wears. His phenomenal track record for helping individuals improve their results has won him global acclaim. Bob lives in Toronto with his wife, Linda, and their two dogs. Reach him at www.bobproctor.com.
Alan Ralston is a farmer, plays the trumpet, runs a business, and he and wife, Shirley have three very active children. Alan and Shirley were with Carl Hiebert at his accident, and Carl lived with them afterwards. On the day they smuggled Carl out of the hospital, tied him into the ultralight and launched him—leaving his wheelchair behind—Alan was happy to comply with Carl’s request to capture it on film.
Chris Robertson is a past president of CAPS, founder of the Canadian Speaking Hall of Fame and has been voted Best Canadian Keynote Speaker. Chris is the author of the bestselling book, To The Top Canada and Exceeding Expectations: The Strategy of Personal & Organizational Excellence. Chris can be contacted at 905-387-0721 or at www.chrisrobertson.com.
Ruth Robins-Jeffery, a former lounge pianist and credit manager in Southern Ontario, now operates Landfall, a small bed and breakfast on the south shore of Prince Edward Island. Her e-mail address is
[email protected] Ariel Rogers has been involved in the entertainment industry since early childhood. A member of The Players Guild of Hamilton, she has won numerous dramatic and musical awards over the years. She manages Fogarty’s Cove Music, the company founded by her late husband. Reach her at www.stanrogers.net.
Leslie Scrivener is faith and ethics reporter at The Toronto Star newspaper. She covered Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope for the Star and later was asked by Terry to write the story of his run, Terry Fox: His Story, published by McClelland & Stewart.
John Seagrave lives in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, which is in the Arctic. He was one of the last generation of Canadian fur traders and witnessed the closing of an era of our history. He is presently writing a book chronicling his humorous adventures living amongst the Aboriginal people of Canada’s far north. John can be contacted at 5009-57 Street, Yellowknife, NWT, Canada, X1A 1Y4, or by e-mail at
[email protected] Doug Setter is completing a B.S. in nutrition at the University of Manitoba. A former soldier and welterweight kickboxing champion, Doug teaches fitness, kickboxing and self-defense. He is the author of Stomach Flattening and Women’s Kickboxing. Doug can be reached at:
[email protected] Carol Sharpe is the mother of five children and a grandmother of nine. She has recently received her diploma in creative writing. A very busy lady who enjoys sports, she also plays competitive billiards.
Stella Shepard lives on an organic farm in Morell, Prince Edward Island (PEI), with her husband Reg Phelan and son, Joshua. In 2000, Stella graduated from Holland College in PEI with a degree in journalism. She enjoys writing and caring for her gardens and many pets. She and Reg love working the land together growing cole crops for market. She dedicates “The Red Sweater” to her mom, Florence Fougere Shepard, who died December 5, 1997. Contact Stella at
[email protected] Neil Simpson became fascinated with Canadian history when he discovered that Canada actually had one. Born and raised in Brighton, Ontario, Neil moved to Peterborough in 1971 to attend Trent University, and he has since made it his home. Contact Neil at
[email protected] Mary Turner received her B.A. in English from the University of Manitoba. She is the mother of two grown sons and lives in Victoria, British Columbia. Mary has written for the Winnipeg Free Press and the Victoria Times Colonist. She also enjoys writing inspirational fiction and poetry.
Barbara Underhill skated with partner Paul Martini for twenty-one years. Before retiring in 1998, they were five-time Canadian Pair Champions, 1984 World Pair Champions, two-time Olympians, won seven Professional World titles, and in 1988 were inducted into Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. Barbara has done colour commentary for skating events with various TV networks since 1992, including three Olympic Games. She and husband, Rick Gaetz, have three children, Samantha, Matthew and Scott. After the sudden death of their daughter in 1993, Barbara and Rick founded The Stephanie Gaetz Keepsafe Foundation. Now in demand as a motivational speaker, Barbara shares her story with audiences everywhere. Contact her at www.keepsafefoundation.com.
Penny and Vicky Vilagos specialize in inspiring team excellence and are members of the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame. As motivational speakers they translate “What it takes to succeed in sports” to “What it takes to succeed in business.” To arrange a speaking engagement to inspire your team, in English or French, call 1-866-426-5122, or e-mail them at
[email protected] Web site: www.VilagosInternational.com.
Pamela Wallin is a respected broadcaster and journalist. She currently hosts and produces Pamela Wallin’s Talk TV for the CTV Group through Pamela Wallin Productions, Inc. Her latest book, Speaking of Success: Collected Wisdom, Insights and Reflections, shares the perspectives of many of the celebrated people she has interviewed. In 1998, she published her bestselling memoir, Since You Asked, and in 2000, she hosted the Canadian edition of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire. She serves on many volunteer boards, supports many charities, holds four honourary degrees, and has been recognized both by Queen Elizabeth as an Outstanding Canadian Achiever and by the UN for outstanding contributions toward the advancement of women.
Gary Walsh lives in Toronto and owns Walsh & Walsh Court & Tribunal Agents, a paralegal and investigations firm specializing in inquest law and criminal injuries compensation applications. He is working on his first book, Proud to Have Served, detailing his experiences as a Toronto ambulance officer. His story, “Into The Night,” is dedicated to legendary paramedic Anton Tyukodi, who was killed in 2001 while serving others.
Wayne Watson is a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, working out of Ottawa, Ontario. He enjoys reading, writing, playing guitar and skiing. Wayne writes police management articles as well as short stories on family related subjects. He can be reached at
[email protected] Crystal Wood is a freelance writer living in Winnipeg. She has had several articles published in community newspapers and is working on her first novel. Ms. Wood has a B.A. in English from the University of Manitoba and is in her final year of study for a journalism degree. She enjoys reading, dance and interior design. Contact her at
[email protected] Frances Wright is president and CEO of the Famous 5 Foundation and a superb speaker. The magnificent Women are Persons! monuments in Olympic Plaza in Calgary and on Parliament Hill in Ottawa were funded ($1 million) by five remarkable women and their families: Ann McCaig and her daughters, Roxanne and Jane; Dr. Maria Eriksen and Ayala Manolson; Kiki Delaney; Senator Vivienne Poy and Heather Reisman. Thanks, also, to the fabulous volunteers, corporations and governments who have been our partners. Contact Frances at www.famous5.org
Sigrun Goodman Zatorsky has a lengthy association with libraries, both from having worked as a cataloguer for schools and lately as an advocate for libraries and literacy. She is an avid reader and has also attained some success in writing, especially with stories about her home province, city and her family. Her e-mail address is
[email protected] Permissions
We would like to acknowledge the following publishers and individuals for permission to reprint the following material. (Note: The stories that were penned anonymously, that are public domain, or that were written by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Janet Matthews or Raymond Aaron are not included in this listing.)
A Canadian’s Story. Reprinted by permission of Pat Fowler. ©1995 Pat Fowler.
We Stand on Guard for Thee. Reprinted by permission of Penny Fedorczenko. ©2000 Penny Fedorczenko.
The Loonie That Turned to Gold. Reprinted by permission of Peter Jordan. ©2002 Peter Jordan.
The Unity Rally—Canada’s Woodstock. Reprinted by permi
ssion of Mark Leiren-Young. ©2002 Mark Leiren-Young.
The Goal of the Century. Reprinted by permission of Paul Henderson. ©2001 Paul Henderson.
To Russia with Love. Reprinted by permission of Mark Edward Mahovlich. ©2002 Mark Edward Mahovlich.
Waiting in Line. Reprinted by permission of Katherine Cornell. ©2000 Katherine Cornell.
Meeting the Prime Minister. Reprinted by permission of Elisabeth Munsterhjelm. ©2000 Elisabeth Munsterhjelm.
The Autograph. Reprinted by permission of Tim O’Driscoll. ©2001 Tim O’Driscoll.
Hey, It’s Our National Anthem!. Reprinted by permission of Pamela Wallin. ©2002 Pamela Wallin.
I Am Canadian! Reprinted by permission of Molson Canada. ©2000 Molson Canada.
Canada Loves New York. Reprinted by permission of Senator Jerry S. Grafstein Q.C. ©2001 Senator Jerry S. Grafstein Q.C.
A Country Called Canada. Reprinted by permission of Jackie Lautens. ©1992 Gary Lautens.
Ryan’s Well of Life. Reprinted by permission of Susan Hreljac and Darlene Montgomery. ©2001 Susan Hreljac and Darlene Montgomery.
Look at Me Now, Dad. Reprinted by permission of Faye Dance. ©2001 Faye Dance.
The Magic Skates by Barbara Underhill and Paul Martini as told to Janet Matthews. Reprinted by permission of Paul Martini and Barbara Underhill. ©2000 Paul Martini and Barbara Underhill.
To The Top Canada!. Reprinted by permission of Chris Robertson. ©1998 Chris Robertson.
Our Olympic Dream. Reprinted by permission of Penny and Vicky Vilagos. ©2002 Penny and Vicky Vilagos.
The True Story of Lake Ontario by Marilyn Bell Di Lascio as told to Janet Matthews. Reprinted by permission of Marilyn Bell Di Lascio. ©2001 Marilyn Bell Di Lascio.