Morrin Centre Launch September 2012

The wonderful old Morrin Centre, which mainly serves the 

small English population of Quebec City, welcomed me.

I was introduced by the President Sovita Chandler.

I spoke about The Pilgrim in the beautiful library.

The balcony is crammed with books. 

The splendid and attentive, audience enjoyed it all.

Afterwards, many queued to get their books signed.

I signed a book for Babs, wife to my old BCS buddy,

Hugh Bignell. 

Then I was interviewed by the Quebec Chronicle 

Telegraph.

Paul talks to the CBC about The Pilgrim

 

Set in 1896 along the isolated Lower North Shore of Quebec, 

this page-turning romantic novel follows the adventures -- 

many harrowing -- of a novice clergyman by the name of Jack Alford. 

The character is inspired by Paul Almond's real uncle, Reverend Jack 

Almond. Paul Almond, now 81, summers in Shigawake, in the Gaspé, 

and for the past ten years there, he has been writing a 

not-so-fictional account of his family's 200-year 

long pioneering history in this province. This latest book, called 

The Pilgrim, was launched today in Quebec City.

Link to interview: http://www.cbc.ca/breakaway

Shigawake Music Festival

 The Shigawake Music Festival, which runs concurrently with 

the Bonaventure County Agricultural Fair, is helping 

to put Shigawake on the map – as well as the tremendous 

sales of The Alford Saga.

Meghan Clinton, the petite organiser, thought it up, 

works all year getting bands, then is johnny-on-the-spot 

throughout, adjusting mikes, making sure recording artists are 

happy, and just running everything.

A favourite of the crowd was singer Katie Moore.

Outside, crowds packed the fair to watch volleyballs...

See the horse haul, check the prize-winning vegetables, 

buy raffle tickets for paintings, and generally 

enjoy themselves.

After sunset, the music continued...

Bonaventure Fair & Music Festival

   Always an adventure!  

 This year, Paul and Ted won 16 prizes with their vegetables

— among which eight took firsts.

Paul, his cousin Elton, former DG of Shigawake, and 

Ted display more firsts. 

Elton was proud of his turnips.

Edith Mackenzie, Treasurer of St Paul who 

kept track of Pilgrim Sales, won first for her 

needlework and doll among the many crafts.

Next came time for Ted and James to load the goats 

for their judging.

Grandson James helped unload Fran and Marie 

from the back seat of their trusty goat-mobile.

Arriving at the fair, Fran and Marie were astonished 

to find next door two attractive, but 

much younger, competitors.

They met for a confab...

...and Fran checks the competition.

Again awarded FIRST PRIZE (fourth year) (Last year, 

they ate their ribbons, causing a kerfuffle!)

Paul & Ted untie goats: time to go.

Marie wonders what's holding Fran back.

They like going for a ride!

Safely back to the Old Homestead with their proud 

ribbon still attached.

Home sweet home!

Summer Launches Blog #6 Shigawake

The Shigawake Municipal Hall was filled for my last book 

launch of the week.

Deacon Pat Hayes introduced me...

...and later posed with me for a shot.

Amazing so many lined up for signatures. 

Enid Legros, the Coast’s most distinguished ceramic

artist, came to get a book.

Grandson James Elkins came again.

 Cousin Gloria Hayes, head of the Bonaventure Women’s 

Institute and frequent hostess of the Almonds, and 

former basketball coach John Affleck.

 Octogenarian Sarah Mackenzie, a pillar of St. Paul’s, 

gets her book signed.

Kenneth Duguay, Mayor of Shigawake for more 

than a quarter century, got his book signed as 

wife Sarah watched.

Summer Launches Blog #5 New Richmond

The church of St Mary Magdalen and St. Andrew’s United Church 

got together to hold their launch of The Pilgrim in this 

splendid small Anglican church, which ended up, even on a Sunday 

warm Gaspesian evening, hosting a fine turnout.

I spoke about my aim of finishing book number eight this summer, 

and alerted everyone that there were four more books coming: 

The Chaplain next year, two more the following year, and 

the eighth book in 2015. 

Number one organiser and a direct descendant of the Deserter, 

the dynamic Joan Dow is known throughout the Gaspe Coast 

for having founded the British Heritage Village in New Richmond.  

This year again, she raised a goodly sum for St Andrew’s by 

selling many dozens of books among her parish of eight worshippers 

and other readers across Canada.

Equally dynamic, Gail Martin made a goodly sum 

for the United Church.

June Martin, Gail’s sister, married many times and now single, 

came on her “cadillac”, a powered wheel chair, to buy books.

 Dr. Danielle Cyr, the linguistics professor recently retired from 

Toronto’s York University, edited the only Micmac dictionary 

published this century.  She was thus a great help with 

The Deserter, as well as my other books.

  Garry Lovatt, who works with the venerable Archdeacon in 

administering several churches in the region, talked to Joan 

Dow’s highly-qualified journalist and executive daughter, 

Cynthia, and Tom Duncan. 

Plentiful refreshments are the norm on the Gaspe Coast.   The Rector’s 

Warden Shirley Duncan, former director of the huge Eastern Shores 

School Board, helped the hard-working volunteers.