Chicken Soup for the Canadian Soul (44 page)

After having read thousands of stories from parents all over the world for
Parent’s Soul,
and then thousands more from Canadians for
Canadian Soul,
Janet now teaches a workshop on how to write a great story from the heart. While seeking stories for
Chicken Soup for the
Canadian Soul,
she has been a guest on numerous radio talk shows across Canada, and she is available for guest spots and interviews. You can contact Janet at:

Chicken Soup for the Canadian Soul
2–9225 Leslie Street
Richmond Hill, ON Canada L4B 3H6
905-881-8995, Ext. 28
[email protected]

Who Is Raymond Aaron?

Raymond is a professional speaker and business coach, and coauthor of
Chicken Soup for the Parent’s Soul
. Since 1983, he has mentored thousands of Canadians to achieve brilliant new heights of entrepreneurial and investment success using his special proven principles.

Raymond offers his wisdom in The Monthly Mentor, a unique coaching service presented in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. In it, Raymond will teach you how to double your income doing what you love. Following his guidance, his Monthly Mentor members have dramatically increased their net worth and income, most in a surprisingly short time.

Raymond has appeared on almost every major Canadian radio and TV talk show explaining how mentoring can improve your wealth. He has delivered over 4,000 seminars, inspiring and educating his audiences using his patented techniques for achieving outrageous success “automagically.”

Raymond’s speeches are powerful, enjoyable, educational, contrarian and lots of fun. His commanding and entertaining style offers practical insights and unique business tools not available anywhere else.

His most popular audiotape program is “Double Your Income Doing What You Love,” a double-cassette package selling for $199. One unique benefit of this tape set is you will learn how to eliminate all messes from your life. You can listen to it free at
www.MonthlyMentor.com,
or, as a special bonus, simply e-mail your credit card number and expiration date, and for $10.00 shipping, Raymond will mail it to you free of charge.

Raymond’s favorite motto is: “Bite off more than you can chew, then chew like crazy!”

To be mentored by Raymond, engage him as a speaker or obtain his audiotapes, please contact:

The Monthly Mentor
2–9225 Leslie Street
Richmond Hill, ON Canada L4B 3H6
1-888-50goals
[email protected]

Contributors

Several of the stories in this book were taken from previously published sources, such as books, magazines and newspapers. These sources are acknowledged in the permissions section. If you would like to contact any of the contributors for information about their writing, or would like to invite them to speak in your community, look for their contact information included in their biography.

The remainder of the stories were submitted by readers of our previous
Chicken Soup for the Soul
books who responded to our requests for stories. We have also included information about them.

Jann Arden
was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, and has become one of Canada’s most precious resources. Admired worldwide for her singing and songwriting, Jann is equally respected for her comedic and motivational speaking talents. With five hit CDs, a collection of awards and years of charity work—see for yourself.
www.jannarden.com
,
www.worldvision.ca
.

Sally Armstrong
is a journalist and human-rights activist. Editor-in-chief of
Homemaker’s Magazine
from 1988 to 1999, she is presently editor-at-large for
Chatelaine Magazine
as well as a contributing editor at Maclean’s. She has been honoured by the National Magazine Awards Foundation for her writing, the YWCA’s Women of Distinction Award for communications, and in 1998 was made a member of the Order of Canada. In May 2002, Penguin books released her long-awaited book entitled
Veiled Threat: The Hidden Power of Women of
Afghanistan
.

Jennifer Bailey
was enrolled in a writing course when she was encouraged by her tutor to submit her story to
Chicken Soup for the Soul.
She enjoys reading as well as writing children’s stories and skits that are based on Biblical truths.

Paul Banks
has been a journalist since 1995. Now living in Gander, Newfoundland, he is currently the manager/editor of
Gander’s Beacon
newspaper. A former editor of the
Flamborough Review
in Southern Ontario, he can be reached at
[email protected]
.

Karin Bjerke-Lisle
and husband Doug live on the West Coast of Canada. Along with their four children, Forrest, Brontë, Paige and newborn Hunter, they take great delight in the ocean and the mountains. Forrest made a full recovery and is a truly wonderful big brother. The family hopes to welcome a new Great Dane into their lives soon.

Maree Benoit
received her early childhood education diploma from Cariboo College in 1978. Maree taught preschool in Williams Lake for many years until her retirement. She and her husband, Leo, travelled all over the world before settling in McLeese Lake. Her main interest is providing good child care for all children. She can be reached at 250-297-6309.

Kurt Browning
earned four World Figure Skating Championships and four Canadian Championships as an amateur skater. One of the best entertainers the sport has ever seen, when he turned professional in 1994 he won three consecutive World Professional and Canadian Professional Championships. Kurt has also released his own home video, “JUMP” and starred in three television specials. “You Must Remember This” won five Gemini Awards.

Linda Chamberlayne
works as a special educator in Kelowna, British Columbia. She has also worked for Canadian publisher Wood Lake Books, writing church school curriculum and music for primary-aged children. Her book of songs and activities for church school,
Joyful Noise,
is available upon request at
[email protected]
.

Katherine Cornell
earned a B.A. in history from the University of Guelph and a M.A. in dance from York University. She cowrote one book and contributes to several magazines and anthologies. Katherine also teaches in the Learning Through the Arts Program. Please reach her at
[email protected]
.

Faye Dance
received her B.A. in applied arts from Ryerson University in Toronto in 1969. She has hosted many television shows and acted in commercials and movies. She and her husband, John Radford, have two sons, Jason, 20, and Mitchell, 14. She loves to read, work out, Rollerblade and spend time at the family cottage. Contact her through Sherrida Personal Management at 416-928-2323, or at
[email protected]
.

Nancy Lee Doige
lives in Aurora, Ontario, where she developed a national education program on transplantation and organ donation for grade five through eight students. The Classroom Connections “Gift of Life” Education Program is currently in 7,500 schools across Canada. Nancy draws on her education in family studies at Ryerson University, her work with children in elementary schools and her deeply moving experience when her son Ryan died. Visit her at
www.classroom-connections.com
or
www.ryanshope.net
.

Alex Domokos
was born in 1921 in Szabadka, which was then in Hungary. He and his wife immigrated to Canada after the Hungarian Revolution. In the 1990s he returned to Hungary where five of his manuscripts were published. More recently, in Canada, two of his manuscripts were published by Crossroad Publisher as e-books. He now lives a modest and content life as a free man.

Peter Elliott
is a Renaissance man with a strong passion for Canadian history and wilderness canoeing. He freelances as a video editor and cameraman in Toronto, but produces his own documentaries for television. Peter has worked as a living history animator, voyageur canoe guide and canoe ranger. He never stops. Contact him at
[email protected]
.

Manuel Erickson
received his B.A. from the University of Waterloo in 1974. Now retired, he owns a 1956 Cessna 172, writes, plays piano and surfs the Internet. His greatest love is for his life partner, Martha, to whom he has been married for over twenty years. Please contact him at
[email protected]
.

Sharon Espeseth
lives in Barrhead, Alberta, with her husband, Hank, and is the proud mother of three young adults—Michael, Christie and Jenny. After numerous years teaching and later developing courses for distance education, she is retiring. Sharon plans to enjoy her family, travel with her husband and further her career as a freelance writer. She may be reached at 4504 56th Avenue, Barrhead, Alberta T7N 1K2.

Trent Evans
lives in Sherwood Park, Alberta, with his wife, Laurel, and their sons Justin and Jarret. He supervises the ice-making team at Northlands Park’s Skyreach Center. With all the continued attention around the loonie, Trent is currently working on an exciting new project. Stay tuned! You can reach Trent at
[email protected]

Vince Fantauzzi
was born in the small town of Sora, near Rome, Italy. At age fifteen he moved to Toronto, Ontario. Vince works as a letter carrier for Canada Post. In his free time he enjoys painting, reading, and writing short stories, and he is currently working on a full-length novel. He can be contacted at
[email protected]
.

Penny Fedorczenko
lives in Oshawa, Ontario. She has a B.A. in sociology and presently teaches public school. She is also the mother of two adult children. Penny enjoys travelling, writing, theatre, music and sports. She can be reached at
[email protected]
.

Gregory Fouts
is professor of psychology at the University of Calgary. His areas of expertise include how we become “attuned” with others and how we develop resilient personalities when faced with life’s challenges. Dr. Fouts is the recipient of awards for exceptional teaching and community service. He can be reached at
[email protected]
.

Pat Fowler
is a “people person.” Her pleasant, outgoing and assuring presence entices people of all ages to open up to her and share their experiences in life, both happy and sad. Check out her web site at
http://www.geocities.com/cdnheroes
/
, or contact her at
[email protected]
or at 780-464-7595.

Linda Gabris
is a writer whose inspirational stories, articles and poetry have appeared in publications across North America and in England. She has been running creative and business writing workshops for over sixteen years and has a home-based writing consultant business. She can be reached by e-mail at
[email protected]
.

Chief Dan George
(1899–1981) was one of the most prominent First Nation Canadians. He dedicated his life to fostering awareness, understanding and friendship between the First Nations and white Canadian settlers. To all Vancouverites, Chief Dan George was known particularly for his moving and dramatically delivered soliloquies. Logger, musician, star of stage, screen and television, philosopher and advocate of the Indian cause—a very special kind of man! His book,
My Spirit Soars,
was published by Hancock House Publishing (1431 Harrison Avenue, Blaine, WA 98230-5005).

Lorrie Goldstein
is the editor of
The Toronto Sun.
Veronika’s mother Julie Hanning, who delivered the toast at Leah and Veronika’s bat mitzvah, works as a professional model in Toronto.

Bill Gorman.
Growing up in a small community on the edge of the Don Valley in Toronto, Bill Gorman and his friends spent many exciting days exploring the valley and looking for adventure. He now teaches elementary school in Toronto and shares his stories with his students.

Senator Jerry S. Grafstein, B.A., J.D.,
graduated from the University of Toronto Law School in 1958. Called to the Bar in 1960, he was made Queen’s Counsel in 1972. In 1984, Prime Minister Trudeau appointed him to the Senate. As Senator from Metro Toronto, he continued to act as counsel to Minden, Gross, Grafstein & Greenstein in Toronto. Currently he co-chairs the Canada/U.S. Inter-Parliamentary Group, composed of Canadian Parliamentarians and Members of the U.S. Congress. You can reach him at
[email protected].

Rick Hansen, C.C., O.B.C.,
lives with wife, Amanda, and three daughters in Vancouver, BC. He’s president and CEO of the Rick Hansen Institute and Foundation, which has generated more than $137 million for spinal cord injury programs, and works to accelerate the discovery of a cure for spinal cord injury. In demand as a speaker, he has coauthored two books, and chairs the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society and the Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund Society. For more info, or to make a donation, please contact him at 604-822-4433 or via e-mail at
www.rickhansen.org
.