Une Entrevue avec TFO

Ma visite au nord de l'Ontario... (merci Jo-Anne et Nicole)

Lors de ma visite au nord de l'Ontario (Sudbury, Longlac...), TFO a produit le suivant. Merci les hommes pour votre beau travail.


http://www.tfo24-7.com/david-bouchard-auteur-et-conferencier-metis/

Spring has arrived

Spring has arrived ...and I'm still headed to Nain.

I have been on the road more this winter than any year since I began touring 16 years ago.

Yes, my girls and I did the Salon du Livre again in Paris (our 12th consecutive year). I had been touring heavily prior to Paris and things didn't slow down when we got home. My calendar tells the story as does the smile on my face. I have travelled tens of thousands of miles and made thousands of new friends.

The month of May will be more of the same...planes, hotels and new friends. I am stoked.

The only glitch in my winter was my trip to Nain. I was snowed out. Normally, I'm snowed in but in this case, I wasn't able to get into Labrador. I flew to Toronto and as I was about to board for Halifax, was told that snow storms would not permit my getting in. We re-scheduled my tour for the beginning of May. I will soon be posting pictures and stories from the beautiful communities of Nain and Hopedale.

Headed to Nain

I am headed to Nain and soooo looking forward to this trip...

If you've not heard of Nain, it's worth a Google. The vast majority of the people there are Inuit and the community is as reflective of their culture as you might expect. Yes, I will post pictures.

Our garden in Victoria is inundated with crocuses and snow drops as I pack my flutes, books and bags and regret not having kept my long johns from my life in Saskatchewan (If you're not from the Prairie). And no, I don't resent leaving this beautiful weather in Canada's most gentle city. I am going to Nain!

The last time I visited northern Labrador was when I was invited to work with the Innu, my Grandmother's people. It was an amazing trip.

In the picture on the right, I'm standing with my host Barb in front of our hotel in Natuashish. I know it doesn't look all that special but hey...it has a dining room (shown here).

Tomorrow, I fly from Victoria to Vancouver and on to Toronto. Sunday, I will fly from Toronto to Halifax, Halifax to Goose Bay and from Goose Bay, I have a 300 km flight north to Nain.

Ours will be a smaller plane likely jam packed with supplies. We few passengers will take up the balance of the space. There is no service or bathroom on board.

In our day and age, true adventure is becoming harder and harder to find. Don't get me wrong, I love working in Paris, London, India and China but tomorrow...tomorrow, I am headed to Nain!!!

.

2015 - my best year ever

My best year ever: 2015

This is going to be my best year ever. Have you ever felt something in your bones and just knew it was going to be? Well, this is that feeling and this is the year.

It's started off perfectly. I am in great health. My family is healthy and happy. Those in and around me are all good - to the exception of Olivia, a beautiful student at the DBPS in Oshawa, who was taken from us. Cancer can and will be beaten. Until then, so many continue to be hurt. My good friend and web designer, Michael Waters, is also in a battle with cancer. This is a battle he will win. I'll keep you informed.

I spent last week in Edmonton, one of my favourite cities in Canada. For those of you who have not been, be sure to spend some time on Whyte Ave. I'm not kidding, it is the funkiest street in our country. I feel hip/cool just walking down that street - in fact, I think I walk differently on Whyte than I normally do.

I spoke to...thousands while there. Here is a shot of T.D. Baker, one of those amazing groups of kids I presented to on this tour.

I'm packed and ready to head to Ontario tomorrow. I'll come home for one week and then bundle up for a week in Northern Labrador, Nain and Hopedale. I am sooooo excited.

Enough. I will post pics - I promise.

Until then, join me in making 2015 a magical year (and not only the year my friend/agent Chris Patrick turned 60).

Group hug



Moi

2015

2015 - and this is good 

There were highlights in 2014 as there are every year, however, in many ways, 2015 couldn't have come soon enough.

In spite of looking forward to this new year, I don't take anything in life for granted - and that includes 2014 and the opportunities that this year offered my family and me.

We were blessed with an invitation to China. This wasn't our first invitation but it is the first that we accepted.

We spent our spring break at the Salon du Livre in Paris (...our tenth consecutive year).

We celebrated Victoria's 16th birthday in London and in Yorkshire.

And I went back to Paris for the Festival des Ameriques in September.

How anyone could complain after this kind of calendar year is almost inconceivable.


There were great trips and there were books, of course. There are always books in my life.

We launched our new book, The Great Law, in Mohawk territory.

Goodminds Books in Brantford hosted an event that saw a good number of friends and family gather for the celebration.


Ray Skye and I are grateful to Jeff Burnham and his staff for this and for all they do for our Aboriginal communities.

Even with this beautiful book, four overseas trips and dozens of great venues in Canada, the real highlight for me was the opening of the David Bouchard Public School in Oshawa.

Alison, Lauren, Tammy and staff and the entire Oshawa community honoured me by linking me forever to their kids, parents and professionals.

I could write for hours about how the school came to be, who it serves, the dedicated professionals and volunteers who make it tick...and the 650 kids that mean so much to all of us.

...However, I'd not be able to touch on the magic. So here are a couple of pictures and a link... 

 

http://www.ddsb.ca/school/davidbouchard/Pages/default.aspx

 

An Aboriginal Carol

 

One of my favourite Christmas carols is The Huron Carol.

 

A few years ago, I created a book out of that song.

 

With the help of Inuit song writer/singer (and good friend) Susan Uglukark and the gifted Oji Cree artist Moses Beaver, we came up with An Aboriginal Carol.

 

The title reflects the perfect Aboriginal collaboration - First Nation artist, Inuit musician and Metis author.

 

This link allows you to hear the story, see the art and hear Susan perform her version of A Huron Carol in her Inuktitut language.

 

Merry Christmas!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_XTwr7qnl0&list=UUwaT1CSMx_QTZq-En0tZ9iQ

 

 

Holly Claus - the Harry Potter of Christmas

Hundreds of thousands, through my conference work, have heard me say that Holly Claus is my favourite Christmas book ever.

Hundreds of thousands have heard me say that Holly Claus is the Harry Potter of Christmas - a book that every family should have read...should have in their library to read and re-read at this time of the year.

If you have not experienced the magic of Brittney Ryan's New York Times best selling Holly Claus, consider this my gift to you.

Imagine a place in time where Santa would receive a letter from a boy asking what he, Santa, would like for Christmas. What if that letter contained the magic that would allow Santa and his wife Vivianna to finally have the child they have dreamed about for centuries. What would they name their child and how would the Christmas Princess deal with the curse that followed her into the land of the Immortals...the land of Forever...???


Canada... Holly Claus is a book for young and old alike. I first shared it with our daughter Victoria when she was six. I last shared it with her...last night... My 16 year old will tell you that her childhood was highlighted by two books - Harry Potter and Holly Claus.

When I asked if she had not outgrown these two classics, she simply answered;

"Dad, I haven't outgrown Harry and Holly. I grew up with them."