devenus Ce qu’ils sont become What they have
Maggie MacDonald: successful writer from Cornwall
FRANCIS RACINE francis.racine@eap.on.ca
Born and raised in Cornwall but now residing in Toronto, the daughter of the well-known councillor ElaineMacDonald stresses that she still often visits her home- town. “I come home often to see her and other familymembers,” she said. “I love to visit the local parks and spend time taking nature walks in the Rotary Eco garden, and at local historical sites like the Lost Villages Museum. It’s great that so much of the waterfront is accessible to the public in Cornwall. Inmany communities along the Great Lakes and the Seaway, the water- front is private property, so it’s not as easy to go exploring, biking, or have a picnic. Cornwall residents are very lucky to have access to the river, and the waterfront trails are a real gem.”
Although she left Cornwall to pursue her career, MacDonald explained that her hometown shaped who she was and what she became. “The arts programming at CCVS, as well as the art courses I took at Saint Lawrence High School, were formative for me, shaping the way I see the world. The classes at Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School had exceptional students likeMandi Gosling and her little brother, but there were students of all levels of ability, including students with disabilities, who were fully appreciated in these environments. There was a spirit of inclusion, and the teachers fostered a sense that everyone had something of value to contribute. For example, we had Bobby Archambault on our high school
improv team. He lovedmusic and he had a great sense of humour and rhythm. He was legally blind and had challenges that other students did not face, but that wasn’t a barrier to being a great improv performer, and a great team player.” Being a talented and successful writer, MacDonald urges any resident of Cornwall interested by the idea of writing, to keep working at it. “It can be a struggle to get published at first but there are more op- tions now, and blogging can be a great way to get started,” she added. “It’s important to share your work and get feedback, so connecting with other writers is one of the best things you can do, both to improve and also to get the strength and encour- agement to keep going when it’s hard.”
Although working for an environmental charity called Environmental Defence, Maggie MacDonald was, for many years, a professional musician. “Now I chan- nel that energy into musical theatre and fiction writing,” she explained. “In 2012, I wrote and workshopped a play called Paper Laced with Gold about the impact of the Seaway.” MacDonald’s most recent production was amusical called Young Drones, which was staged at the SummerWorks festival in Toronto in 2013 and 2014. “I have new projects in the works but they are still under wraps.”
Le Journal, Cornwall
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Le mercredi 3 février 2016
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