Wintertickle Press offers 49 all-Canadian stories of spirit, humour, and kindness in its newly released publication Not Cancelled: Canadian Kindness in the Face of COVID-19.
During the darkest days of lockdown, authors Heather Down and Catherine Kenwell gathered stories from every province to illustrate ordinary Canadians performing extraordinary acts of kindness during the pandemic.
“It became clear that there would be limits on social gatherings, routines, and regular day-to-day situations,” Down explains. “But there was so much that couldn’t be cancelled—our Canadian spirit, our humour, our love for one another. We created a project to shine light on the positive stories of ordinary heroes.”
Tales include those from Indigenous peoples to newcomers who have only been in Canada for several months—pretty much everyone who calls Canada home. From a dancing Sikh in the Yukon to a couple’s first wedding dance in British Columbia to a talking schnauzer in Quebec to a real-life Spider-Man walking the streets of Newfoundland, this book demonstrates that Canadians have the capability to be kind, creative, and ultimately, resilient.
In addition to highlighting the everyday champions, some notable Canadians also lent their stories to this collection including: Great Big Sea founder Sean McCann; country singer, Jason McCoy; and award-winning author, David A. Robertson.
“We chose 49 stories because Canada’s worldwide address is the 49th parallel,” Down adds.
Kenwell says. “We began this project as a way to share challenges and triumphs to help inspire others who are struggling.”
The authors discovered stories from coast to coast that reflect Canadian values—diversity, ingenuity, and compassion. Not Cancelled is purely and proudly Canadian.
“Don’t get us wrong—this isn’t all about unicorns and rainbows. We’ve both suffered the loss of family and friends during this pandemic. We know that others are feeling deep pain and confusion. The stories in this book are small rays of hope with outstanding impact. To coin an overused phrase, we’re all in this together, and the individuals featured in Not Cancelled make us proud to be Canadians.”
Not Cancelled is available from Indigo and Amazon and is also widely available in ebook format.
