Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
author. MacDonald produced eight books and several hundred articles in Canadian magazines.
Born in
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...
,
Manitoba
Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...
, MacDonald was an alumnus of
St. Paul's High School, Winnipeg
St. Paul's High School is a Society of Jesus, Jesuit Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic all-boys university preparatory high school in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The school has approximately 600 students attending and has an active 12,000+ alumni com ...
, Class of 1967. MacDonald received a BA in English from the
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba. After graduation, MacDonald was a carpenter and fishing guide before becoming a full-time writer.
Over twenty-five years he produced ten books of both fiction and non-fiction, numerous short-stories and about two hundred stories for many of Canada's leading publications, including ''
The Globe and Mail
''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
Canadian Geographic
''Canadian Geographic'' is a magazine published by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, (RCGS) based in Ottawa, Ontario.
History and profile
After the Society was founded in 1929, the magazine was established the next year in May 1930 unde ...
'', ''
Maclean's
''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...
'', ''
Cottage Life
''Cottage Life'' is a Canadian magazine focusing on cottage lifestyle content. First published in the summer of 1988, the publication features how-to articles, buying guides, and tips on aspects of cottage living and lifestyle.
Formally published ...
'', ''
Canadian Business
''Canadian Business'' is the longest-publishing business magazine based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and founded in 1927. The print edition terminated in the end of 2016. Beginning in January 2017, the magazine was published online only.
In Octob ...
'' and ''
The Walrus
''The Walrus'' is an independent, non-profit Canadian media organization. It is multi-platform and produces an 8-issue-per-year magazine and online editorial content that includes current affairs, fiction, poetry, and podcasts, a national s ...
''. His writing netted over twenty-five awards. The memoir ''Houseboat Chronicles: Notes from a Life in Shield Country'' won three awards across the country, including the Pearson Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction in 2002.
His 1997 young adult novel ''Juliana and the Medicine Fish'' was made into a feature film in 2015. In 2019, his first play ''The Cottage'' was staged at Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre's John Hirsch Mainstage. Also in 2019, MacDonald won the Winnipeg Arts Council "Making a Mark Award."
MacDonald died on January 30, 2020, after a fall in a home that he was building in
Puerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta ( or simply Vallarta) is a Mexican beach resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas in the Mexican state of Jalisco.
Puerto Vallarta is the second largest urban agglomeration in the state after the Guadala ...
. He was 70.
Works
*''Indian River'' - 1981
*''The Bridge Out of Town'' - 1986
*''Two Tickets to Paradise'' - 1990
*''Raised by the River'' - 1992
*''Juliana and the Medicine Fish'' - 1997
*''The Lake: An Illustrated History of Manitobans' Cottage Country'' - 2001
*''Houseboat Chronicles: Notes from a Life in Shield Country'' - 2002
*''With the Boys: Field Notes on Being a Guy'' - 2005
*''Grizzlyville: Adventures in Bear Country'' - 2009
*''Casting Quiet Waters: Reflections on Life and Fishing'' (edited) - 2014
University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections The University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections is a department of the University of Manitoba Libraries which holds historical records related to and created by the University of Manitoba. It is also a collector of private records of indi ...