REMEMBERING THE RUNNING WARRIOR

I’m thrilled that HIVE EMPORIUM on Gabriola Island has included my play, Running: The Alex Decoteau Story, on its bookshelf of local authors. The cover, designed by local Gabriola publisher Morri Mostow of FictivePress.com, shows Alex Decoteau’s portrait overlaid on an Edmonton scene of people gathered to read about the outbreak of WWI.

This play continues the tradition of the friends and family of Alex Decoteau, telling the inspiring story of Canada’s first Aboriginal policeman, also an Olympic runner, killed by a sniper while running a message at the Battle of Passchendaele on October 30, 1917.

EARLY CHILDHOOD OF ALEX DECOTEAU

Gabriola Island of the Arts Festival
Michael Kusugak, far right

 http://www.rightresolutions.com/photos

I was thrilled to meet Michael Kusugak at the 2015 Gabriola Isle of the Arts Festival last spring. It was wonderful to see so many of my favourite books and hear Michael’s stories about growing up in Repulse Bay and Rankin Inlet.

I like Bill Pope’s photograph, shown here, as it captured the lovely ambiance of the opening of the festival at the historic Surf Lodge. Michael is on the far right, visiting with the audience before his talk.

BATTLEFORD INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL—ALEX DECOTEAU'S RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL

At the launch of Running: The Alex Decoteau Story there were questions about where Alex grew up and went to school. Much of my information about Alex came from his great niece Izola Mottershead, who wrote the book before–Alex Decoteau-after. Alex and his four siblings attended the Battleford Industrial School in Saskatchewan. Izola’s book was launched at a performance of the family version of my play on November 11, 2004.

THE THRILL OF MY FIRST BOOK LAUNCH – PART II

Planning the launch of Running: The Alex Decoteau Story

Fictive Press Publisher Morri Mostow
& Author Charlotte Cameron

Morri Mostow, Editor/Publisher at Fictive Press, and I carefully considered the best date for the launch before booking a slot at our local library. Of utmost importance was to make sure that the books arrived in time for the launch! Although we were cutting it close, it seemed best to go ahead before Remembrance Day, when the atmosphere would be somber and reflective as people remembered the 100th Anniversary of the start of the Great War. By the end of November, we knew the island would be bustling with craft fairs, and a pantomime. Amy Dawley, the head librarian at the Gabriola library, booked us in from 1 to 2 p.m. on November 8th and her staff put up a poster.

THE THRILL OF MY FIRST BOOK LAUNCH – PART ONE

This is my very first blog post and I wonder why I didn’t start sooner. I have lots to write about, beginning with a play I wrote back in 2001, which premiered at the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival.

2023 author edition

The play was called Running: The Alex Decoteau Story (1887-1917). This true tale about Canada’s first aboriginal policeman, who was also an Olympic runner and a WW I soldier, captured the imagination of the Fringe audience, just as it had captured mine.

A lot of great things happened after the Fringe, but I had no idea that the play would lead to the publication of the book in 2014 by Fictive Press, a new digital publisher on Gabriola Island, BC, our home since 2005.