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    • Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold
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    • From the Cottage Porch
  • Mentorship
    • Creativity Spiral Series
    • Classes and Workshops
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  • Poet Laureate
    • Community eChapbooks
    • Weekly Poetry Present
      • Archive of Poets
    • Monthly Poetry Column
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    Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold

    December 29, 2022 /
    Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold cover

    This is a story inspired by my own family and my great-Aunt Bernice. She was like a grandmother to me. It was a joy to imagine their lives on the island (a mile from where my parents have a home today). The story is fiction. It’s a way for people of all ages to learn more about a Métis family in Ontario before they hid their identity for protection and to stay together.

    “A treasure map sparks a coastal Canadian Métis eight-year-old’s search for gold in an exuberant, richly detailed novel from a Métis author sharing her family’s fictionalized history…. A sweet historical fiction pick for fans of well-intentioned young protagonists with enlightening Indigenous representation.” Booklist

    “This is a novel for young teens, featuring historical fiction depicting life on this part of Georgian Bay in the early 1900s, and a history of the Indigenous people, the voyageurs and the settlers who came later to these islands. It is also a compelling novel about an adventurous girl who finds that the real gold on Georgian Bay is right where she lives.” Charlotte Stein, ParrySound.com

    “Author Jessica Outram has given us a story with a difference: a book that incorporates many phrases in the Métis language, Michif.” Helen Norrie, Winnipeg Free Press

    “An excellent complementary read for indigenous or Canadian history studies. It is a worthwhile and thoughtful read and an admirable way of paying tribute to past generations. Highly Recommended.” Canadian Review of Materials

    “As a story, it will interest readers of all ages, moving deftly between the warm family scenes, industries across the water, and the dangerous storms of Georgian Bay.” Historical Novel Society

    “Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold is an amusing and informative story that serves both to entertain and educate the reader. It would be a positive addition to any home or school library.” Anishinabek News

    Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold is now available in hardcover as a Junior Library Guild selection.

    Follow me on social media to learn more about some of the people and places who inspired the book.


    Brave Bernice is ready for an adventure!

    It’s the summer of 1914. Eight-year-old Bernice lives with her family in a lighthouse on Georgian Bay. One day Bernice wakes up to find a stranger named Tom Thomson sleeping in their living room. When she overhears him talk about gold on a nearby island, Bernice is determined to find it. Inspired by her beloved Mémère’s stories of their Métis family’s adventures and hardships, Bernice takes the treasure map the stranger left behind and sets out in a rowboat with nothing more than her two dogs for company and the dream of changing her family’s fortunes forever.

    Click here to Order Now!

    Product Information: Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold

    • Release: May 16, 2023
    • Second Story Press
    • $12.95 Paperback
    • 190 Pages
    • 5.25″ x 7.5″
    • Children’s Fiction
    • Ages 9-12 / Grades 4-7
    • ISBN: 9781772603187
    Read More

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    From the Cottage Porch: An Anthology About Cottage Life in Ontario

    March 18, 2021

    Once Upon a Rocking Chair: A Play in Two Acts

    April 29, 2017

    The Writing Spiral by Jessica Outram

    September 4, 2021
  • Books

    The Thing with Feathers

    April 22, 2022 /

    The Thing With Feathers by Jessica Outram

    Piquant Press

    A collection of poetry available to purchase from the publisher or on Amazon.

    Books are also available from Let’s Talk Books in Cobourg and Caversham Booksellers in Toronto.


    Hope is the thing with feathers
    That perches in the soul

    Emily Dickinson


    This is a story of becoming whole by reassembling broken pieces of self, holding onto hope in the darkest moments, and seeing everything in a new light.

    The Thing With Feathers takes you on an intimate journey of truth, transformation, and healing of spirit. From cherry blossom tree trunks to the shores of Georgian Bay, these poems evoke reverence, recalling past lives and ancestral Metis blood memory passed down from grandmothers.
    ~ Sarah Lewis, Poet Laureate, Peterborough ON

    Poetry that’s both affective and effective in recognizing the power of expression as a means of revealing the human spirit. There is clarity of language in these poems, and in that clarity the reader finds what it means to feel alive.
    ~ Antony Di Nardo, Poet

    Click here to read Anthony Di Nardo’s full-length review of The Thing with Feathers.

    Here are poems that show a way to build belonging. With clarity and sharp imagery, Outram’s poetry aches with the will to transform. They swirl beyond the whirlpool of rules because it’s all possible. Slowly, a new self emerges by breaking down threads / pulled by uncertainty. Through the deliberate act of seeing, facing, and confronting, a knowing, more integrated self comes to light. A fresh, vivid and heartfelt debut.
    ~”Catherine Graham, Poet, Aether: An Out-of-Body Lyric and The Celery Forest

    Click here to read Kate Rogers’ review of The Thing with Feathers.


    April 16th 2022 Launch: Art Gallery of Northumberland
    April 16th, 2022 Launch: Art Gallery of Northumberland
    Read More

    You May Also Like

    Once Upon a Rocking Chair: A Play in Two Acts

    April 29, 2017

    From the Cottage Porch: An Anthology About Cottage Life in Ontario

    March 18, 2021

    Sunsets in Britt: A Georgian Bay Tradition

    October 17, 2021
  • Northumberland

    Smudging Feather

    March 21, 2019 /

    My cousin and I started smudging together in the 1990s. Aunt Pat gave us our first sage and abalone shell bowls. We learned about ceremony. We learned about the value of sacred time together.

    Last summer I bought a beautiful smudging feather with a pink quartz handle that stands proudly in an oak base. It was created by First Nations artist LinDaLou. The staff told us that the artist visits the Centre, setting up a table by the fire for a few days to assemble them. We loved that it was created in a space that means so much to us.

    Read More

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    Lavender Labyrinth

    July 7, 2019

    In Winter: A Poem for Eric Winter

    January 18, 2020

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    July 14, 2020
  • Georgian Bay

    Family History in Britt, Ontario

    March 16, 2019 /

    Our family history in Britt, Ontario, is rich and goes back to before the town had its name. Britt stretches down one road off Highway 69 along Still River to Lake Magnetewan and out to the mouth of Georgian Bay. 

    Mom worked on a population study when she was in high school (in the late 60s) and reported five hundred people lived there then. Approximately, three hundred people live in Britt now.

    Read More

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    Lighthouse Keeper Louis Lamondin

    December 27, 2013

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    November 4, 2017

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    October 26, 2019
  • Georgian Bay

    Our Métis Family Story: Reclaiming Our Heritage

    October 27, 2016 /

    My citizenship card arrived at the end August 2016. I was surprised how much peace it brought me. It was almost as though my ancestors breathed out a collective sigh of relief. I am proud to be Métis.

    Read More

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    Dad Finds a Peavey Log Roller

    October 25, 2017

    Family Recipe: Mom and Her Homemade Butter Tarts

    August 10, 2015

    Gereaux Island Lighthouse Then and Now

    July 29, 2014
  • Northumberland

    Trent University Revisited: 20 Years Later

    September 3, 2016 /

    For a week this summer I stayed in residence at Trent University, my alma mater.

    It surprised me to realize that I hadn’t been back to Otonabee since the late nineties. When I signed up for an intensive theatre course (offered through Theatre Ontario at Trent), I knew I would feel nostalgic but I wasn’t prepared for this. Returning to my first home away from home was a transformational experience.

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  • Michilimackinac

    Ezekiel Solomon: Introducing My Jewish-Canadian Grandfather

    January 21, 2012 /

    Born in Berlin. Child of the Enlightenment Era.

    Ezekiel Solomon was born in Berlin, Germany in 1735. Solomon shares his birth year with John Adams (second American President) and Paul Revere (American Patriot). In 1735, Alexander Pope was writing poetry and George Frederic Handel composed operas. King George II was on the British throne.

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    July 27, 2013

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    July 30, 2013

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    March 25, 2012

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jessicaoutram

This is my Métis grandfather's baptismal certific This is my Métis grandfather's baptismal certificate. He went through life with two names. The church recorded both. Normandin was his Métis name and Lamondin was his French name. His children would be the first generation to have one name: Lamondin. 'Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold' shares some of this history...

#MétisHistory #BerniceandtheGeorgianBayGold #middlegrade #Fridayreads #novel
This morning I was looking up my book for someone This morning I was looking up my book for someone to see if it is in stock in Peterborough at Chapters (and it is)... and I was delighted to see that it's been selected as a Staff Pick! Thanks for sharing in the excitement with me.
It's nice to have time to write in the early morni It's nice to have time to write in the early mornings. I look out at the garden as the sun rises, sip my coffee, and reflect. I'm working on rewriting some old blog posts with new thoughts, updating one at a time. So much has changed in a few years, and I am grateful.

https://www.jessicaoutram.com/post/time-for-a-change

#5amwritersclub #mondaymotivation #change #amwriting #surrender #writerslife #writingcommunity
Delighted to find red roses growing in the front g Delighted to find red roses growing in the front garden. Any tips for how to care for them?
My great-grandfather (Louis) received this letter My great-grandfather (Louis) received this letter when he became a lighthouse keeper in 1901, including the same salary as his father (Joseph) received. $375 per year. 'Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold' shares some of the joys and challenges of this life. 

#GeorgianBay #GereauxIslandLighthouse #FridayReads
Tuesday morning brunch in the backyard. Tuesday morning brunch in the backyard.
Now that I feel more settled into my new home, it' Now that I feel more settled into my new home, it's time to build a new creative life here. Part of my process is to read, write, and reflect. This week I've been thinking about creative energy and how it can bring so much light into our lives. Like any other relationship, it requires time and attention. (Picture of the Otonabee River, steps from my yard.)

https://www.jessicaoutram.com/post/bring-light-into-your-life-through-creative-energy

#creativelife #creativespirit #writerslife #mondaymotivation
This is the painting that inspired the character o This is the painting that inspired the character of Tom Thomson in ‘Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold.’
Delighted by this new review by the Historical Nov Delighted by this new review by the Historical Novel Society of 'Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold.'

https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/bernice-and-the-georgian-bay-gold/

#MiddleGrade #NewBook #TBR #SecondStoryPress #MétisHistory #BerniceAndTheGeorgianBayGold #Adventure #GeorgianBay #GereauxIslandLighthouse #HistoricalNovel
The day I finished writing 'Bernice and the Georgi The day I finished writing 'Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold,' I went for a walk. A few blocks from home on the ground was a sewing needle. For those who have read the book, do you think this was a sign? 

#MiddleGrade #NewBook #TBR #SecondStoryPress #MétisHistory #BerniceAndTheGeorgianBayGold #Adventure #GeorgianBay #GereauxIslandLighthouse
One of Bernice and her sister's chores was to go i One of Bernice and her sister's chores was to go into the bushes on the islands of Georgian Bay and fill baskets with blueberries. Their baskets didn't look like this, but they would certainly need to pick this many berries to help feed their family. How long would it take to find and pick this many blueberries in the wild?

#MiddleGrade #NewBook #TBR #SecondStoryPress #MétisHistory #BerniceAndTheGeorgianBayGold #Adventure #GeorgianBay #GereauxIslandLighthouse
In our last episode, we talked about a summer with In our last episode, we talked about a summer with Rilke? How is your summer going? Have you had a chance to read Letters to a Young Poet?

https://thehummingbirdpodcast.com/

#amplifyBTPMPODS #hummingbirdenergy #amwriting #writers #writingcommunity #spirit #poetry #poets #podcast #writingjourney
Each summer we drive past Lamondin Point many time Each summer we drive past Lamondin Point many times (named after my great-Grandpa Louis Lamondin). He inspired the father character in 'Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold.' He was the lightkeeper for 29 years! His dad, Joseph, piloted the first ship into the Britt harbour. Being on the water among these islands feels like home to me. 

Have you had a chance to read the book yet? Is there something you're curious about?

#MiddleGrade #NewBook #TBR #SecondStoryPress #MétisHistory #BerniceAndTheGeorgianBayGold #Adventure #GeorgianBay #GereauxIslandLighthouse
Moving to a new house means trying new things. Had Moving to a new house means trying new things. Had fun putting this together today. Used a power screwdriver for the first time. I had no idea that they were so easy to use and made small projects like this a breeze!
Here is what it looks like traveling by boat to Ge Here is what it looks like traveling by boat to Gereaux Island Lighthouse (featured in Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold). What a workout it must be to row in these deep waters! 

#MiddleGrade #NewBook #TBR #SecondStoryPress #MétisHistory #BerniceAndTheGeorgianBayGold #Adventure #GeorgianBay #GereauxIslandLighthouse
Bernice and her family (including my grandpa) didn Bernice and her family (including my grandpa) didn't spend many winters at the lighthouse. They stayed in another house in town. Can you imagine how lonely it would be to live at a lighthouse in the winter with everything frozen around you and no boats passing by?

#MiddleGrade #NewBook #TBR #SecondStoryPress #MétisHistory #BerniceAndTheGeorgianBayGold #Adventure #GeorgianBay #GereauxIslandLighthouse
Bernice and her sister make houses out of moss on Bernice and her sister make houses out of moss on the granite of Georgian Bay in 'Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold.' This is what the moss looks like... How would you make a house with this?

#MiddleGrade #NewBook #TBR #SecondStoryPress #MétisHistory #BerniceAndTheGeorgianBayGold #Adventure #GeorgianBay #GereauxIslandLighthouse
Our family called the tall house 'the house on the Our family called the tall house 'the house on the point.' It's where they lived most of the winters (instead of at the lighthouse). The logging industry impacted everyone at that time. It was one of the biggest logging towns in Canada. Can you imagine paddling here?

#MiddleGrade #TBR #SecondStoryPress #FeministReads #CurrentlyReading #MétisHistory #BerniceAndTheGeorgianBayGold #Adventure #GeorgianBay #GereauxIslandLighthouse #BrittOntario
I grew up hearing stories of the swinging bridge i I grew up hearing stories of the swinging bridge in Britt that stretched across the Still River. For those reading 'Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold,' this is what it looked like! 
 
#MiddleGrade #TBR #SecondStoryPress #FeministReads #CurrentlyReading #MétisHistory #BerniceAndTheGeorgianBayGold #Adventure #GeorgianBay #GereauxIslandLighthouse #BrittOntario
This beautiful book written by my podcast co-host This beautiful book written by my podcast co-host @catgrahampoet arrived in the mail today! What an accomplishment to have a collection of New & Selected. And, what a stunning cover. Book looks great, feels great to hold. Looking forward to diving in! Congratulations, Catherine!
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Sunshine in a Jar

4 weeks ago

Sunshine in a Jar
So delighted to see ‘Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold’ included here!New books for Children, Teens and Young Adults, from your favourite bestselling Indigenous authors and illustrators!*Apli' kmuj's Journey (Pre-Order for Sept 25/23). Written and illustrated by Braelyn Cyr, a status member of the Listuguj Mi'kmaq band.*Auntie's Rez Surprise (Pre-Order for Sept 19/23). Author Heather O'Watch is a Nakota and Nehiyaw woman from Okanese First Nation, located in Treaty 4 Territory. The illustrator is Ellie Arscott.*Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior (Pre-Order for Sept 19/23). From New York Times bestselling picture book author Carole Lindstrom and illustrator Bridget George comes Autumn Peltier, Water Warrior, an inspiring picture book biography about indigenous water warriors Autumn Peltier and Josephine Mandamin - with a forward from Autumn Peltier herself.*Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold (2023). Jessica Outram is a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario. "A compelling novel about an adventurous girl who finds that the real gold on Georgian Bay is right where she lives." — Parry Sound North Star, June 2023*Maggie Lou, Firefox (Pre-Order for Oct 3/23). Arnolda Dufour Bowes is a Métis writer. She is the author of 20.12 m: A Short Story Collection of a Life Lived as a Road Allowance Métis, which won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award and the High Plains Book Award. Illustrated by Karlene Harvey an illustrator and writer who lives on the unceded and ancestral home territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tseil-Waututh people. *Nish: North and South (Pre-Order for Sept 05/23). The first book in Isabelle Picard’s bestselling coming-of-age series about Innu twins, Léon and Éloïse.*Tyowennatyerénhton First Words. Tyowennatyerénhton - First Words is an introductory Kanyen’kéha (Mohawk)/English vocabulary book celebrating the language, land, and culture of the Mohawk people. An audio download is included to support word pronunciation. Gail Brant-Terry (Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory) is an educator with over 34 years experience. Dianne Sedore-McCoy is an educator with over 25 years experience.Please visit our online catalogue for more: goodminds.com/collections/2023-new-releases ... See MoreSee Less

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Sunshine in a Jar

1 month ago

Sunshine in a Jar
This is my Métis grandfather's baptismal certificate. He went through life with two names. The church recorded both. Normandin was his Métis name and Lamondin was his French name. His children would be the first generation to have one name: Lamondin. 'Bernice and the Georgian Bay Gold' shares some of this history...#MétisHistory #BerniceandtheGeorgianBayGold #middlegrade #Fridayreads #novel ... See MoreSee Less

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This Week’s Top Five

  • Welcome to Sunshine in a Jar
  • Ezekiel Solomon: Introducing My Jewish-Canadian Grandfather
  • Family History in Britt, Ontario
  • A Poem for the First Day of School
  • Marie Elizabeth Louise Dubois: Who is She?

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  • The Thing with Feathers
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  • Sunsets in Britt: A Georgian Bay Tradition
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