Our Canada

THE GREAT CANADIAN QUILT ADVENTURE

Writer’s Block: The Great Canadian Quilt Adventure

- by Marjorie Cripps, Etobicoke

This tale of travelling across Canada on a magic flying quilt is a perfect tribute to our country’s 150th birthday.

About Our Cover Krista Ewert of Edmonton shares this pic of her daughter, Ella, taking part in a “Changing the Face of Beauty” photo shoot. More on page 8.

Gram held up the new quilt. “I made this especially for the two of you,” she said.

“Look at all the squares, Amanda,” said Mitchell as he helped Gram spread the quilt under a tree. “Wow, it’s nearly as big as our backyard,” said Amanda. “It’s a picture map of Canada.”

“It’s an ‘I Spy’ quilt,” explained Gram, smiling. She was pleased the children liked the quilt.

“Look, Stanley Park! And there’s the swinging bridge. That’s where we live—vancouver!”

“I’ll get us some lemonade,” said Gram. “Whatever you do, don’t touch the red maple leaf square,” she added with a twinkle in her eye.

Mitchell and Amanda looked at each other. “Should I?” Mitchell whispered. “Gram said not to,” Amanda whispered back. They crawled onto the quilt and lay down. Mitchell touched the red maple leaf square—the quilt twitched and rose slightly off the ground. Then Amanda touched the square and the quilt dropped back down. The children’s eyes grew wide as saucers. Mitchell touched the leaf again and the quilt began to rise. Mitchell and Amanda held on to the edge of the quilt and gasped as it continued to rise. Mitchell ducked to avoid the tree branch over their heads.

“This flying quilt is great!” Mitchell shouted over a rush of wind. “Should we touch another square?”

Nervously, Amanda reached out and touched the whitecaps on a square showing the ocean. The quilt shifted direction and flew on. “Wow, what a lot of water!” exclaimed Amanda.

“It must be the Pacific Ocean,” explained Mitchell. “I saw it on my globe. I hope we see a whale.”

They peered over the side of the quilt to get a better view as they dipped and dove.

Mitchell touched a square with a salmon on it and the quilt jerked, changed direction and zoomed

FEELING INSPIRED?

We have a special website just for your creative writing submission­s. For the chance to share your fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry with the Our Canada community, go to ourcanada.ca/writersblo­ck.

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