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Liliane McKennirey (née Lalondé)

Liliane McKennirey grew up in Wales, Ontario.





“Having read Maggie Wheeler’s books, it made me think about the psychology, the ramifications to people’s morale for having lost their home, their everything. And being relocated, yes, being relocated but…

I’m not sure. I haven’t met anybody else that was as affected and perhaps I just don’t remember. But I do remember friends whose houses were moved to either Long Sault or Ingleside and, you know, it was so too bad, we lost this… But on the other hand, they still had their house that was physically moved.

Particularly in her book, she just has snippets of explanations of where her mysterious characters are looking for clues, for who did the murder. And a lot of it has to do with the Upper Canada. But it’s just little snippets here and there.

And I thought, oh yeah. I can’t tell you them right now because I did read her books quite a while ago, but I just remember the effect that it had on me and it was mainly the psychological effect of having lost… because she was explaining in some of her books the losses I guess that were happening to people because they had lost this and they were doing something else and the weaving that she was doing in her story building just reminded me of the feelings that I was harboring, that had never been visited.

And finally it made me think and I thought, okay, I’m glad that’s finished. I can indeed move on.”




Liliane McKennirey’s Voice

Liliane McKennirey, Interview Audio Excerpts (née Lalondé), Ottawa, Ontario. November 30, 2012




Thinking about the psychology, ramifications for people. Maggie Wheeler’s helped me.

Father packing up and moving the farm.

Father wouldn’t go watch the day of the demolition.

Church was a focal point for the community.

Video



Video Excerpt: Liliane McKennirey (née Lalondé), Ottawa, Ontario. November 30, 2012



In this video clip Liliane Mckennirey reflects on the effect that Maggie Wheeler's book had on her as she came to terms with her own losses from the Seaway.

The story of the Sunken Villages as a real life manifesation of the flood as a metaphor in many cultures - Noah’s Ark, Turtle Island, Atlantis - has inspired a number of creative, cultural responses that help make sense of the trauma and dislocation caused by Seaway. Maggie Wheeler has written a series of mystery books set in the lost villages.

Bio

Liliane McKennirey (née Lalondé) grew up in Wales, Ontario. Some of her earliest memories include skating on Hopple Creek with her older brother.

She now lives in Ottawa, Ontario.