CanalWatch Format: TradePaperback

Intriguing glimpses into urban life along a mysterious canal. Ken Rivard's CanalWatch offers a collection of flash fiction that explores the human condition through brief encounters and vivid snapshots of life along an urban waterway. Each story, approximately 500 words, captures a passing image, overheard conversation, or fleeting moment, inviting readers to contemplate the ordinary and the extraordinary.

Through a diverse cast of characters―homeless individuals, urban dwellers, and everyday people―Rivard delves into themes of social isolation, the search for meaning, and the complexities of relationships. With a blend of empathy, melancholy, and hope, these stories evoke a range of emotions, prompting reflection on the art of wondering and the resilience of the human spirit. Perfect for readers seeking contemporary, thought-provoking fiction from a Canadian perspective.

Ken Rivard was born and raised on a working-class Montreal street inhabited more by rats than people. He was surrounded by fields, factories, railroad tracks, and trains where, as a kid, he played endlessly with almost no adult supervision. It was heaven. Later he earned a Master’s Degree from McGill University and taught at all levels including Mount Royal University in Calgary. Mostly because of the expansive Alberta sky, the sunshine, and the Rocky Mountains, he has been living and writing in Calgary for many years.