Northern Ontario author’s book asks ‘I Can’t Be the Only One...’

A northern Ontario author's new book, 'I Can't Be The Only One Who…' was inspired by mourning her parents' nursing home routine.

A North Bay area woman has written a book on things you might have wondered about but were afraid to tell others.

Chantal Dégagné of Astorville compiled a series of what she calls reflections and put them together in a book titled, ‘I Can’t Be the Only One Who…’ It took a traumatic event to trigger her drafting this book.

“It stems from the loss of my elderly parents in 2023. They were married for 72 years and passed within 11 weeks of each other,” she told CTV News.

“I was an essential care provider along with one of my sisters. They were in a nursing home for five years and I spent almost every day of my life there. I mourned the loss of my parents, and I also mourned the loss of not being at the nursing home.”

Dégagné said she missed going to the nursing home, she missed the staff, the other residents and the routine. She thought to herself is she was the only one who thinks this way and soon discovered she was not.

“I began talking with people about their quirks and their behaviours and habits and thought, I think there is a book in there,” Dégagné said.

The author said she spoke to a lot of people from her community, North Bay, Nashville and points in between that helped her write the book.

“My husband and I, and some of our friends, were there in the fall of 2024. I was in the washroom at the Grand Ole Opry. Just me and another woman, and I told her I was writing a book. She shared with me a story and I put it in the book,” said Dégagné.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada.

“My mother suffered from Alzheimer’s related dementia. She was diagnosed in 2015 and passed away in 2023,” said Dégagné.

“In the beginning we participated in a program called Minds and Motions to keep her busy a little bit. So that program is dear to my heart.”

Dégagné said she hope readers will enjoy her work, adding that the book taps into that feeling of aloneness and then flips it into connection.

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