TFCG BOOK
The Book
One Canopy - A Shared Vision of Unity
PLEASE NOTE THIS PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THE BOOK FOR THE PROJECT IS NEAR COMPLETION. ONCE THIS PAGE IS COMPLETED AND READY FOR FINAL PUBLICATION, THE FRENCH VERSION WILL BE CREATED.
FROM LENS TO PAGE
After an incredible journey of collaboration with over 500 Canadian photographers and interviewees, The Forest – Common Ground ® book is officially available. This book is a celebration of shared learning, deep connection, and stunning visual storytelling.
Ready to bring this journey into your home? Click here to purchase your copy now (insert Apple Books link), or read on to see the story behind its creation, full book summary, and a bit about the author.
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TFCG SYNOPSIS
In 2018, Canada felt increasingly fragmented. Many felt left behind. The “me” was displacing the “we.” Then COVID hit and Canadians “turtled.”
This isolation got me thinking about a national photographic unity project to bring people back together. But what captured the true essence of Canada? What symbolized both our shared foundation and our unique differences? The answer lay in our forests, an essential part of our identity that lives and evolves around us.
I travelled coast to coast to coast—over 57,000 kms—photographing trunks and ground cover with Canadians. Out of more than 5,000 images, hundreds were selected for publication. But this isn’t just about trees.
Countries have multiple histories. Some to revere and share; others to own up to, fix, and move on from. Getting Canada to be better requires an unvarnished narrative of how our country came to be, where it is now, and where we can go together. Achieving this demands a paradigm shift—a commitment to learning from one another and blending the best from all of Canada's cultures.
And by listening to the trees. Because if we behave like a forest just a little, we too can grow together.
BOOK OUTLINE
The book is best described as consisting of sections rather than chapters, all contributing to the unifying theme and leading up to the final Where to Next? Section. The overview reflects this.
Section 1: Introduction – Interviewing Myself
That’s not a typo—the Introduction consists of me interviewing me. It sets the stage for the book and includes a discussion of: the national trip and some of the challenges encountered; why the trip was made; why it should appeal to Canadians; why a forest supports a common vision and commitment; and how forests are highly organized and like us.
Section 2: The Forest – Nature’s Abstract
This is the technical or educational part of the book. Content includes: a discussion of TFCG’s “Mother Forest”; why trees and forests are good for us; facts about Canada’s forests; national and international environmental challenges (e.g., wildfires and deforestation); and how Indigenous knowledge can help overcome those challenges.
Section 3: The Canadian National Trip Reflections 2018-26
I had two options for this section: a detailed or a high-level account of my cross-country trip. I chose the latter because the trip is the basis for the book and needed to be interesting. Sure, I mention some specifics, such as the police being called while I was waiting outside a high school to photograph trunks with a class. But I supplemented those with my previous experiences and facts about Canada, like my time in Toronto during the 2003 blackout.
Section 4: Our Canada: From Tree to Tree to Tree
This section is my “take” on Canada, including: our current state (e.g., polarization); “faithless faith” and the commonalities found in all major religions (the unity concept); how Alberta fits into Canada; and the challenges faced by marginalized Canadians (women, immigrants, 2SLGBTQQIA+, and people with intellectual or physical disabilities).
Section 5: The Spirit Circle (Six Parts)
The Spirit Circle focuses on Canada’s Indigenous peoples: the uncultured war on Indigenous culture; the assimilation efforts of residential schools and the Sixties Scoop; MMWIG; the “non-status” world; challenging “deniers”; the journey to healing; and the significance of the circle in Indigenous cultures. Much of the content is supplemented by extensive interviews with Survivors and/or family members. Trunk images incorporating portraits of those Survivors and/or family members help tell their story.
Section 6: Where to Next?
After a review of what one author calls an international “Age of Anger”, the narrative turns to how Canada can move towards an inclusive and fair country through a paradigm shift—a shift enabled by understanding the key differences between Western and Indigenous worldviews and by using the Indigenous decision-making process, the circle. Indigenous community member interviews supplement the content.
Section 7: Rooted: Learning to Be
A brief wrap-up and concluding thoughts.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR- NOTES FROM THE STUDIO
The Not So Blah, Blah, Blah Stuff
I am a professional photographer based in Edmonton, Alberta, specializing in the quiet power of landscapes and nature. Years ago, while exhibiting at the Calgary Stampede, a young woman began to cry in my booth. A piece of my work had reminded her of morning walks with her recently deceased father. She bought it because she connected with it—which is a core goal of my creative process.
Others have connected too, uncovering memories of fields at home, a sunrise with their partner, or a familiar neighbourhood garden. Sometimes the connections are … different. Like the man in a beret, a turtleneck, and John Lennon glasses who said, “You are proof that man can partner with God.” He smiled, didn’t buy anything, and left.
But whether inspired by memory or something more spiritual, there was a connection. And just like the woman who wept in my booth all those years ago, my connection to these places is deeply personal.
The loss of my father was the catalyst that brought me behind the lens. He never saw my work, but he’s been there, helping transform my grief into art. This journey inspired a piece called Angelrays—a name I coined to describe the magical way the sun pierced the thick canopy along a path to an unnamed beach on Vancouver Island, where we scattered Dad’s ashes. I felt Dad lighting my way, just as he’d done for all those years.
Every time I walk to a shoot location, click the shutter, or edit the images to bring my vision to life, he’s there. He connects me to his love and to loving what I do—“partnering with God” and with my Dad.
The Blah, Blah, Blah Stuff
Jon Havelock is a former politician, lawyer, and corporate real estate professional turned visual artist. Working exclusively with digital imaging, Jon captures the everyday to reveal the extraordinary within the ordinary. By mastering light, angles, and exposure, he transforms familiar moments into vibrant, highly detailed photographic art and unique visual experiences.
As a self-taught photographer and artist, Jon has exhibited across Alberta, including at the Calgary Stampede, the Muttart Conservatory, and K-Days in Edmonton, as well as at Keyano College in Fort McMurray and the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie. From 2016 to 2024, he operated the Jonathan Havelock Fine Art Photography gallery in Edmonton.
Publications
The Forest – Common Ground® is my first book. My artist biography and images have been featured in numerous installation booklets and exhibition catalogues, including Night of Artists magazine and the 2018 Shaw Conference Centre art guide. In 2018, a third-party publisher released a 2018 the calendar Beyond The Road’s Edge – Through the lens of Jonathan Havelock, showcasing a collection of his photography. One of my images was also featured in The Peace River Aboriginal Gathering & Powwow 2023 Calendar. Additionally, Avenue Magazine (now Edify) published my piece entitled Beyond the Road’s Edge in 2018, and my article, "vibrant," was featured alongside my photography in the Summer 2021 edition of news & views (the magazine of the Alberta Retired Teachers' Association).
PLACEHOLDER
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