In February 1955 as a four-year old, the author travelled by train to a funeral in Saskatchewan with his mother. When they returned home, a new boy came to stay, but soon left and the two boys didn’t see one another again for nearly forty years. On holiday in Vancouver as a teenager with his parents, he watched his father confront a clerk in a grocery store who turned out to be another sibling. That afternoon a young woman knocked on the door of their hotel room and introduced herself as his sister.
As a teen, the author became entangled in a series of reckless encounters. He met a girl on a bus and followed her to the boreal forest of Northern Quebec. He befriended an older married woman with children and became an ‘instant’ parent at twenty.
High River 1974
One morning, the author left his marriage and became Chris Miller, a country-music singer living in his van. On the road he hooked up with a crazy woman from Oklahoma, got arrested, then headed north to rebuild his life.
Years later, after the author reconnected with the boy who had come to stay as a child – his brother Gerry – and tried to help him unravel a life-long mystery: the identity of his father.
Pat Buckna
PatBuckna lives on the upper Sunshine Coast of British Columbia and shares his time between his home in Powell River and his studio on Texada Island. He writes, composes, records and performs music in the region, and organizes online literary events.
Pat Buckna performing at the Texada Blues and Roots Festival, 2017. Photo: Sherry McKnight
Pat Buckna has lived in Alberta (Calgary and High River), the Northwest Territories (Fort Smith and Yellowknife) and the southwest coast of BC (Aldergrove, Abbotsford, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam).
In 2002 and 2008, Pat attended The Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University, where he worked with Stephen Osborne, and Wayde Compton. He attended Betsy Warland’s Manuscript Intensive and several writing seminars at the Banff Centre with mentors Elizabeth Philips, Edna Alford and Curtis Gillespie. Since moving to Powell River in 2010, he has worked with a senior’s memoir writing group through the Powell River Public Library.
Pat spent all of 1979 on the road as a country-western singer using the stage name of Chris Miller. Early in 1980, he left the road and settled in Fort Smith, NWT where he became a child-care worker and journalist/photographer. He formed the first music label in the NWT several albums of original music, including Flint & Steel, a collaboration with poet Jim Green. He moved to Yellowknife in 1982, became artistic director the Folk on the Rock Music Festival and president of the newly-opened Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC).
In 1985, Pat relocated to Vancouver to manage the cultural and special events programs of the NWT Pavilion at Expo ’86. He was commissioned to write an environmental soundscape (Echoes of the Northland) that was heard by the close to 2 million visitors to the pavilion. Pat also selected and presented over 750 musicians, artists and craftspeople from all 65 communities of the as-yet undivided northwest territories to a world-wide audience.
After Expo, he returned to school and earned an Associate Diploma in Computer Systems Management and for the next 25 years worked an an instructor and management consultant specializing in Project Management.
In 2002, a short remembrance was included in the book Remembering Peter Gzowski: A Book of Tributes (Douglas Gibson Books), an earlier draft of one of Pat’s childhood memories was included in Betsy Warlard’s 2010 non-fiction book, Breathing the Page: Reading the Act of Writing, and others were included in Slices: a memoir anthologyand Taboo: an e-book anthology, both published by the Powell River Public Library .
In 2019, Pat Buckna released Only Children – a family memoir. The book is available in paperback directly from the author, in print on demand from Amazon, and in electronic versions (Kindle and Kobo).
Comments from people who have purchased and read Only Children– a family memoir – by Pat Buckna.
“An honest memoir always trumps even the best researched biography. This is an honest memoir about growing up in a family with secrets and the way that time and circumstance revealed those secrets. Only Children is a well crafted and beautifully written book.” – Phideltamu
“Poignant, fast-paced and completely readable. I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. A vivid account of the author’s fascinating life which takes him across western and northern Canada. A great read.” – Anna B., Powell River
“I enjoyed the vulnerability, honesty, and plain truth with which this author shared slices from his life in this coming of age, family memoir. The writing itself is a treat. The storyline is unpredictable. The underlying current of him finding where and how he belongs in love, in his family, in his life, is unique and endearing. I was rooting for him the whole way through.” – Sandra, Powell River
“I salute you for this beautifully written memoir, which I found enthralling. Your uninhibited honesty is the factor which makes it so engrossing.” – Geoff W, Ottawa
“A wild and adventurous, authentic life-story, candidly expressed, Pat Buckna’s unique journey is captivating and nostalgically resonant with the times – a highly compelling read.“ – Bruce F., Powell River
“I have just finished reading your book and didn’t want it to end…what a wonderful read. I felt like I was right there.” – P. Jack, Vancouver
“Loved this book! For awhile I thought how brave of you to tell it all. Then I realized we all have skeletons in our closets, you just had the talent and nerve to share yours. I loved every bit of this page turner…”
Debbie, Powell River
A life in Pictures
A slideshow of several of Pat Buckna’s photographs – childhood, coming of age, Chris Miller, time in the North and some relatives. Music composed and performed by Pat Buckna
A Life in Music
Pat performing at the Texada Blues and Roots Festival 2019. Photo: Sherry McKnight
Since moving to Powell River in 2010, Pat has remained active in the music community. Prior to COVID-19, he hosted house concerts for several years, booked performers for shows in town, teaches guitar, and runs a small recording studio on Texada Island. Pat talks about songwriting in his memoir Only Children.
Pat on tour in the early 1980s
YouTube Videos
This tune began at a virtual songwriting workshop with Cosy Sheridan in April 2022.
A song about events that happened to me in my late 20’s. I wrote extensively about this in my memoir Only Children, available in paperback or e-book format from Amazon.
This tune was in response to a prompt “on a bus”. I expect we’ve all seen this woman at one time or another.
My song Bugaboos played a big part in changing the direction of my life. I wrote extensively about this in my memoir.
Everyone has that favourite teacher. This song was written about an event that happened in Calgary, Alberta at Viscount Bennett High School in 1968. I wrote about this period of my life in my memoir Only Children, available as a paperback and e-book on Amazon.
My first response to folks protesting COVID health mandates.
The Dancing Lesson was one of the first songs I wrote after moving to Fort Smith, NWT in 1980.
This was one of the first songs I wrote back in the 1970’s before I had any clue what it was all about.
While living in Fort Smith, NWT Pat Buckna created the first northern-based record label Jamadam Records. Between1982 and 1985, he released two albums, a single and three cassettes. In 2009 Pat re-released Flint & Steel, an album of Jim Green’s poetry and his music on CD and included Echoes of the Northland – a 13-minute soundscape commissioned for the NWT Expo ’86 pavilion. In Oct 2023 Pat released a new album Singing My Songs For You
