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EDITING AND WRITING SERVICES IN EDMONTON

Robert Proudfoot of RGP Writing & Editing Services also offers editing and writing services in Edmonton and the surrounding area. For creative writing and scientific reports, we offer freelance writing and editing work. We are able to write and comment on a variety of themes. In July 2018, Robert Proudfoot started a tutoring service in English language and writing for adults or elementary to high school-aged students, through the Superprof program. Contact Robert at rgpwritingandeditingservices@gmail.com for more information.

COME BY HERE, MY LORD - Seen in a Mirror Dimly

Robert Proudfoot published a novel called "Come By Here, My Lord - Seen in a Mirror Dimly" through FriesenPress Inc. of Victoria, BC, in October 2020. This story focuses on Orwell Hughes, the expatriate son of a Canadian diplomat living in Lusaka, Zambia and attending the local University of Zambia in 1974. Orwell lives well and develops friendships with many young people, including his African peers, but he also suffers from racism and awkward social relationships that he can't solve. Orwell invites Tracy MacDonachie, his former Sunday school and youth leader - who encouraged him as an impressional lad back home in Canada - to visit him in Zambia, hoping that this wiser and more successful man can continue to mentor him. Tracy arrives with his younger sisters Alicia and Kathleen in tow, but the MacDonachies stay longer than planned and are not as remembered. They turn Orwell's idyllic lifestyle upside down and cause him to confront realities about Canada, Africa, human nature and himself.


"Come By Here, My Lord - Seen in a Mirror Dimly" can be reviewed and purchased at www.proudfootfamilyart.ca or https://books.friesenpress.com/store .

ROBERT PROUDFOOT WRITING, EDITING AND EDITORIAL RESEARCH CREDITS

A) List of Technical Writing Commissions

  1. Procedures Manual for Land Irrigability Classification in Alberta , for Alberta Agriculture & Forestry, 1983
  2. Symbiosis Between Trembling Aspen and Mycorrhizal Fungi: A Review of Scientific Literature and Expert Opinion to Assess the Feasibility of Research into Using Mycorrhizal Inoculants to Enhance Survival and Early Growth of Out-planted Aspen Seedlings, for Western Boreal Aspen Cooperative, December 17, 1997
  3. Ratings for White Zone Soil/Landscapes in Peace River Region, as to Suitability for Growing Trembling Aspen and Balsam Poplar in Woodlots , for Daishowa-Marubeni International Ltd., March 17, 2001
  4. Utility of Urban Soils for Growth of Trees – a Literature Review , for Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, March 3, 1997
  5. Baseline Soil Fertility Investigation of Four Precommercial Trial Sites Planted with Boreal Tree Species Treated by Treeboost Mycorrhizal Inoculum , for Symbiotech Research Inc., December 20, 2002
  6. Baseline Soil Survey, Site Preparation and Establishment of Hybrid Poplar Plantations on 14 Agricultural Sites in Northeastern Alberta , for Alberta Pacific Forest Industries Inc., April 16, 1997;
  7. Land Capability Classification for Aspen/Poplar Production on Four Sites in West-Central Alberta , for Weyerhaeuser Canada Ltd., March 9, 2000
  8. Topsoil Fertility Assessment, Proposed Pine Plantations, Weyerhaeuser Company Ltd. Tree Improvement Centre near Drayton Valley, Alberta (NW10-51-07 W5M) , for Weyerhaeuser Company Ltd., October 31, 2016
  9. Pre-Demolition Soil Metals Analyses BF74381 Bridge Carrying Highway 22 Over North Saskatchewan River Southeast of Drayton Valley, Alberta , for Thurber Engineering Ltd., October 23, 2014
  10. Risk Management Plan, Longboat Landing Subdivision in Fort McMurray, Alberta , for Thurber Engineering Ltd., January 2015
  11. Phase I/II Environmental Site Assessment Report , for Edmonton Granite Memorial Ltd. in May 2014

B) List of Technical Editing Commissions

  1. Pre-disturbance Borrow Pit and Haul Road Assessment for Heart Lake First Nation, Alberta, written by Jackie Maxwell, ATT of Thurber Engineering Ltd. in March 2015
  2. Agriculture Feasibility Study and Level II Land Irrigability Classification Reports for Broadview Ranch on Section 34-22-13 W4M, written by Jackie Maxwell, ATT of Thurber Engineering Ltd. in October 2014
  3. Contaminated Lands – Assessment, Remediation and Management Practice Standard Draft 2 , prepared by Alberta Institute of Agrologists in March 2017
  4. Land Reclamation Standard Draft 2 , prepared by Alberta Institute of Agrologists in March 2017
  5. Pre-remediation Soil, Terrain and Vegetation Assessments at Suncor Energy Inc. Wandering River 1 and 2 Pipeline Release Sites , initially written by Robert Proudfoot, P.Ag.,RPF but up-dated by Jackie Maxwell ATT and Brian Mackinnon, P.Geol. of Thurber Engineering Ltd. in March 2016

C) List of Creative Writing/Editing Commissions

  1. An anthology called Enduring Art, Active Faith of short stories, essays, poetry and photographs of visual artwork created by Robert Proudfoot and members of his family in September 2018. Robert wrote 65% of the entries and edited all prose or poetry entries for this anthology, with assistance from a circle of literary friends. Enduring Art, Active Faith - 3 Generations Create! has been assigned Library and Archives Canada ISB Numbers 978-1-5255-2817 (hardcover), 978-1-5255-2818-7 (paperback), and 978-1-5255-2819-4 (ebook). It was published by FriesenPress Inc. of Victoria, BC in February 2019.
  2. Come By Here, My Lord - Seen in a Mirror Dimly, a novel about friendships developed across racial and cultural barriers in southern Africa during the turbulent 1970s, was published by FriesenPress Inc. in October 2020. The assigned ISBNs are: 978-1-5255-6955-5 (hardcover), 978-1-5255-6956-2 (paperback), and 978-1-5255-6957-9 (ebook).
  3. A Playful Policeman Meets the Citizen-Making Teacher is a biography of Robert's maternal grandparents, George and Olive MacDonald, who lived in Edmonton (1906 to 1919) and worked, respectively, as a constable and detective with Edmonton Police Service, and as an elementary school teacher in several Edmonton and Beverly public schools. This book was published in August 2020 by PageMaster Publication Services Inc., and has ISBNs assigned for paperback (0-978-1-77354-213-3) and ebook (978-1-77354-223-2) versions.
  4. Robert Proudfoot previously wrote numerous short stories, essays or professional forestry or agricultural articles during the 1980s to 2009 that were published or read, including:

a) Mennonite papers 

  • Grass roots worker: 300 quilts for MCC MCC Contact Oct 1987
  • Meat Canner Takes to the Road for 41st Season Mennonite Reporter Nov, 1987
  • Akron VSers Experience Third World Poverty in the First World MCC Intercom Feb, 1988
  • Don’t Just Walk Through My World Intercom, Nov/Dec, 1988
  • Thank You Lord for Daily Bread, in Oh My God! a collection of short stories published in 1989 by Mennonite Central Committee
  • Living in the Company of Kings News Service, Feb 1989 and Mennonite Reporter, May 29, 1989; - Letter from Nigeria Africa Adventure – activities for children, 1990
  • Nigeria Agroforestry Project Promotes Land Stewardship, Good Agriculture Techniques Mennonite Central Committee May 4, 1990; and as Nigeria Project Fighting Sahara Mennonite Weekly Review 1990 Learning from Our African Colleagues Voice, July/Aug, 1990
  • Brotherhood of the Bowl in Extending the Table: a world community cookbook Herald Press 1991
  • The Path is Straight, the Gap Is Wide Gospel Herald, Mar 1991
  • Run a Mile with Camels The Mennonite, Aug 1991
  • Witness to Muslims Mennonite Reporter, April 20, 1992
  • Victim-Offender Mediation Project: Justice with a Human Face Bar None Newsletter of Community Justice Ministries, May 1995
  • Recycler Stays Competitive in Business and Mission Mennonite Reporter, June 1996
  • Move from a Log Church to New Building in Town Mennonite Reporter, April 1997 
  • You Visited Me First Mennonite Church Communicator, Oct 2009

b) Presbyterian Church in Canada publications

  • Spiritually Equipped for the Service of Chris t, The Presbyterian Record, Feb 1987
  • How Was Sunday Glad Tidings, Dec 1989 
  • A Christian Presence in Islamic Culture: one way to share the Gospel Dec, 1992

c) Other Christian Magazines 

  • A Glimpse of Eden Action Partners Lightbearer, March 1990; and 
  • Abiding with the Almighty Christian Single Magazine published by Sunday School Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, Jan 1991

d) Voices, Life or Letters sections of The Edmonton Journal 

  • Aboriginals , June 29, 1991
  • New Canadians Advised to Sing Along, and Leave National Anthem Alone , July 16, 1992
  • Winter Thaw – Dog days of unemployment lose bite , Dec 1, 1993
  • Readers Define What Is a Canadian , June 30, 1994
  • Protecting Rights , Nov 20, 1994 
  • Walk Softly in Our Shared Environment , July 10, 1995

e) Commercial or provincial government publications 

  • Irrigation for the Peace Agronews , 1987
  • Conserve Water for Lands Sake Lethbridge Magazine Farms, 1987 
  • An article published in Alberta Venture Magazine (circa 1998) about forest industry innovations 

(i.e. engineered wood products such as: laminated veneer lumber, oriented strandboard, medium density fibreboard or fingerjointed lumber; electricity co-generated by burning mill wastes; application of pulpmill sludge on farmland; or byproducts like pelleted sawdust for stove fuel or bedding for race horses from shavings.

D) Volunteer Editing of Technical or Creative Manuscripts

  1. Robert Proudfoot is, since 2016, a volunteer associate editor of manuscripts submitted to Forestry Chronicle, a scholarly publication on forest research of the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF). He also edits professional protocols developed by Alberta Institute of Agrologists (AIA
  2. Communications Director for the ¨College of Alberta ¨Professional Foresters Board of Managers from 2010 to 2012
  3. Edited two letters written to membership and CIF Forests Without Borders (FWB) National Office by President of Rocky Mountain Section Caucus of FWB, in 2013 or 2014
  4. Editor of First Mennonite Church, Edmonton Communicator magazine from 2009 to 2016. We published 8 issues per year. As team leader of the editorial staff, I reviewed/edited every article submitted from members of our congregation, reviewed magazine lay-out and provided a topical editorial for each issue
  5. Editor of Nigeria News Notes, a quarterly newsletter for Mennonite Central Committee workers in Nigeria from 1989 to 1991

E) Volunteer Editorial Research and Writing

  1. Robert Proudfoot researched and wrote, during 2008 to 2009, the historical background document for 50 Years of First Mennonite Church, celebrating First Mennonite Church, Edmonton first 50 years of service 1959 to 2009. Article was published on the CD for entire project in Mar 2009
  2. Robert Proudfoot helped write and edit the Alternative Dispute Resolution option to guide members in settling disputes when accused of unskilled practice or professional misconduct, for College of Alberta Professional Foresters in 1998
  3. Robert Proudfoot was a writer/reporter for the Mennonite Reporter, Alberta section in 1996 and 1997
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