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You may know the name Gah-Ning from the classic Robert Munsch book "Where is Gah-Ning?", but the real story behind the character is even better.
In this episode of the Backroads Bill Podcast, we sit down with Gah-Ning herself to talk about how a simple letter to a beloved children's author turned into a storybook character, a lifelong friendship, and a connection that still means everything decades later.
She shares what it was like to grow up in Hearst, how her Chinese-Canadian identity shaped her experience, and how Munsch’s visit to her small town left a lasting impression not just on her, but on the whole community.
0:00 – Intro 3:15 – How Gah-Ning’s family came to Hearst 8:45 – Discovering Robert Munsch books in school 11:00 – Writing the letter that changed everything 17:00 – Growing up in Hearst and being part of the story 21:00 – The lifelong friendship with “Uncle Bob” 29:00 – How her name almost got changed in the book 34:15 – Reflecting on how that one letter shaped her life 40:00 – Passing the story on to future generations
