Margaret Trudeau at the book signing
On Wednesday evening, November 24, some four hundred area residents attended An Evening with Margaret Trudeau, an intimate and informal talk by Canada’s youngest first lady, Margaret Trudeau. The event was presented as a fundraiser for the Carnegie Gallery by Brian Prince Bookseller and it was a truly amazing evening.
Margaret Trudeau spoke with honesty and brutal candour, for one and one half hours, to a totally attentive audience. She talked of her battle with bipolar disorder and the destructive and addictive behavioural patterns that the illness caused; patterns which resulted in, for instance, the breakup of her two marriages, her admission to psychiatric wards, and eventually her enrolment in A.A. Some laughed, some cried, all were moved. It was a remarkable talk given by a remarkable woman. Afterwards, she graciously signed copies of her new, highly acclaimed memoir, Changing My Mind, which covers her journey of recovery, acceptance and hope. The event raised over $8,000 for the Carnegie Gallery’s new display cabinets.