This man's word-search puzzles might fan the patriotism of players
CBC
Nick Cranford noticed that Newfoundland and Labrador was missing something: its very own word search.
So he got busy putting together words that best represent his home province.
Almost two years later, his love for Canada combined with wanting to honour his late great-grandmother, inspired a collection of province-themed word search books. Each offers dozens of word search puzzles — square grids of letters where players can find hidden words running in all directions.
"I decided to take a journey through the country of Canada in a new way, right?" Cranford said. "So I started out with the word search in Newfoundland and Labrador, started with my home, and I've branched out."
One thing he didn't expect when he first published in July 2023 was an uptick in Canadian pride this year.
The 27-year-old said his recent edition, based on New Brunswick and its notable people and places, "couldn't have come out at a better time."
"We're Canadians proud and strong and free. This is our home and native land. … If there was any way that I could play my part in sharing our Canadian pride and love, this is my way of doing it."
Cranford considers his word searches part of his patriotic duty and a way to "bring the country together."
"We all need that love right now. I mean Canada needs it. We all need it, and yeah, so I'm happy to do this," said Cranford.
Cranford has released 15 books based on eight provinces, with some provinces having multiple volumes. Each book contains famous people, historical sites, restaurants and businesses.
He even has a Newfoundland and Labrador book focused on just the province's restaurants.
His process to create the books has evolved since his first book, which took months to put together. He said it took him "a matter of weeks" to put together his New Brunswick-themed book.
Cranford uses the internet for most of his research. He said government websites are useful to find official places such as parks, as well as politicians' names.
Cranford consulted with local people in his home province and in Nova Scotia to find inspiration for those editions.
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