‘Bird Whisperer of Newfoundland’: The Randy Jenkins Story

September 14, 1994: An ‘ordinary day’ at Gagnon Sports, Oshawa … Fall hunting season was just around the corner. Loyal customers stopping by after work, checking out the new Gagnon’s stock. A well-respected family business and local community pillar – when at 5:15 pm all hell broke loose. Vicious, cold-blooded evil first struck in nearby Pickering earlier that day (abduction and murder) before culminating in 90 seconds of Gagnon’s death and terror a few hours later. The killers fled. They would commit 12 more armed robberies as London Ontario’s ‘Balaclava Bandits’ – March 1995 capture, March 1998 conviction, various appeal proceedings, and 2006 criminal justice finality.

Badly wounded, Randy Jenkins survived the Gagnon’s murder – robbery. He spent many painful years dealing with its aftermaths – often terrible physical pain, but far worse, debilitating trauma. Randy had witnessed his friend and employer being executed. The resulting emotional toll  exacted by 14 more years of terrible memories, witness interviews, preliminary hearings, trials, appeals, mistrials, and ultimately, the retrial verdict. An innocent victim punished beyond all endurance …

And yet? Randy’s story is one of triumph and redemption. ‘The Bird Whisperer of Newfoundland’ takes readers from that terrible 1994 day along Randy’s path to healing and peace. Nature and Newfoundland saved him, as Randy found joy through the pine grosbeaks who gravitating to his hands and feeders, tiny friends who carried him from darkness towards a fine, healing light. Randy has conquered his demons – Tagona Press is honoured to help Randy take this remarkable story to the world.

A great personal triumph deserves the best possible publishing treatment. Tagona Press is donating its publishing services to Randy. We hope that Randy’s many ‘Bird Whisperer’ followers and admirers embrace the story, and we are pleased to offer it in two stages. A beautiful eBook version can be purchased now for $10 – we will commence eBook distribution October 15, 2026 (e-transfer link is here). If you choose, your eBook purchase also reserves a copy of our limited edition physical ‘Bird Whisperer’ publication, and your $10 eBook is credited to the physical book $30 purchase price (physical shipping extra) – both versions for $30 total. We will commence physical book delivery November 15, 2026.

Randy’s terrific Facebook page is here – (20+) Facebook – you can see why Nature and Newfoundland are true heroes in Randy’s story.