Rick Ferguson has retired after a 46-year career in the sheet metal industry. He began as an apprentice and graduated to the position of journeyman. Rick spent 35 of those years with Black and McDonald Ltd. in a variety of roles in project management and estimating, retiring in 2025 as Chief Estimator. Rick achieved certification as a professional quantity surveyor and a Canadian Construction Association Gold Seal estimator. After spending six years as a member of the board of directors of the Toronto Sheet Metal Contractors Association, he joined the board of directors of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association. Rick spent nine years coaching quarterbacks and receivers with the York-Simcoe Young Bucs Football Club.
Rick self-published through iUniverse, The Ghosts in Maple Leaf Gardens in 2013, the fictional tale of the curse upon the Toronto Maple Leafs failure to win the Stanley Cup since 1967. He is a member of the Uxbridge Writers Circle and the WCDR. His recently completed novel, Coaching, about a high school football coach turned grief counselor, will be published next year by Keetup Publishing. Reading Intuit Publishing will release Rick’s holiday collection, Three Christmas Stories, in October, 2025. His work is primarily general fiction, and he has plans to delve into children’s picture books.
A Conversation with Rick Ferguson
We sat down with Rick Ferguson to discuss his writing journey, creative process, and what inspires his stories. Get an inside look at his experiences and learn valuable insights from a fellow writer in our community.
Which writers inspire you and why?
John Irving, Jack London, Edgar Wallace, Ian Fleming, Stieg Larsson, Andre Norton, Wilbur Smith. I read everything from humour to mystery. The way these authors craft their stories in inspirational to me.
What is your favourite genre in which to write and why?
General fiction, though I have sci-fi, supernatural, and adult fantasy projects on the horizon.
Do you have a current work in progress? Can you tell us a bit about it?
I have completed the first draft of my novel, The Wing Man, which is the story of two lonely single men, one divorced and one a widower, who meet during the summer. The divorcee convinces the widowed retired college professor to be his wingman in their quest to meet women. It is a lighthearted look at seniors and their adjustment to retirement, health, and happiness.
To learn more about Rick Ferguson, his books, and his writing process, please visit him on Facebook.