About Us


Bag Man Productions has been in business since 2000. Its mission is to provide the best customer service and online shopping experience for it’s products.


Who is the Bag Man and how did he get that name?

The Bag Man is Terry Garchinski.  “The Bag Man” name comes from two experiences:

Terry conducted a multicultural speaking tour of Saskatchewan schools after returning from his travels and work in Central and South America.  Terry hitch-hiked from Naicam, Saskatchewan (his childhood home community) to Moquegua, Peru, where he taught English as a second language for two years in Collegial Juan XXIII, and helped out at the Hogar Belen Orphanage.  During the summer months, Terry also hitchhiked to Ushuaia, the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego, which is the southern-most city in the world.  Back in Saskatchewan schools, Terry spoke about his experience, with the message of acceptance and tolerance of all peoples.  In some of the small schools, students from grade 1 to 12 would attend all at once.  In order to keep the younger children focused during the slide presentation, Terry would tell the youngsters that if they remained quiet until the lights came back on, and if they reminded him, he would show them some of the things he had in a big bag that he brought from South America.   Inevitably, when the lights came back on, twenty little hands in the front row would go up and an excited child would say, “Bag man, bag man, show us what you’ve got in the bag!”

The second experience also started during the journey to Peru but ended on the inner city streets of New Orleans, New York, and Toronto.  While travelling through Ecuador, Terry was robbed by two men posing as narcotics policemen.  After the scam, Terry was left with under $20.00 to travel from the northern Ecuadorian city of Otovalo to the southern Peruvian city of  Moquegua.  As difficult as this homeless experience seemed at the time, it set the course for his eventual choice, to live on the North American inner city streets as a homeless street musician for a year and a half.   Why did homelessness and poverty exist in the wealthy countries of Canada and the United States?  Terry felt an inner calling to live on the streets as a homeless bag man and discover his own answers to this paradox.

Thus the name “The Bag Man”!

Bag Man Present Day

Now, Terry, a Registered Social Worker, and Elaine Woodward have established Life Works Counselling and Training Services Inc., offering therapeutic counselling and workshop facilitation to people choosing to take responsibility for their self-development, healing and wellness, and to communities and organizations choosing to create opportunities to learn and heal. 

Bag Man Productions is a storefront  of Life Works Counselling and Training Services Inc. and Paragon Corporate Services, publishers and producers  of online books, articles, CD’s, songs, DVD’s,  musical instruments, and gift items.   Its products are intended for people who want to promote personal health, for organizations who want to improve and sustain the health of its workplace, and for communities building upon the things that make and keep their communities healthy and self-sustaining.

Books, Cd's, Dvds and MoreBag Man Production’s diverse product line includes:

  • Healing Ground – a musical CD by Terry with 12 eclectic songs with healing messages about valuing life, addictions, grieving, letting go, homelessness, healthy relationships, overcoming adversities, hope and love. Everyone has a story; every story has a song.
  • Grandmother – a poetry and short story book by Elaine Woodward that speaks to the readers about native traditions and spirituality, beliefs and values.
  • Our Life’s Journey Manual – a therapeutic counselling manual written by Terry in collaboration with Ilisaqsivik Society and more than 25 Inuit counsellors in the North Baffin, Nunavut.
  • Quena – a metal version of a musical flute from the Andean mountains.
  • I Believe – a book by Terry about a raindrop’s life, losses and loves that helps people to grieve from their losses and embrace life.
  • And there is more to come …