‘My business for a long time was finding humour in every day’: a Q&A with comedian and author Rick Mercer
‘It’s absolutely true that the way we speak with one another in the House of Commons is not acceptable in any workplace, anywhere in the country. I’m a huge advocate for a webcam on every single desk, so you can log in during Question Period or any other debate and see if your Member of Parliament is participating in a respectful way, or if they are a boorish asshole that should be thrown out of the classroom,’ says Rick Mercer.
Ibbitson gives Diefenbaker his proper place in history without downgrading Pearson’s legacy
In his just-released volume, The Duel: Diefenbaker, Pearson, and the Making of Modern Canada, John Ibbitson gives the 13th prime minister a fair shake after the positive aspects of Diefenbaker’s legacy were dismissed by many historians.
What shape does hope take in a world we can see is rushing to destroy itself?
Hope is rooted in our spirit. It is not a tangible thing we can put on the table to bargain over. Hope is a vision of the future, former senator Doug Roche writes in his latest book.
MacGregor’s success is more than ‘luck’
Roy MacGregor was a small-town kid from Ontario’s backwoods who made it big in Canada’s media world. In Paper Trails, he tells the story about his own colourful life with the same detail and high-calibre soul that he gave to his 50 years in the newspaper business. His engaging and entertaining book is worth reading.
Why the Gwa’sala and ‘Nakwaxda’xw people give life and meaning to the word ‘resilience’
This is a story of defiance of seemingly impossible odds and of overcoming the worst of human experiences, of courage, resilience, and determination. It is a story of the triumph of culture over colonization, hope over great hardship, and love over immense loss.
Canadian policing needs to change
Kent Roach began writing Canadian Policing: Why and How it Must Change, shortly after George Floyd’s murder in May 2020, which was followed a month later by police killings of two Indigenous people in New Brunswick and more events involving police violence in Canada. His book is one of five finalists for this year’s Donner Prize, the best public book of the year. The following is an excerpt.
Jack Austin talks about his memoir, Unlikely Insider
Former Liberal Senator Jack Austin, aged 91, who was a member of Pierre Trudeau’s and Paul Martin’s cabinets, talks about politics, China, and how politics on the Hill is different today.
To learn about the future of inflation, look to lessons from the past
The Next Age of Uncertainty is one of the finalists for this year’s Donner Prize, one of the best public policy books written in 2022. The following is an excerpt.
Separate, not equal: the story of Canada in a Manitoba valley
The following is an excerpt from Valley of the Birdtail: An Indian Reserve, a White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation, by Andrew Stobo Sniderman and Douglas Sanderson (Amo Binashii). The two authors explore the history of two Prairie communities: one Indigenous, one non-Indigenous living side by side, separate and unequal, and what it means for the rest of us.
Yep, you read it right: author Chris Turner dishes up climate optimism
In How to Be a Climate Optimist: Blueprints for a Better World, Chris Turner looks at ‘the exhilarating story of real progress’ being made on the climate crisis. And it’s one of the best Canadian political books of the year.
