Author, geographer, woodlot steward
In the summer of 1940, four men of my family volunteered to serve in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Two years later, three were dead and one was a prisoner of war. F/Sgt Joey Jacobson (air observer) served in 106 Bomber Squadron and was killed on a raid on Munster on 28 January 1942. He is…
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Prime Minister Carney’s speech at Davos yesterday should have made every Canadian proud and thankful. Finally, a firm and intelligent response to threats and bullying, instead of the cringing and toadying by the leaders of so many other countries and institutions. Just imagine what Pierre Poilievre would have said if he’d been at the podium….
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As the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War draws to a close, we might reflect on the sacrifice that Canadians made in those years. The Reichswald Forest Cemetery in Germany provides a stark reminder. There in the quiet serenity of a hardwood forest lie the remains of 7692 British Commonwealth servicemen killed in northwestern Germany. Over…
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William Henry Nelson, decorated bomber pilot and the only Canadian Spitfire Ace in the Battle of Britain, was shot down 85 years ago today. His airplane crashed in the sea in the English Channel, and neither he nor it were ever found. He was, as has been written, a man of many talents. Few men flew as…
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The Battle of Britain began 85 years ago today. Over 100 Canadians took part, flying in Royal Air Force uniform. One of them was William Henry Nelson of Montreal. Willie Nelson had a passion to fly. Unable to afford flying lessons, he decided in 1936, at the age of nineteen, to go to England to…
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This is my uncle Joey Jacobson’s grave in Lichtenvoorde General Cemetery in the Netherlands. The photo was sent to me by a man I know only because he read my book, Joey Jacobson’s War, a few years ago, and who went out of his way last week to visit Joey’s grave. I was deeply moved that he…
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I was pleased to have the opportunity to talk about my new book at our local Waterstones bookshop in Canterbury recently. I was even more pleased that Willie Nelson’s son Bill McAlister and his grandson Dan McAlister came down from London to be part of it.
Canadians are now confronted with an existential crisis. We are faced not only with economic hardship but with fundamental threats to our sovereignty and as importantly, with profound moral challenges. How we will bear and endure harsh measures against us if they come to pass, and what are we willing to do to resist? And…
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Sachs Harbour NWT, winter 1967 The Canadian North was the focus of my working life for fifty years. In 1962 I was hired by the Department of Northern Affairs as a field assistant on a resource survey on the Western Arctic coast, and for several summers afterwards continued as assistant and then director. I also…
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Huron County is the land of corn, soy, and wheat. If city folk wonder where their food staples come from, this is the place. The land here is bountiful, productive, and readily cultivated. It’s as good as it gets in Canada. Drop a nine-furrow plow in the dark soil and you could go for miles without…
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