Category: Summer 1991

The idea had been building in Dr. FL “Eric” Jackman’s mind for some time. Back in 1980, when he’d run for Parliament in the federal election and fumed over how reporters constantly misquoted him, a possible solution had first begun to take shape. But it wasn’t until 1985, when his friend John Aird had just… Continue reading Dr. Jackman Wants you to Feel Good About Yourselves

Three or four times a year, Toronto freelance writer Moira Farr buys a copy of Macleans. Early last December was one of those occasions: her streetcar was late, a convenience store was near and there was little else to choose from on the magazine rack. When she got home, she made a pot of coffee… Continue reading Allan in Blunderland

Leafing through Harper’s one day last year, I was struck by one stunning photograph called “The General’s Wife.” In the harsh light of what appeared to be an official assembly room, a grotesque, heavyset woman in a bright blue dress shot through with gold threads sat amid a group of Honduran military officers and glared… Continue reading Call of the Wild

In CBC newsrooms, February 1, the day the new Broadcasting Act finally lumbered through the Senate, was just another hectic day of keeping up with news from the Middle East. In the end, the controversy over Bill C-40 fizzled out like a wet firecracker, virtually unnoticed amidst the thundering of weapons in the Gulf. It… Continue reading A Tough Act To Follow

One thing that has eased my transition from newspaper work to television is the fact that nobody knows I’ve done it. For instance, last fall I was sitting on a bench at the Toronto island ferry dock, waiting to embark for Hanlan’s Point, when the captain of the good ship Thomas Rennie strode over. He… Continue reading A Star Was Born But Nobody Noticed