Witness to Yesterday (The Champlain Society Podcast on Canadian History)
The Champlain Society
349 episodes
3 days ago
Greg Marchildon speaks with Ron Graham about his book, The Coutts Diaries: Power, Politics, and Pierre Trudeau 1973-1981. Jim Coutts, principal secretary to Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau from 1975 to 1981, was one of the most powerful men in Canada during those tumultuous years. Equally admired and attacked, respected and reviled, he was, in the words of one contemporary journalist, “a political phenomenon such as Canada has never known before: Machiavelli masquerading as a cherub.” The man who “exercised more backroom power than anyone else in modern Canadian political history,” Coutts not only knew everyone and saw everything at the centre of the action, he wrote it all down. Now, for the first time, his secret diaries have been edited into a single volume that offers an astonishing, behind-the-scenes look into public events and private lives during some of the most dramatic years in Canadian history.
Ron Graham is an author and journalist based in Toronto. He has written extensively over many decades on Canadian politics, history, religion, business, and culture.
If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society’s mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada’s past.
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Greg Marchildon speaks with Ron Graham about his book, The Coutts Diaries: Power, Politics, and Pierre Trudeau 1973-1981. Jim Coutts, principal secretary to Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau from 1975 to 1981, was one of the most powerful men in Canada during those tumultuous years. Equally admired and attacked, respected and reviled, he was, in the words of one contemporary journalist, “a political phenomenon such as Canada has never known before: Machiavelli masquerading as a cherub.” The man who “exercised more backroom power than anyone else in modern Canadian political history,” Coutts not only knew everyone and saw everything at the centre of the action, he wrote it all down. Now, for the first time, his secret diaries have been edited into a single volume that offers an astonishing, behind-the-scenes look into public events and private lives during some of the most dramatic years in Canadian history.
Ron Graham is an author and journalist based in Toronto. He has written extensively over many decades on Canadian politics, history, religion, business, and culture.
If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society’s mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada’s past.
The Rise of the Neighbourhood in Canada, 1880s–2020s
Witness to Yesterday (The Champlain Society Podcast on Canadian History)
30 minutes 59 seconds
1 month ago
The Rise of the Neighbourhood in Canada, 1880s–2020s
Larry Ostola speaks with Richard Harris about his book, The Rise of the Neighbourhood in Canada, 1880s–2020s. The Rise of the Neighbourhood in Canada, 1880s–2020s by Richard Harris traces the evolution of Canadian neighbourhoods from the 1880s to the 2020s, highlighting their growing importance amid rising social inequality and immigration. While neighbourhoods now foster fewer social connections, they have become crucial for homeowner investment and children’s educational opportunities. The book examines how neighbourhoods, especially in urban areas, impact the lives of the least mobile groups—workers, low-income households, immigrants, women, children, and the elderly—by shaping public health, crime, social capital, and job prospects. It explores the influence of physical and social characteristics, long-term trends, and communications technology on neighbourhood life. As homeownership increased, neighbourhoods became central to financial investment, leading to greater financialization and reduced affordability. Drawing on examples from cities across Canada, the book argues that neighbourhoods’ significance will endure, continuing to shape Canadian society and individual life chances in the face of ongoing change.
Richard Harris is a professor emeritus of urban geography at McMaster University.
Image Credit: University of Toronto Press
If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society’s mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada’s past.
Witness to Yesterday (The Champlain Society Podcast on Canadian History)
Greg Marchildon speaks with Ron Graham about his book, The Coutts Diaries: Power, Politics, and Pierre Trudeau 1973-1981. Jim Coutts, principal secretary to Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau from 1975 to 1981, was one of the most powerful men in Canada during those tumultuous years. Equally admired and attacked, respected and reviled, he was, in the words of one contemporary journalist, “a political phenomenon such as Canada has never known before: Machiavelli masquerading as a cherub.” The man who “exercised more backroom power than anyone else in modern Canadian political history,” Coutts not only knew everyone and saw everything at the centre of the action, he wrote it all down. Now, for the first time, his secret diaries have been edited into a single volume that offers an astonishing, behind-the-scenes look into public events and private lives during some of the most dramatic years in Canadian history.
Ron Graham is an author and journalist based in Toronto. He has written extensively over many decades on Canadian politics, history, religion, business, and culture.
If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society’s mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada’s past.
