The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - The Random Ranter Takes on Donald Trump .... Again!

Episode Date: October 17, 2024

Meanwhile, the majority of today's program is from you -- your turn on the question, who is the Canadian from our history you would most like the chance to sit down with?

And hello there, Peter Mansbridge here. You're just moments away from the latest episode of The Bridge. The random ranter takes on Donald Trump again. That's coming right up. And hello there. Welcome to Thursday. Thursday's is your turn. It's part two of your answers to the question, if you could sit down with a famous Canadian, who would that be and what would you want to talk to them about? We had some incredible answers last week. We've got more of the same this week. We've also got the random ranter here who comes out swinging against Donald Trump. Surprise there. All right.

Let's get right at it, because we have a lot of these letters for round two of your turn. And so let's not waste any more time. Let's get right at it. First letter comes from Rick Reed in Toronto. I would dearly love to sit down with Raymond Collishaw, Canada's second highest scoring fighter pilot in World War I and flight leader of the Black Flight of the No. 10 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service.

Black Flight was composed entirely of Canadians and they each gave their Sopwith Triplanes nicknames, including the word Black... Coloshaw's was Black Maria, after the name of a police van of the time. As I'm now a retired commercial pilot and student of Canada's aviation heritage, the chance to sit down with one of our lesser-known

but awesome pilots of World War I and talk pilot stuff would be amazing. In the vernacular of our present times, Black Flight were serious badasses who did their jobs with courage, skill, and commitment. You know, I pride myself in knowing a few things about our military past. I've never heard of the Black Flight. So this letter was an interesting one to get. The Black Flight, by the way, also included planes named Black Death,

Black Prince, Black Roger, and Black Sheep. This unit claimed 87 enemy aircraft between May and July of just 1917. Coleshaw alone accounted for 27 of those. John Charlton of Langford, BC. I'd like to talk with Lester Pearson. I'd like the primary theme of my conversation to be the lack of decorum amongst 21st century political leaders. Mr. Pearson showed qualities that our current leaders don't seem to

have, or at least display. He was truly a statesman, a diplomat, and a scholar. He was both respected and respectful. I'd like to hear Mr. Pearson's take on the aggressive and adversarial tone, which includes, but unfortunately is not limited to, name-calling, taunting, and other general insults that too often occur. I would ask if he was a candidate today for a political leadership role, how he would navigate through the subjective nonsense that is published by less than credible media, including social media, and how he might respond to competitors, candidates, that do not demonstrate his values. That'd be an interesting conversation for sure.

Kay Crawford in Cambridge, Ontario. I'd love to have a conversation with Nellie McClung. I'd want to ask her how she was able to keep fighting for women's rights in the face of many hundreds of years of patriarchy. She fought a long, hard battle with other suffragettes to garner women's rights to vote and to be considered a person. And remember, this was at a time when men had all the power and most weren't eager to give it up. She truly changed the world for Canadian women.

Ken Gresley-Jones in Christina Lake, BC. That's the West Kootenai region of BC, I think. For me, former Governor General Roland Michener. I was a young boy when I met him at an event where two of us held the doors for him in our Boy Scout uniforms and gave him the Scout salute. He stopped and took time for us, talked about his role as Chief Scout, talked about the salute, and in general, scouting. He clearly had a schedule, but took that five minutes to talk to and ultimately influence two young Canadians. The true example of the role of Governor General. A little background here.

From 1910 to 1946, the position of Chief Scout for Canada, and from 1946 to 2013, the position of Chief Scout of Canada, so Chief Scout for Canada and Chief Scout of Canada were held by successive Governors General of Canada. In 2013, the honorary title held by the Governor General was renamed Patron Scout. Gord Fredrickson of Richmond, British Columbia. I'd like to talk about and with the great Canadian Francis Pegmagabo.

Francis Pegmagabo, a true Canadian hero. He was arguably the best sniper in World War I. He was one of the most highly decorated Indigenous soldiers in Canadian history. He was chief of his First Nation after the Great War. I could not imagine what his life must have been like, what he had to endure, the stories he could tell. I would like to let him know how much I admired him and how grateful I am for his service to our country. You know, it's a remarkable sum of this

because some of these names I've never heard of before. Should have, but never have heard of before. So fascinating, and thank you so much, all of you, for writing. Joe Briscoe in Ottawa. I come from a small town, Renfrew, Ontario, about an hour west of Ottawa. My pick is M.J. O'Brien. He was responsible for starting the National Hockey Association in 1910.

He bankrolled his hometown team, the Renfrew Millionaires, and recruited famous hockey players such as Cyclone Taylor in a bid to win or buy the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, the Millionaires did not win the Cup. Unfortunately, like many small towns in Canada, Renfrew is a shell of what was. Yet his impact can still be found throughout small towns in and around the Ottawa Valley. By the way, the real name of the team was the Renfrew Creamery Kings. But because O'Brien paid extravagant salaries,

they became known as the Millionaires. Martin Partridge in Peterborough County, Ontario. My pick is Robert Alexander Harrison. A brilliant lawyer, his handwritten diary from 1856 to 1878 fell into my hands in 1986 through a family connection. Harrison clerked for John A. Macdonald, sparred with George Brown of the Globe and Mail, sat in our first parliament as an MP and became Chief Justice of Ontario. The diaries are now lodged in the Ontario archives.

They are considered a remarkable gift bequeathed to us by the 19th century. I have a million questions for him. John Dunn in Cowley, Alberta, that's west of Lethbridge, practically at the foothills of the Rockies. I'll go with someone from our recent history and suggest Mark Carney. While I don't share Mr. Carney's liberal politics, I am fascinated by his remarkable resume as both the Governor of the Bank of Canada

and the Governor of the Bank of England, both of which were, by the way, appointments under conservative governments. At a time where Canada seems increasingly irrelevant in global affairs and is beset by a near infantile political culture, I'm very much interested in his adult world view and what might be done to restore our once effusive and polite optimism that Canada is the best country in the world. Derek Andrews in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Gord Downie is my answer to your question.

The conversation beside a campfire in the evening or maybe at the end of the bar in the middle of the afternoon. In any case, we'd talk and we'd laugh, and maybe there'd be a little Willie Nelson and maybe a glass of wine. Eventually, there would be a pause in the conversation, and I'd look at Gord and ask, What the heck is happening to us? Why can't we figure out what to do in these times?

And he'd chuckle and he'd look at me with a shine in his eye and say, Well, unfortunately, that's where this short story ends and only Gord knows what Gord would say. But for the sake of the story, I bet it would include something about humanity and a little bit about grace too. Miss you, Gord. We all miss Gord. Stephen Lowe in Maitland, Nova Scotia, that's near Truro. The person I would like to spend time talking to would be William Dawson Lawrence, born on July 16, 1817, and died on December 8, 1886. You may not be familiar with the gentleman, but he was a successful shipbuilder, businessman, and politician.

In my Ontario history classes, I'd not heard about him or his incredible achievements, but spending summers in Nova Scotia in my 40s, I learned about him. Here in Nova Scotia, he's known for being very much against Nova Scotia joining Confederation, but perhaps more so for building the largest full-rigged wooden-hulled sailing ship ever built in Canada. He launched his great ship, the William D. Lawrence, in 1874 from his shipyard in Maitland. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the launch. Following the launch, Lawrence sailed on his ship as a passenger and traveled

all over the world, and writing about the ship's three-year maiden voyage. That's a maiden voyage. Cal Corley in Long Point, Ontario, that's southeast of London, on the north shore of Lake Erie. The Canadian I would most like to spend time conversing and learning from would be the

thinker, activist, lawyer, and poet Frank R. Scott. F.R. Scott played a significant role in shaping the liberal democracy we enjoy today. He was an intellectual giant, blending his legal, literary, and political interests, and always standing up to be counted when it mattered. As a constitutional lawyer, Scott played a significant role in shaping Canadian constitutional law. As an advocate for civil liberties, he took on the famous case of Roncierelli v. Duplessis in 1959. The case before the Supreme Court of Canada established the principle that public officials are not above the law and cannot act arbitrarily. argued that Quebec Premier Maurice Duplessis had abused his power by revoking Frank Ronchesele's liquor license without just cause. It would be fascinating to sit down with him to learn more

about how the historical events of his time influenced his writing and political thinking. I'll say. Gary Gould in Brantford. Mark Garneau is my choice for a conversation over an adult beverage, perhaps. He is one year my senior and has a very impressive resume in education, military life, space, and is an honorable politician. I'm keenly interested in his bid for leader of the Liberal Party.

That was in 2013 when Justin Trudeau won. And why he dropped out and probably more so in how he left Parliament. Such a well-revered Canadian. You can get a lot of the answers to those questions in a book that Mark Garneau has just published. As lucky enough, Mark sent me a copy early to read, you know, for one of those blurbs that appears on the cover. And I enjoyed his book very much.

This guy's a national hero who dedicated his life to public service. And so you'll get the answers to some of your questions in his book. Paul Juniper in Amherst Island, Ontario, an island in Lake Ontario. It's about 10 clicks west of Kingston. I'd like to talk with Louis Riel. I'd like to understand the events that shaped his life and why he behaved the way he did. We had more than a few suggestions about Louis Riel.

And if you need a refresher, Louis Riel, the Métis leader, led rebellions against the Canadian government encroachment on Métis land. He was hanged for treason in 1885. History has treated him much more kindly, as a father of confederation, as a wronged man, as a defender of his people, and as a protector of minority rights. Susan Sutherland in Regina also suggested Louis Riel. As a Regina resident for over 40 years,

I'm somewhat embarrassed to say that I attended the play The Trial of Louis Riel for the first time only two years ago. The Trial of Louis Riel is the longest-running historical drama in North America and is based upon actual transcripts from his 1885 trial. What struck me was how modern some of Riel's views on representation and equality were given the time in which he lived. In fact, after the play, I had to do some research to confirm these were in fact his statements, not an adaptation.

His views were ahead of his time, and there is far more to this story than what we were taught in our whitewashed version of history. A conversation with this man would be fascinating. Mark Bordeaux in Victoria. Mordecai Richler, an intelligent and irreverent author and raconteur. You know, the last interview ever done by Barbara Frum was with Richler in March of 92. She went right to the hospital after she was done,

and she died there. Spencer Stinson in Blenheim, Ontario. While many only identify John Dunsworth as the bumbling, drunk trailer park supervisor from the TV series Trailer Park Boys, in actuality, he rarely drank. After his death, there were so many simple anecdotes about how great a person he was and how he made the people and places around him better for just being there. We might not solve the world's problems in a simple chat, but I think it would still be a great day to sit down

and shoot the breeze with him for an afternoon. I personally love this quote from him. When you're dead, you're dead, but you're not quite dead if you contribute something. Christine Chowley in Winnipeg. If I could sit down with any Canadian from our history, it would have to be someone with a strong religious background or a relatively Christian approach to their decision-making. My pick would have to be Amy Semple McPherson. I would probably kick off the conversation with questions surrounding Christianity in Canada in the early 1900s

and the contrast we see today. I would like to know her thoughts as to why we are where we are today as Christians in Canada, where church attendance is low and often social and political decisions don't reflect the fact that Christianity is the largest religion in Canada. You know, though McPherson was born in Canada, near Ingersoll, Ontario, she made her name in the U.S. as a revival tent evangelist and radio preacher with a huge following. Nick Sirota in Mississauga.

If I could sit down for a private in-depth discussion with a Canadian, it would be General Romeo Dallaire. I've taken an academic interest in modern human atrocities since I had the opportunity to study the Holocaust in depth in university. I read countless books, memoirs, watched documentaries and movies. The genocide in Rwanda was heinous and gruesome, and despite General Dallaire's constant cries for international attention and aid in any form throughout the escalation of violence, his pleas were met with silence. On, I believe, the 10th anniversary of the genocide,

the American Senate delegation to participate and speak at the event. President Clinton did not attend, but the chosen speaker felt the need to include the line, If only we had known what was happening, we would have done something. I'm paraphrasing. What I'd like to ask General Dallaire is, how does a person who lived this nightmare and endured the PTSD that comes with it

swallow that empty sentiment knowing full well that the international community knew full well what was happening Betsy Daub in St. Agatha, Ontario I suspect that the answers to this question will trend toward white men of European descent. So I thought I'd like to talk to an original Canadian. I sadly don't know of many Indigenous Canadians,

so I choose Murray Sinclair. He has a huge breadth of knowledge, is smart and a nice person. I'd ask him to tell me about his life, his experiences, his hopes for the future. Sorry, just moving a few things around here. We've got time for a couple more before our break and the random

ranter, but there's lots more still to come. Richard Wright, Canadian living in Hong Kong since 1997. Ernest Thompson Seaton, navigated the Wild West and elite circles of North American society as an acclaimed artist and

bestseller of realistic animal stories. Influenced by indigenous peoples' respect for nature, Seton instilled this ethos into American culture. I would want to ask him about the early environmental movement and his appreciation for the First Nations way of life. Ben King, who is now in Glasgow, south of me here in Scotland right now. Ben King, he's from Ottawa, but he's now living in Glasgow. The notable Canadian from history I would love to have conversation with is Rob McConnell, the prolific bandleader of the Boss Brass. It would be a thrill to be able to talk about his approach to arranging,

leading big bands, and living through many decades of jazz music in Canada, given our rich history and present talented musicians in the genre. Having played some of his music when I was in big bands gave me a deep appreciation for his work that I continue to listen to today. Love that. Okay, we're going to take our mid-show break and then hear the ranter and then get back to your letters.

But first of all, we'll be back right after this. And welcome back. You're listening to the Thursday episode of The Bridge. It's your turn and the Random Ranter. We're going to take a break from our letters about the famous Canadian you'd like to sit down with from our history and what you'd like to talk to them about.

We're going to take our first break from that to hear the random ranter. And, well, let's get right to it because it's kind of self-explanatory as to why he's ranting on what he's ranting about this week. So here we go. Here's the random renter. A few weeks ago, I delivered a rant where I labeled Trump supporters deplorable, and I received a bit of pushback from some people who took issue with that. They all claimed that while they don't personally care for Trump the person, they do support his policies. And you know, look, I appreciate the feedback, and I always try and see the other side.

But supporting a thoroughly abhorrent person because you agree with their policy? I just can't square that one. First off, Trump is the poster boy for lying. I mean, most politicians stretch the truth to an extent. But Trump? He makes stuff up that no one else could ever make up. It's just so far out there, it's like he's spewing insane fever dreams. I mean, eating pets? The enemy within? His crowd size obsession? How about his climate change denial? The guy lives in Florida, and he's got the gall to not only deny that it's getting warmer, not only to deny that the storms are getting worse, but he's gone so far as to say

the climate is actually cooling. It's all nuts. And if you think there's a method to his madness, then that's about the only way I can imagine why you would think there's any truth to his policies. Because not only is this guy a liar, but he doesn't follow through. And he's got a proven track record of it. He's been the president. And as a testament to that, virtually his entire inner circle is now campaigning for the Democrats. That wall he promised to build? Well, that didn't happen. But don't you worry. He's still promising to build it. And it's going to be beautiful. And I'm sure Mexico is still going to pay for it. But hey, I get it.

Trump is a big, strong guy. He's a leader. He's a man. Well, I'd argue with all those points. A strong person doesn't need to tear others down. A leader takes responsibility for their actions. And for sure, Trump is great at doing that. If you listen to him, he's responsible for so many things. I mean, he's the father of in vitro fertilization after all. But has he ever apologized for anything? Has he ever admitted a mistake? Because in my books, that's how you grow. But it's hard to learn from your mistakes if you can't admit to them. But hey, if you care that much about gender that you let it determine who you support, well, that says more about you than anything else. Because while Trump may technically be a man, he's really the embodiment of the worst qualities a man can possess. He's a narcissist, he's a misogynist,

he's a racist, and he's a bully. He's way more con than man. And as the election nears, he's becoming more and more unhinged, even for him. He's getting darker and darker. And it's not just the rhetoric, it's his shade of orange. I swear it's taking him from dark MAGA to full-on Oompa Loompa. This isn't 2016 Trump. This isn't Trump corralled by people able to offset his worst impulses. This is 2024 Trump. He's got a whole new stable of industrial-strength sycophants. And you know what they're in charge of? Policies. There you go.

Here's the thing to remember about Donald Trump after listening to the rant. And it's important to understand this. Clearly think what you want about him, and people do. And here we are less than three weeks away from the U.S. election. And they say it's close. I still don't think it's close. I think it's going to be a wipeout. But I've been wrong before many times, especially about Trump.

Anyway, here's the thing to remember. Roy Cohn, the American lawyer who made his name during the Joe McCarthy hearings in the 70s and early 80s, when Donald Trump, a young kind of real estate guy, was set up by his father, his father, Frederick Trump, gave him a couple hundred million dollars to get started. Nice, right? Isn't that what your dad gave you? Anyway, that's how Trump started. But Frederick Trump said, you got to listen to this guy.

And introduced him to Roy Cohn. And Cohn had basically three principles of how to conduct affairs. And when you hear them, you'll go, geez, he really hasn't changed much since he heard these three principles, Donald Trump. Here they are. Attack, attack, attack. That's number one. Two, deny everything. And three, never apologize. Now, even in these days where he seems to be off balance,

he's maintaining those three principles all these years later. Keep that in mind. And you can follow the puck on that one through almost everything that Trump does. All right. Back to your letters. The final batch on this topic. And thank you once again. It's brilliant, some of these.

Doug Linehan, or Linehan, in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, but originally from Newfoundland. First off, I would like to say that I am both a proud Canadian and a proud Newfoundlander. I served in the Canadian Navy. The Canadian I would like to talk to is the former Premier, Joey Smallwood. I would like to find out his mindset on two issues. One, the referendum on Newfoundland and Labrador joining Canada. The second, the signing

of the Churchill Falls contract with Quebec. I was born in 1966, so these issues happened before I was born. Well, actually, the Churchill Falls contract was signed between Newfoundland and Hydro-Quebec in 1969. Quebec agreed to allow Newfoundland to transmit power across its territory for export, but also provided for the sale of Hydro-Quebec of cheap electricity for 40 years, and then provided for automatic renewal of the contract for a further 25 years at cheap prices. So that's the issue.

Candice Kostner in Winnipeg. The Canadian in history that I would like to have a long conversation with is Terry Fox. Back when I was in elementary school, I remember hearing the news of how he had to stop his Marathon of Hope and watching bits of the subsequent National Telethon on TV in September of 1980. I also recall hearing of his passing and watching his funeral on TV in June of 81. As an eight-year-old at the time, I didn't fully understand Terry's story, but was fascinated nonetheless. Over the years, I came to realize his impact on bringing Canadians together and the development of cancer research.

A truly remarkable Canadian, a hero indeed. Brad Stollery in Ottawa. I'm tempted to choose Chantelle Hébert, whom I respect deeply and I would like to meet one day. Ultimately, though, I'll go with Beverly McLaughlin, the first woman Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. I admire her commitment to the practice of perspective-taking in evaluating questions that are fundamental to preserving a free and fair society. It's a skill we all need to sharpen if we're truly dedicated to having constructive conversations about hard topics.

Brooke Cully in Lethbridge, Alberta. I'd like to have a long conversation with the prolific and genius golf course architect Stanley Thompson. I would most like to hear from him how he approached projects in the early stages, specifically how he saw the golf course and the legacy it might leave to the area. The vastness and the uniqueness of Canada can overwhelm someone just experiencing a place for the first time, not to mention the designing of 144 courses coast to coast. I would assume this awareness must have been pivotal, considering he designed so many in our national park system, and he sure did, and they're spectacular courses.

Sandy Esposito in Aurora, Ontario. I would love to speak with Les Filles de Rois, translation Daughters of the King. These women were sent to the New World from Paris to marry the men they were settling in the new land. I realize they were not Canadians, but they certainly mothered children in the New World that would eventually become Canada. Some of these women were from aristocracy

who fell on hard times through death and debts. They certainly were not prepared for the rugged terrain, weather, and people that they would have encountered. They relied on the help of indigenous women and the indigenous community in order to survive. I've always been interested in their stories. Louise Mantha in Ottawa. After having read the fascinating book Bush Runner by Mark Bury,

Pierre Radisson is the man with whom I would enjoy speaking. He lived with the Iroquois as a young man, spoke many languages, and traveled throughout our wilderness before it got spoiled. He spent time at both the 17th century British and French courts and experienced so many adventures, including London's Great Plague and the Great Fire, that he would be very entertaining. Radisson appears to have been a bit of an unscrupulous hustler, but I can only imagine him as a raconteur with a twinkle in his eye and a gift of the gab.

You know, the first television program I remember being a fan of, and this would be, this is like early CBC back in black and white, late fifties or early sixties. Radisson. It was a great series. Rick Beaupre in Calgary.

I'd like to meet Ian Tyson. I would like nothing better than to spend an afternoon strumming guitars and singing his songs with him, perhaps over a bottle of whiskey. His cowboy songs are a magical blend of storytelling and melody. Being in Calgary, we were blessed to see him several times at the Longview Community Center, an intimate venue about a mile or so from his ranch that can only sit about 300 people,

packed tight, shoulder to shoulder. Aaron Consor. I'd really like to have a conversation with the settlers brought here by Peter Robinson in the 1820s. One of my ancestors was lucky enough to be chosen by Peter Robinson in 1825 and arrived in Peterborough from Ireland. And I'd love to talk with all those people, not just my family members, to leave their homes and everything they knew

with only a hope that they could have a better life on another continent. It's something I find so fascinating. There were many plans, by the way, in the 19th century to help immigrants from Ireland set up life in a new country. Aaron's talking about a particular plan funded by the British government and under the direction of a British civil servant, Peter Robinson. It involved a total of 11 ships taking immigrants from Ireland to Ontario in 1823 and 1825. Percy Phillips in Portisdale Prairie. During the second half of the First World War,

my grandfather was constricted by the Canadian government, but Grandpa was exempted because he was a farmer. Instead, his younger brother, Carl Leroy Haglund, was taken and he became part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, a foot soldier. He was a farm boy born in Minnesota who emigrated to Alberta with his parents as a boy where they homesteaded north of St. Paul, and he noted in letters how much physically easier it was being a soldier than being a farmer.

Great Uncle Carl was killed in the Battle of Canal du Nord on September 27, 1918, right near the end of the war, right a month or so. I've been there, Canal du Nord. A great victory for the Canadian forces, but at a horrific human cost, and included my great-uncle Carl. Born an American, became a Canadian, and will forever be a resident of France. Carl Le Roy, my great-uncle. I would love to have a conversation with him.

Yeah, that Battle of Canal du Nord was very costly for the Canadian Corps. It sustained more than 10,000 casualties. That's killed, injured, and missing. Between 2-7 September and 1 October. You know, just a couple of days, 10,000 casualties. More than 230 Canadian soldiers killed in action during that period currently have no known grave. Sandra Thomas in Peterborough, Ontario. I'd like to talk to Dr. Henry Morgenthaler. Watching what is happening in the U.S.

regarding the abortion issue has made me thankful for our Canadian safeguards for the freedom of women to make their own decisions. I'd like to talk to Morgenthaler both to understand what brought him to such personal sacrifice to affect this issue so profoundly and to thank him.

We've got Ben Duggan here in Conception Bay South in Newfoundland, Labrador. As a Canadian, I'd love to have a conversation with Rick Mercer. Growing up, I always enjoyed watching the Mercer Report. I think his show was where my fascination for politics came from. He was an advocate on so many issues that are close to my heart, especially his support for soldiers who fought in Afghanistan. I wish he

still did his rants, as I know he'd have interesting takes on the issues Canada faces today. We'll have him on the show again one of these days. He was a great guest about, I don't know, a year and a half ago, and we've replayed that show a few times. He's a good friend. We were in Newfoundland together this year at a book festival,

and he's such a great guy. Where are we here? Dylan Gassinger in Jeju Island, South Korea, by way of Toronto. I'd be eager to sit down and talk to Ernie Coombs, known to most 90s kids like myself as Mr. Dress-Up. Excuse me. Growing up in Toronto, I vividly remember sitting in front of my television on weekday mornings to catch another episode of Mr. Dress-Up on the CBC.

The series of songs, stories, arts, crafts, and imagination games, with the help of his puppet friends, would always put a smile on my face and get me ready for the school day in the head. I'd love to share with him the inspiration he was to thousands of Canadians like me every morning you know Dylan when you come back to Canada on holidays or whatever there's a film on now you can find it on on one of your streaming services that's critically acclaimed

it's the story of Mr. Dressup so you might want to see that Robin Sagan in Wasega Beach, Ontario. I'd love to sit down with Pierre Burton. His books have inspired my own curiosity about this vast land. I have traveled to many of the places he writes about. I would ask him what he makes of our current Canadian issues and ask him what solutions he could offer to narrow the many divisions growing between our people.

Travis Bowser in Medicine Hat, Alberta. I would choose Prime Minister Paul Martin. I'd particularly like to talk about the role his government played in legalizing same-sex marriage in our country. I know that there were many folks, likely unknown to most Canadians, who paved the path for this to happen, but I'd love to talk to Paul Martin about the conversations that happened

in bringing it across the finish line, with a minority government, no less. That moment in 2005 gave this kid in the closet hope that he would be himself fully one day in the future. And as a result, I married my husband in 2022. Let me clear my throat here. Okay. Bill Chisart in Grand Bend, Ontario.

I'd like to have an opportunity to chat with Jack Layton. I've always felt that he was perhaps the best PM Canada never had He showed great strength of character a commodity among our elected leaders that seems to be in short supply with his famous quote to all Canadians just before his passing My friends, love is better than anger Hope is better than fear Optimism is better than despair.

So let us be loving, hopeful, and optimistic. Michael Berrio in Bragg Creek, Alberta. That's about 30 clicks west of Calgary. I'd like to speak with Sergeant Sam Steele of the Northwest Mountain Police. Despite his embrace of all the prejudices of his time, I think a conversation of his meeting and dealings with Sitting Bull after the Little Bighorn Sioux victory would be fascinating. His insights into the turbulent events that birthed the Prairie Provinces

might help us understand the decisions of those times, which affect First Nations relations to this day. The meeting with Sitting Bull was in 1877, Fort Walsh, Saskatchewan. It also involved U.S. General Alfred H. Terry, who was trying to persuade Sitting Bull to accept a U.S. offer of lasting peace. A couple of notes on that. Steele played a role in the remarkable number of important events in early Canadian history, including the Northwest Rebellion in 1884, the Klondike Gold Rush, the

Driving of the Last Spike, the Boer War, and the First World War. He was knighted in 1918 and died the following year at age 70. Jody Stone in Saskatoon. I'd love to talk to my great-great-great-grandfather, William Peter Hallett, who lived from 1811 to 1873. He was described as a highly intelligent, natural leader of men, and his prowess as a buffalo hunter was legend. He was a respected Métis leader who was an opponent of Louis Riel. I would love to talk

to him and hear his side of the story and hear what he wanted for the Métis and why he didn't approve of the direction Louis Riel took. Melissa Hillman wrote to us last time from Sydenham, Ontario, just north of Kingston, but she's now moved to Calgary. The Canadian I would most like to meet is unknown to most everyone. Her name was Florence Budworth. She was born the illegitimate granddaughter of a British lord and was sent to boarding school in Montreal to be educated in the early 1890s and then brought back to England at 17 to marry a wealthy but elderly cotton merchant.

He promptly died and left her widowed in her early 20s with a mother and daughter to care for and no claim to her dead husband's estate. She did as many single women of her time would not. She took her mother and daughter across the Atlantic, landed in Montreal, taught herself to sew, worked in the sweatshops of the Montreal Garment District, until she saved enough to book passage on a train as far west as her money could take her, which happened to be Winnipeg in 1906. She bought herself a small house and

rented rooms. Florence Budworth was my grandmother's grandmother, and I would love to spend an afternoon listening to her stories, admiring in person the strength of character and will she must have possessed to push forward in that way. Derek Dillabo in Ottawa. I think it would be a wonderful time sitting in a quiet pub over a couple of Guinness and talking or listening to Farley Mowat. The stories he could tell from such a rich life from his times in World War II to his travels around Canada and the world. Farley was an environmentalist and his many books were written with humor and

a deep sense of love for Canada. Sophia Nairo, Montreal. My pick, J.S. Woodsworth. I was sadly unaware of this great Canadian until I read Pierre Burton's History of the Great Depression. The book was called The Great Depression. Woodsworth stands out among his contemporaries as an unshakably principled man and parliamentarian. The cornerstone on which the Canadian left from Tommy Douglas to dental care was built. I would love to hear his thoughts on the state of discourse in today's parliament and in the country more generally. Jackie McLeod.

Jackie's a Canadian expat living in Charleston, South Carolina. I would love to sit and talk to both you and Lloyd Robertson. You've both covered so much Canadian history and interviewed so many incredible people. That we have. And Lloyd is always, you know, we're good friends. Both from, you know, one way or another, from Stratford, Ontario. And yeah, we got lots of stories.

Lloyd wrote a book about his stories. Lloyd wrote a book about his stories. I wrote a book about my stories. Last letter comes from Michael Artendale in Sudbury, Ontario. I don't want to sound like a suck-up, but one of the people I feel I could sit for hours and ask questions and really enjoy listening to the answers would be you. Sure, other people may have a thing to talk about, but with your decades-long career in journalism,

I feel that I would enjoy sitting and listening to you and what you have to say. After all, I do it every week for an hour a day, and I'm not tired of it yet. Finding your podcast was a great thing for me. Yes, Michael, you do sound like a sock-up. But you got your letter on the air. And the last one for today. Listen, I think Lloyd would say the same as me. All of you have picked some remarkable Canadians.

Canadians have made their mark on history. We've just been passers-by in this story with the opportunity to talk directly to some of these people and enjoyed every moment of those conversations. But they helped paint the picture of our country. You know? They layer on the colors of our history. Both the good ones and the bad ones.

And the difficult ones. And the glorious ones. So let me thank you once again. For the time that all of you spent in writing letters. They didn't all make air in these last two weeks, but the overwhelming majority of them did. But no matter whether you were on the air or not, I thank you for sending in your thoughts. It's what's made Thursdays such an important element of the week, hearing from you, your feelings about the various issues.

So we'll have a new question next week. Don't know what it'll be yet, but we'll unveil that on Monday morning, and you'll have the opportunity to write again. So thank you once more. That's going to wrap it up for this day. Tomorrow, of course, is Good Talk with Chantelle Hebert and Bruce Anderson and what a week it's been again in national politics. More stories about the Trudeau leadership of the Liberal Party.

More stories about the issue of the commission that's looking at the, basically the security of the country and the prime minister's testimony over the last few days in Ottawa. So we'll have all that tomorrow on Good Talk. You won't want to miss that. And I know you never do. It's our most listened to day of the week. So look forward to that.

I'm Peter Mansbridge. So much thanks go to you for listening today and for writing in today. We'll talk to you again in less than 24 hours. Thank you.