How the Scots invented Canada - CBC podcast

[BruceBC]

CBC's Shelagh Rogers interviews Ken McGoogan author of "How the Scots Invented Canada"

http://www.cbc.ca/thenextchapter/201...-mcgoogan.html

[Gryphon noir]

Wonderful interview! I couldn't help thinking about a couple of my distant cousins who both started out herding sheep in the northeast of Scotland and ended up having a major impact on shaping Canada in the country's early years.

One of my distant cousins, Donald Smith [Lord Strathcona], was entirely open about his marriage to a native woman. The wealthy Montreal elite regarded Smith as a country bumpkin, and looked down their collective noses at his wife whom he apparently adored.

One of those who looked askance was his cousin George Stephen [Lord Mount Stephen] who was the president of the Bank of Montreal. But blood ties were strong, and Stephen, being the superlative tactition that he was, saw the advantage of bringing the influence of the Hudson's Bay Company [of which Smith was Chief Factor] into the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Smith and Stephen were good examples of the extremes of Scottish social attitudes. Smith was gregarious, generous and by all accounts well loved by many; Stephen was a stern, disciplined teatotaller, a brilliant mathematician whose acquisitiveness might have made him a prototype for Scrooge McDuck.

Somehow the cousins worked together but when all was said and done the last spike was not driven by the Prime Minister [John A. MacDonald], nor by George Stephen, but by the aged Donald Smith.

I like to think that Smith's influence rubbed off on Stephen. When George Stephen retired to England, he was reputed to be the wealthiest man in the British Empire. He bequeathed his wealth largely to education throughout the northeast of Scotland and elsewhere.

[JSFMACLJR]

Somehow the cousins worked together but when all was said and done the last spike was not driven by the Prime Minister [John A. MacDonald], nor by George Stephen, but by the aged Donald Smith.

The Last Spike was also attended by another great Scot, Sir Sandford Fleming. Sir Sandford was the Chief Engineer of the CPR--and my great-great grandfather. He is recognised by many as being the major figure in without a doubt Canada's most famous photograph: white beard and top hat in the centre of the photo, standing behind Donald Smith.

[macwilkin]

Wouldn't that be Donald Smith, Lord Strathcona? He also raised the Canadian version of the Rough Riders, Lord Strathcona's Horse, for service in South Africa.

T.

[xman]

Great podcast. Thanks Bruce.

[BruceBC]

Ken McGoogan also authored a great book on the Scottish explorer Dr John Rae. Rea was involved in the search for the lost Franklin expedition and brought back news of cannibalism. For his troubles he was not knighted, like the rest of those who went to search for Franklin, and was attacked in the British press by the likes of Charles Dickens. In the 1990's scientists were able to confirm that Rae was correct - some of Franklin's crew had turned to cannibalism.

McGoogan's book "Fatal Passage" was the bases for the movie "Passage"

a clip of the film can be seen here:

http://films.onf.ca/passage/

[macwilkin]

Ken McGoogan also authored a great book on the Scottish explorer Dr John Rae. Rea was involved in the search for the lost Franklin expedition and brought back news of cannibalism. For his troubles he was not knighted, like the rest of those who went to search for Franklin, and was attacked in the British press by the likes of Charles Dickens. In the 1990's scientists were able to confirm that Rae was correct - some of Franklin's crew had turned to cannibalism.

McGoogan's book "Fatal Passage" was the bases for the movie "Passage"

a clip of the film can be seen here:

http://films.onf.ca/passage/

Great book, and thanks for the tip about the movie -- Rae truly was an unsung hero!

T.

[Steve Ashton]

Sir Sandord Fleming was also the most influential proponant (The plaque in his birthplace of Kirkcady, Scotland says Inventor) of what we today call World-Wide Standard Time Zones. All because he missed a train because at the time every city set their own local time.

[Biathlonman]

Am reading Mcgoogan's book now - he was at a Burns supper here and we have some mutual friends in common. I haven't read all his book or any of his others yet, but can confirm that he's an awfully nice guy - which is more than you can say for many writers. I hope his book does well in this electronic non-book friendly age of ours.

[xman]

Sir Sandord Fleming was also the most influential proponant (The plaque in his birthplace of Kirkcady, Scotland says Inventor) of what we today call World-Wide Standard Time Zones. All because he missed a train because at the time every city set their own local time.

Yes and what a hard way was had getting the world to accept it. I wish it was Paris Mean Time, but I'm biased. I've a friend who's written a play about it actually. Ironic that Greenwich is in England, a country that can't run a train on time so I'm told. Fleming is probably turning.