Last Meeting - Probus Club of Collingwood

Our Strength is Fellowship; Our Success is Participation.

March 2, Meeting

TED BARRIS – Brief Biography (revised Feb. 2023)

Ted Barris is an award-winning journalist, author, and broadcaster. His writing has regularly appeared in the national press, as well as magazines as diverse as Air Force, esprit de corps and Zoomer. He has also worked as host/contributor for most CBC Radio network programs, PBS in the U.S. and on TV Ontario. And after 18 years teaching, he recently retired as a full-time professor of journalism at Toronto’s Centennial College.

Barris is the author of 20 bestselling, non-fiction books, including a series on wartime Canada: Juno: Canadians at D-Day, June 6, 1944 … Days of Victory: Canadians Remember 1939-1945 … Behind the Glory: Canada’s Role in the Allied Air War … Deadlock in Korea: Canadians at War, 1950-1953 … Victory at Vimy: Canada Comes of Age, April 9-12, 1917 … Breaking the Silence: Veterans’ Untold Stories from the Great War to Afghanistan.

His writing has also been published in such anthologies as The Canadian Encyclopedia … Total Hockey: The Official NHL Encyclopedia … A History of Maple Leaf Gardens … and a volume of learned papers presented to the Canada-Korea Conference at the U of T.

Barris’s remaining books are: Rodeo Cowboys … Spirit of the West … Positive Power (Story of the Edmonton Oilers) … Playing Overtime (A Celebration of Oldtimers’ Hockey) … Carved in Granite (125 Years of Granite Club History) … Making Music (Profiles from a Century of Canadian Music) co-authored with his father Alex Barris … and Fire Canoe, a Mark Twain-like retelling of Canada’s 19th century steamboat history.

In 2011, he was one of 19 civilians presented with the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs Commendation. The citation reads: “Ted Barris has made such exemplary contributions … benefiting veterans and making manifest the principle that Canada’s obligation to all who have served in the cause of Peace and Freedom, must not be forgotten.”

In 2012, the Air Force Association of Canada selected Ted Barris to receive Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, recognizing “outstanding Canadians … who continue to build this caring society and country through their service and achievements.”

His 17th book, The Great Escape: A Canadian Story, won the 2014 Libris Non-Fiction Book of the Year Award (shared with astronaut Chris Hadfield).

In 2018, HarperCollins has published Barris’s 18th book – Dam Busters: Canadian Airmen and the Secret Raid against Nazi Germany – about the famous 1943 attack on the Ruhr River dams that powered Nazi Germany’s industrial war production. The RCAF Association awarded Ted Barris and Dam Busters its 2018 NORAD Trophy for “unequalled contribution to the preservation of Air Force values, traditions, history and heritage.”

Rush to Danger: Medics in the Line of Fire, also published by HarperCollins, is Ted’s 19th non-fiction book. It was long-listed for the 2020 Charles Taylor Prize for Non-Fiction in Canada.

Ted’s 20th book, Battle of the Atlantic: Gauntlet to Victory was published in the fall of 2022 and immediately landed on the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star bestsellers lists. Following the book’s publication, Ted received word that he’d received Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Award, recognizing “extraordinary contributions to our community and Canada.”

Appointed Member of the Order of Canada

On Dec. 29, 2022, the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, announced 99 new appointments to the Order of Canada, including Ted Barris, C.M., “For advancing our understanding of Canadian military history as an acclaimed historical author, journalist and broadcaster.” Ted’s father, Alex Barris, was also appointed Member of the Order in 1998.

Ted Barris website

HMCS Collingwood

The first Flower Class Corvette commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy, 9 November 1940, and built in the Collingwood Shipyards

Profile: Bob White
Born in Montreal. Started out his career with a formal education in marketing and film.
This lead to a career encompassing marketing, sales , advertising, and publishing. with stops along the way with the Globe and Mail, Montreal Gazette, Macleans and the National film Board.
Running ski schools kept his adonis like body in shape!
Great presentation done under the watchful eye of his lovely wife Karen, an accomplished Interior Decorator.

Member Support: Richard Rood

Richard has kindly volunteered to act as the liaison between the Club and members who might be going through life’s challenges. If you know of a member who could use some support or is having some difficulty, please contact Richard.

* A reminder, the Speakers Committee is looking for volunteers, along with Pierre Tousignant of the Events Committee.
So step up gentleman, fresh faces and ideas are most welcome and needed.

John Housser has enthusiastically agreed to replace Ruben, and is now our new Speakers Chair!
As committee chair, John becomes a member of the Management Committee, which usually meets regularly one week prior to the Members Meeting. So, welcome John! We look forward to all working together for the benefit of the club!
John could use some assistance, so if you would like to volunteer, please contact John.

Membership Directory:
If you have not got one or would like to get a Membership Directory, please contact Mike Martynuik or John Megarry.

Events:

When paying for Events, please try to use e transfer, Debit, cheque or lastly credit card.

Breakfast: Wednesday, 09:00, March 8, at The Orchard, Thornbury. Contact: Pierre T

Lunch: TBA .Contact Roger Dunning

Billiards: Mogul’s, 1-3 pm. 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, $5 fee. Contact Pierre or Jim Theobolds.

Darts: 1st and 3rd Thursday, 1:30-3:30 pm. Contact: Owen McBride or Pierre

General inquiries: Contact Pierre Tousignant.

Book Exchange:
Our book exchange ably curated by Al Wallace, is back in business. So bring along a few of the books you’ve enjoyed, and exchange them for fresh reading material.

Remember: Be a friend, bring a friend. And let us know if there’s a member who’s not doing well.