Pierre Francis Berton, CC, O.Ont, BA, D.Litt (July 12, 1920 – November 30, 2004) was a noted Canadian author of non-fiction, especially Canadiana and Canadian history, and was a well-known television personality and journalist. Seal of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the Orders Latin motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means (those) desiring a better country (Hebrews 11. ... The Order of Ontario is an award given in the Canadian province of Ontario. ... A B.A. issused as a certificate Bachelor of Arts (B.A., BA or A.B.), from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus is an undergraduate bachelors degree awarded for either a course or a program in the liberal arts or the sciences, or both. ... Doctor of Letters (Latin: Litterarum doctor; D.Litt. ... is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Canadiana is a term referring to things related to the country of Canada. ... Canada is a nation of 31 million inhabitants occupying almost all of the northern half of the North American continent. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ...

An accomplished storyteller, Berton was one of Canada's most prolific and popular authors. He wrote 50 books, including ones on popular culture, Canadian history, critiques of mainstream religion, anthologies, children's books and historical works for youth. He was credited with popularizing Canadian history. Authorship redirects here. ... Popular culture, sometimes called pop culture, consists of widespread cultural elements in any given society. ... An anthology, literally a garland or collection of flowers, is a collection of literary works, originally of poems. ...

Biography

He was born on July 12, 1920, in Whitehorse, Yukon, and raised in the Yukon, where his father had moved for the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush. His mother, Laura Beatrice Berton (nee Thompson) was a school teacher in Toronto until she was offered a job as a teacher in Dawson City at the age of 29 in 1907. She met Frank Berton in the nearby mining town of Granville shortly after settling in Dawson and teaching kindergarten. Laura Beatrice Berton's autobiography of life in the Yukon entitled I Married the Klondike was published in her later years and gave her, what her son Pierre describes as 'a modicum of fame, which she thoroughly enjoyed.' Motto: Our People, Our Strength Coordinates: Country Canada Territory Yukon County Established 1898 Government  - City Mayor Bev Buckway  - Governing body Whitehorse City Council  - MPs Larry Bagnell  - MLAs Todd Hardy Elaine Taylor Arthur Mitchell Glenn Hart Area  - City 416. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Year 1898 (MDCCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... A typical gold mining operation, on Bonanza Creek. ...

Like his father, Pierre Berton worked in Klondike mining camps during his years as a history major at the University of British Columbia, where he also worked on the student paper "The Ubyssey." He spent his early newspaper career in Vancouver, where at 21 he was the youngest city editor on any Canadian daily, replacing editorial staff that had been called up during the Second World War. Hunker Creek Valley, Klondike The Klondike is a region of the Yukon Territory in northwest Canada, east of the Alaska border. ... The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Canadian public university with its main campus located at Point Grey in the unincorporated Electoral Area A, immediately west of Vancouver, British Columbia. ... The cover of the March 17, 2006 issue of the Ubysseys Page Friday issue focusing on racism The Ubyssey is the University of British Columbias student-run paper. ... This article refers to the city in British Columbia, Canada. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

Berton himself was conscripted into the Canadian Army under the National Resources Mobilization Act in 1942 and attended basic training in British Columbia, nominally as a reinforcement soldier intended for The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada. He elected to "go Active" (the euphemism for volunteering for overseas service) and his aptitude was such that he was appointed Lance Corporal and attended NCO school, and became a basic training instructor in the rank of corporal. Due to a background in university COTC and inspired by other citizen-soldiers who had been commissioned, he sought training as an officer.^[1] Canadian Forces Land Force Command (LF) is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Armed Forces. ... The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada are a Canadian Forces Land Force Command reserve infantry regiment. ... A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer), also known as an NCO or noncom, is a non-commissioned member of an armed force who has been given authority by a commissioned officer. ... This article is about the military rank. ... COTC may stand for: Creativity Movement, formerly known as the World Church of the Creator Car of the Century, an international award given to the most influential car of the Twentieth Century Canadian Officers Training Corps Category: ...

Berton spent the next several years attending a variety of military courses, becoming, in his words, the most highly trained officer in the military. He was warned for overseas duty many times, and was granted embarkation leave many times, each time finding his overseas draft being cancelled. A coveted trainee slot with the Canadian Intelligence Corps saw Berton, now a Captain, trained to act as an Intelligence Officer (IO), and after a stint as an instructor at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario, he finally went overseas in March 1945. In the UK, he was told that he would have to requalify as an IO because the syllabus in the UK was different from that in the intelligence school in Canada. By the time Berton had requalified, the war in Europe had ended. He volunteered for the Canadian Army Pacific Force (CAPF), granted a final "embarkation leave", and found himself no closer to combat employment by the time the Japanese surrendered in September 1945.^[2] Captain is a rank or title with various meanings. ... The Royal Military College of Canada (RMC), is the military academy of the Canadian Forces and is a full degree-granting university. ... Murney Tower, Kingston The Fort Henry Guard performing an historical demonstration The Prince George Hotel. ...

He moved to Toronto in 1947, and at the age of 31 was named managing editor of Maclean's. In 1957 he became a key member of the CBC's public affairs flagship program, Close-Up, and a permanent panelist on the popular television show Front Page Challenge. That same year, he also narrated the Academy Award-nominated National Film Board of Canada documentary City of Gold, exploring life in his hometown of Dawson City during the Klondike Gold Rush. Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Diversity Our Strength Image:Toronto, Ontario Location. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A cover of the Canadian magazine Macleans. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a Canadian crown corporation, is the country’s national public radio and television broadcaster. ... Front Page Challenge (aired 1957 - 1995) was a Canadian current events-cum-history program disguised as a game show, in which notable journalists attempted to guess what past news story the hidden guest was linked with by asking questions of the guest, in much the same manner as the American... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... The National Film Board of Canada (usually National Film Board or NFB) is a Canadian public filmmaking organization established to produce and distribute films that inform Canadians and promote Canada around the world. ... City of Gold is a 1957 Canadian documentary by Colin Low and Wolf Koenig, chronicling Dawson City during the Klondike Gold Rush. ... A typical gold mining operation, on Bonanza Creek. ...

He joined the Toronto Star as associate editor and columnist in 1958, leaving in 1962 to commence The Pierre Berton Show, which ran until 1973. During the show, he made a mistake by "not letting Bruce Lee talk enough." This angered many Bruce Lee fans and hurt his reputation as well as his legacy. Thereafter he appeared as host and writer on My Country, The Great Debate, Heritage Theatre, The Secret of My Success and The National Dream. The Toronto Star is Canadas highest-circulation newspaper, though its print edition is distributed almost entirely within Ontario. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the song by James Blunt, see 1973 (song). ... Bruce Lee (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Pinyin: Lǐ Xiǎolóng; Cantonese Yale: Léih Síulùhng; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born martial artist, philosopher, instructor, and martial arts actor widely regarded as the most influential martial artist of the 20th century. ... Dorothea Mackellar My Country is an iconic patriotic poem about Australia, written by Dorothea Mackellar (1885-1968) at the age of 19 while homesick in England. ... The Great Debate was between astronomers Harlow Shapley and Heber Curtis and concerned the nature of spiral nebulae and the size of the universe. ... The National Dream refers to: The National Dream, the 1970 Canadian book by Pierre Berton The National Dream, the Canadian TV miniseries based on Pierre Bertons book Category: ...

He served as the Chancellor of Yukon College and, along with numerous honorary degrees, received over 30 literary awards such as the Governor General's Award for Creative Non-Fiction (three times), the Stephen Leacock Medal of Humour, and the Gabrielle Léger Award for Lifetime Achievement in Heritage Conservation. Yukon College is a community college in the Canadian territory of Yukon. ... Since their creation in 1937, the Governor Generals Literary Awards have become one of Canadas most prestigious prizes, awarded in both French and English in seven categories: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Childrens Literature-Text, Childrens Literature-Illustration, and Translation. ... The Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour (usually the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour or just the Stephen Leacock Award) is an annual award presented to the best work of humorous literature written in English by a Canadian. ...

He is a member of Canada's Walk of Fame, having been inducted in 1998. In The Greatest Canadian project, he was voted #31 in the list of great Canadians. Canadas Walk of Fame acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful Canadians. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Officially launched on April 5, 2004, The Greatest Canadian was a television program series by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to determine who is considered to be the greatest Canadian of all time, at least among those who watched and participated in the program. ...

In 2004, Berton published his 50th book, Prisoners of the North, after which he announced in an interview with CanWest News Service that he was retiring from writing. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... CanWest News Service is a Canadian newspaper chain owned by CanWest. ...

On October 17, 2004 the CAD $12.6 million Pierre Berton Resource Library, named in his honour, was opened in Vaughan, Ontario. He had lived in nearby Kleinburg, Ontario, for about fifty years. is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Loonie. ... Motto: The City above Toronto Vaughans location in York Region. ... Kleinburg is a small unincorporated village located in the city of Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. ...

Berton raised eyebrows in October 2004 by discussing his forty years of recreational use of marijuana on two CBC Television programs, Play and Rick Mercer Report where he openly gave tips on how to roll a joint and ended with a quick shot of him eating snacks, a la munchies.^[3] A Cannabis sativa plant The drug cannabis, also called marijuana, is produced from parts of the cannabis plant, primarily the cured flowers and gathered trichomes of the female plant. ... The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a Canadian crown corporation, is the country’s national public radio and television broadcaster. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Rick Mercer Report (or The Mercer Report; formerly known as Rick Mercers Monday Report or Monday Report) is a Canadian television comedy series which airs on CBC Television and the Comedy Network. ... Munchies are a brand of potato chips introduced in 2003 by the Frito-Lay company. ...

Berton died at Sunnybrook hospital in Toronto, reportedly of heart failure, at the age of 84 on November 30, 2004. Sunnybrook and Womens College Health Science Centre or Sunnybrook, is a hospital located in Toronto, Ontario. ... is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

His childhood home in Dawson City, now called Berton House, is a writers' retreat. Established writers apply for three-month long subsidized residencies there; while in residence, they give a public reading in both Dawson City and Whitehorse. The Berton House Retreat is sponsored by a charitable foundation set up to support it and by the Klondike Visitors Association; the administrator is Elsa Franklin. The City of Dawson is a town in the Yukon territory of Canada, located at a latitude of 64° 03 45 N and a longitude of 139° 25 50 W. The current population is approximately 2,000. ...

Pierre Berton Award

2006 recipient, Ken McGoogan It has been suggested that Fatal Passage be merged into this article or section. ...

Awards

• Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal 2002
• Order of Canada, Companion, 1986.
• Canadian Booksellers Award, 1982.
• Canadian Authors Association Literary Award for non-fiction, 1981
• Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal 1977
• Nellie Award, best public affairs broadcaster in radio, 1978.
• Governor General's Awards for: The Last Spike, 1972; Klondike, 1958; The Mysterious North, 1956.
• Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, 1959.

Queen Elizabeth IIs Golden Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Her Majestys reign as Queen of Canada. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Seal of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the Orders Latin motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means (those) desiring a better country (Hebrews 11. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... The Front and Back view of the Queens Silver Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medals struck by the Canadian Mint celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of Her Majestys reign as Queen of Canada. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Since their creation in 1937, the Governor Generals Literary Awards have become one of Canadas most prestigious prizes, awarded in both French and English in seven categories: Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Drama, Childrens Literature-Text, Childrens Literature-Illustration, and Translation. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Selected bibliography

• The Mysterious North: Encounters with the Canadian Frontier,1947-1954. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1956.
• Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1958. ISBN 0-385-65844-3
• The Secret World of Og. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1961 (illustrated by William Winter)
• The Comfortable Pew. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1965.
• The Cool, Crazy, Committed World of the Sixties. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1966.
• The Smug Minority. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1968.
• The National Dream. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1970.
• The Last Spike. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1971.
• The Dionne Years: A Thirties Melodrama . Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1977.
• The Invasion of Canada. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1980. ISBN 0-316-09216-9
• Flames Across the Border. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1981. ISBN 0-316-09217-7
• Why We Act Like Canadians. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1982.
• The Klondike Quest. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1983.
• Vimy. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1986. ISBN 0-7710-1339-6
• The Arctic Grail. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1988. ISBN 0-385-65845-1
• The Great Depression. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1990. ISBN 0-7710-1270-5
• My Times: Living With History 1917-1995. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 1995. ISBN 0-385-25528-4
• Marching as to War. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2001. ISBN 0-385-25725-2
• The Battle of Lake Erie. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1994 ISBN 0-7710-1424-4 (illustrated by Paul McCusker)
• Attack on Montreal. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1995. ISBN 0-7710-1419-8
• Farewell to the Twentieth Century. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 1996. ISBN 0-385-25577-2
• 1967: The Last Good Year. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 1997. ISBN 0-385-25662-0
• Welcome To The 21st Century. Toronto: Doubleday Canada, 2000. ISBN 0-385-258186-0

The Secret World of Og is a childrens novel written in 1961 by Pierre Berton and illustrated by his daughter Patsy. ... The National Dream is a 1970 Canadian non-fiction book by Pierre Berton describing the planning and commencement of the Canadian Pacific Railway between 1871 and 1881. ... The Last Spike is a 1971 Canadian non-fiction book by Pierre Berton describing the construction and completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway between 1881 and 1885. ... The Invasion of Canada is a 1980 book by Pierre Berton. ... The Great Depression is the title of a book written by Canadian author Pierre Berton. ... 1967:The Last Good Year is a book written by Canadian author Pierre Berton, covering events of 1967, which was the centennial year of Canadas confederation. ...

External links

• The Canadian Encyclopedia
• CBC Archives
• Order of Canada Citation
• Berton House Writers' Retreat
• Pierre Berton Award
• Pierre Berton on the Rick Mercer's Monday Report: How to Roll a Joint

Footnotes

1. ^ Berton, Pierre. Starting Out (McLelland and Stewart, 1987).
2. ^ Ibid.
3. ^ National story, see also CBC National, andMercer Report.