Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau answers questions from reporter Tim Ralphe on Parliament Hill during the October Crisis, 1970. CBC.

That October, the country was on the verge of civil war. At least that’s what it felt like. A Quebec cabinet minister had been murdered by the FLQ (Le Front de libération du Québec). A British trade official remained kidnapped. The then prime minister had introduced the War Measures Act to ferret out FLQ members and arrest those responsible.

As a senior student of then Ryerson’s Radio and TV Arts program and thinking only about getting the story on the air, I sat down in a radio studio at CJRT FM in Toronto and interviewed four students of Loyola College who’d been questioned in a Montreal dragnet just days before.

“My guests are John Welsh, Alan Saig, Joe Sagantic and John McKay,” I began. “Tell us how all this affected you.”

And they did. It was Oct. 28, 1970, the height of the October Crisis. (more…)

Restaurants try to deliver great food and great atmosphere, but... — Restaurants try to deliver great food and great atmosphere, but…

There was only one thing wrong, that night. The appetisers were tantalizing, the steaks exquisite. The bay window in front of our table gave us a stunning view of Niagara Falls. And the wine helped every morsel of the entrees go down ever so smoothly; and since we would later be walking to our accommodation and not need a designated driver, the five of us thought we might linger over the wine. But that one thing nearly erased an otherwise delicious evening. Not long after the meals arrived our waiter returned.

“How’s the meal so far?” he asked out of genuine interest.

I looked at him, shrugged my shoulders and said, “Sorry, I can’t hear you.” (more…)

Ted Barris

author | journalist

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