Posts with the Pope John Paul II tag

Barris Beat

Papal opportunity

Written by Ted Barris on . Leave a comment
Pope Kiril Pavlovich Lakota , in publicity photo from movie “The Shoes of the Fisherman” 1968.

I remember the Pope. He was Polish, but he wasn’t Józef Wojtyla. Not Pope John Paul II. This was a man named Kiril Pavlovich Lakota. He had been a political prisoner – Number 103592R – in a Soviet gulag. He was scooped up by the powers that be and sent on a mission, a mission to ascend the thrown of the Catholic Church and to then negotiate an end to the Cold War with China. What? You don’t remember that Pope? Well, he was in all the newspapers, magazines and movie trailers in 1968. And he looked an awful lot like Anthony Quinn.

“You gave me absolute power,” actor Quinn says as Pope Kiril, “You must submit to my use of it.” (more…)

Barris Beat

How to get there

Written by Ted Barris on . Leave a comment
So I looked for...
I figured I could just follow the orange detour signs.

Earlier this week, I paid a visit to Midland, Ontario. The Askennonia Senior Centre had invited me to do a keynote speech for the annual Veterans’ Luncheon there. Not a problem, except that the Bruce Peninsula is not a region of the province through which I travel often. I wasn’t familiar with the roads. To make matters slightly more challenging, travelling up Highway 400 and in search of Hwy 93 (the route to Midland) that day I suddenly faced a problem.

“Exit to Hwy 93 closed,” the sign read. “Follow detour signs.”

(more…)