Books in The Canadians series

Named CBC's Greatest Canadian of all! Tommy recalled in the 1950s, "I came to believe that health services ought not to have a price-tag on them, and that people should be able to get whatever health services they required irrespective of their individual capacity to pay." He was talking about what would become known as Medicare. Douglas was hospitalized at the age of 10 due to a bone infection he encountered four years earlier. After several operations - none of which were successful - and without the money to pay for a specialist, the doctors recommended that his leg be amputated. That's when fate intervened. A famous Winnipeg orthopedic doctor met Tommy in the hospital ward one day and proposed to operate on Douglas for free, taking on the case as a teaching project for his students. The surgery saved his leg, quite possibly his life, and would be the beginning of his inspiration for universal medical care. Tommy Douglas was a Baptist preacher who organized his church as a relief centre for the poor in the hungry 1930s and rose to become a political legend in Saskatchewan, winning five straight majority governments and transforming the province. This acclaimed biography, written by a longtime friend and associate, closely follows his life through his working-class childhood and his boxing and political careers on the prairies to his years of national prominence as an advocate for peace, human rights, and Canadian independence. Douglas chose a hard road: in provincial government and federal opposition, he faced continuing hostility from mainstream institutions and the media. Often, though, his seemingly radical proposals simply anticipated later events. The Saskatchewan government's medicare program provoked a bitter doctor's strike and continent-wide controversy in 1961, but the program proved to be a success, and medicare was soon introduced across Canada with the support of all political parties. Tommy Douglas is still remembered as one of the country's most eloquent orators and as a critic of the status quo. He was passionate in opposition to corporate power and in defence of Canadian nationalism; his refusal to support the War Measures Act during the terrorist scare of 1970 earned widespread condemnation, but is also considered by some to have been his finest hour. In his long and extensive political career Tommy went on to: Pass more than 100 bills during his first term as Premier Introduce paved roads Introduce sewage systems and hydro to farmers Reduce the provincial debt by $20 million Introduce Saskatchewan residents to car insurance and labour reforms Introduce his long-standing dream of universal Medicare. Saskatchewan Book Awards Shortlist - Children's Book, 2007

E. Cora Hind was born in Toronto in 1861 but spent most of her life in the West. She became known both nationally and internationally as an outstanding journalist, lecturer, writer and foremost authority on all aspects of agriculture. In the 1930s a European newspaper claimed that she was "Canada's most famous woman." It was a reputation E. Cora Hind had achieved entirely through her own efforts. Despite her international renown and respect, she lacked many male privileges-such as the right to vote. She was a dedicated member of the suffrage and temperance movements, and all her life she spoke out strongly against any injustices suffered by women. When she died in 1942 she had become a Canadian institution, remembered for her great contribution to women's rights and to the development of the West. A Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, 2005

John A. Macdonald was the first prime minister of Canada. He was the dominant creative force behind the British North America Act, and brought British Columbia, Manitoba, the North-West Territory and Prince Edward Island into Confederation. His dream was the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway from coast-to-coast. John A. Macdonald was a great leader and, like all leaders, his triumphs were sometimes overshadowed by troubles. The Pacific Scandal of 1873 rocked the very foundation of his government. The Saskatchewan rebellion of 1884 divided French and English Canadians. Yet Macdonald did not despair, for he believed "troubles come as naturally as sparks fly." Macdonald's story is the story of Canada in the making - dramatic, tense, sometimes compromising, often humorous, and always entertaining.

Surveyor, fur-trader and explorer, David Thompson was the first European to descend the Columbia River from its source to its mouth. A partner in the North West Company, Thompson explored western Canada exhaustively, and the maps he produced became the basis for many future maps of the region. Thompson first came to Canada in 1784 as a clerk for the Hudson's Bay Company. He spent several years gaining knowledge of the fur trade, making extensive expeditions and learning the ways of the aboriginal peoples. After learning the use of sextant, chronometer, telescope, compass and nautical almanac, surveying became his primary interest. He explored new territory whenever possible, keeping detailed journals of his bearings and weather conditions, and charted all of his journeys.