Network: CBC Television Network
Broadcast Run: 1968
Broadcast Medium: Television
Aired Thursday nights during the summer of 1968.
Newspaper journalists Richard Gwyn and Peter Desbarats were the hosts of this unusual public affairs program that examined the diverse cultures between English and French Canada. But the editorial hook, as Desbarats stated at the time, was that history is often a matter of interpretation, written and taught to achieve certain ends.
Consequently, the 8-one hour shows had a variety of subjects portrayed in an unusual fashion. For instance, the first program, titled The Conquest, linked the battle of the Plains of Abraham to the recent visit to Montreal of Charles de Gaulle, who supported Quebec’s independence. This topic was framed by an interview with Quebec writer Francoise Loranger.
The second program, titled Confederation, the Politics of Survival, used a debate with contemporary Quebec and Ontario politicians, juxtaposed with a similar debate in 1867, the year of Canada’s Confederation.
The rest of the series had similar themes and examined topics from the Riel Rebellion in Manitoba, to How do you say Hot Dog in Quebec? which examined the challenge of American culture to Quebec.
Producer: Milo Chevostek
Executive Producer: Paul Wright
Written by John Corcelli – May, 2005