An Unhealthy Place to Work?
Readers of bout de papier, particularly those now regarding a snow-swept landscape from a cubicle in Fort Pearson, may not be surprised to learn that a distinguished Canadian diplomat once declined a very senior appointment in the Department of External Affairs on…
James Joachim McCardle
Jim McCardle was one of the generation of officers whose lives and careers spanned many of the momentous years of the 20th century.
Georges-Henri Blouin
Georges-Henri Blouin passed away peacefully in Ottawa on December 27, 2007. A memorial service was held in Ottawa on January 3, attended by a large gathering of colleagues and friends who came to pay their respects to a consummate diplomat and a…
Down (Under) and Out in Canberra?
For most of the first half of the 20th century, notwithstanding the images projected during recent fits of harmony, the relationship between Canada and Australia was more often marked by political and diplomatic, as well as geographic, distance. Most notably at Imperial…
John Hadwen 1923–2007
The following is the tribute given by James (Si) Taylor at the Memorial Service on Friday, September 7, 2007. John Hadwen was a member of the senior editorial board of bout de papier and a constant supporter of the foreign service.
From One “Fantaisiste” to Another
John Benjamin Clark Watkins was born in Norval Station, Ontario, in 1902. He had specialized in Scandinavian studies at the University of Toronto and at Cornell University, from which he received his doctorate in 1944 (after working for more than a decade…
Peter Zalite 1942–2007
Peter Zalite, engineer, naval officer, entrepreneur, diplomat and docent, died in Ventspils, Latvia, on February 21, 2007. He was 64 years old. After a varied and successful career as a Foreign Service Officer in Canada’s Department of External Affairs, Peter took early…
Relief (Pitcher) in Hyannis Port
There was a new prime minister in Canada, who had promised decisive action (“Sixty Days of Decision”) on a wide range of issues, including relations with the United States, which had deteriorated under his predecessor. The American president, who had been narrowly…
Ronning Amok?
On New Year’s Day, 1969, Pierre Trudeau was interviewed by Norman Depoe for the CBC. In the course of their discussion, the Prime Minister casually questioned the justification for diplomatic representation in the modern world and he suggested that much of what…
Leonard Mader 1948–2005
Len Mader’s sudden death on March 5, 2005 at the age of 57 was a tragedy for his family and a shocking loss for his many friends in Canada and around the world. It was especially poignant because Len had recently retired…
