On Wednesday, December 5, 2007, in the Le Royal Meridien King Edward hotel’s grandiose Vanity Fair Ballroom, the CIIA Toronto Branch held an event entitled "Reflections of a Globetrotting Anchor." Peter Mansbridge, CBC’s Chief Correspondent and head anchor of The National, CBC Television’s flagship nightly newscast, humbly offered his reflections on his long and distinguished career in journalism, and his thoughts on Canada in general to a diverse audience of academics, professionals and students.
Keith Martin, President of the CIIA Toronto Branch, opened the event with the acknowledgement of another very successful season. This particular event was a special occasion, he noted, for the organization would be evolving into the new Canadian International Council (CIC). Mr. Martin then turned and issued a warm welcome to Peter Mansbridge and congratulated him on a decorated career, which has spanned over 40 years with the CBC, and saw him win 12 Gemini Awards for excellence in broadcast journalism. But more importantly, and speaking on behalf of all Canadians, Mr. Martin described the importance of Peter Mansbridge as a true Canadian, someone who has become a way of life for many in this country, and a key piece of the CBC, an institution that is part of the fabric of Canada.
Peter Mansbridge began by highlighting that an interest in international affairs had always been a part of his life. His father had had a career as a public servant for the British government and was also a former president of the CIIA’s Victoria Branch. As was one could expect from a master-storyteller, Mr. Mansbridge told his audience that he had chosen three stories that stood out for him over the course of his career. Together they deliver a powerful understanding of the way Canada is perceived by the rest of the world.
The first story he discussed involved a trip to Sri Lanka to cover the devastation caused by the tsunami that ravaged South-East Asia in 2004. He vividly depicted the time when he first walked along the shoreline of a city on the eastern coast of the country, which had lost over ten thousand people to the disaster. To pass some time between newscasts he began to kick a soccer ball around with a group of curious children who had gathered around him. While playing, he noticed a little girl off to the side and decided to walk over and talk with her. What struck him about this girl was that she recognized the Canada pin on his jacket and responded, “Canada is good.” Mr. Mansbridge learned later that earlier in the day the girl had attended a medical clinic to receive a vaccination, which had gone well. The clinic had been set up by three independent Canadian nurses who had decided to travel all the way from Canada to help out the tsunami victims for a couple of weeks as volunteers. As a Canadian, Mr. Mansbridge still remembers how proud he felt knowing that for the rest of that little girl’s life she would always associate Canada with "good".
The second story Mr. Mansbridge spoke about was his journey to the Netherlands, and the town of Apeldoorn, which the Canadian military had liberated during World War II. He had traveled there to cover the 60th anniversary of V-E Day, which occurred May 8, 2005. He recalled looking on with pride as five hundred thousand people lined the streets to watch Canadian veterans march in a parade, which perhaps for many of them, was for the last time. Mr. Mansbridge noted how the Dutch had never forgotten the Canadian role in the liberation of the Netherlands, which was an important piece of history taught in their schools and captured in numerous war cemeteries. Yet, what stood out for him the most at this event was watching a Dutch woman holding her four-year-old son as he received a “high-five” from a Canadian veteran. He decided to walk over and ask the women why she had brought her son to the parade. She replied, "Because I want him to see what a Canadian is." What struck Mr. Mansbridge about this reply was that there have been numerous debates in Canada over the years about "What is Canadian." Usually, he noted, Canadians respond that we are simply not American, or that we love hockey. However, in Apeldoorn, in a town located thousands of miles away in Europe, a Dutch women knew exactly what "Canadian" is – someone who had come to risk their life to help another in their darkest hour.
The third story Mr. Mansbridge discussed with his audience dealt with a trip he had taken to Afghanistan the year prior. He commented that when most people think about Canadians working in Afghanistan, they usually only think about the military. However, he pointed out, they are not the only Canadians risking their lives to provide assistance to the desperate population living there. Mr. Mansbridge told how he had met a twenty-year-old civilian Canadian woman working fourteen to fifteen hour days, six or seven days a week, in Kabul. Her job was to inform the women of Afghanistan about their rights under the new Afghan Constitution, and how times for them were different now. Born in Afghanistan, she had moved to Canada to flee the Taliban, and later attended McGill University. Upon graduation, she was offered numerous jobs in Canada, yet decided to return to Afghanistan as a Canadian to help the people living there. A very special woman and Canadian, Mr. Mansbridge noted.
Peter Mansbridge then asked his CIIA audience to think about his original purpose of telling the stories, which was to present an understanding of the way Canada is perceived by the rest of the world. The three stories together, he argued, presented a commitment to public service, civic responsibility, and an image of Canada as a positive force in the world. However, he also highlighted that this perception was delicate, for the world is always watching the actions of states like Canada regarding important issues such as climate change, global warming, and Afghanistan. Canada could have a huge impact on the world stage, he noted, but it had to make sure it was careful to respect and not abuse this perception, so as not to change this positive impression by the international community.
Peter Mansbridge then told his audience he would like to comment on the central debate surrounding Canada’s mission in Afghanistan: is rebuilding a country thousands of miles away really worth the loss of Canadian lives? To illustrate this he told of a tour he had taken of Canadian military bases in Afghanistan. He spoke to six widows there who had lost their husbands. They told him about how their lives had changed and how speaking to him provided an opportunity for them to talk about their difficult situations. This experience threw into sharp relief the cost of Canadian involvement in the war.
What troubled Mr. Mansbridge the most after talking to these women was that after six long years of war, over seventy lives lost, and billions of dollars spent, surveys of the Canadian people show that many do not understand the reasons of why we are there, and are unable to even find Afghanistan on a map. How could this be? Is it the government’s fault? Or is it perhaps simply that people do not care? Mr. Mansbridge displayed his frustration at the fact that two-thirds of Canadians did not vote in the past election, when he has witnessed people crying in other countries at their first chance to vote. This situation made him wonder if it was the media’s fault, and if they were not telling the story in a manner that Canadians are able to understand? The media, he noted, has spent a lot of money covering the war, in areas such as transportation to and from locations, and the training of people for harsh and distant places. Yet, this begs the question, is the media spending the money in the right way? Mr. Mansbridge commented that it was the duty of both he and the media at large to reexamine their approach to covering the news and work towards their goal of public awareness.
Mr. Mansbridge lightheartedly concluded his speech by telling of his trip to Pope John Paul II's funeral in Rome, where he received a visit from a representative of the Vatican, asking him to stand beside John Paul's body for a private moment. Upon arriving at the Vatican, Mr. Mansbridge was asked to go up to the Pope’s body, where he stood for no more that thirty seconds, and thought silently about the man’s impact on the world. He then thanked the Vatican envoy and left. Shortly thereafter he was stopped by a man who congratulated him on his "dramatic moment" with the Pope, which he had just witnessed on television. Mr. Mansbridge jokingly recalled learning later that day that CNN International had filmed his attendance at the Pope’s side and mistakenly identified him as the President of Poland. This brought a roar of laughter from the CIIA audience and himself.
The question and answer period generated many insightful comments and questions. This included a discussion of the responsibility of the media, with an impending national election, to ask important questions that reflect the views of all Canadians; how the media can reengage Canadians with a renewed interest in politics; and what Mr. Mansbridge personally thought about the perception that politicians have failed to bring up the topic of Darfur in their discussions about foreign affairs.
Richard O'Hagan, a member of the Board of the CBC, concluded the event by presenting Peter Mansbridge with an award for his decorated career in journalism. Mr. Mansbridge, he noted, is a master storyteller who possesses a sympathetic mind and reflects the best qualities of what it means to be Canadian. The CIIA was particularly grateful to have him at their final meeting. It had been a special privilege for all in attendance to hear him speak about his fascinating adventures around the world.
