Category: Young Adult/Teen Publisher: Jackfruit Press
ISBN-10: 097364060X
Type: Non-Fiction
Pages: 54
Copyright: July 2006
ISBN-13: 9780973640601
He was thin, weak, crummy at sports … and so often sick with a bad cough that he thought he was dying most of his 78 years. His friends had to convince him to run as Prime Minister. Even then, he still often wondered if he was good enough to do the job.
Yet, Sir Wilfrid changed Canada in many big ways. He helped to attract thousands of immigrants to the West, created Alberta and Saskatchewan, established Yukon as a Territory, created a second transcontinental railway and started the Canadian Navy. He even changed the way toast looks today! (His government banned the mixing of margarine with butter in 1903.)
Most of all, Sir Wilfrid used his excellent skills as an orator and a conciliator to help settle arguments between the English and the French and established Canada as the racially tolerant and culturally diverse country that it is today.
He was thin, weak, crummy at sports … and so often sick with a bad cough that he thought he was dying for most of his 78 years. His friends had to convince him to run as prime minister. Even then, he still often wondered if he was good enough to do the job.
Yet Sir Wilfrid changed Canada in many big ways. He helped to attract thousands of immigrants to the west, created Alberta and Saskatchewan, established Yukon as a territory, created a second transcontinental railway, and started the Canadian navy. He even changed the way toast looks today! (His government banned the mixing of margarine with butter in 1903.)
Most of all, Sir Wilfrid used his excellent skills as an orator and a conciliator to help settle arguments between the English and the French and establish Canada as the racially tolerant and culturally diverse country that it is today.
Excerpt
Not Bad for a "Weakling"
Like many of our Prime Ministers, Wilfrid had some important obstacles to overcome. He was thin and weak--crummy at sports--and so frequently sick with a bad cough that he often thought he was dying. Do you think he craved the power that comes from being Prime Minister? Nope. His friends actually had to convince him to run as a Member of Parliament. And even then he wasn't sure he wanted to be Prime Minister. He often
wondered if he was good enough to do the job. Yet Sir Wilfrid stayed in politics for thirty-six years!
Professional Reviews
"Fabulously informative," Maureen Torino, Journalist
“Why is that guy on our $5 bill? Because he took risks, stood up to tyranny, and made friends of enemies. Fabulously informative and entertaining book.” - Maureen Torino, Journalist
Roy MacGregor, The Globe and Mail
"… Canadian Prime Ministers: Warts & All may prove to be an inspired way to get Canadian kids to dip into their country's past … The series is, in fact, a celebration of the flawed, something all Canadians of all ages might reflect upon in this time of endless elections."
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