Pierre Berton

Born in the Yukon during the gold rush aftermath, Berton worked in northern mining camps before becoming managing editor of Maclean's at age thirty-one. For thirty-nine years, he was a beloved regular panelist on CBC television's Front Page Challenge.

Berton made Canadian history gripping and cinematic, writing monumental bestsellers on the Canadian Pacific Railway (The National Dream and The Last Spike), the War of 1812, and Vimy. Winner of three Governor General's Awards, he was celebrated as a passionate defender of Canadian cultural sovereignty.