Browse Items (115 total)

  • Collection: Peter Desbarats's Collection

At St. George's School

Peter Desbarats reads two of his children’s books to young students at St. George’s school, titled “The Cornflake Conspiracy” and “Gabrielle and Selina.”

At The Government Store: A Connoissuer's Guide to London's Liquor Outlets

London, Ontario

Desbarats discusses the different liquor store regulations he had encountered in Quebec and Manitoba. In Quebec, one had to commit their order to memory from a list on the wall and recite it to the clerk. In Manitoba, one had to…

Australian Scene Strangely Familiar To Canadians

Montreal, Quebec

Part one of a six part co-series with Cartoonist Ed McNally about spending several weeks in Australia. Desbarats saw similarities between Canada and Australia. He found it erily similar to Canada, refering to it as the "other…

Beatles Provide Hardest Day's Night: 'I Love You, Oh Yeah, Oh Yeah, Oh Yeah'

Montreal, Quebec

Desbarats recounts his experience attending a Beatles concert at the Forum in Montreal, which was overwhelming and unpleasant in his opinion. The article is written as a series of updates at times throughout the afternoon and…

Berlin Wall Big Tourist Attraction

Montreal, Quebec

Discusses the tourist attraction of the Berlin Wall and the fascination of creating a dichotomous interpretation of East and West. He interviews and ex-East German reporter who points out that East Germany has done quite well…

Blunt Talk Against the U.S. is Now Beginning

Winnipeg, Alberta

He argues that western Canada used to feel less anti-American prior to President Nixon’s 1971 trade policy change. After, there seemed to be greater consensus between Ontarians and western Canadians, Winnipeggers in particular,…

Both Sides Trying to Confuse Issue of Wheat Subsidy

Ottawa, Ontario

The government was attempting to “replace the 15-year-old Temporary Wheat Reserves Act by the Prairie Grain Stabilization Act.” The Grain Stabilization Act was developed to support farmers who have poor harvests. However, over…

Canada Faces Russia Unsheltered by the United States

Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Russian Premier Alexei Kosygin were to meet in Ottawa the following week. Desbarats saw this as a unique meeting because Canada was usually involved in more collective bargaining with Russia…

Canada Lost, Canada Found

A negative review on Desbarats's polemic book "Canada Lost, Canada Found". Sheppard describes Desbarats's work as taking a rather cold and bitter analystical mindset whilst probing at the collective conscientiousness of Canadians at first, before…

Criticism Leaves Japanese Cold

Montreal, Quebec

Part four of a six part co-series with cartoonist Ed McNally about his three week stay in Japan. “Giri” is a Japanese concept involved with saving face when presented with a situation that may compromise one’s dignity,…