Canadian American Relations

     Relationships between Canada and the United States are somewhat shaky as we begin 2018. While there have been rocky ones in the past, generally the citizens on both sides of the border are cordial to one another, especially in the northeast.

     I thought of this around Christmas when the CBC carried a story about the very large Christmas trees that have been sent annually from Nova Scotia to the Boston Common since 1917. That was the year of the Halifax Explosion and apparently the citizens of Boston were both helpful and generous when that disaster occurred, so a tree of thanks has been given every year.

     During the 1950s and ‘60s The Boston Globe carried a column dedicated to “Canadian American News” and you can learn more about it below.

Canadian Boston Relations

     For years The Boston Globe ran a column every Sunday under the headline “Canadian American News” and the first story beneath it in 1958 had as one of its subjects, "Christmas trees". The title is rather enigmatic - “Hard-Luck Notes Cut From Yule Trees” - and here is what it was about:

     “From Bathurst, N.B., comes a story that steps are being taken to stop the practice of attaching hard-luck notes to Christmas trees being shipped to the United States. The action was prompted by a statement last year by Lands and Forest Minister that unscrupulous adults in New Brunswick had tuned the idea into a full-fledged business.”

     The notes, usually relating the story of bleak Christmas prospects for a youngster, have reached American buyers and in some cases resulted in a flood of Christmas presents.

     Lands department officials, who admit there is no law against the practice, nevertheless are checking the trees for notes before they are shipped.”

That appeared in the first column on Dec. 7, 1959. 

     Each column consisted of a number of short items of local news, chiefly from the maritime provinces, but occasionally there were longer pieces about national politics. One learns from them  that the “magnificent Trans-Canada is expected to be done by Dec. 1960” and that Lord Beaverbrook has donated a skating rink to St. John. A school principal thinks that kids in Nova Scotia should go to school for thirteen years as they do in Ontario. Also in Nova Scotia, a school supervisor suggests that teachers have a witness present before wielding the strap. “It’s a matter of self-preservation to have a third person present. If a strapping is given and the parents want to make trouble over it, it’s just your word against the parents’ unless you have a witness.” There were also notices about parties and celebrations both in the maritimes and among the Canadians who had migrated to the Boston area.

   After just one year the headline, “Globe Canadian-American News Has Own Fan Club,” (Dec. 6, 1959) indicates that the column was popular. The piece includes a letter signed by hundreds of fans, some of whom indicated they have changed their subscriptions from other newspapers in the greater Boston area (this was back when there was more than one paper in a city and often more than one edition per day!)

     For most of the ten years ((1958-1968) the column was put together by the Globe’s Canadian-American editor, Leonard Lerner, who “had roots in Canada, and knew the country intimately.” One of the columns in 1958 covers the Springhill Mine Disaster and Lerner spent weeks there reporting on the rescue efforts. He wrote a book about the experience that was published in 1960 - Miracle at Springhill.  On Oct. 2, 1965 he suffered a heart attack and died at just 41. (His obituary is found in The Globe on Oct. 2, 1965.)

    When the column began on Dec. 7, 1958 it was announced that:  “The Globe begins today a new column for Canadian-American readers. It will run every Sunday and will include news of activity in Canada and among the local Canadian-American clubs.” There is no corresponding announcement when the column ceases. As far as I can tell, the last one was in the spring of 1968. Here are some sample headlines, but remember that many subjects and events were covered in each column.

“Disaster-Ridden Springhill, N.S.,Is Slowly Dying,”Boston Globe, Feb. 8, 1959

(“Nearly four months after this town of 7000 was belted by a mine disaster that took 75 lives, nothing much has been done to keep it from slowly dying.”)

“All Adult Indians Win Vote in Federal Elections,” July 17, 1960

(“Previously only about 20,000 Indians had been eligible to cast Federal ballots. These were veterans and their wives, Indians living off reserves and people in the Yukon and Northwest Territories.”)

“There's a Buffalo Hunt North of the Border,” July 24, 1960

“Exodus North From U.S. Seen Within Decade,” Nov. 4, 1962

“Whaling Industry Being Revived in Nova Scotia,” Nov. 11, 1962.

“Trouble Is Brewing Over Who Owns the Gulf of St. Lawrence,” Mar. 17, 1963

“U.S. Owns Too Much of Canada Says Professor," Nov. 17, 1963

“Outlook Bright as Pearson Starts His Second Year,” Apr. 26, 1964

“Franco-American Clubs Open Convention Friday,” Oct. 4, 1964

“65 May Be Boom Year for Across-the-Border Relations,” Dec. 27, 1964

“Work Started on Causeway Linking P.E.I. to Mainland,” Nov. 7, 1965

“Army of Skilled U.S. Workers Moved to Canada Last Year,” Mar. 6, 1966

“Canada's Prime Minister Not Top Paid Public Job,” Oct. 9, 1966

(It was the head of the CNR which was still owned by the federal government.)

“Election-Rigging Charges Shake Conservatives,” Sept. 4, 1967

“They're Not So Conservative Way Up North of the Border,” Jan. 7, 1968

“Swinging Trudeau to Face Solid, Stolid Stanfield,” April 28, 1968

     It is interesting to learn that late in 1958 colour television was going to be introduced into Canada, if it was successful in the U.S., and to find out that eight Nova Scotians wouldn’t be around to watch since they were killed while deer hunting (that, by the way, tied the all-time fatality record set in 1955). While many of the items are ephemeral (what band was playing at the Digby Legion), some are of interest to the social historian of Canadian-American relations. A few months ago I posted about The Times (of London) publishing compilations of articles and letters, and other papers have done so as well.  Perhaps The Globe could do the same and dedicate the book to Leonard Lerner, unless, of course, the relationship continues to deteriorate.