Christie Blatchford
Encyclopedia
Christie Blatchford is a Canadian
newspaper columnist
, journalist and broadcaster. She has published four non-fiction books.
, Quebec
, and attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute
. She worked for the student paper of Ryerson University
.
She worked as a sports reporter for the Globe and Mail, and as a columnist at the Toronto Star
, before moving to the Toronto Sun
. She remained at the Sun for almost 20 years. In 1999, she received the National Newspaper Award for column writing. She later moved to take up a columnist's job at The Globe and Mail
in 2003. She returned to the National Post in 2011.
During four trips to Afghanistan in 2006–07, she reported on the experiences of Canadian soldiers. Based on these experiences, she wrote the book Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army. The book went on to garner the 2008 Governor General's Literary Award in Non-fiction.
Blatchford's book Helpless: Caledonia's Nightmare of Fear and Anarchy, and How the Law Failed All of Us, an account of the criminal actions of Native Canadians in Caledonia, Ontario
, led to some controversy including several members of the student body of the University of Waterloo
protesting her speaking engagement and leading to its being cancelled on grounds of security.
In an article in the National Post
online on August 22, 2011, she criticized the outpouring of support resulting from the death of federal NDP Leader and the Canadian Parliament's Leader of the Opposition
Jack Layton
, calling it a "a public spectacle", and referring to Layton's "canonization
". This caused an outcry toward Blatchford herself.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
newspaper columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
, journalist and broadcaster. She has published four non-fiction books.
Life and work
Blatchford was born in Rouyn-NorandaRouyn-Noranda, Quebec
Rouyn-Noranda is a city on Osisko Lake in northwestern Quebec, Canada.The city of Rouyn-Noranda is coextensive with a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality and census division of Quebec of the same name...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute
North Toronto Collegiate Institute
North Toronto Collegiate Institute is a non-semestered public high school of over 1,000 students located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Toronto District School Board....
. She worked for the student paper of Ryerson University
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
.
She worked as a sports reporter for the Globe and Mail, and as a columnist at the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
, before moving to the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
. She remained at the Sun for almost 20 years. In 1999, she received the National Newspaper Award for column writing. She later moved to take up a columnist's job at The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
in 2003. She returned to the National Post in 2011.
During four trips to Afghanistan in 2006–07, she reported on the experiences of Canadian soldiers. Based on these experiences, she wrote the book Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army. The book went on to garner the 2008 Governor General's Literary Award in Non-fiction.
Blatchford's book Helpless: Caledonia's Nightmare of Fear and Anarchy, and How the Law Failed All of Us, an account of the criminal actions of Native Canadians in Caledonia, Ontario
Caledonia, Ontario
Caledonia is a small riverside community and former town located on the Grand River in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada. Haldimand County is in the western part of the Niagara Peninsula, and had a population of 43,280 in 2001. The current mayor of Haldimand County is Ken Hewitt; Caledonia is...
, led to some controversy including several members of the student body of the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
protesting her speaking engagement and leading to its being cancelled on grounds of security.
In an article in the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
online on August 22, 2011, she criticized the outpouring of support resulting from the death of federal NDP Leader and the Canadian Parliament's Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest party not in government in a Westminster System of parliamentary government...
Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
, calling it a "a public spectacle", and referring to Layton's "canonization
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
". This caused an outcry toward Blatchford herself.
Non-fiction
- Helpless: Caledonia's Nightmare of Fear and Anarchy, and How the Law Failed All of Us (2010) Doubleday Canada ISBN 0385670397
- Fifteen Days: Stories of Bravery, Friendship, Life and Death from Inside the New Canadian Army (2008) Doubleday Canada ISBN 0385664664
- Close Encounters (1988) Key Porter Books ISBN 155013096X
- Spectator Sports (1986) Totem Books ISBN 155013003X
External links
- Blatchford interview on The Hour with George StroumboulopoulosGeorge StroumboulopoulosGeorge Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos is a Canadian television and radio personality, best known as the host of CBC Television's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight and being a VJ for Canadian music television channel MuchMusic...