20 — Friday, March 26, 1999 — North Shore News | Prairie boy looks back ai central city Winnipeg: Heart of the Con Layne Christensen News Reporter layne@usnews.cant WINNIPEG was to be the Chicago of the North. sway to the West and a bustling centre of trade an merce in the late 19th century, the Prairie town grew ata f rate than just about any orher burgeoning city in North Amen says Vancouver author and journalist Chnstopher Dafoe. “It grew very rapidly from two or three shacks out on the bald Prairies to a very busy and important trading centre,” savs Datoe, the author of Winnipeg: Heart of the Canrinent (Great Plains Publications, $39.95). Ina span of about 15 vears, starting with the great boom in the 1880s, fuelled by the arrival of the railway, the city became an important whole- sale distribution centre for Western Canada. As Winnipeg's agricultural trade prospered a new breed of mil- naires cropped up: grain barons. There were more mil- lionaires in Winnipeg than just about any other city on the continent, says Dafoe. “Winnipeg was going to be bigger than Chicaga, th thought. Ie didn’t happen.” In his book, Datoe traces Winnipeg’s growth from a small s dement at the meeting of the Red and Assiniboine rivers through the boom years of the early part of the century to present day. With the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 and the subse- uent rise of the port of Vancouver, Winnipeg’s importance as a istribution centre diminished. Winnipeg continued to be Canada’s third largest city until the Second World War, says Dafoe, a prairie boy whose own ances- tors played a central role in the development of Manitoba’s capi- tal ci The author headed West with his wite Nancy and young fami- ly in the late ’60s. They settled on the North Shore, in the Edgemont Village area, while Dafoe worked for many years as a “journalist with the Vanconver Sun. In °85 they returned to Winnipeg where Dafoe was editor of The Beaver, the Canadian history magazine. Since writing the book, Dafoe and his wite moved back to the coast where they now live in Vancouver's inent Photo Free Press JOHN W. Dafoe of the Free Press advised prime min- isters and influenced the shaping of public policy. ‘ West End. Says the author of his return to the coa ed to come back.” Family is here. Son Christopher is western arts correspondent for the Globe and Mail. Daughter Sarah is in the film industry. Their youngest son, Alexander, is in Montreal, studying journalism ac Concordia. Two sons in the family profession is more than Dafoe’s grandfather would allow. The legendary John W. Dafoe was a member of the Ottawa press gallery at 17 and editor of the Ostawa Journal at 20. He came west to make his mark and joined the Free Press in 1901, where he remained as editor until his death in 1944. Christopher Dafoe’s father was a newspaperman “for about 10 minutes” ~ just long cnough to satisfy the elder Dafuc, who already had a son at the paper, that one was enough, so Christopher’s father went into the grain business instead. Dafoe recalls the colourful era in which his grandfather stood at the helm of one of Canada’s leading newspapers. “He used to have to carry a pistol in the carly days,” he says. Disgruntied readers would “appear in the office with a horsewhip.” While at the Free Press, John W. Dafoe witnessed and chroni- cled many of Winnipeg's historic events — the influenza cpidem- ic that followed the First World War and claimed more fives than the battleficids, the General Strike of 1919, Bloody Saturday and the Great Depression. In his book, Dafoe recounts his grandfather's many accom- plishments including his rote in helping to shape public pelicy through his influence as special adviser co prime ministers Mackenzie King and R. Bennett. Datoe’s stature in journali circles, enabled him to artract some celebrated columnists during his cenure, the most notable by nston Churchill intend- The city has also given birth to many notable names, includ- ing best-selling author Raiph Connor, singer Neil Young and “30s movie star Deanna | n Winnipeg's prominence may nor be what it once was bur the city on the edge of the plains remains a very friendly place ro live, says Dafoe, who continues to write a weekly column for the Winnipeg Free Press, “One of the strengths of Winnipeg is that people all rally around and work together,” says Dafoe, whe saw this in effect during 1997's Flood of the Century. That there was no life Ie tament to Winnipeggers’ conmmitment to community, he foe is hoping for a strong turnout of expatriate Winnipeggers at the Vancouver launch of his book, 7 p.m. this Monday, March 29 at Duthie Books on Georgia and Granville. There will be a reading and book signing, and a buffet of region- al foods including Winnipeg corned beef and Ukrainian sausage. Photo Eart Simmons FREE Press carrier boys wear protective masks dur- ing the Spanish influenza epidemic, 1919. Proto Winnipeg Free Press WINNIPEGGERS pulled together to fight the rising waters of the Red River during 1997’s flood.