Prairie Journal: Persons and Places of Western Canada

A.A. den Otter is a history professor at Memorial University of
Newfoundland and co-author of Lethbridge: A Centennial History.

Bob Phillips, journalist and publisher of Saskatchewan’s Western Producer, has compiled a number of his articles into an entertaining book praising the achievement of western Canadians. The subtitle is somewhat misleading as the majority of his subjects are from the Saskatoon area. The choices reflect the writer’s interest in the farm economy, as most are agricultural professionals, including scientists, economists, organizers, writers, and bureaucrats. Collectively, they emerge as ambitious, tough, and pragmatic people working hard to maximize the potential of the stubborn prairies. Above all, these achievers have made an important contribution, particularly to Saskatchewan society. Prairie Journal, therefore, is an upbeat book with barely a hint of the difficulties of farming on the vast plains, or of failure.

Most of the sketches dwell on biographical detail and only occasionally do they delve into the deeper thoughts of their subjects. But there are a few gems, for example when Phillips reflects on western alienation, suggesting the West wants recognition of its peculiar geographic isolation and a fair share of the exploitation of its resources. Elsewhere, he muses somberly on the ecological future of the prairies, wondering if they will survive the onslaught of chemical farming. Essays like these raise the book from light entertainment to some significance.