Memories of “Mike” and Harrington Lake
A Lester B. Pearson Award Student Reflects on Canada’s Coming of Age (1966-2016)
EDITOR’S NOTE: In conjunction with Canada’s Sesquicentennial in 2017, members of the Manitoulin Writers’ Circle are crafting stories and poems to pay tribute to our country on this pivotal milestone birthday. The following memoir takes the reader back to that period just before Expo ‘67 when both the country and the Baby Boomers were coming of age.
by Margo Little
A cool April breeze was blowing off Harrington Lake as the Prime Minister, sporting a fine cut Maple Leaf Tartan sports jacket and clutching his walking stick, gazed across the water at the thick forest around his tranquil summer home. The occasion was his 69th birthday and he was joined in the celebration by visitors from his home riding of Algoma East which included Manitoulin Island.
In the spring of 1966 I was fortunate to be one of nine young people selected from the high schools in Lester B. Pearson’s electoral district to travel to Ottawa and witness the workings of government first hand.
Although tours of Rideau Hall, the National Gallery, the RCMP barracks, the Experimental Farm, the National Research Council, Parliament, the American Embassy and Carleton University were all memorable, it was the interlude at Harrington Lake that lingered in my memory. In my trip diary I wrote about the mood of that special day: “In the house we saw all of Mr. Pearson’s grandchildren. Michael was the most lively youngster and kept wanting his picture taken. Mr. Pearson had an old pole he had picked up to use for a walking stick instead of using the one he got for his birthday. He received several funny cards and passed his chocolates around. We all had Cokes while he lit a fire in the hearth. It seemed very cosy.”
At that time our young country was preparing to mark 100 years since Confederation and there was a communal sense that Canada was definitely coming of age and was destined to play an even more crucial role in international affairs. It seemed fitting that our Prime Minister would invite a teenage delegation to dine with him and learn how things were done in the nation’s capital. As Grade 12 and 13 students we were approaching graduation and the choices of work or university.
As youth raised and educated in rural Northern Ontario we led somewhat sheltered and insular lives so the opportunity to be the guest of the PM was very exciting. It was as if we were all family; after all, our national leader was known simply as “Mike” and he seemed very down to earth and approachable. When the invitation went out, I got the nod from Gore Bay High, Milford George represented Little Current, Vicki Farquhar, Mindemoya and Daniel Manitowabi was designated by Wikwemikong. Chapleau sent Robert McEachren, Elliot Lake, Mary McGurk, Thessalon, Alice Wolgemuth, Blind River, Regina Samulski and Espanola, Eric Ralph. Austin Hunt of Kagawong and Mary Macdonald, the PM’s secretary, served as our chaperones and guides for the trip.
Before we arrived at that 69th birthday celebration, Mike Pearson had lived a life and then some. He had been a soldier, a businessman, a coach, a scholar, a civil servant, a professor and a diplomat. He had participated in the Hague Conference on the Codification of International Law, the Geneva World Disarmament Conference and the organizing of the League of Nations. In the 1940s he served as assistant under secretary for External Affairs in Ottawa and became ambassador to the US. And in the 1950s he was chair of the NATO council and president of the UN general assembly. In 1957 he won the Nobel Prize for organizing the UN Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis. We regarded him as the father of Canada’s image as a peacekeeper in the world.
Looking back at the black and white photographs snapped on that momentous day in the Gatineau Hills, I notice that we are all looking to the horizon with expectation and satisfaction. Perhaps we all wanted to cherish and preserve the peace that was the hallmark of Canada in the mid-60s. Now as Canada reaches its sesquicentennial, the Baby Boomers have a chance to reflect on 50 years of life experience and to watch the current generation cope with a world we could never have envisioned during the lead up to the monumental Expo ‘67.
The PM’s hospitable gesture received some press coverage April 22-23, 1966. The Sudbury Star ran a photo of the lakeside gathering and noted that Mr. Pearson looked “relaxed” as he pointed out the scenic spots at his country retreat. The Ottawa Citizen took a teasing approach to the advent of northern Ontario youth to the big city lights. “Rural teenagers are looking pretty sharp these days if the nine Algoma East high school students who chatted with Prime Minister Pearson in his office Friday are any indication,” the daily said. “They fielded press questions, grinned for cameramen and met their leader with a disarming combination of poise and enthusiasm.” The Manitoulin Expositor documented the occasion with a shot of the Island representatives early on the Thursday morning before the long train ride to Ottawa. Beneath the headline (Island Students Visit Ottawa) the vintage snapshot shows Aus Hunt with two young men neatly dressed in white shirts and ties while the young women are wearing trench coats over dresses.
When we returned, I published my journal entries from the adventure in the Gore Bay Recorder. In an article entitled Journey to Ottawa, I described our experience watching Question Period in the House of Commons: “The members seemed to be poking fun at each other. Questions from the Opposition were quite often asked with tongue in cheek. Later one of our group made the inadvertent remark that the Government did not seem to be doing much work. Of course, that brought gales of laughter.”
Another highlight of the trip was, of course, dining with the Pearson family at 24 Sussex Drive. In my diary I recorded the gracious way we were greeted: “We were presented with red roses to pin on our dresses. My rose really stood out on my jade green suit. We went into the living room where we met Mrs. Pearson and also Mrs. Jeff Pearson (the Prime Minister’s daughter-in-law.) We were given orange juice to drink before lunch. Mr. Pearson was in gay spirits because it was his birthday. His wife gave him a carved walking stick and our group presented some Manitoulin maple syrup. The PM received several humourous cards. For lunch we had fish, potatoes, peas and ice cream for dessert. We all had place cards and the meal was lovely except for the confusion among many concerning the finger bowls. After lunch we went out to the lawn for coffee and saw a wonderful view of the river.”
In retrospect, I appreciate that we were very lucky to enjoy that intimate time with “Mike” and to get a glimpse into the family life at 24 Sussex and Harrington Lake. It was a precious encounter since he retired two years after our visit and he passed away in 1972. I can only imagine what he was contemplating as he drew us all together that day by the lake; the affairs of state undoubtedly weighed heavily upon his mind.
On Canada’s 150th birthday July 1, 2017, I will be remembering the nine young men and women who travelled by train to experience this life altering event; I can only hope that the peace of Harrington Lake remains in their hearts wherever they have journeyed in life.
