July 13, 1998

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Turn back the clock with Joe Clark

The other day they opened up something called the Walk of Fame in Toronto. There had been a hope, vainly cherished by some people, that Canada could be one of the few countries of the world without a Walk of Fame in it. But you can’t have everything, or not have everything, these days. By Charles Gordon5 min

World

Hong Kong's dreams

Somehow, Bill Clinton and Hong Kong seemed really ready for each other. The U.S. President had just completed eight gruelling days travelling around mainland China, and he arrived in the former British colony looking weary. Hong Kong, meanwhile, had just marked its first anniversary as a special administrative region of China without much hoopla—not because of political problems, but due to tough economic times. By DAVID BAIRD9 min

The Mail

Your choice of former Gov. Gen. Georges P. Vanier as the most important Canadian in Canada’s history is right on target (“The 100 Most Important Canadians in History,” Cover, July 1). In the 1960s, I had the honor of being on the household staff of the Vaniers, and if ever Canada had a statesman who was loved and respected not only in Canada but around the world, it was Georges Vanier.

The Nation’s Business

How could K. C. Irving make the list?

I’ve been hanging around Maclean’s for something like 40 years, but never realized how helpful the magazine can be. In the July 1 edition, with its usual dedication to what’s best for Canada and its customary dash of diligent research, Maclean’s picked the country’s leaders in every category over the past 100 years.

Canada

Canada's culture cash

On the afternoon before Canada Day, CBC president Perrin Beatty sat in his Ottawa office straining his voice to be heard over Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It, the infectious hit song by U.S. movie star and hip-hop recording artist Will Smith. The beat pulsating from Beatty’s desktop computer was blasted out over the Internet by Radio VBC in Vladivostok. By JOHN GEDDES7 min

WORLD

The shadow of 'Dr. Death'

Amid the placid Prairie breezes that sweep the streets of Provost, Alta., Deon Erasmus goes about his business like a typical country doctor. There are babies to deliver, house calls to make, local hospital meetings to attend. Rural medicine is a dream come true for the 42-year-old family physician, who, with his wife, Antoinette, left the strife of his native South Africa in 1991 for a quieter, more secure life in Canada.