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Acknowledgements

As the writing of Uneasy Patriots took much precious time from my wife, Laura, and our children over the past seven or eight months, I thank them all. On many evenings as I worked at the kitchen table, I might as well have been absent. Laura’s advice on the various chapters was always useful.

I must also acknowledge my parents, both of whom long believed in the West’s potential and accomplishments. My late father’s confidence in the good judgement of the Canadian people as a whole never lagged throughout his life.

Special thanks must also go to Grant Kennedy, founder and president of Lone Pine Publishing, for the invitation to undertake this book, my first. His personal support and that of editors James Ogilvy and Mary Walters Riskin, have been at all times helpful. Thanks also to my friend David Levy and to Robin Bovey for useful advice on the editing front.

The House of Commons Speaker, John Fraser, when approached on the basis that I wanted to write a book about Western Canada within Confederation saw it as a legitimate function for a Western MP. He also proposed the solution to a conflict-of-interest sensitivity: all proceeds from the sale of the book will be paid by the publisher to the Receiver General of Canada.

Among the other persons who made the book possible was Danuta Rybicka-Tardif, a researcher-editor extraordinaire, who not only located and organized countless articles and other sources, but kept me on a time schedule when the spirit flagged. Canada itself is the beneficiary of Poland’s deteriorating economic and political situation during 1981 and subsequent declaration of martial law, because these events caused her to come to Ottawa in 1982 to live. Also Lise Saulnier, who typed and re-typed so many drafts of the entire book, never once upending her word-processor to protest the latest avalanche of changes.

For reading and commenting on drafts of the particular sections on which they are authorities: Claudette Cyr (Alienation); Chuck Day of Grant MacEwan Community College (Grant MacEwan); Maxwell Foran (Grant MacEwan); Hon. Eugene Forsey (Meech Lake); Professor Roger Gibbins of the University of Calgary (Alienation); David Levy (Introduction, Whither Reform); Hon. Grant MacEwan (Frederick Haultain); Christine Mander, author (Emily Murphy); Don McLean (Louis Riel); Professor Edward McWhinney Q.C., of Simon Fraser University (Meech Lake); Peter Meekison, Vice-President of the University of Alberta (Constitution of 1982); Professor Ahmed Mohiddin (Alienation and My West); Dr. Bruce Nesbitt (Alienation); Professor Brian Scarfe of the University of Alberta (Western Economy); Hon. G.F.G. Stanley (Louis Riel); Ann Sunahara, author and lawyer (Peoples and Japanese Canadians); Dennis Vincent (Bilingualism in the West).

For correcting factual errors in sketches in the original "My West" chapter, (much of which was later cut for reasons of space): David Bai and Wendy Danson; John and Eleanor Cross of Nanton, Alberta; Robert and Margaret Engel; Procter Girard; Peter St. John and Barbara Huck; Ian and Rae Jessiman of Victoria; Dr. J.M. Kilgour of Winnipeg; Kalman and Judith Kovacs; Ken and Joanne Manning of Calgary; Edgar McAllister of Summerland, B.C.; Patrick and Hilary Oswald; David and Joy Thompson of Onoway, Alberta; Fred and Yetta Turner of Yellowknife, N.W.T; Bud and Bev Wong.

For providing much useful material and assistance: Bruce Amos and staff, National Parks, Environment Canada; Louis ‘Smokey’ Bruyère and the staff of the Native Council of Canada; Barry Cooper, University of Calgary; George Erasmus, President, Assembly of First Nations; Kim Greenback, Alberta Energy/Forestry, Lands and Wildlife; Dr. R. Kimmett, Director and J.S. McLaurin, of Water Resources Branch Inland Waters Directorate, Environment Canada; Edward Manning and staff, Land Division, Land Use Policy and Research Branch, Environment Canada; Robert Newstead, Canadian Forestry Service, Edmonton; Edward Stanek, University of Saskatchewan Law Library; staff of the Library of Parliament; Charles Tarnocai, Land Resource Research Institute, Agriculture Canada; Susan Wolff, Canadian Parks Service, Western Region, Calgary; Canadian Forestry Service, Pacific Forestry Centre Culture and Heritage Language Departments of the provincial governments. It was not possible to include a chapter written on western environmental issues, again because of limited space.

There is little doubt that this book belongs mainly to those listed above. None is, of course, responsible for the views expressed in it except where they are directly quoted, or for any errors it contains.