Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton (July 12, 1920 – November 30, 2004) was a Canadian historian, writer, journalist, and broadcaster. He wrote 50 best-selling books, mostly about Canadian history, culture, and everyday life. He also wrote about religion, collections of writings, books for children, and history books for young people. He worked as a reporter, a war correspondent, and as an editor for Maclean's Magazine and The Toronto Star. For 39 years, he was part of a TV show called Front Page Challenge. He helped start the Writers' Trust of Canada and received many honors and awards throughout his life.
Early years
Berton was born on July 12, 1920, in Whitehorse, Yukon, where his father had moved for the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush. His family moved to Dawson City, Yukon, in 1921. His mother, Laura Beatrice Berton (maiden name Laura Beatrice Thompson), was a schoolteacher in Toronto until she was offered a job as a teacher in Dawson City at the age of 29 in 1907. She met Frank Berton in the nearby mining town of Granville shortly after settling in Dawson and teaching kindergarten. Laura Beatrice Berton wrote a book about her life in the Yukon titled I Married the Klondike. Her son Pierre said this book gave her "a little bit of fame, which she enjoyed." At the time, Dawson City was very far from other places. In the summer of 1939, after visiting old friends in Dawson City, it took Berton one week to travel from Dawson City to Whitehorse. The only way to travel was by an old boat called the Casca, which moved slowly up the Yukon River. Growing up in Dawson City, which had once been one of Canada’s largest cities during the Klondike gold rush of the 1890s, helped Berton notice the colorful and unusual aspects of life. During his childhood, he met many people who had come north during the gold rush and stayed in Dawson City after the rush ended.
Berton’s family moved to Victoria, British Columbia, in 1932. At age 12, he joined the Scout Movement. He later wrote, "The Scout Movement was the making of me." He said Scouting helped him avoid getting into trouble as a teenager. He started his journalism career in scouting and wrote, "The first newspaper I was ever associated with was a weekly typewritten publication issued by the Seagull Patrol of St. Mary’s Troop." He stayed in scouting for seven years and wrote about his experiences in an article titled "My Love Affair with the Scout Movement." Like his father, Pierre Berton worked in Klondike mining camps during his years as a history major at the University of British Columbia, where he also worked on the student paper The Ubyssey.
War-time career
He began his newspaper career in Vancouver, where at age 21, he became the youngest city editor in any Canadian daily newspaper, working for the Vancouver News-Herald. He took over from reporters who had been called to serve in the Second World War. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Navy attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. On the same day, the Japanese Army invaded British colonies in Hong Kong and Malaya. The speed and scale of Japan’s victories during the winter of 1941–1942 surprised many. Berton said that from Vancouver, the war felt much closer than it had before. In February 1942, he saw Japanese-Canadian people being held in Vancouver’s Hastings Park before being sent to internment camps in the interior of British Columbia. At the same time, the federal government seized homes and businesses owned by Japanese-Canadians in the Greater Vancouver area and sold most of these items quickly.
Berton was forced to join the Canadian Army in 1942 under the National Resources Mobilization Act. He trained in British Columbia as a reinforcement soldier for The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada. This law allowed the government to require people to join the army for Canada’s defense. Until late 1944, only volunteers were sent overseas to fight. Those who were forced to join and stayed in Canada were called “the Zombies,” a term that was not kind. Many people thought these soldiers were cowards because they refused to fight overseas. Berton chose to “go Active,” meaning he volunteered for overseas service. By 1942, the Axis powers were winning the war, and Berton felt the opposing sides had very different ideas about the world. He believed he needed to take a stand by volunteering, rather than staying safely in Canada. His skills as a soldier earned him the rank of Lance Corporal, and he attended training to become a noncommissioned officer and later taught basic training as a Corporal. Because of his background in the Canadian Officers’ Training Corps and inspired by other soldiers who became officers, he wanted to train as an officer.
Over the next few years, Berton took many military courses and, in his own words, became the most highly trained officer in the military. He was told many times he would be sent overseas and given leave to prepare, but each time his overseas assignment was canceled. He earned a special training position with the Canadian Intelligence Corps and, as a Captain, was trained to work as an Intelligence Officer. After teaching at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario, he finally left for overseas service in March 1945. In the UK, he was told he needed to retrain as an Intelligence Officer because the training there was different from Canada’s. By the time he completed this training, the war in Europe had already ended. During his time in Britain, he dated a woman named Frances, who told him on V Day that she was pregnant with his child and did not want him involved, as described in his autobiography and biography. Berton never met his British child. He volunteered for the Canadian Army Pacific Force (CAPF), received final leave to travel overseas, and found that he was still not assigned to a combat role when Japan surrendered in September 1945.
Fame as a journalist
In 1947, he went on a trip to the Nahanni River with pilot Russ Baker. His story for the Vancouver Sun was shared by International News Service, which helped him become a well-known writer who wrote about adventures and travel. On February 1, 1948, an article by Berton appeared in Maclean's under the title "They're Only Japs." This was the first story in Canadian media to describe the internment of Japanese Canadians, and it included interviews with some of the people who were interned. Marie Suzuki, a teacher born in Canada to Japanese parents, was one of those interviewed. Her teaching job was lost because of the internment. Berton disagreed with the decision made by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King to order the internment of all Japanese Canadians on February 24, 1942. This included both immigrants and people born in Canada, unlike the policies for German Canadians, which considered each person individually, and for Italian Canadians, where only immigrants were interned. Berton's article also noted that greed was a big reason behind the demand for internment. Many people in British Columbia who pushed for all Japanese Canadians to be interned wanted to take their property for themselves.
War correspondent in Korea
In 1951, Berton worked as a war correspondent for Maclean's magazine, covering the Korean War. Because he did not fight in World War Two, Berton wanted to report on war and asked Ralph Allen, the editor of Maclean's, to send him to Korea when the war began in 1950. In late 1950, Berton wrote articles about two Canadian officers, Brigadier John Meredith Rockingham and Colonel Jacques Dextraze, who led the Canadian Special Brigade. These articles were very positive about the officers, and the Canadian Army expected Berton to support the war effort in his writing. In February 1951, Berton published an article about Rockingham titled "Rocky," describing him as a decorated World War Two veteran who was respected by his soldiers. The arrival of the Canadian Special Brigade at the front in February 1951 gave Berton the chance to work as a war correspondent. Berton arrived in South Korea in March 1951 during a critical time, as Chinese forces had recently captured Seoul and were preparing for a major attack in April 1951. This attack, called the Chinese Spring Offensive, involved the 27th Infantry Commonwealth Brigade, which included soldiers from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. After the Chinese offensive failed, United Nations forces, including Canadian troops, launched a counterattack that recaptured Seoul. By June 1951, the war had reached a stalemate, and peace talks began. These talks lasted two years, ending with an armistice signed on July 27, 1953.
During the stalemate, both sides tried to gain small advantages to improve their positions in the peace talks by fighting for control of hills. Berton wrote that Canadian soldiers were frustrated with this "war of the hills," as they felt fighting for small hills did not help the larger war effort. He noted that Canadian soldiers hated their Chinese enemies but had some respect for their fighting skills. They also had little respect for South Korean allies, believing they often failed under Chinese attacks. Berton wrote that Canadian soldiers respected British, Australian, and New Zealand soldiers but had lower opinions of the U.S. Army. He explained that many American soldiers were young draftees from poor or less-educated backgrounds, leading to low morale. Berton later criticized the U.S. Army, saying its mostly white and middle-class officers treated soldiers unfairly, especially Black and Hispanic soldiers. He believed the problems faced by the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, such as low morale, racial tensions, and poor relations between officers and soldiers, had already appeared in Korea, showing the U.S. Army had not learned from its earlier experiences.
Most Canadian soldiers in Korea used the term "gooks" to refer to Koreans, but Berton wrote about the suffering of Korean civilians. For example, he described Mrs. Sook, whose son was killed by North Korean soldiers in 1950 after refusing to join their army, leaving her alone and without resources. In an article titled "Seoul, the saddest city in the world," Berton described Seoul as a ruined city where people struggled to survive. He criticized the South Korean government under President Syngman Rhee for ignoring the needs of its people. During his time in Korea, Berton followed military censors' requests, changing a story about 60 American soldiers killed in a Chinese attack. He altered the description from "killed in their sleeping bags with their boots on" to "heroically killed in battle resisting the Chinese raid." Berton later expressed strong dislike for the censorship, saying his reports often included lies or half-truths. Despite agreeing to censors' demands, his focus on the harsh realities of the war led some to accuse him of being anti-war and pro-Communist. Berton later wrote that while he respected Canadian veterans of the Korean War, he believed Canada's involvement in the war was a serious mistake.
Editor in Toronto
In 1947, Berton moved to Toronto. At 31 years old, he became the managing editor of Maclean's magazine. During the 1950s, he wrote a series of articles for Maclean's that were later published in his 1956 book, The Mysterious North. The book described his experiences in Canada’s far north in a romantic way. Although the book sold only a small number of copies, it made Berton known as an expert on the far north. This led to him appearing on television as a northern expert. In 1957, he became an important member of the CBC’s main public affairs program, Close-Up, and a regular guest on the popular show Front Page Challenge. That same year, he narrated a documentary called City of Gold, which explored life in Dawson City during the Klondike Gold Rush. He also released an album with Folkways Records titled The Story of the Klondike: Stampede for Gold – The Golden Trail.
In 1958, Berton published his best-selling book, Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush. The book described the difficult lives of people who traveled to the Klondike to find gold, most of whom failed to become rich. It also described Dawson City, a town filled with bars, brothels, and gambling halls that gained a bad reputation. The book’s hero was Colonel Sam Steele, a respected police officer who helped maintain order during the gold rush. Berton’s childhood in the Yukon helped make the book feel real to readers, and many praised it for its authenticity.
In 1958, Berton joined the Toronto Star as an associate editor for its weekly magazine and as a columnist for the daily newspaper. In April 1959, he traveled to Cairo with a camera crew from Close-Up to interview President Gamal Abdel Nasser. When Nasser refused to speak with him, Berton asked the crew to make a documentary about life in Egypt instead. He said this experience helped him understand the world better.
In 1960, after the Sharpeville massacre in South Africa, where 69 people were killed and 180 injured, Berton spoke at a fundraiser in Toronto to help those harmed. He used his column to criticize South Africa’s apartheid system, saying, “The time has come for this country to finally take a stand on South Africa.” At the time, countries in the Commonwealth were divided over whether South Africa should remain a member. Berton argued that Canada should support nonwhite members of the Commonwealth and push for South Africa’s removal until apartheid ended.
In 1960, Berton tested whether anti-Semitism existed in the resort industry. He sent letters to 106 resorts in Ontario under the name “Sol Cohen” and then under the name “D.M. Douglas.” Most resorts replied that they could not accommodate Cohen, saying they were full, but most accepted Douglas. Berton noted that replies to Cohen’s letters were colder than those to Douglas’s. Only one resort, Green Gables in Muskoka, agreed to let Cohen stay. He wrote about this in his column, naming the resorts that accepted Douglas and refused Cohen. This led to discussions about ending anti-Semitic practices.
In 1960, Berton visited Japan as a Toronto Star columnist to learn about the country 15 years after World War II. He was surprised by Japan’s recovery, as cities had been rebuilt after being destroyed during the war. In Hiroshima, he saw pictures of people who survived the atomic bombing and wrote that the suffering there was as terrible as the Holocaust. He compared the bombing to the Nazi camps, which caused controversy. He also wrote about how traditional Japanese culture was changing, such as women getting plastic surgery to look more Western and Western music being played in places like Shinto shrines. By the early 1960s, Berton’s company, Pierre Berton Enterprises, earned $37,000 a year, much more than the average Canadian income of $5,187.
As a columnist, Berton highlighted the 1961 beating of gambler Maxie Bluestein by gangster Johnny Papalia. Bluestein was nearly killed with a steel pipe in public. Berton called the attack a “semi-execution” and demanded that police arrest Papalia, even though many witnesses refused to testify. He described the attack in detail, saying Bluestein was badly injured. Papalia eventually turned himself in because the case received too much media attention.
In 1961, Berton wrote a children’s book titled The Secret World of Og, based on whimsical stories.
Public intellectual
In 1962, Berton left the Star to start The Pierre Berton Show, which continued until 1973. In January 1963, Berton began writing for Maclean's magazine. Some writers, like Robert Fulford and Peter Gzowski, wanted him fired because they believed his columns were too light-hearted and not serious enough. In May 1963, Berton was fired from Maclean's after writing a column titled "It's time we stopped hoaxing the kids about sex." In the column, he said he would not object if his teenage daughters had sex before marriage, as long as they used a comfortable bed instead of a car. The column criticized how advertisements often portrayed sex in ways that encouraged young people to have sex. This caused many people to be angry, and some called for a boycott of Maclean's if Berton continued writing. Berton believed he was unfairly fired because the magazine's editors had asked him to write about controversial topics to increase readership.
In 1963, Berton received threats to his life after an episode of The Pierre Berton Show discussed the FLQ (Front de libération du Québec). The episode included an interview with Sergeant Walter "Rocky" Leja, a Canadian soldier who was seriously injured while trying to disarm a bomb planted by the FLQ in Montreal. The same episode also featured an interview with Pierre Trudeau, a law professor at the Université de Montréal. Trudeau said Quebec had not been treated fairly by the rest of Canada but criticized separatism, the idea that Quebec should be independent. He argued that the FLQ's comparison of Quebec's situation to Algeria under French rule was incorrect, as French-Canadians had not faced the same challenges as Algerian Muslims. Trudeau also said that if Quebec became independent, it would become a "banana republic," a term for a weak or unstable country. Berton's interview with Trudeau helped introduce him to a wider English-Canadian audience. Berton was known for inviting famous people to his show. In September 1964, during a visit to London, he interviewed the philosopher Bertrand Russell, the actress Vivien Leigh, the singer Noël Coward, and the actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
In November 1964, Berton focused an episode of his show on British youth culture, which had gained global attention after the Beatles became famous. During the episode, Berton interviewed members of the newly formed Rolling Stones, including Mick Jagger. When asked if he was a bad influence on young people, Jagger said, "I don't feel morally responsible for anyone." The episode helped spread awareness of the styles and clothing of the mods and rockers, two groups in British youth culture. In 1964, another episode of The Pierre Berton Show caused controversy when Berton discussed homosexuality, which was illegal in Canada at the time. He interviewed American homosexuals (no Canadian gays were willing to appear) but the episode was not aired again after receiving many complaints. Berton was also interested in the "Banks affair," a case involving an American gangster, Hal C. Banks, who took control of a union in Canada with government support. Banks' actions, including violence, were highly controversial. In an episode in November 1964, Berton asked Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson about the Banks affair, leading Pearson to admit that Banks had donated money to the Liberal Party in the 1950s, a claim Pearson had previously denied. Starting in December 1964, Berton began broadcasting a Christmas special from his home in Kleinburg, showing his family's holiday celebrations.
In 1965, Berton published a book titled The Comfortable Pew, which criticized the Anglican Church for being self-righteous, conformist, and hypocritical about issues like sexuality. The book encouraged the church to accept birth control, premarital sex, and homosexuality, calling for "real Christian love" that focused on people rather than strict rules. The book sold 100,000 copies quickly, earning Berton about $25,000. At the time, the Church of England was a major institution in English-Canadian society, and the book caused widespread controversy. The columnist Denis Braithwaite wrote in The Globe & Mail that Berton had become a central figure in Canadian media, appearing in newspapers, magazines, and on television constantly. He said that Berton's name was known by children, teenagers, and adults alike, and that his views influenced many people.
In the 1960s, Berton was a member of the Sordsmen's Club [sic], a group of Toronto intellectuals and businessmen who met for expensive lunches with women who were not their wives. Men could not attend meetings if their wives were present. Other members included Jack McClelland, John C. Parkin, Harold Town, George Fryer, Chuck Rathgreb, Arthur Hailey, and Ralph McCreath. Women who attended the lunches included the columnist Nancy Philips, the journalist Adrienne Clarkson, the singer Dinah Carroll, the journalist Barbara Moon, Joan Taylor (wife of a sports journalist), the broadcaster Joan McCormack, and the art gallery owner Dorothy Cameron. Philips later said in 1986 that the group formed because they wanted to avoid going home alone. A later controversy arose when it was revealed that after the lunches, which lasted five hours and ended on Fridays, each man was expected to have sex with a woman of his choice.
In 1968, Berton worried that his books on modern issues might become outdated over time. He noticed that his book about the Klondike gold rush, which happened in the 1890s, remained popular because it covered a topic that did not change. Berton also observed that few Canadian historians wrote engaging stories about Canadian history for the public. To address this, he decided to become a storyteller historian, writing books for a wide audience. His first book focused on the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in the 19th century, which he intended as a national story about the challenges of constructing the railway.
Historian
In 1970, the first book in Berton's series about building the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), The National Dream, was published. By 1971, the book became very successful with critics and readers. The second book in the series, The Last Spike, was published in 1971 and was even more popular with the public. The success of The Last Spike made Berton a well-known and respected historian, as he became the storyteller he had hoped to be. Because of the book's popularity, stores sold souvenirs related to it in 1972, which was unusual for a history book. In a review, American historian Ralph Hidy wrote that Berton's book on the CPR was a reliable history with few mistakes. Hidy noted that while Berton did not present new information, his writing was lively and kept readers engaged with exciting and suspenseful events. The part of the book describing the construction of the Rocky Mountains section of the CPR is often considered the most vivid and exciting part. Berton explained how the railroad workers had to dig and carve through hard rock in the mountains, a task that was very difficult, dangerous, and tiring given the technology of the time. Hidy wrote that Berton told the story of the CPR's construction well, showing why the railway, completed five years ahead of schedule, was considered one of the great engineering achievements of the 19th century. However, some historians, like Michael Bliss, criticized Berton for portraying the Prime Minister, Sir John A. MacDonald, in an overly positive light, even more so than another historian, Creighton, who also wrote favorably about MacDonald.
Like many Canadians, Berton found the 1970s to be a difficult time. The economic problems caused by the oil crisis in 1973–1974 ended the long period of good times that had started in 1945. The election of the separatist PQ government in Quebec in 1976 also raised concerns about Canada's future as a nation. By 1979, as a new decade began with more challenges, Berton believed Canada needed a new national story to inspire hope. He chose the War of 1812 as the subject of his new series. The first book, The Invasion of Canada, was published in 1980, and the second, Flames Across the Border, in 1981. Berton viewed the War of 1812 not as a war between the United States and Britain in North America, but as the start of a Canadian national identity. While most historians did not agree with Berton's interpretation, his books were very popular with the public.
In his 1984 book, The Promised Land, Berton wrote about the settlement of the Prairie provinces in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He aimed to show that the image of the West being settled by heroic figures was not true, instead focusing on the hardships faced by farmers who often lost everything due to failed crops. Berton highlighted the determination and hard work of settlers, offering a new view of the West as a place of perseverance. In 1986, Berton published Vimy, a book about the Battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917. His main idea was that the battle, in which all four Canadian divisions fought together for the first time, was a great victory because the soldiers achieved something many thought impossible: capturing the heavily fortified Vimy Ridge. However, Berton also noted that the battle came at a high cost, with 1 out of every 10 Canadian soldiers who fought at Vimy killed or wounded. He concluded that the battle would have been better if it had never happened.
1990s–2000s
In 1992, he wrote a book called Niagara: A History, which focused on the people connected to Niagara Falls. He also published a picture book about Niagara Falls in 1993. These books did not sell well, which signaled the start of his decline as Canada’s leading public intellectual. The reduced interest in his books was tied to the fading influence of the "new nationalism" movement he supported. In his 1997 book 1967 The Last Good Year, he suggested that the year 1967, Canada’s Centennial year, marked the peak of the country’s history, and that events after 1967 showed a pattern of decline. In a 2001 review of his book Onward to War in the Globe & Mail, historian Modris Eksteins noted that Berton’s writing style, which included critical views of battles and political conflicts, raised questions about whether history should still be written in the same way as older historians like Thomas Carlyle and Thomas Macaulay. Eksteins pointed out that Berton’s account of the past did not reflect the complex, interconnected nature of historical events, even though major changes had occurred over the century he described.
Honours
Berton served as the chancellor of Yukon College. He received many honors, including over 30 literary awards. These awards include the Governor General's Award for Creative Non-Fiction (three times), the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, and the Gabrielle Léger Award for Lifetime Achievement in Heritage Conservation in 1989. He is a member of Canada's Walk of Fame and was inducted in 1998. In The Greatest Canadian project, he was ranked No. 31 among great Canadians. In 2003, Berton was named Toronto Humanist of the Year by the Humanist Association of Toronto. This honor recognizes individuals who show dedication to reason, compassion, ethics, and respect for human dignity. In 1992, he was named a member of the Order of Ontario. In 1974, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 1986, he was named a Companion of the Order of Canada, which is Canada's highest honor.
Retirement
In 2004, Berton published his 50th book, Prisoners of the North. After this, he said during an interview with CanWest News Service that he would stop writing books. On October 17, 2004, a library named after him, the Pierre Berton Resource Library, opened in Vaughan, Ontario. The library cost Canadian dollars 12.6 million.
Berton had lived in Kleinburg, Ontario, for about 50 years.
In October 2004, he talked about using marijuana for fun for 40 years on two CBC Television programs, Play and Rick Mercer Report. On Rick Mercer Report, he gave a tip on how to roll a joint.
Death
Berton passed away at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto due to heart failure on November 30, 2004, at the age of 84. His ashes were spread at his home in Kleinburg. He was survived by his wife, their eight children, and 14 grandchildren.
Legacy
The Pierre Berton Award was created in 1994 by Canada's National History Society. It is given each year to people who have done outstanding work in sharing Canadian history in a clear and interesting way. Pierre Berton was the first person to receive the award, and he allowed his name to be used for future winners.
Berton's childhood home in Dawson City, Yukon, is now called Berton House. It is used as a place where Canadian writers can stay for three months with some financial help. These writers contribute to the local literary community by holding events like public readings. Before 2007, the retreat was managed by the Berton House Writers' Retreat Society and Elsa Franklin, who was Pierre Berton's long-time editor and agent. In October 2007, the ownership of Berton House was transferred to the Writers' Trust of Canada, which now manages the program as part of its efforts to support writers.
In September 2011, a school in Vaughan, Ontario, was named after Pierre Berton by the York Region District School Board. Members of the Berton family attended the school's official opening, where they met the students.
Pierre Berton was honored with many degrees from universities around the world. These degrees recognized his work as a writer and historian.