Walter Stewart (journalist) facts for kids

Walter Douglas Stewart (born April 19, 1931 – died September 15, 2004) was a well-known Canadian writer, editor, and journalism teacher. He worked for many newspapers and magazines and wrote over twenty books, with several becoming bestsellers. When he passed away, The Globe and Mail newspaper called him "Canada's conscience."

Early Life and Start in Journalism

Walter Stewart was born in Toronto. His parents, Miller and Margaret Stewart, were writers and activists who also broadcast about nature on CBC Radio. He graduated from London South Collegiate Institute in London, Ontario, in 1949. When he was in grade 11, he and a friend became unpaid reporters for a local newspaper called the London Echo. They wrote a column that pointed out problems, especially with teaching methods. After that newspaper closed, they worked on their high school newspaper, taking turns as the main editor.

Stewart studied history at the University of Toronto. But after three years, in 1953, he decided to leave. He went straight to the Toronto Telegram newspaper. An editor there gave him less than half an hour to write about why he left university. The Telegram hired him as a reporter. He covered police and court stories and wrote about money matters. His time at the Telegram made him feel a bit doubtful about journalism. He later said that he learned journalism could be tricky, full of faking and making things sound bigger than they were.

Becoming a Feature Writer and Editor

After the Telegram, Walter Stewart became the picture editor and Ottawa reporter for Star Weekly, a magazine published by the Toronto Star. From 1968 to 1977, he worked at Maclean's magazine, except for one year back at the Star. He was sent to Ottawa and Washington and eventually became the managing editor of Maclean's.

Later, from about 1988 to 1992, he edited Policy Options. This was a respected magazine from the Institute for Research on Public Policy, which is a group that studies public issues without taking sides.

Stewart also taught journalism. He led the journalism program at University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Later, he held a special teaching position in journalism at the University of Regina in Regina, Saskatchewan. In the 1990s, Stewart wrote a column for the Toronto Sun newspaper that shared his left-leaning views, until it was stopped due to budget cuts. He was also a regular guest host on CBC Radio's As It Happens.

Walter Stewart's Books

Walter Stewart wrote many books, and almost all of them were non-fiction, meaning they were based on facts and real events.

Books from the 1970s

Stewart's first book was Shrug: Trudeau in Power (1971). It looked closely at Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and the Canadian political and media scenes around him. This book stayed on Canadian bestseller lists for over a year. He continued to write books that revealed important information about public issues, like Divide and Con: Canadian Politics at Work (1973) and Hard to Swallow: Why Food Prices Keep Rising and What Can Be Done About It (1974).

In 1976, he wrote But Not in Canada! Smug Canadian Myths Shattered by Harsh Reality. This book strongly criticized racism, feelings against immigrants, and extreme right-wing groups in Canada. His Globe obituary later said this book "angered many."

Other books from this time included As They See Us (1977), which explored how Americans viewed Canada. Strike! (1977) looked at strikes and how workers and bosses get along. Paper Juggernaut: Big Government Gone Mad (1979) criticized how the government managed big projects like the Pickering airport and Montréal-Mirabel airport.

Books from the 1980s

Towers of Gold, Feet of Clay: The Canadian Banks (1982) was a huge success. It stayed on Canadian bestseller lists for more than a year, selling over 70,000 copies. This long book criticized the Canadian banking system. The title refers to the Royal Bank tower in Toronto, which has windows covered in gold. The book was also translated into French.

Next, he released True Blue: The Loyalist Legend (1985), which was about the United Empire Loyalists. He also wrote Uneasy Lies the Head: The Truth About Canada's Crown Corporations (1987). With the outspoken Quebec politician Eric Kierans, Stewart co-wrote The Wrong End of the Rainbow: The Collapse of Free Enterprise in Canada (1988).

Stewart also edited two other books: Canadian Newspapers: The Inside Story (1980) and The Environment (1988).

Books from the 1990s

In the 1990s, Stewart again focused on revealing financial issues. He wrote The Golden Fleece: Why the Stock Market Costs You Money (1992), Belly Up: The Spoils of Bankruptcy (1995), and Bank Heist: How our Financial Giants are Costing You Money (1997). His book Too Big to Fail: Olympia & York: The Story Behind the Headlines (1993) was probably his most widely read book outside Canada. It told the story of the Reichmann family and their international property development company, Olympia and York.

A book he wrote in 1996 about charity caused a lot of debate. The publishers, Douglas & McIntyre, had to remove The Charity Game: Greed, Waste and Fraud in Canada's $86-Billion-a-Year Compassion Industry from sale because of a possible libel lawsuit. However, the book still helped start many discussions about how charities are run.

Dismantling the State: Downsizing to Disaster (1998) criticized the idea of cutting back and privatizing public services too quickly in Canada.

Stewart also wrote two fun mystery novels. These books, Right Church, Wrong Pew (1990) and Hole in One (1992), featured a small-town reporter named Carlton Withers. They were set in the Kawartha Lakes region, where Stewart's family had a cottage since he was young, and where he lived in his later years. He often wrote about his love for the Kawartha Lakes in his Toronto Sun columns, sometimes mentioning a fictional town called Bosky Dell, which he described as a beautiful, peaceful place.

Books from the 2000s

In his last few years, Stewart's books still showed his sharp observations and care for society, but they had a more hopeful tone. M.J.: The Life and Times of M.J. Coldwell (2000) was a much-needed biography of the democratic socialist politician. My Cross-Country Checkup: Across Canada by Minivan, Through Space and Time (2000) was a charming story about Stewart and his wife Joan. They retraced a trip they had taken in 1964. Joan drove, as Walter had never learned to drive, and they explored Canada at the start of a new century.

Stewart worked again with his long-time friend, Eric Kierans, on the politician's memories in a book called Remembering (2001). His final book, The Life and Politics of Tommy Douglas (2003), told the story of the first leader of the New Democratic Party. A new edition of the book came out in 2004, called The Life and Political Times of Tommy Douglas, after Douglas won a national contest to be named The Greatest Canadian.

Walter Stewart passed away at his home in Sturgeon Point, Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, from cancer.