Barry Samuel Broadfoot, CM (January 21, 1926 – November 28, 2003) was a Canadian journalist,

interviewer An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...

and history writer born in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

History

Broadfoot's first job at 17 years old was as a cub reporter who had to go to the homes of men killed in action in World War II and obtain photographs to run along with their death notices. At 18, he joined the Canadian Army and spent the next two years in the infantry. Broadfoot's historical research consisted of interviewing subjects, generally from across Canada, about their memories of their lives during specific historical periods such as the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. ''Ten Lost Years'', his first in this series of books, published in 1973, was an

oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people wh ...

of the experiences of people during the Great Depression. He collected the experiences, via taped interviews, during the course of travelling across Canada four times, subsequent to leaving his position with the

Vancouver Sun The ''Vancouver Sun'', also known as the ''Sun'', is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. Published s ...

in 1971. The collected interviews became the basis of ''Ten Lost Years'', a play written by Jack Winter, with music by Cedric Smith. The play, directed by

George Luscombe George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd President ...

, premiered in Toronto, toured Canada in 1974 and continues to be performed. In 1997, he was made a Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

, Canada's highest civilian honour. In 1998, Broadfoot suffered a stroke, which blinded him and impaired his memory. He died in

Nanaimo, British Columbia Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "Hub City," which was ...

, on November 28, 2003.Uncredited
Oral historian Barry Broadfoot dies

CBC News CBC News is a division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on the corporation's English-language operations, namely CBC Television, CBC Radio, CBC News Network, and CBC.ca. ...

, December 1, 2003. Retrieved 2016-08-17.

Selected bibliography

* ''Ten Lost Years'' 1973 ( Doubleday) * ''Six War Years'' 1975 * ''The Pioneer Years'' 1976 * ''Years of Sorrow, Years of Shame'' 1977 * ''My Own Years'' 1983 * ''The Veterans' Years'' 1985 * ''The Immigrant Years.'' Douglas & McIntyre, Vancouver 1986 * ''Next-Year Country'' 1988 * ''Ordinary Russians'' 1989

References

External links

TERASEN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD profile
1926 births 2003 deaths Journalists from Manitoba Members of the Order of Canada University of Manitoba alumni Writers from Winnipeg Oral historians {{Canada-nonfiction-writer-stub