Carol Off

Like if you're a teacher, who was the teacher that inspired you, the great teacher that you had? I mean, in my own life, I started thinking about that.

Like in this job as an interviewer, people like Carol Off and Terry Gross and Peter Zosky and Jeff Gilhooly in St. John's.

You know, if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here right now.

Jocelyn Gould, the guitarist, is starting to think about that a little bit.

[gentle music] Hi, I'm Pia Chattopadhyay.

Patriotism is surging in Canada, and Carol Off has been thinking about the power and peril of that pride.

Later on, the former CBC host makes her case for embracing national identity without slipping into nationalism.

But let's start here.

For much of our history, Canadians have had an easier time saying what we are not than defining what we are.

Not British anymore, not American, and certainly not interested in becoming the 51st state.

But after months of annexation threats and economic pressure from US President Donald Trump, Carol Off says something has shifted, that Canadians are talking about sovereignty, independence, and patriotism in ways they haven't for decades.

Carol, of course, is a longtime journalist and the former host of CBC's As It Happens.

I don't think I'm alone when I say that I have never thought as much about being Canadian than I have probably in the past six months or so.

I think the same might be said to be true for journalist and author Carol Off.

You wrote a whole book about it, Carol.

We are glad to have you back in studio.

Yeah.

It wasn't until a 2004 interview with Carole Off that he finally admitted the truth.

The genesis of this massive cultural touchstone wasn't some, uh, sudden burst of divine artistic inspiration.

No muse descending from the heavens.

[upbeat music] Today on the podcast for the start, we speak with the man who designed the website hellebuycks.com. It's a website that's doing a live count of how much money Connor Hellebuyck is forfeiting as he sits out from the Winnipeg Jets.

We also spoke with author and longtime broadcaster Carol Off.

She has a new book coming out, the launch is in November, at McNally Robinson called True Patriot Love.

We shared some terrific audio from Blue Bomber quarterback Zach Collaros on why he loves Winnipeg.

Since she stepped down from CBC's As It Happens, she has been on the road, talking to Canadians about their country and listening to their questions about its future.

With her new book, True Patriot Love, she's ready to offer answers, drawing on lessons from the crises of the past 60 years that have prepared Canadians to seize the current moment and become a mature country.

We welcome back to The Start, Carol Off.

Carol, good morning.

And she said that Lougheed said to her, when she was, I think, a young articling student starting off her law career way before politics, or at least at the beginning of her political journey, way before cabinet, that he was a proud Canadian first and a proud Albertan second.

But is that possible? Does it matter? And if so, what does it mean? These are some of the questions that are at the heart of Carol Off's new book, True Patriot Love.

Carol spent decades reporting on Canada and the world from Quebec sovereignty and Western alienation to wars and genocide and the Canada-U.S. relationship.

You no doubt will recognize her name and know her work for more than 16 years as the host of As It Happens.

Isn't that neat? Putting a couple bottles of Realtuck under people's trees this holiday season.

I like that.

Carol Off has spent a lifetime reporting on Canada at moments when this country has been trying to figure out who the heck it is.

She's covered Western alienation, Quebec sovereignty, free trade, Canada's relationship with the U.S., indigenous issues, wars around the world, and as mentioned, more than 16 years as the host of CBC's As It Happens.

to take a close and important look at what's happening in Alberta's capital city.

Still to come later this week, journalist Carol Off, Jana Pruden, and our friends from Build Edmonton Metro.

We hope you'll join us.

Real Talk is hosted by Ryan Jespersen, executive producer, Josh Dunford, technical producer, John Hicks, general manager, Katie Cook-Chivers, account coordinator, Lawrence Derlegoe, Human Resources, Lena Shepard.