How Canada Works: The People Who Make Our Nation Thrive

by Peter Mansbridge, Mark Bulgutch

From #1 bestselling authors Peter Mansbridge and Mark Bulgutch comes a new book of first-person stories about the unique people and professions that make Canada work.

In this latest collection of personal stories, Peter Mansbridge and former CBC producer Mark Bulgutch shine a light on the everyday jobs that keep our nation running and the inspiring people who perform them with empathy and kindness.

Meet the 911 operator in British Columbia who sends help to callers in crisis and stays on the line, steadying them as they wait. Hear from the chief of the Neskantaga First Nation in northern Ontario, who sacrifices his personal time to fight for better resources for his community, which has had a boil water advisory since the mid-1990s. From the air traffic controller who ensures people get to where they need to go, to the midwife in Saskatchewan who guides families through pregnancy and the birthing process, these are the jobs that connect Canadians on both a logistical and personal level.

Though Canada is still very much a work in progress, this enlightening book celebrates how we are greater than the sum of our parts by championing the people that make our country great.

Genres: Nonfiction, Canada

240 pages, Paperback

Published November 5, 2024

About the author

Peter Mansbridge, OC, a Canadian broadcaster and news anchor, is the CBC News Chief Correspondent and anchor of The National, CBC Television's flagship nightly newscast. In 1999, he launched a new program, Mansbridge One on One, in which he interviews newsmakers.

Mansbridge was born in London, England but raised in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He lives in Stratford, Ontario.

Reviews

[Laurie • The Baking Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS - If you're Canadian, you'll know the name Peter Mansbridge. For those not in the know, he's a celebrated Canadian journalist and broadcaster who has built a long and successful career as the anchor of The National and the CBC News Chief Correspondent where he informed Canadians about what was happening at home and around the world.

How Canada Works was co-written with Mark Bulgutch, his co-author of 2020's Extraordinary Canadians. This collection of first-person stories gives readers glimpses into the 'everyday' jobs and careers of 28 Canadians from across Canada. From the air traffic controller in Halifax and the Neskantaga First Nations Chief in northern Ontario, to the high-rise window washer in Edmonton and the forensic biologist in Guelph, Ontario to the dairy farmer from Manitoba (which I found fascinating!) and many more, these Canadians share what their jobs entail and how the work they do helps to make Canada work.

Be prepared to be inspired, have your heart warmed with a sense of community spirit and your eyes opened to the wide range of skills and accomplishments these citizens bring to their communities that help to benefit Canada as a whole. While our country is still a work in progress, by working together and doing our part, it is the 'everyday' people who will continue to make Canada better.

[❀ Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband misses Peter Mansbridge on CBC so I picked up this book (luckily a signed copy) for him and have been reading a few of the stories each day. Like Extraordinary Canadians, this book shares snippets of people’s lives. This one shared insight into ordinary people doing the jobs that keep Canada going. It is great to learn and understand what goes into some of the jobs that we might take for granted.

[Christian · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm usually a sucker for easy reading canadiana, but this just didn't hit for a couple reasons:
- the concept of the book was centered around.how Canada works and the people in the shadows, but then generally still focused on the managers and bosses of the upper crust
- there wasn't much of a thesis statement that connected things. It just felt like a big meet and greet.
- lastly, to credit Peter Mansbridge as the author here feels like a stretch because every single chapter is a contribution by someone else with a two second blurb written by him.

Meh.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!! So many great stories and behind the scenes insight that each hard working Canadian shared.

[Jordy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book definitely achieved the goal it set for itself by providing insights into several everyday professions that are often overlooked. With no overarching thesis statement to convey, the book didn't prove to be much beyond a written career fair with minimal introspection or detail. The interviews that could have a unique vessel into delivering tangible insights of everyday Canadian lives ended up being no more than magazine style interviews with mostly middle if not upperclass citizens.

Overall, the lack of detail prevented this book from feeling very Canadian and instead felt generic at times. Also crediting Peter Mansbridge as the author is generous considering he only wrote a blurb before each participant told their own story. After all this bitching, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to quickly learn about new experiences from a lighter read.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t really know what to expect from this book and I really enjoyed it. I like how the people that they picked were from different places in Canada and were mostly unknown-no big names in here! Because of that, there was a personal feel to everyone. As a teacher, I would use this book if I taught a junior or high school class. It showcases several jobs in Canada that a teen might not consider or think of.

[Janet Hutchinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed each of these job scenarios. Things I never thought of that are involved in each position. I particularly liked that Mansbridge chose to interview women in what would have been thought of as “non-traditional” roles when I was trying to decide on what I wanted to be when I grew up. An air-traffic controller, a flight controller for NASA, a funeral director, a mayor - none of these would have necessarily been possible for a young woman of my generation At least not without a lot of doors being closed, or pushback. so good on Mansbridge.

[Wendelle]

Almost like a careers guide, this book contains a series of profiles on the variety and breadth of work roles across Canada.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The Co-authors were too humble in their epilogue thank yous but then again, the heavy lifting in this book were the people interviewed or writing about themselves. It was an easy read that helped me better imagine the lives of other Canadians, and we ought to do a bit more of that now that we have the most excellent of excuses to stop resting our eyes and attention upon American personalities and characters. They’re pretty, but vacant from our own experiences. Canadian aspirations may seem humble but we get what we get and maybe we should appreciate it more. It doesn’t not work, so it must work most of the time.

[Rachel Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Mansbridge’s How Canada Works is a captivating and inspiring read that showcases the incredible diversity and talent of Canadians across the country. Mansbridge masterfully weaves together stories that shine a spotlight on everyday heroes, making this book an absolute must-read for anyone who loves Canada and its people.

Two chapters stood out for me as truly exceptional. The chapter about Nanton’s Mayor Jen Handley was a personal favorite—her leadership, dedication, and commitment to her community are nothing short of inspiring. It was incredible to see a small town and its incredible people given such well-deserved recognition.

The chapter on the mortician was equally fascinating—a poignant and deeply human look at a profession that often goes unnoticed. It was both heartfelt and insightful, showcasing the compassion and quiet strength of those who support us during life’s most challenging moments.

This book offers a rich snapshot of the remarkable individuals who make Canada work, celebrating their unique contributions to our country. Mansbridge’s storytelling is warm, engaging, and filled with heart. I highly recommend How Canada Works to anyone looking for a deeper appreciation of the extraordinary people who keep our nation thriving!

[Jemima · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, which I finished in a few hours, although I felt that more could have been done to highlight the experiences of a wider range of people - not only in work that they do.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Mansbridge is a former anchor of CBC’s The National and Mark Bulgutch is a former CBC producer. They have put together a collection of stories of ordinary Canadians which have been written by the Canadian themselves (so it's in first person perspective).

The stories are varied and interesting and include a Scarborough funeral director, an Edmonton window washer, a Saskatchewan midwife, a parole board member, a small town mayor, a Montreal tour guide, a St. John's wedding planner, a Winnipeg mall manager, an Edmonton zookeeper, a Halifax hotel manager and more. I liked that the stories were about people all across Canada and were a mix of men and women. We got to know them and why/how they chose their respective fields.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2024/01...

[Derrick Grose · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of interviews with people from a wide variety of occupations with very brief introductions by the authors to each interview. There is some interest in getting a sampling of the wide variety of work that people do, and it is also of some interest to read about the challenges of their jobs and why people like and are good at their work. As the title hints, the book does emphasize the contributions of "ordinary" people, many of whom do work that may be taken for granted or that may go unseen or unappreciated. Nonetheless, I was disappointed that the authors did not deliver more in-depth analysis and insights to make this more than a series of somewhat random, light reading, magazine-type interview-based articles bound together in a book.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book gives brief descriptions of the work by various people working in Canada. Some reflect a typical day in the work life of that person and others are more broad narrations. Mansbridge is more the editor of this book as those workers he has chosen tell the actual story. DEI creeps into the book slightly, either mentioned directly or through those workers chosen in non-traditional roles. There also seem to be more high level professionals chosen, rather then blue collar jobs. I would have preferred more detail and longer stories with perhaps less chosen professions. Otherwise it is an interesting read.

[Jacob Elson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty amazing to read about 28 different Canadians and the jobs they work.

Well written, learned quite a few things about every day jobs like air traffic controllers, dairy farmers, skyscraper window washers and First Nation chiefs.

Would have been nice to have perhaps a middle part where Peter reflects on these various stories, but it’s also fine that he leaves that to the reader.

[Georgia Crossland · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it was a huge reminder that everyone and their work contributes to society functioning, and that no job is more or less important than another. I think it was great to read in a time in my life when I’m trying to establish myself a bit more, by reminding me that every work has value and is important to make the world go around!

[Hayley Chwazik-Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short essays about Canadians making their communities a better place was a quick and inspiring read! Two journalists from CBC compiled this collection which showcased the work of 28 ordinary citizens in a range of careers - baker, air traffic controller, hockey coach, farmer, and funeral director, among many others. I was thinking that this would be a good book for high schoolers to learn about a range of careers they might like to explore.

[Mark Steski · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy to read book about everyday Canadians and how they contribute to Canada through their work. These short stories contained a lot of interesting stories, many of them quite motivating. I really enjoyed the stories.

[Sonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fascinating look into the work lives of Canadians who do the jobs that keep things running smoothly. From window washer to air traffic controller to space operator to parole board member this was an enjoyable read.

[Brian Gaston · Rating 4 out of 5]

With all the negativity coming from our southern neighbours these days, it was refreshing to read about "regular" Canadians and celebrate what makes Canada so special. Everyday day people doing everyday jobs. Very refreshing.

[Sabina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the everyday people that were picked for the book and the variety of jobs that were represented - but felt some people were missing (those not in position of power). Also, sometimes felt the stories were tied to what the job was versus how it makes Canada work - lost the end goal at times.

[Ameena Goodine]

I really enjoyed the variety of people and jobs chosen to be highlighted in this book.

[Steven Beningo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book looking at the lives of Canadians who work in a wide variety of professions, such as acting, owning a bakery store, operating the Canadarm in space, and being a zookeeper.

[Debbie George · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of first hand knowledge of various Canadian occupations - the variety was great, the insight was fabulous. One could picture Peter Mansbridge guiding the stories along.

[Ralph · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, if not gripping, light read. Peter and Canada are synonymous, which informs this tribute to ordinary working Canadians.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not usually a fan of short stories as I really like to immerse myself in a book and its characters. This book was okay - some stories I found much more interesting than others.

[Laura Sawchyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it, fairly quick read. A compilation of short stories from a variety of people, professions, and perspectives. I learned some things.

[LDD · Rating 3 out of 5]

An alright read, nothing spectacular.

[Olga · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*
Nice easy read. Good book to just read a short chapter or a few at a time. Easy to put down and restart months later as each chapter is unrelated to one another.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ^^
I wish the stories were a bit longer and that there were some other jobs as well that are representative or more unique to Canada, like an oil rigs worker, fisherman on the coast, ski hill operator, etc. One thing that makes Canada stand out from other countries is its vast resources and the many jobs that have been created because of them... If I could read about some stories from those lines of work, I would have felt perhaps a little more of the Canadian identity and spirit.

I'd love to read more about First Nations stories from a few tribes across Canada as well. Overall though I enjoyed reading and it gave me new insights in some fields I didnt think about before, like what its like to be in the Canadian Space Agency, or even life as a window washer.