Sir John's Echo: The Voice for a Stronger Canada

by John Boyko

As Sir John A. Macdonald intended, throughout Canada’s history, the federal government has been the primary force in nation-building and crisis response. Because of its ability to represent all Canadians, John Boyko argues forcefully that Ottawa, not the provinces, must be recognized as the nation’s voice.

Genres: Canada

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2017

About the author

My 8th book, The Devil's Trick: How Canada Fought the Vietnam War, will be published by Knopf Penguin Random House in Canada and the US on April 13, 2021. It explores the largely unknown ways in which Canada was involved in the war and changed by it.

Sir John's Echo: The Voice for a Stronger Canada, was released by Dundurn Press in 2017.

Cold Fire: Kennedy's Northern Front, was published by Knopf Penguin Random House in Canada and the US in 2016. It was short-listed for the Dafoe Prize for Non-Fiction.

Blood and Daring: How Canada Fought the American Civil War and Forged a Nation was published in 2013. It was a national bestseller and chosen as one of the Globe and Mail's Best Books of the year. It was shortlisted for a Governor General's award for its translation into French.

My other books include Bennett: The Rebel Who Challenged and Changed a Nation, Into the Hurricane: Attacking CCF and Socialism in Canada, and Last Steps to Freedom: The Evolution of Canadian Racism.

I enjoy writing my Monday morning blog (johnboyko.com) and I also write op-eds for newspapers across Canada and entries for the Canadian Encyclopedia.

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why Canada Is a strong and stable country

[Dan Buchanan]

John Boyko provides a brief but sweeping review of the development of Canada as a state with strong federal powers. Despite the routine conflicts over federal vs provincial power, the fundamental strength of a strong central government is clear for all to see. It is a good time to state this clearly in a very accessible book. Sir John's Echo is a relatively short read and nothing like a history lecture, so many Canadians should have it on their shelves.