The journalist and author David Spaner discusses his new book Solidarity: Canada’s Unknown Revolution of 1983 (Ronsdale Press, 2021), with Joseph Planta.

Solidarity: Canada’s Unknown Revolution of 1983 by David Spaner (Ronsdale Press, 2021). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Solidarity

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

One of the more engaging books of the season, a terrific book of history, is the latest by David Spaner. It’s called Solidarity: Canada’s Unknown Revolution of 1983. It looks at what happened in British Columbia following the spring re-election of the Social Credit Party. It’s Premier Bill Bennett’s third election victory, and soon a raft of legislation is proposed, some twenty-six bills. If you go to see some of the old Jack Webster, BCTV shows on YouTube, that September as he returns to the air, he refers to it all as Bennett’s “Master Plan.” It’s not hyperbole, as we read in David’s book, the legislation is right-wing, neo-conservative in nature, slashing spending throughout the government, undermining unions, and marginalising minorities. Soon a resistance movement emerges, bringing together trade unionists, activists, and people who’d neither protested nor been politicised previously. Mr. Spaner, who joins me now, provides the scene that summer, as a couple of public sector unions were on strike, the teachers, and the BC Government Employees Union. There are street protests, occupations, and plans for an all-out general strike. And going beyond describing day-to-day events, David also looks at the various people involved, giving the reader a sense of their background, and what compels them to get involved with Solidarity. Some have roots going back generations with unions or activism. Some do not. There are familiar names, like filmmaker Nettie Wild, as well Raj Chouhan, who’s now the Speaker of the BC Legislature, Fred Wah, Patsy George, Stan Persky, and many others. We meet the larger-than-life characters associated with Solidarity like Jack Munro and Art Kube. We get a sense in the book as to British Columbia and its unique political landscape. The polarisation politically between the left and the right is at its height, and election results bear this out before 1983 and later. The flashes of activism whether it’s the labour union movement, or environmentalism, or anti-war or anti-nuclear groups are chronicled, and we get a sense of the heady times from the 1960s on that sort of set in motion what happens in 1983. It’s a lively book, and important history considering Solidarity itself fizzles out by the fall of that year. I’ll ask David about that and more. David Spaner is a veteran journalist, who’s worked as a feature writer, movie critic, reporter, and editor for numerous newspapers and magazines. He’s also been a cultural and political organiser. He is a graduate of Simon Fraser University, and the author of Dreaming in the Rain, and Shoot It! Hollywood Inc. and the Rising of Independent Film. This new book is published by Ronsdale Press. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, David Spaner; Mr. Spaner, good morning.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (29.6MB)

Subscribe: RSS