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Edmonton-based Hurtig Publishers submitted eight or more copies of Philip Sykes’ new nonfiction Sellout: The Giveaway of Canada’s Energy Resources to Ontario’s Toronto-based Ministry of Education following its 1973 publication. The Alberta publisher releasing beautifully presented, intelligent work digging for the nation’s soul then waited between two and three years for a response. The answer was no. A negative response from Central Canada, despite a narrowly positive majority ^[1] having emerged from its seven-person expert panel comprised mostly of paid independent subject specialists but including also one or two ministry chaperones. Could bureaucratic democracy have been expected with the province and country’s ‘obligations’ to the world community?

Britain born Philip Sykes died the year after publication in 1974 at only age forty-five. He’d already been editor of the Toronto Telegram for a short stint of twenty weeks, but also the Sunday Sun, Maclean’s and the Toronto Star. He knew language and of newsworthiness, had convinced four of seven reviewers to conditionally approve his treatise. Even the special bias reviewer agreed. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the panel decision wasn’t included with the Ministry’s rejection letter to Hurtig.

The above title, [not so] recently submitted by you for our consideration has been carefully evaluated and found not suitable for Circular 14: Textbooks.

Among the reasons cited by our reviewers were the offensive cover, unfair comments on certain politicians, too strong a bias against all government action and a closed ended approach to the topic. Although the book is a timely one it is seen to be suitable as a reference work only. It assumes too much a high level of background knowledge, vocabulary, and interest in politics for the average student. An index would greatly enhance its use a reference book.

February 17, 1976 ^[2]

AISLIN
One complaint was the paperback cover illustrated by Canadian News Hall of Fame inductee ^[3] and Order of Canada recipient ^[4] cartoonist Terry Mosher, pen name AISLIN, offended principal and patriotic factions. It was called offensive. Still, the cover immediately summarized a component of Sykes’ straightforward thesis.

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RESOURCE OWNERSHIP
Sykes’ concern was filled out on the volume’s rear cover with a quote from Pierre Trudeau era Toronto-Rosedale representative Donald Macdonald, and the summary.

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With all that oil of their own why do Canadians pay appreciably more for petroleum products, including their gasoline, than Americans?

Paying attention to North American news today means understanding the question remains relevant. The Globe And Mail ^[5] recently shared U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data regarding the massive amount of Canadian petroleum product imports compared to the next nine most important trading partners.

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Imports from other suppliers provide a combined sixty-four percent relative to Canadian shipments to the American economy. This sort of data is useful to international negotiations, in understanding leverage. Ignorance is bliss though. Knowing of these assets could result in less for some, or conflict. Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations and former Ontario premier Bob Rae recently scolded contemplative doves from his “X” social media account. ^[6]

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Before ‘losing it’ and storming Ottawa’s parliament for a second time under PM Justin Trudeau’s mandate, remember the article’s historical character, and that of the 2024 1st edition Canadian Mockingbird that it promotes. Here we’re critiquing the dated knowledge sharing tradition for only a cluster business verticals related to crude oil extraction and refining. Of course a lot rides on those industries.

Without becoming emotional and defensive, Canada is home to an advanced and complex economy. Some of its sectors, such as the information economy, today benefit from a greater share of available human resources more knowledgeable of economic subjects. If the province can’t or won’t explain, students and their parents are more empowered than ever to locate information, reinterpret or build their own narratives, to dialogue. If advantageous, they assuredly will.

OTHER RESERVATIONS
Hurtig’s publication carried other problems. The publisher hadn’t provided an index, no minor complaint. How would today’s students navigate the Internet without search? Nonetheless the panel chose Sellout as a textbook. It included a table of contents to eleven chapters, an epilogue and a bibliography. Presumably most grade ten or eleven students could have read the book, had they been assigned chapters. Keep in mind also that in 1976 there were thirteen grades, the last of which was comparable to first year university at least with its attendees being eighteen or nineteen years of age.

There was a greater issue. A panelist alleged that the content was all too much for the public, Catholic and residential students. The Ministry appeared to agree with the sentiment given the rationale’s inclusion in the formal rejection letter to Alberta. Maybe there was a subtle embedded message. Please Mel, Ontario can’t expect such a “high level of background knowledge, vocabulary, and interest in politics” from the pupils. We’re not sure about the teachers, but we’d rather they didn’t explain nor spark an interest. We have our inspectors on the case.

Who really owns the oil and other resource assets, the return from their sale? Back then, a couple of generations ago, we graduated from our schools with little understanding because education system managers chose not to share. The treatment Sellout received was not a singular brush under the carpet but a phenomenon. Other authors and publishers had attempted to scale the brickish wall and explain Canadian petro economics only to be similarly held back.

Notes
[1] Four of seven.
[2] Archives of Ontario, Circular 14 Textbook evaluation reports, Textbooks rejected as ineligible and Textbooks rejected after evaluation, B137784.
[3] 1985.
[4] 2002.
[5] Morrow, Andrew. “As Trump pledges tariffs, here are five things we know so far,” The Globe And Mail. November 26, 2024.
[6] Bob Rae, https://x.com/BobRae48, December 28, 2024
[7] The evaluation review’s header photograph depicts President Gerald Ford with Minister Donald Macdonald and others at Libby Dam, Montana in 1975. The photographer’s name was not provided by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration according to previous user Wikipedia.

Formatting update January 6 and 21, 2025

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Jeremy Tompkins’Canadian Mockingbird: Exposing Censorship and Textbook-Mediated Social Engineering, the nonfiction book describing covert public, Catholic and residential school textbook censorship during Baby Boomer and Generation X eras is now available. The program regularly dismissed panel consensus of paid subject specialists by ignoring domestic and international protections.