The news this weekend that some goons defaced the family mausoleum where Pierre-Elliott Trudeau is buried (they spray-painted "FLQ" and so on) brought a couple of calls from journalists seeking a quick comment. Y'see, among my writings is a little text entitled Grave Sites of Canada's Prime Ministers.
I wrote it years ago on a commission from Parks Canada. Typically of bureaucrats (and I used to be one, so I know how it happens), when they got around to publishing it, they never bothered to send me a copy of my own work. And since I had my cheques, I pretty much forgot about it.
But in fact I now see it's a nice little piece of work, available as a download at http://www.pc.gc.ca/clmhc-hsmbc/pm/pdf/pm_e.pdf. You can read who is the only Canadian prime minister not buried in Canada and who was not amused to have Prime Minister Thompson drop dead while lunching with her. I have to admit I still have never visited the grave of any Canadian prime minister... but from the photos it looks like it could be a lovely tour.
And about the vandalism this weekend? Pretty much a non-story, was my opinion. Every society and every tendency includes some idiots; these ones hardly need the attention.
A word to journalists: I try to help, try to be available even. But if you need a quick quote, sending out an email ("please respond right away!") on a Saturday morning does not really exhaust the search possibilities a journalist should be capable of.
