Mel Hurtig (June 24, 1932 – August 3, 2016) was a Canadian publisher, author, political activist, and political candidate. He was president of the Edmonton Art Gallery. He described himself as a Canadian nationalist, while he also wrote several books critical of Canadian government policy.
Early life and education
Hurtig was born in Edmonton, Alberta, on 24 June 1932. His parents were Jewish immigrants: his father from Romania and his mother from Russia. An alumnus of the Edmonton Talmud Torah, he grew up in Edmonton and graduated from high school there.
Businessman, publisher and author
In 1956, at the age of 24 he opened a book store, Hurtig Books, In 1980, he started work on The Canadian Encyclopedia, spending $12 million on a comprehensive three-volume national encyclopedia first published in 1985. A second edition, which took four years to complete and cost $8.5 million to produce, appeared in four volumes in 1988. Much to the surprise of the publisher, the second edition was unexpectedly sold at up to a 55 per cent discount by national companies, roiling the market.
In September 1990, Hurtig published the five-volume Junior Encyclopedia of Canada, the first encyclopedia for young Canadians. He sold the company to McClelland & Stewart in May 1991.
Hurtig was an Officer of the Order of Canada, was granted honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from six Canadian universities, and was the recipient of the Lester B. Pearson Man of the Year Peace Award.
Politics
In 1967, Hurtig became interested in politics when the Liberal Party was looking for a new leader due to Prime Minister Pearson's impending retirement. He ended up supporting Justice Minister Pierre Trudeau's successful bid for Liberal leadership. He would leave in 1992 but the council survives to this day, albeit with a mission of social, environmental, and economic justice rather than nationalism.
In 1992, Hurtig was elected leader of the National Party of Canada and led it in the 1993 federal election. He ran in the riding of Edmonton Northwest, but with 4,507 votes and 12.8 per cent of the popular vote, finished a distant third to Liberal Anne McLellan. It was nonetheless the best showing of the National Party candidates in that election—notably, Hurtig was the only National Party candidate to finish ahead of an incumbent MP, namely Tory Murray Dorin.
- Honorary LL.D degrees from York University (1980), Wilfrid Laurier University (1985), University of Lethbridge (1986), University of Alberta (1986), Concordia University (1990), University of British Columbia (1992)
- Eve Orpen Award for Publishing and Literary Excellence, 1985
- Silver Ribbon Award, City of Edmonton, 1985
- Centenary Medal, Royal Society of Canada, 1986
- Alberta Achievement Award, 1986
- Toastmasters International Communications and Leadership Award, 1986
- President's Award, Canadian Booksellers Association, 1986
- Quill Award, Windsor Press Club, 1986
- Speaker of the Year Award, Canadian Speech Communicators Association, 1986
- Corporate Citizen of the Year Award, Community of Business and Professional. Associates of Canada, 1988
- Lester B. Pearson Man of the Year Peace Award 1988
- 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal (1992)
- Canadian Version of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002)
- Canadian Version of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)
Selected works
- Nationalism and Continentalism, 5 November 1981 speech at the Empire Club of Canada
- The Betrayal of Canada, 1991
- A New and Better Canada, policy statement for the National Party of Canada
- How to solve Canada's economic mess without raising personal taxes or increasing the debt
- The Vanishing Country, 2002
- Rushing to Armageddon, 2004
- The Truth About Canada, 2008
- The Arrogant Autocrat: Stephen Harper's Takeover of Canada, 2015
References
External links
- Mel Hurtig found outlet for patriotism through The Canadian Encyclopedia Globe and Mail obituary by Ian Bailey, 8 Aug 2016
- Mel Hurtig archival fonds is held at the University of Alberta Archives.