What's On at the Library

If you were not one of the nearly 350 who were at the Appel Salon for The eh List's Extraordinary Canadians event, you missed a fantastic evening.

Those in attendance were treated to John Ralston Saul and Joseph Boyden in easy – and very engaging discussion about some of Canada's most influential people, Louis Riel, Gabriel Dumont, Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine.

Saul, Canada's foremost public intellectual, and the editor of the Extraordinary Canadians series (Penguin) took up his pen and provided portraits of the men he argues developed Canada's national character of constitutional democracy, non-violent dispute settlement, public education and most of what we treasure as the hallmarks of our civil society. Saul makes a very good case for these men in particular, and he makes an excellent case for the study of Canadian history for the pleasure of it! And Saul is not just an armchair intellectual: he set about hiring some of the country's leading thinkers and writers to create a series of biographies of 20 of Canada's most extraordinary people.

A case in point is Joseph Boyden's biography of Riel and Dumont. Boyden is one of the country's foremost fiction writers and one of the strongest First Nations voices in modern times. His linked novels, Three Day Road and Through Black Spruce leave many Can Lit lovers breathlessly waiting for a third novel; meantime, we can read his Riel and Dumont biography. Boyden seemed to argue that the Riel Rebellion helped to develop our national conscience, and that the two (Dumont and Riel) provide a remarkable balance between European and First Nations traditions, which remain as enduring aspects of our national character. Boyden's easy charm and Hollywood smile gave him the run of the audience, who listened attentively, asked great questions and lined up for an hour to have books signed.

Bill Hamade and his crew in the Baldwin Room pulled together some fascinating artefacts about the evening subjects, including Baldwin's last – and very personal – wishes, his 'laptop' (portable desk) and Riel's manifesto. Hundreds peered into the display cases to witness Canadian history and biography up-front. All were intrigued.

Add to all this very heady Canadian evening Anne Lederman, one of the finest Metis fiddlers anywhere, and top it off with a short, impromptu, guy-at-the-public-microphone singing a piece of an aria from Harry Somers' opera 'Louis Riel', and you have a Perfect Night Out at the Bram and Bluma Appel Salon.