WINNIPEG – A new memoir from veteran journalist Reg Sherren is sure to bring back some memories for long-time Thunder Bay residents.
The broadcaster became familiar to Canadians through his documentary work on CBC’s The National and as a host of Country Canada, where he criss-crossed the nation telling stories of life in small towns and rural areas.
His work took him around the world, from the Persian Gulf to Japan, into war zones and remote communities. Along the way, he earned awards and the respect of his peers – Peter Mansbridge praised his “unique ability to weave fascinating detail into the fabric of the people and places that make our nation so diverse and so interesting.”
Before that globe-trotting success, however, Sherren came to Thunder Bay from his native Labrador as a self-described “22-year-old whippersnapper,” serving as an anchor with TBT News.
In his forthcoming memoir, That Wasn’t the Plan, the broadcast journalist shares tales from his career, from a ride on the back of a humpback whale to a journey down the world’s longest ice road by solar-powered car.
Readers will also find some local nuggets in a chapter dedicated to his time in Thunder Bay, when he met characters like former mayor Walter Assef and fellow broadcasters like Bob MacDonald and Rick Smith.
Years after decamping, Sherren still relishes returning to the city for visits.
“People just opened their arms and welcomed me in,” he said. “I can’t say enough about the people of Thunder Bay and the wonderful way that I was treated when I was here. It feels like home coming back home.”
He also reflects on the current state of the news industry, bemoaning the shrinking number of local newsrooms like those where he got his own start.
“There aren’t nearly enough of these places left in the country,” he said. “It’s very, very difficult for smaller media operations to survive in Canada, and that’s a great shame – it shouldn’t be that way. The more independent voices we have collectively in this country, the better it is for everybody.”
