The Reporter and the Winnipeg General Strike (Paperback)

Can reporter William Patterson handle the big, Winnipeg general strike story? Is it union recognition and demands for fair wages and safe working conditions? Or is it an attempt at revolution, as red-fearing opponents insist? Winnipeg is reeling from the Spanish flu and the aftermath of World War I. Now with the fear of communism and the deepening divide between race and class, the city is a ticking time bomb. As the strike reaches its violent climax, can Patterson confront his demons, expose corruption and report the truth

Toronto Advocate reporter William Patterson is sent to cover the Winnipeg general strike. He finds a tension filled city, reeling from the Spanish flu and seething with thousands of returned soldiers frustrated with unemployment and high cost of living. Are workers' demands for higher wages, improved working conditions and union recognition behind the strike, or, as red-fearing forces insists, the walkout is an attempt at Revolution and Soviet government. While digging for the truth, Patterson encounters an embattled mayor, resolute strike leaders, a tenacious women organizer and powerful strike opponents. With the local press and wire services fanning the flames of Bolshevism and the city deeply divided by race and class, Winnipeg is a time bomb. As the strike reaches its violent climax on Bloody Saturday, Patterson must confront personal demons, expose corruption and report the truth

Michael Dupuis is a retired history teacher, consultant and author. For nearly 50 years, his writing has focused on the role played by journalists in historical events. His previous non-fiction works focus on the Winnipeg General Strike and the Halifax explosion. Michael holds a BA in English and an MA in Canadian History from the University of Ottawa and a BEd from the University of Toronto. This is his first novel.

Michael Kluckner is an artist and the author of illustrated books including memoirs on farming, a sketchbook of Canada's culture landscapes, detailed histories of British Columbia, Vancouver and Toronto, and the graphic novel Toshiko about the Japanese-Canadian experience during World War II.