Particular thanks to Ihsaan Gardee and Barâa Arar for joining me in making remarks and answering questions. It was truly both a privilege and a pleasure. The time flew by. The questions were very stimulating – exactly the kind of conversations I had hoped the book would inspire, even though, unlike virtually every member of the media I’ve spoken with, no one asked me about no-time Stanley Cup winner Don Cherry.
Some standout memories include: a gentleman in Ottawa correctly identifying Janine as the originator of the idea for this book and asking her a question instead of me; my four-year-old daughter bravely asking me a question in front of a roomful of strangers in Toronto; and the story Maria Gruending shared, during her incredibly kind introduction, about having been asked to MC last time but getting passed over for Stephen Lewis.
Thanks to Books on Beechwood, Happy Goat Coffee Company, Ben McNally Books, the MCs Dana Truelove and Maria Gruending, my in-laws and the Kenworthy family for all their help in getting organized, and of course, my wife Janine for the tremendous work she put in to make these events a success. Special thanks as well to Rebecca Peng at ZG Communications for her hard work in making these events happen, as well as her help in guiding me through two op-eds, a podcast, and a dozen radio interviews so far while promoting this book. She is a true professional!