Jim Watson

A father s death can have a tremendous impact on a child, no matter how old the child. But to a ten-year-old boy Brian McGarry s age, when his father died the event can affect the rest of your life. In Brian s case, it helped chart his life s course. Witnessing first-hand the caring and dedication that is innate to those in the funeral business left an indelible impression on Brian and, seven short years later, he found himself working for Charlie Hulse, of Hulse and Playfair, one of the most respected men in the City of Ottawa. From his humble start washing cars and delivering flowers, Brian McGarry rose to become CEO of one of most prestigious funeral/crematorium firms in Canada. Over the years, Hulse, Playfair and McGarry has served with dignity everyone from paupers to prime ministers nearly 78,000 families in the firm s 85-year history, 60,000 since Brian joined the firm in 1962. In A Life in Death, Brian relates the history of Hulse, Playfair and McGarry through both photos and stories, assembled in two volumes. The Album (hard cover, ISBN 9781897508534, $60) gathers together a rich collection of images from the firm s extensive archives; The Story (soft cover, ISBN 9781897508459, $30; hard cover, ISBN 9781926962498, $40) narrates how the funeral business has changed and grown since Charlie Hulse and Keith Playfair first started working together in 1931. From providing the first dedicated ambulance and non-denominational chapel in the city of Ottawa, to state funerals, crematoria, and successfully challenging the corporatisation of the funeral business, Hulse, Playfair and McGarry has stayed true to its community and its founding principles. As Charlie Hulse advised Brian on his first day of work, Don t forget where you came from, and I ll show you where you can go.

Book by Robert Fife, John Warren

A personal and insightful call to action and a much-needed book about one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world—the relationship between Canada and the US—and why diplomacy matters now more than ever before. All over the world, diplomacy is under threat. Diplomats used to handle sensitive international negotiations, but increasingly, incendiary Tweets and bombastic public statements are posing a threat to foreign relations. In The Art of Diplomacy, the former US ambassador to Canada, Bruce Heyman, and his partner, Vicki Heyman, spell out why diplomacy and diplomats matter, especially in today’s turbulent times. This dynamic power couple arrived in Canada intent on representing American interests, but they quickly learned that to do so meant representing the shared interests of all citizens—no matter what side of the 49th parallel they happened to live on. Bruce and Vicki narrate their three years in Canada spent journeying across the country and meeting Canadians from all walks of life—including Supreme Court justices, prime ministers, fishermen, farmers, artists, and entrepreneurs. They tell the behind-the-scenes stories of how their team helped bring Obama to Canada and Trudeau to the US. They also reveal the importance of creating cultural and artistic exchange between Canada and the US, of promoting economic and trade interests, and overall, of making a lasting positive impact on one of the most important relationships in the free world today. This politically poignant and heartfelt memoir is a call to action, a reminder that only by working together to protect our shared values—the environment, social justice and human rights—can nations build a better world for all. As their long-time friend and colleague President Obama once said, “The world needs more Canada.” At this key moment in history, when opposing nationalist and populist agendas threaten to divide us, The Art of Diplomacy reminds us to keep calm, to work together and to carry on.

Cute bat glides across the planet visiting children of all continents, his typical bat habits are spotlighted, and cultural children’s activities are exposed. What bat does not realize is that he is getting ill and spreading his germs to his friends en route. He learns how to get better and how not to spread germs.We are one. It arms children with the skills of being a responsible global citizen and engages their innate sense of wonder and empathy. Uplifting as it transports children across the continents, keeping them optimistic in times when we need to adapt to change, and creating a foundation for staying healthy, while touching on geography and the alphabet, and with inspiration from our big beautiful natural world.