A journalist for more than 40 years, with stops just about everywhere, from Penticton to Paris to Peking. Managed a few awards and nominations along the way, but highlight was co-winning the Michener Award with my highly-esteemed Globe and Mail colleague, Andre Picard, for our coverage of Canada’s tainted blood scandal. Left the Globe, my reporting home for more than 22 years, in the summer of 2013. Have my name on two books: Rare Courage, containing first person-accounts from 20 veterans of World War Two, and The Art of the Impossible, a tale of the wild and wooly 39 months of B.C.’s first NDP government led by Dave Barrett. Co-authored with Geoff Meggs, The Art of the Impossible won the Hubert Evans Prize for non-fiction at the 2013 B.C. Book Awards. Currently investigating time management, without regular deadlines.
Mickleblog 
Dear Mr. Mickleburgh I love your blog on Jack Munro.
As you know all of the labour leaders from that time were a unique group of men, they all came from a background of extreme hardship and cared wholeheartedly for their fellow working man.
Jack was good friends with my Dad – Doug Evans. As children we grew up with all of them, they were family, strength in numbers – Jack Munro, Sid Thompson (unforgettable voice), Tom Clark, Walter Pookay, Don Jantzen, to name a few, and you are correct the labour movement will we never be the same without their leadership – they were help sent straight from Heaven. When someone would ask about my dad’s education he would reply “I have a diploma from the school of hard knocks”, they all attended that school, it made them what they were – fighters for safer working conditions and a fair days pay for a fair days work.
As children (8 in total) we sat through many shop steward meetings at sawmills, and helped my dad deliver donated food he collected for striking workers. The Local 1-217 used to arrange a member’s picnic with all the hot dogs and ice cream you could eat and races with prizes and trophies for all ages. A Christmas party with live entertainment was put together for every member and no child left without a present (at that time my dad knew that for many it would be the only Christmas gift they would receive). Dad referred to the union members as brothers and sisters and he lived it, all of that group did and let’s not forget the woman’s auxiliary, so dedicated!
My dad would remind us all that the company is only as strong as the employees are willing to make it, so go work hard and show the company that you are worth more than what they are paying you. That will enable them to be profitable and have something more to offer you in the future.
My dad passed over on January 9, 2014, and I am sure that Heaven won’t be the same with all of them gathered together at some sort of bargaining table.
Truly the end of an era
Gloria Evans
Gloria, thanks for your wonderful comments….of course I remember your dad very well as president of the Vancouver local after Syd retired…a really solid guy, who had a very direct way of speaking (as they all did!)… i’d read about his recent difficulties….but didn’t know he’d passed away…another good man gone….thanks again, you had a wonderful father, and your reminiscences are great!
Rod, please provide me with your email address. Christopher Van Twest
Hi Rod,
I’m working on a film called Why Young People Don’t Vote. I’d like to talk to you about it, but I don’t have your email. can you contact me : tort(at)shaw.ca
Radicals? Radicals? Yoo-hoo radicals? We’re you in Winnipeg in the spring of 1968, just before the first Trudeau election — for the conference of the Canadian Union of Students? I think you were. We need to talk. I have a scandal to expose that has already cost me dearly, so I have to be extremely careful of what I say. My little paper won the Michener exactly 25 years ago, and now I am subject to an injunction so extreme that I’ve done 10 months of house arrest merely for faxing a court exhibit to my (now former) Conservative MP. The new government will likely take up my cause, but I have to get the story out somehow without violating the injunction.
Hi Rod
How does one subscribe to your blog? Love your piece about the false alarm in Hawaii
Cheryl
Hi Cheryl…..thanks for your comment….you will find this funny, but maybe not surprising….i don’t know how to subscribe to my blog….my only advice is to try rooting around on the site….or ask Selby….haha……hope you’re well….Cheers, Rod aka Mr.Typewriter….
Hey Rod, are you there? This is Michael Chugani, SCMP. Remember me?
Rod— am hoping to send you something I’ve written. Can you let me have an e-mail address.
sure, John…..rodmickleburgh@gmail.com
Hi Rod,
I’m with the Nanaimo Historical Society and we very much would love to have you as our September 2020 guest speaker. Please email me at christinenanhistsoc@gmail.com if you’re interested. Thanks so much. Christine
I enjoyed your fine obit for Bill King in today’s Globe.
In the category of historical contingencies that make all the difference, the biggest failure of King’s political career had an unintended impact that will undoubtedly shape Canadian society well into the future.
You mentioned in passing King’s unsuccessful bid for the BC NDP leadership in 1984. At that convention, he was eliminated on the 2nd last ballot, and threw his support to the eventual winner, Bob Skelly, who was later crushed by Bill Vander Zalm in the 1986 election.
The runner-up in that leadership contest, David Vickers, returned to law, and was appointed to the BC Supreme Court in 1991. His most famous judgement was on the landmark Chilcotin land claim case (2007) which was eventually upheld on appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada in 2014, 5 years after his death.
There’s no question that the Chilcotin judgement was Vickers’ real mark on history, because the SCoC’s ruling has turned it into an important precedent for cases involving aboriginal title.
So I think one could make a strong argument that by snuffing out Vickers’ political ambitions, King set the stage for him to take a role that made a much bigger impact on Canadian society than that of a provincial opposition leader. (Given Vickers’ record and personality, I doubt whether he would have fared much better against Vander Zalm than Skelly did.)
Quite right, on all counts! I still believe Vickers would have won over the Zalm….but there was a lot of resistance to him in the NDP, so it became ABV….on the second last ballot, King fell just short of Skelly, so he was out and, as you mentioned, threw his support behind the hapless Skelly, or more accurately, against Vickers….a few more votes the other way, and King would have been on the final ballot rather than Skelly, and almost certainly would have won….and yes, Vickers was totally vindicated on his historic Chilcotin judgment….a great Canadian, and too little know…thanks for writing….!
Hello Rod!
Terry Hoffman here, a voice from the fog of the distant past. I’m glad to see you’re still writing well and interestingly. I read and enjoyed your book on the Barrett government. Keep on keeping on, young fella!
Terry
Hey, you are the only journalist that told my family tragedy correctly
I am Sonya’s sister
It has been 20 years
Hi Lorrie Anne….I would have replied before now but my computer had basically broken down…. I now have a new one…thank you so much for your comment….I have such memories of that terrible time and of Sonya’s strength, if that’s the right word…your comment means a lot to me…I hope you are well….Best wishes….Rod