Peter c newman biography

Peter C Newman with Stevie Cameron, Canadian journalists, friends. Photo taken February 2012, credit Gerry Fraiberg

Seeing Canadian icon Peter C. Newman around town was a “Wow!” moment. It was late 2012, during a local author event at Greenley’s bookstore in downtown Belleville, when in walked Peter in a dapper suit jacket and his unmistakable sailor cap. He quietly made his way around the room, mixing with the crowd and donning a school boy smile to everyone, before being warmly greeted by local historian Gerry Boyce.

I continued to see him around town, but I didn’t approach and get his picture or autograph, or even say “hello.”

That changed when I was working at the local courthouse and Peter walked in asking for a court date about a minor traffic offense. We talked at length about his writing, and then I asked if he would sign some of his books when he returned for his court date. He said he would and he did, even giving me his business card.

Years after that first encounter, I set out to discover: “What is Peter C. Newman doing living here in Belleville?” 

Born in Vienna Austria in 1929, Peta Karel Neumann emigrated from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to Canada in 1940 as a Jewish refugee. He credits his father and this move as saving his life. After graduating from Upper Canada College, he joined the Canadian Navy Reserves, moving up the ranks to Captain. He is passionate about Canadian culture, and was editor of Toronto Star and Maclean’s. In 1978 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, and promoted to Companion in 1990. Recipient of seven honourary degrees and author of 36 books on Canadian history, businesses and politics, including his 2005 autobiography Here Be Dragons that spans an impressive 733 pages, he seems more Canadian than many born here.

I started my inquiry with his wife Alvy (Bjorklund) Newman, who has an impeccable memory, recounting stories in great detail from 20 years ago when they met an

In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar

NEWMAN, Peter Charles - Born in Vienna, Austria, Newman emigrated from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia to Canada in 1940 as a Jewish refugee. His parents were Wanda Maria and Oscar Karel Neumann, a self-made wealthy factory owner. Newman was educated at Upper Canada College, where he was a member of Seaton's House, and the University of Toronto. He was a reporter for the Financial Post, served as editor of the Toronto Star, and was the long-time editor of Maclean's, stewarding its transformation from a general interest magazine to a weekly news magazine. In 1978 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada (OC), and was promoted to the rank of Companion (CC) in 1990.

Newman was widely respected for his intimate knowledge and understanding of Canadian business leaders. His 1975 book The Canadian Establishment was widely acclaimed. Newman made his name as an author in the 1960s with the publication of two books: Renegade in Power: The Diefenbaker Years (1963), a study of the government of John Diefenbaker that some say helped destroy the Tory leader's career, and The Distemper of Our Times (1968), an examination of Canadian politics during the era of Lester Pearson.

On September 12, 2005, Newman announced the publication of The Secret Mulroney Tapes: Unguarded Confessions of a Prime Minister, a biography of former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney, whom he considered a friend. The information released to the press contained several surprising revelations, including an allegation by Mulroney that Pierre Trudeau's contribution "was not to build Canada but to destroy it." Later the same day, Mulroney issued a press release stating he felt "devastated" and "betrayed&quo

Canadian journalist and writer (1929–2023)

Peter Charles NewmanCC CD (born Petr Karel Neumann; May 10, 1929 – September 7, 2023) was a Canadian journalist, editor and author. He interviewed and wrote about every Canadian prime minister from Louis St. Laurent (1948–1957) to Paul Martin (2003–2006). His three-volume series on The Canadian Establishment helped set new standards for business reporting, while his three-volume history of the Hudson's Bay Company provided a comprehensive account of Canada's early beginnings as an international fur-trading nation.

Newman served as editor-in-chief at both the Toronto Star and Maclean's, the latter of which he transformed from a money-losing monthly magazine into a lively newsweekly that published some of the country's most talented journalists.

His half-dozen literary awards include the Drainie-Taylor Biography Prize for his 2004 autobiography Here Be Dragons: Telling Tales of People, Passion and Power.

In 1990, when Newman was promoted to the rank of Companion of the Order of Canada, his citation read: "Chronicler of our past and interpreter of our present, his popular histories and biographies continue to capture the imagination, bringing to life people, places and events that have shaped our great country."

Early life

Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1929, Newman immigrated to Canada from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia Oskar Karel Neumann, a wealthy self-made factory owner. The family escaped German dive bombing at Biarritz in France as they left Europe and U-boat attacks on their convoy before they arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax in September 1940. He was educated at Upper Canada College, where he was a member of Seaton's House, and the University of Toronto. Newman joined the Royal Canadian Navy reserve in 1947 as an ordinary seaman and later reached the r