In conjunction with this essay I wrote for the Toronto section of the Globe and Mail, I cut together a short film about snow-clearing on the Martin Goodman trail. The film is about the runners, cyclists and pedestrians who use the lakeshore trail in the winter, and the way this season's snow-clearing has changed their lives. Thanks to everyone who participated. Take a look and let me know what you think!
Contact
- Writer, reader, runner
Toronto, Ontario
Email: chris at shulgan dot com
About me
Books I'm reading
Facebook profile
YouTube Channel: cshulgan
My book
Shortlisted for the National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction.
The Soviet Ambassador: The Making of the Radical Behind Perestroika
How diplomacy and a decade-long exile in Ottawa transformed Mikhail Gorbachev's trusted advisor, Aleksandr N. Yakovlev, into the most potent force for freedom and democracy ever to walk the corridors of the Kremlin.
Published by McClelland & Stewart.
Praise for The Soviet Ambassador
- "Peasant, war hero, Communist party apparatchik, eminence grise of Mikhail Gorbachev—Aleksandr Yakovlev well deserves a biography. The extra virtue of Christopher Shulgan's lively, well-written book is that it focuses on Canada where, during his decade as Soviet ambassador, Yakovlev developed many of the ideas that helped Gorbachev change his country and the world."
--William Taubman, Bertrand Snell Professor of Political Science, Amherst College, and 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Khrushchev: The Man and His Era. - "A fascinating story of why even insiders lost faith in the Soviet system--and how Canada played its part. Christopher Shulgan illuminates the key friendship between Yakovlev, the Soviet ambassador in Ottawa, and Mikhail Gorbachev, and shows how it contributed to the huge changes in Russia in the 1980s."
--Margaret MacMillan author of Paris 1919 and Nixon and Mao. - “This lively and well-researched book provides fresh insight into the role played by Ambassador Yakovlev and his Canadian friends in opening the minds of Soviet leaders and getting them to try reforming their system. A fun and informative read!”
--Peter H. Solomon, Jr., Professor, Munk Centre, University of Toronto
Selected feature articles
- Mr. Skoll goes to Hollywood (PDF download)
Jeff Skoll wrote eBay's business plan. Now, with nothing to lose (except for a billion or two), the Toronto boy is rewriting the way movies are made. The Globe and Mail's Report on Business magazine, March 2006. - Marshall's Law (PDF download)
Stephen Marshall disappeared from his father's home in the middle of the night armed with an arsenal of weapons, the addresses of 34 sex offenders, and one very dark plan. Toro magazine, September 2006. - The Billionaire Prince of Bodog (PDF download)
Online gambling mogul Calvin Ayre is living the life of frat boy dreams—just one step ahead of U.S. authorities. Maclean's magazine, Apr. 2, 2007. - Mission to Hell (PDF download)
An investigative report into the death of retired Mountie and Canadian peacekeeper Mark Bourque in the Haitian slum of Cité Soleil. Appeared in Toro magazine, summer 2006 issue. - Up in Smoke (PDF download)
What happened on the remote Bay of Fundy island of Grand Manan when the residents discovered a suspected crack house in their midst. Toro magazine, March 2007. - Hockey Fight School (PDF download)
A summer in Mike Marson's gym, where the hottest NHL recruits go to refine their martial combat skills for the Big Show. Toro magazine, November 2005. - The Man With The Plan (PDF download)
A hardcore punk band heads to New York with their lawyer in tow to attempt to snare the object of their dreams: a record deal. Hijinks ensue. Toro magazine, summer 2004. - Framed? (PDF download)
Was a New Brunswick juvenile delinquent framed for a murder he didn't commit? Toro magazine, November 2006.
Movies I've Made
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This video is amazing. I would've liked to have seen a link to it on the Globe's website - why don't they recognize? Doesn't matter: keep blazing your trail.
Posted by: Ben Kaplan | January 31, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Enjoyed the article and the film. Great to see the effects that something as simple as a cleared path can have on the city - and I'm not even a runner or a cyclist! Little things like this make Toronto a more human city.
Posted by: Patricia | January 31, 2009 at 01:20 PM
Great video. Truth be told, i kinda enjoyed having the trail to myself during the winter. Something hard core about running in ankle deep snow with a pair of Yak Trax.
(Today, it was virtually empty, by the way)
Posted by: Yumke | January 31, 2009 at 09:17 PM
Thanks for doing this. We are an endurance running group (Stellar Runners) and we run rain, snow, sleet or shine. Having the path cleared is a huge bonus.
Graham Westwood
Stellar Runners
Posted by: Graham Westwood | February 03, 2009 at 12:37 PM
Awesome video Chris... I'm going to blog it on bikingtoronto.com :)
Posted by: joe | February 06, 2009 at 03:13 PM
And... here's the blog post. :)
http://www.bikingtoronto.com/2009/02/celebrating-snow-free-martin-goodman.html
Posted by: joe | February 06, 2009 at 03:28 PM