Early in the research for my book I met with Leon Aron, the Yeltsin biographer, in his office at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. I went in a little intimidated—Aron's a pretty big name. I'd heard he was working on a Yakovlev biography. If he was, it would be a big setback for my own book about Yakovlev.
It turned out I had nothing to worry about. Aron wasn't planning his own book. His enthusiasm for all things Yakovlev immediately set me at ease, and the two of us embarked on a long conversation about what an amazing tale Yakovlev’s biography made. Soon we were discussing the historic conversation Yakovlev and Gorbachev had in 1983 in a backyard in Essex County, Ontario—where, just before a dinner party at the home of Canada’s then-agriculture minister, Eugene Whelan, the two Russians first discussed the reforms that would become perestroika.
“Do Canadians know about that conversation?” Aron asked me. “Do they know how historic that moment was? Is there a plaque there, or something?”
No, I said. No plaque. Not only that -- most people didn't even know it happened.
“There should be a historical marker,” Aron said. “A plaque. There should be a plaque.”
He’s right. A year or so later, I’ve finished the book and handed in a Walrus feature I’ve had simmering since the summer (it'll be out in early June). In a rare bit of spare time I’ve begun researching the stimulating topic of historical plaques. I made a round of calls last week, and then this week received a call back from exactly the right person at the Ontario Heritage Trust, the provincial agency that manages the plaque program. A staff historian described a ceremony that was just about exactly what I hoped to do for Yakovlev-–erecting a plaque, staging an unveiling with local dignitaries and politicians, complete with historians describing the greater historical significance of the events depicted in the plaque.
The Heritage staffer did describe a few obstacles I’m going to have to figure out how to solve. There are two locations that would be suitable for Yakovlev-related plaques. The first is just across from Ottawa’s Rockcliffe Park, at the former Soviet ambassador’s residency. However, the residency now houses the Russian ambassador, and I wonder whether the Russian foreign service under the Putin/Medvedev autocracy would be enthusiastic about allowing a plaque on their grounds that honours an enthusiastic democrat like Yakovlev.
The other location that would be perfect for a historical marker is Whelan's home. This is the spot that I mentioned to the Heritage staffer. She worried the incident might not fit the mandate of the Ontario Heritage Program – apparently the incident needs to affect the history of the province, and they interpret that quite strictly. I think I can swing it, still – the Yakovlev-Gorbachev conversation led to the end of the Cold War, which made the whole world safer, including the province of Ontario. That'll be my argument, anyway.
Lastly, the staffer also suggested pursuing the Canada-wide historical plaques program administered by Parks Canada. I think I’ll pursue both of them — kind of a two-track policy of plaque procurement. The deadline for the Ontario plaques program happens in September. There’s also a funding element to the process; apparently, the Ontario Heritage Trust is more likely to grant the plaque request if you can donate some money to defray the costs. I may start some sort of funding drive here. And if anyone knows any way to fast-track this process, please e-mail me. If the province can erect the plaque pictured above, for a guy whose sum total of Ontario-relevance appears to be that he once went for a walk across the Bruce Peninsula, then I should be able to get something going for a guy who helped to end the Cold War.
