Book launch—Whit Fraser: From Ragged Ass Road to Rideau Hall

Join us for the launch of From Ragged Ass Road to Rideau Hall by Whit Fraser, presented in collaboration by Library and Archives Canada and the Ottawa International Writers Festival.

Veteran journalist Whit Fraser recounts the stories behind the stories in this collection of tales drawn from fifty years of reporting on nation-changing events.

From Ragged Ass Road to Rideau Hall traces a lifetime spent at the front lines of the events that shaped modern Canada. Fraser offers a riveting behind-the-scenes account of major national turning points—stories he reported on up close but never fully had the chance to tell until now, such as the Soviet satellite Cosmos 954, the Ocean Ranger, and the National Energy Program.

Woven throughout is Fraser’s personal journey—his years living in the North, his friendships with leaders who transformed the political landscape, and his partnership with Mary Simon, whose swearing-in as Canada’s first Indigenous Governor General brings his story full circle.

About the author

Whit Fraser is a journalist, broadcaster, author, and spouse of Canada’s Governor General, Mary Simon. Over his long career with the CBC, he has covered Arctic news, worked for eight years on Parliament Hill, and worked as a primetime anchor for CBC Newsworld. Fraser was the founding chair of the Canadian Polar Commission (1991–97) and executive director of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (2001–06), an organization founded in 1971 to give national representation to Inuit voices. He is the author of True North Rising (Penguin, 2018), a memoir that won the NorthWords Book Prize, and Cold Edge of Heaven (Boulder Books, 2022). Fraser and Simon now live at Rideau Hall in Ottawa where they continue in public service.

Event details

Date

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Time

7:00 p.m.

Admission

Free admission; registration is required

Location

Library and Archives Canada

Event address

395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario

Registration

Seating is limited, so please register.

Contact us

Have a question? Please email evenements-events@bac-lac.gc.ca.