Edgar Andrew Collard (6 September 1911 – 9 September 2000) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
journalist and historian, best known for his ''
Montreal Gazette
The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...
'' column "All Our Yesterdays". He was born in
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Government of Canada, Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is ...
.
He received his MA in history from
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...
in 1937. However health problems prevented him from completing his formal studies and ended his hopes of becoming a history professor.
Collard's association with ''
The Montreal Gazette
The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...
'' began when he submitted articles on Montreal's history. This led to an offer of a full-time job in the newspaper's library.
The first issue of his column "All Our Yesterdays" appeared in ''
The Montreal Gazette
The ''Montreal Gazette'', formerly titled ''The Gazette'', is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Three other daily English-language newspapers shuttered at various times during the second half of th ...
'' on August 14, 1944 and appeared every weekend for 56 years. Each week the column addressed an episode or aspect of Montreal history. The column was reportedly read by figures including
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau ( , ; October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000), also referred to by his initials PET, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and ...
and
Robertson Davies. His columns were compiled in several books which were illustrated by his longtime collaborator John Collins.
In 1949, he won the inaugural
National Newspaper Award The National Newspaper Awards (french: link=no, Concours canadien de journalisme) are prizes awarded annually for the best work in Canadian newspapers.
Synopsis
The awards were first given in 1949 by the Toronto Press Club, which ran the awards u ...
for editorial writing and was to win it another three times, a record unmatched in that category.
In 1953, he became editor-in-chief of ''The Gazette'', retiring from that position in 1971. He continued his column until a month before his death. He was survived by his wife, the historian Elizabeth Collard who died soon after.
Collard was made a Member of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the c ...
in 1976.
External Links
Edgar Andrew Collard fonds (R11618)at
Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada (LAC; french: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal institution, tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is t ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collard, Edgar Andrew
1911 births
2000 deaths
Members of the Order of Canada
Anglophone Quebec people
Canadian male non-fiction writers
McGill University alumni
The Globe and Mail columnists
Historians from Quebec
History of Montreal
Canadian columnists
Montreal Gazette people
Writers from Montreal
20th-century Canadian historians