#85 - ICS Canada News and Views Winter 2024
- ICS Canada
- Sep 7
- 9 min read
Updated: Sep 19
A Very Warm Welcome,
To new Friends of Winston Churchill – Frank Tilley, Clive Combs, Susan Mackle, Jim Sheppard, Susan & Scott Maidment, Katarina Glozic, Irene Taylor, Brian Casey, Michael Ingoldsby, Heather Loughery, Rob Anderson, Harry Moskoff, Bill Ostrander
International Churchill Society Canada’s 27th Annual Dinner June 4th,
Ladies Brunch June 5th – Albany Club of Toronto
This year, your Society’s 27th annual Dinner brought together friends and colleagues from several Toronto organizations: Churchill Society for Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy (CSAPD), Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS), St. George’s Society, British Canadian Chamber of Trade and Commerce (BCCTC) and of course, members of the Albany Club. Apart from a significant number of our attendees being members of multiple of the above groups, we all share one major common factor, a mutual respect for Sir Winston Churchill.
Our keynote speaker Katherine Carter was instrumental in making both events a success. Although time constraints did not permit a question & answer session at the Dinner, this was more than compensated for at the following morning’s Ladies Bunch.
Clicking on the arrows next to the picture brings you to the next one.
Richard M. Langworth, C.B.E.
On February 20, 2025, the International Churchill Society of Canada lost a dear friend and colleague in Richard Langworth.
In 1968, Richard founded the International Churchill Society. That year saw the launching of the Finest Hour magazine, with Richard continuing as Editor until 2015.
Richard’s knowledge of all things Churchillian was legendary, with his monumental book Churchill by Himself, the definitive collection of quotations being the bible for those of us quoted by Richard as “working in the vineyard.”
Of Richard’s many other writings are Winston Churchill, Myth and Reality; what he actually did and said, which contains the answers to many absurd charges against the Great Man. As Richard wrote in the Preface to the book, “not a day passes when Winston Churchill, who proved himself indispensable, when liberty hung in the balance, is not accused if something unfortunate.”
Richard lived in New Hampshire, near the border with Quebec, and had great affection and respect for our country. He encouraged Canadian contributions to the Finest Hour magazine and was generous in allocating us space to tell the Canadian/Churchill stories.
For his contributions to Anglo – American understanding, Richard was awarded the C.B.E. (Commander of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth in 1990.
On his website (link below) one can find over 700 posts by Richard on history, automobiles, and the legacy of Sir Winston S. Churchill.
Sir Andrew Roberts Interviewing Richard Langworth, January 2025
“Richard Langworth is the senior fellow at the Hillsdale Churchill Project at Hillsdale College, Michigan, and knows more about Winston Churchill than any person living (including me, annoyingly).” Sir Andrew Roberts in his introduction.
RIP Richard
Winston Churchill’s Visits to Canada
The Great Man’s Ninth and Final Visit To Ottawa January 29th to June 30th, 1954
One week after his return to England from Ottawa on 28 January 1952, Churchill suffered a personal loss with the death of King George 6th on 6 February. His Private Secretary John Colville wrote in his diary, “When I went into his bedroom he was sitting alone with tears in his eyes. I had not realized how much the King meant to him. I tried to cheer him up by saying how well he would get on with the new Queen, but all he could say was that he did not know her and she was only a child.”
The following day Churchill broadcast on the BBC. As he had shown in the past, the occasion produced some of his most moving orations. This included “During the last months the King walked with death, as if death were a companion, an acquaintance, whom he recognized and did not fear. In the end death came as a friend; and after a happy day of sunshine and sport, and after ‘good night’ to those who loved him best, he fell asleep as every man or woman who strives to feat God and nothing else in the world may hope to do.”
On 21 February 1952, Churchill suffered a small arterial spasm. His doctor, Lord Moran, told Colville that it might be the precursor of an immediate stroke. Moran’s advice to his patient was if he would not resign, he had to reduce his workload and slow down – this advice was ignored.
In April 1953, the pressure on Churchill to resign lessened when his designated successor Anthony Eden, was operated on for gallstones.
Also, there was an important function approaching - the coronation of Queen Elizabeth on 3 June 1953. Interesting is how the hugely popular TV series The Crown covered the pressure on Churchill to resign. The programme depicts the Queen pointing out to Churchill that the coronation of her father King George V1 took place just six months after he acceded to the throne. Whereas her coronation would be some eighteen months from when she acceded to the throne – did Mr. Churchill think that there would be less pressure on him to resign with the coronation planning underway. The actor (John Lithgow) portraying Churchill just splutters.
What should have been mentioned was that the reason that the coronation of King George V1 was just six months after acceding to the throne was that planning for his coronation had commenced nine months beforehand, for the intended coronation of King Edward V111 – who had abdicated.*
Moran’s prediction did eventually materialize when on 23 June 1953 Churchill suffered a stroke. The press release stated that he needed a complete rest.
Churchill hated the enforced convalescence. But he agreed to resign when Eden was fit; however, he backed off on his promise and decided that if he could make a successful address at the Conservative Party Conference on 19 October 1953, he would stay on. The reaction to the speech was in the words of future P.M. Harold Macmillan, “really magnificent.”
A week later Churchill was thrilled to be told that he had been awarded the Nobel prize but when he was told that it was for Literature, and not Peace, his pleasure diminished.
With the death of Joseph Stalin in March 1953, Churchill saw this as an opportunity for a meeting with the new premier Georgy Malenkov. However, the American President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his Secretary of State John Foster Dulles were not amenable – as Eisenhower remarked: “whatever dress she wore, Russia was the same harlot underneath and it was America’s business to drive her off the streets.”
With other concerning international matters Churchill contacted Eisenhower for a face-to-face meeting.
This was arranged and Canadian Prime Minister Louise St. Laurent made it known that Canada would welcome a visit from the British P.M.
On 25 June 1954, after a short stopover in Gander, Newfoundland, Churchill’s aircraft arrived in Washington where he was met by Vice-President Richard Nixon and John Foster Dulles.
Extensive discussions were held, and agreement was reached on important issues including the announcement that the German Federal Republic “should take its place as an equal partner in the community of Western nations where it can make its proper contribution to the defense of the free world.”
On 29 June after a flight lasting two hours and fifteen minutes, Churchill arrived at Ottawa airport.
The Globe and Mail article that day had included: “No guests could be more welcome or more honoured in this country than Sir Winston Churchill and his Foreign Secretary Mr. Anthony Eden…Sir Winston’s visit is especially welcome, since his failing health had made it seem unlikely, we would be seeing much more of him.”
The Ottawa Journal reported on Churchill’s arrival – “At Rockcliffe Airport to greet him were an admiring 1,000, led by Prime Minister St. Laurent and the Cabinet. Around the Chateau Laurier another 3,000 to 4,000 crowded back behind the lines of troops along the curbs to give him a roaring welcome. A tri-service honour guard gave him the general salute, 19 guns boomed, and with Mr. San Laurent at his side he began a man-by-man inspection of the proudly polished Navy-Army-Air Force ranks. When he met Mr. St. Laurent’s cabinet there were tears in his eyes on shaking hands with Defence Production Minister C.D. Howe. ‘I guess we’re pretty old pals’, volunteered Mr. Howe later, recalling the wartime visits back and forth across the Atlantic.”
The Journal went on to record Churchill’s remarks made in a thick cluster of microphones, and in a steady glare of flash bulbs and TV lights – ‘We have had a most pleasant journey from Washington in a magnificent Canadian aircraft after friendly, and I think and trust, fruitful talks with our American friends. Mr. Eden and I are happy to, once again, be on Canadian soil. While I think our visit will last only a short while, I am sure it will be agreeable and most useful…I love coming to Canada. Canada is the master-link in Anglo-American unity, apart from all her other glories. God bless your country.’
That evening, at the Chateau Laurier Hotel Churchill hosted a dinner for Prime Minister St. Laurent and his Defence Production Minister C.D Howe. John Colville noted ‘a most secret subject was discussed’ the British decision to become the third nation in the world to build a hydrogen bomb.
The following day Churchill accompanied by Eden were present at a meeting of the Canadian Cabinet.
Mr. St. Laurent asked if they would tell the Cabinet something of the important talks which had been held in Washington. The minutes recorded, “Sir Winston and Mr. Eden proceeded to explain the discussions concerning Indo-Chin, the European Defence Community, and the British base in Egypt…Before concluding, Sir Winston went on to emphasize that he felt the best and perhaps the only defence against the terrible weapons that had now been developed was the deterrent effect of the power to retaliate in kind, which must be preserved and multiplied.
Churchill had only one serious speech to make, a broadcast to the Canadian people from the Chateau Laurier. This included – “I have had a lovely welcome from the people of Ottawa, and it is a great comfort and stimulant to me to feel the warm, spontaneous spirit carrying with it approval of much that I have done in a very long life…I have often regretted that as on this occasion, time and pressure have prevented me going further afield throughout your vast domain. But I have been all over Canada in my time and I have the most vivid pictures in my mind of many places from Halifax to Kicking Horse Pass and further on to Vancouver…but I regret that I have not visited Fort Churchill named after my ancestor John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, who succeeded the Duke of York, afterwards James 11, as Governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company”.
Then a few moments later, “Britain and the Commonwealth do not fear the future while we advance hand in hand together and in company with the United States”.
Churchill left the hotel for the Country Club, where he was to be the dinner guest of St. Laurent. As Lord Moran wrote “As his car drove off there was loud cheering, and I could see that Winston was greatly moved. Colville wrote that at dinner Churchill ‘made a moving speech” with Moran commenting that Winston was “full of life and fun and he beamed on everyone”.
From the Country Club Churchill and Eden were driven to the airport where a Canadian aircraft was waiting to fly them to New York , where they boarded the Queen Elizabeth. His Final Visit to Canada.
Postscript –
In 1958, Winston Churchill was offered the Freedom of the City of Toronto by Mayor Nathan Phillips.
However, ill health resulted in his response: “My wife and I are honoured by the offer of the Freedom of your famous city. We are happy to accept it, but I fear that I cannot foresee, at the present, an opportunity of coming to Toronto to receive it.”
*Further information is in Letters, to the Editor, page 6 in Finest Hour #177 – www.winstonchurchill.org
We welcome your suggestions/comments - please e-mail, Terry Reardon – reardont@rogers.com
Update: The “Roaring Lion” Theft
As a follow up to our article in the Fall edition of News & Views (#83), not only has the most famous photograph of Sir Winston arrived home but in May, the thief, Jeffrey Wood, was sentenced to two years in jail.
Justice Robert Wadden told Wood he was guilty of stealing a "cultural and historical" portrait that was a "point of national pride" — a crime committed "only for money,"
Terry Reardon, Vice Chairman of Int’l Churchill Society Canada, made an impactful presentation, one of three on behalf of the prosecution.
Note: An appeal regarding the severity of the sentence is ongoing. Case will be heard on Sept 22nd, 2025.
From Chateau Laurier’s Website:
Summer Reading & Listening
Tim Bouverie on EI Podcast, discusses his new book ‘Allies at War’, how Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin’s alliance led to the end of the Second World War.
How Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin fought Hitler – and each other
'We’re Teaching Our Kids the Wrong History!' Andrew Roberts Debunks Myths From D-Day, WW2 and More
End of the second world war: 80th anniversary In Focus Published Tuesday, 29 April 2025
2025 marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day and Victory over Japan Day, events which in 1945 brought an end to the second world war. On those days 80 years ago, celebrations erupted across Britain. However, world leaders and domestic politicians were aware of the numerous problems still to be tackled, such as reconstruction, demobilisation and the legacy of the development and use of the atomic bomb.
The International Churchill Society Canada's preferred on-site bookseller, Queen Books, informed us that Katherine’s book signing at our June 4th Dinner was a tremendous success.
Yes, the line was long but was well worth the wait. For those of you have not as yet acquired her book, it can be purchased using the link below.
Churchill's Citadel: Chartwell and the Gatherings Before the Storm
Katherine Carter
Queen Books | 914 Queen St E | Toronto, ON
Churchill's First World War - https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/churchills-first-world-war