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The historian and author Allan Bartley discusses his recent book Beyond Operation Oblivion: A Canadian Spy Before, During, and After the Fall of Hong Kong, 1941 (Heritage House, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

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Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

One of the fascinating, and riveting books of the season is Beyond Operation Oblivion: A Canadian Spy Before, During, and After the Fall of Hong Kong, 1941. The book’s central figure is the enigmatic Francis Kendall, who was really known as Mike Kendall. The book’s author Allan Bartley joins me now to talk about how he learned of Kendall, and how he pieced together this interesting life story. Kendall was a Canadian adventurer, born in Vancouver, who worked for a mining firm through Mexico, and then in Asia. He then found himself in Hong Kong in the turbulent years before the Second World War. I’ll ask Professor Bartley about the skill set and personal charm that he brought to working with the colonial authorities in Hong Kong, that lead to training in how to conduct espionage and sabotage operations, in an initiative that was dubbed Operation Oblivion. It involved recruiting a group of Cantonese-speaking Chinese Canadians who would train in the Okanagan Valley and fight behind Japanese lines in Hong Kong. Though the plan wasn’t fully realised, its legacy was making the overturn of the Chinese Exclusion Act a reality after the war. Allan Bartley is an author, former journalist, academic and public servant. He has a PhD in political science from McGill University, and is an adjunct professor in political science at Carleton University. His publications include The Ku Klux Clan in Canada: A Century of Promoting Racism and Hate in the Peaceable Kingdom, Heroes in Waiting: The 160th Bruce Battalion in the Great War, Alexander McNeil: A Political Life, as well as academic and popular history articles. The book is published by Heritage House. He joined me last week from Ottawa. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Allan Bartley; Professor Bartley, good morning.  

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The reporter Justin McElroy discusses his new book Searching for the Best Place on Earth: 52 Countries in 52 Weeks (Harbour Publishing, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Searching for the Best Place on Earth

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Justin McElroy joins me again. He’s just written his first book Searching for the Best Place on Earth: 52 Countries in 52 Weeks. It’s a chronicle of the year he left Vancouver to travel the world. It was an ambitious trip to not just see the world, and visit so-called “world-class” cities, but to also experience places and things. It’s a personal book, as we learn, Justin hardly travelled outside of North America. This would take him out of his routine too, being able to take a leave of absence from work and do this. He misses covering a provincial election, but he gains so many fascinating experiences, whether it’s conversations with strangers, new delicacies he’s tried, or the varied modes of transportation he utilised. He sees a lot, and through it all, he looks at the Vancouver he’s moved to and works in, through the various cities he’s been to. The book is often funny, and he’s candid too about his baggage, what he’s packed and what he’s brought back. As well, as how much it all cost. And the experience of a neurodivergent traveller is throughout the book, and it’s illuminating. We learn a lot about one of the city’s, if not the province’s most recognisable journalists. If you had to rank the most ubiquitous or even popular reporters, I suspect he’d be at the top. Justin McElroy is an award-winning journalist and Vancouver municipal affairs reporter. He’s been with CBC British Columbia since 2016, and before that worked at Global News, and The Province. This new book is published by Harbour. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Justin McElroy; Mr. McElroy, good morning.

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The author and historian Don Levers discusses his recent book The (Almost Perfect) Heist: The Incredible True Story of the Vancouver Safety Deposit Robbery (Sutherland House, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The (Almost Perfect) Heist

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Don Levers joins me now. He’s written a fascinating book, The (Almost Perfect) Heist: The Incredible True Story of the Vancouver Safety Deposit Robbery. In January 1977, the Vancouver Safety Deposit Vaults at 402 West Pender Street were robbed. Vancouver Police had some idea something was up, as back in September of 1976 they’d gotten a tip that some people from out of town were casing the joint. What Mr. Levers has done is chart, as best as he could, the culprits who nearly got away with it. But what they got away with makes for a fascinating book. We get a sense of the rap sheets of the five robbers who were arrested. We know they used a thermal lance to cut through the concrete and armoured steel to get access to the vault, and the safety deposit boxes that had millions of dollars of valuables; cash, precious metals, jewelry. And that they nearly got away with it, because it’s not until the next business day that the damage to the vaults was discovered. With an eye to detail, Don has also plotted the robbers escape, or attempt, with the precision of a novel. And after many years of thinking about the heist, Don has many questions yet. The perpetrators went on to other crimes, and because of their ages most have died. There might still be somebody out there who knows something. And thanks to this book, Don has added something to our history, especially since a lot of this though it made the news at the time, has largely been forgotten. Don Levers who was born in Vancouver, is the author of the bestselling children’s book Ogopogo: The Misunderstood Lake Monster, and the novel Loot for the Taking. He’s also written Our Fathers’ Footsteps: Stories of WWII Veterans What If Moments. This new book is published by Sutherland House. Visit www.donleversbooks.com for more. We spoke last week with Don joining me from Edmonton. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Don Levers; Mr. Levers, good morning.

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The author and broadcaster Carol Off discusses her new book True Patriot Love: Reporting from the Frontlines of Canadian Sovereignty (Random House, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

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Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Carol Off joins me again. The bestselling author and former host of CBC Radio’s As It Happens, has just published True Patriot Love: Reporting From the Frontlines of Canadian Sovereignty. The book not only charts how Canadians feel in this moment when our sovereignty is under attack by Donald Trump, but it also illustrates what we’re doing in the face of an existential threat. I’ll ask Ms. Off about whether the attitude Canadians are taking is a surprise and whether it’s sustainable. We’ll also talk about the rise of separatism within Canada, chiefly last week’s referendum in Alberta, and the recent Parti Quebecois government taking office in Quebec. The book is full of examples of what Canada’s done in the past when facing cultural or economic threat. On media, broadcasting, film and books, the book describes the efforts of so many Canadians over the last fifty, sixty years who fought for a sovereign culture and what that meant for Canadian arts and letters. The book is also personal for Carol, talking about journeys across Canada in her youth, getting into broadcasting, as well as the stories she covered in Canada like the Meech Lake Accord and Free Trade, or outside of Canada like conflict in Bosnia and Rwanda. Carol also writes candidly about how reporting assignments drew her away from her young son. There’s also an incident that she discusses in the book about being assaulted by a Canadian Senator when covering federal politics in the 1980s. The book reflects Canada then as now, as well as the Canada that we’ve come to appreciate; that the author has come to love. Carol Off’s previous book At a Loss for Words: Conversation in an Age of Rage was a number one bestseller. She’s written four other works of non-fiction. This new book is published by Random House. She joined me from Toronto last week. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Carol Off; Ms. Off, good morning.

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The writer, artist, and scientist Dr. Keiko Honda discusses her new memoir Words That Last (Caitlin Press, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Words That Last

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

One of the more absorbing books of the season is the third memoir by Dr. Keiko Honda, Words That Last. In the book, she writes of the writing she’s read, that has stayed with her. Some of the Japanese literature and poetry goes back hundreds of years, and she offers the reader a translation as well as an examination or analysis of the meaning of certain words or phrases that she applies upon her own life. She is as she writes in the book nearly sixty years old, and a wheelchair user because of a rare autoimmune disease she contracted twenty years ago. It was because of this illness she had to leave the field of epidemiology; she was a researcher at Columbia University. This perspective of time, as well as loss throughout her life offers her a chance to reflect. The white spaces in the margins or at the end of the printed text in the book offer a marvelous opportunity for the reader to fill in either figuratively or literally, their own thoughts and remembrances. The book also features art painted by Keiko, which showcase her talent as an artist. Keiko joins me now, in a conversation we taped last week. I’ll ask her about her keen powers of observation, writing and reading, as well as friendships. She’s got a marvelous perspective when it comes to life itself from her vantage point, which she deploys as we see how others act around her. There are great lessons in the book as to how to act with grace with others, everybody if we can, as well as the importance of lifelong learning. Keiko Honda is a scientist, writer and community organiser. She moved to Vancouver in 2009, and soon after began hosting artists salons as a way of building bridges and making connection. She founded the Vancouver Arts Colloquium Society. Words That Last is published by Caitlin Press. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Keiko Honda; Dr. Honda, good morning.  

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The talk show host and former judge Harvey Brownstone discusses his memoir Without Prejudice: My Life as a Gay Judge (ECW Press, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Without Prejudice

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Harvey Brownstone joins me again. The talk show host and former judge recently published his memoir Without Prejudice: My Life as a Gay Judge. It was a bestseller and will soon be a major motion picture. The book recounts an often tumultuous but sometimes hilarious childhood where he was bullied often brutally, and rejected by his parents when he came out to them. The book talks about how Harvey coped, as well as how he made it through law school, becoming a distinguished judge, that included many personal accomplishments including innovations of the justice system like reforming Ontario’s child support enforcement program, which he narrates in the book. The book is full of great stories, but it’s how Harvey survived and thrived that makes this book such an uplifting read. There are often sad stories in Harvey’s life but they can become comical in the hands of a skilled storyteller. It’s no wonder this story will be a movie shortly, which I’ll get Harvey to preview. We meet his parents, and read of the estrangement that followed when his mother Odette, a larger-than-life character if there ever was one, couldn’t accept Harvey’s homosexuality. As Harvey says in the book, a lot of what helps is success, and that he’s had. It was a meteoric rise from practicing law to getting appointed to the bench. He was the first sitting judge to write a bestselling book and host a national television show. That book incidentally was Tug of War: A Judge’s Verdict on Separation, Custody Battles, and the Bitter Realities of Family Court, which was also a bestseller, and which he first appeared on the program with in 2009. Upon his retirement about five years ago, he decided to fulfill a longtime wish and become an interviewer. His program Havery Brownstone Interviews is a popular stop for celebrities, authors and other prominent individuals. Visit www.harveybrownstoneinterviews.com for more. The book is published by ECW Press. We spoke last week, with Harvey joining me from Toronto. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Harvey Brownstone; Mr. Brownstone, good morning.  

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The broadcaster and author Gregor Craigie discusses his new novel Radio Discord (Cormorant Books, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Radio Discord

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Gregor Craigie joins me again. The broadcaster and author has a new novel out, Radio Discord, which is a follow-up to his previous novel Radio Jet Lag. We follow the goings-on at Victoria, BC radio station CIFU. The conservative station owner, George Caulfeild has decreed that news director Malcolm McDonald fire the star morning show host Stephen Millburn. And the reason is that he’s defied the station owner’s request to not report on homelessness in the provincial capital. The previous novel plays out a lot of this, but this new book gives us the perspective of the middle manager, who has to fire a journalist, as he’s following orders of the proprietor that employes him. Malcolm’s worried about the future of the station, declining ad revenue and what not, as well as a family member’s health issue, and the guilt that he might not have stood up for his journalist. A journalist himself, McDonald has to navigate the waters of inner-personal dynamics between on air talents, as well as the challenging of his ideals of good journalism. The book is often funny, but a marvellous insight into radio, and the unique personalities that fill our airwaves. Set in the winter of 2016, 2017, the books is also nostalgic in the way certain perennial political issues evolve then as now, not to mention how the state of private broadcasting has declined in the decade since. We’ve seen the closure of a number of radio stations throughout British Columbia in the decade since, and the dwindling of media outlets in general. I’ll ask Mr. Craigie about the characters in the book, and this terrific world he’s created. Gregor Craigie is the host of CBC Radio One’s On the Island. His non-fiction book about Canada’s housing crisis Our Crumbling Foundation was a national bestseller and the winner of the George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in Literature. The book was also a finalist for the Writers’ Trust Balsillie Prize for Public Policy. Radio Jet Lag was longlisted for the Leacock Medal for Humour. He’s also written for YA readers, and his first book On Borrowed Time was also a finalist for the Balsillie Prize, and Victoria’s Butler Book Prize. This new book is published by Cormorant Books. We taped this interview earlier this month. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Gregor Craigie; Mr. Craigie, good morning.  

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The award-winning and bestselling author Camilla Gibb discusses her first poetry collection I Used to be a Pisces (Book*hug Press, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: I Used to be a Pisces

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Camilla Gibb joins me again. The award-wining and bestselling author has recently published her first poetry collection, I Used to Be a Pisces. It’s collection of poetry that examines our relationship to the earth, but also one another. The book also has a number of collages that Camilla’s made, that offer something visually interesting and/or stimulating amidst the poetry. It’s poetry that can cut to the heart or resonate closer than the reader might like. The poems in the collection are meditations on change, not just ourselves and who we might love, but the landscape itself. Camilla looks at relationships that not just affect her life, but those around her. I’ll ask Camilla about the reflections she’s made in this collection and what they might have yielded. I’ll ask her about writing and more. She’s appeared on the program three times previously. In 2010, she discussed her novel The Beauty of Humanity Movement, and in 2015 she returned to talk about her memoir This is Happy. We last spoke in 2021 when her novel The Relatives was published. She is the recipient of the Trillium Book Award, the City of Toronto Book Award, and the CBC Canadian Literary Award. She was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, and the RBC Taylor Prize. She has a PhD in anthropology from Oxford University. This new collection is published by Book*hug Press. We spoke last week with Camilla joining me from Toronto. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Camilla Gibb; Professor Gibb, good morning.  

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The journalist Christopher Cheung discusses his new book Very Vancouver: Uncovering the Soul of a West Coast City (ECW Press, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Very Vancouver

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Chris Cheung joins me again. He’s recently published a book, Very Vancouver: Uncovering the Soul of a West Coast City. His Vancouver isn’t the Vancouver that tourists are attracted to and visit, or that the tourism board would like travellers to see. He skilfully takes his reader beneath the surface, and gets to the heart of the people that make Vancouver what it is. He tells stories of a Vancouver that other journalists might not cover, and as a result provides a richer view of the people who come here, come through, and/or stay. We meet families who were the first to mass produce tofu and put beef balls in the earliest bowls of pho. We meet the elderly, often Asian women, binners who collect cans and bottles, and find out why they do it. We met the mysterious Baklava Man, as well as get the history of Duffin’s Donuts. Chris has a marvelous way of getting to know the people he interviews, and gaining their confidence so that they’re able to reveal so much. The book also provides a narrative of his years working in journalism in this town. In the decade or so he’s been at it, the media market has contracted and shrunk, and I’ll get him to reflect on that and more. Christopher Cheung is the author of Under the White Gaze: Solving the Problem of Race and Representation in Canadian Journalism. He has worked as a reporter at The Tyee, Metro, and the Vancouver Courier. He is the recipient of two Webster Awards. Visit www.christophercheung.net for more. This new book is published by ECW Press. We spoke one week ago. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Chris Cheung; Mr. Cheung, good morning. 

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The bestselling and award-winning writer Sam Wiebe discusses his new book Shot in Vancouver: Adventures in Hollywood North (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2026), with Joseph Planta.

Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Shot in Vancouver

Text of the introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.  

Sam Wiebe joins me again. He’s just published one of the best books of the season, Shot in Vancouver: Adventures in Hollywood North. It’s a highly readable history of Vancouver as a sought-after place to shoot film and television. Known for our diverse landscape, often competitive tax structures, the Canadian dollar, and surfeit of talent behind and in front of the camera, Vancouver ranks third in North America, behind Los Angeles and New York as busiest production hub. The book is replete with stories of notable film and television productions shooting here with Vancouver playing elsewhere. It’s got anecdotes from actors and performers who either loved or didn’t everything from the people or the culture or the weather while shooting here. Sam takes us from the early days of Hollywood North in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when films like That Cold Day in the Park or McCabe & Mrs. Miller or Carnal Knowledge were shot here, through to the 1980s, when it was popular for television productions not just Canadian programs like The Beachcombers and Danger Bay, but various Stephen J. Cannell series as well. The book takes us through the various productions from the 1990s to today like The X-Files, Arrow, Twilight, Deadpool, and so many more. And there are challenges both financial and political as to the future of production here, Sam covers those. But it’s the enthusiasm that he brings to the project, as a fan, as a popular novelist, and a writer on film and television, that makes this book tough to put down, and one to often turn to when you need to look something up, or even settle and start an argument with when it comes to film and television. I’ll ask Sam about particular favourites of his, and to reflect on the impact of works like Skip Tracer, The Changeling, and DaVinci’s Inquest, which each mark a point in this town’s development. Sam Wiebe is an award-winning and bestselling author of fiction set in the Pacific Northwest. His series of novels about Vancouver private investigator Dave Wakeland is considered one of the most authentic and acclaimed in contemporary detective writing. His other works include Ocean Drive, Last of the Independents, and the Ethan Brand series set in Washington State, which he pens under the name Nolan Chase. Visit his website at www.samwiebe.com. This new book is published by Arsenal Pulp Press. We spoke last week, with Mr. Wiebe joining me from New Westminster. Please welcome back to the Planta: On the Line program, Sam Wiebe; Mr. Wiebe, good morning.

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