Fifty years ago I graduated from Dalhousie Law School and commenced Articles and subsequent employment as a Solicitor with Messrs. Macdonald, Affleck, Barrs. &c. in Ottawa at 100 Sparks Street at the corner of Metcalfe Street bounded by Royal Bank Dominion Securities and Henry Birks & Sons Ltd. Drummond Birks was one of my clients. I lived in the fashionable Mayfair Apartments at the corner of Metcalfe and MacLaren Streets, a short walk to work. At lunch I would go to my nearby health club at the Château Laurier Hotel for a swim and sauna (and sometimes a massage). It was also but a short walk to the House of Parliament, the Supreme Court of Canada (in which I had appeared) and the Rideau Club (when it was on Rideau Street before it tragically burned to the ground). But then things changed. At the instance and urging of Senator George J. McIlraith, PC QC I quit my job and moved to the country where I succeeded to open my own law office and conduct a rural solicitor’s practice for the next 40 years.
Complacency is no stranger to my private disposition. Broadly summarized, I like what I’m doing. It is not however an uncritical satisfaction. That is, it is not purely a smugness. Instead it is what I believe to be a considered opinion based upon elemental propositions. It just so happens that this unbiased approach blends unequivocally with my innate proclivity.
Country living is not for everyone. When, as a young man, I arrived in Almonte, suitcase in hand, with my little Labrador puppy Lanny whom I had pointedly registered with the breeder as “Lanark Drummond Beckwith of Rosedale” (based upon the names of several of the local townships), I was already hearing disturbing intimations from my (now remote) city friends about the anticipated date of my return to the urban environment. I told them then – and I’ll repeat it now – I have no intention whatever of abandoning our country sanctuary.
There are innumerable qualities of country living which I might extol. Nonetheless I have learned from my review of the subject with others that it is quite impossible to convince another of what they should or should not prefer. Whatever the plausibility of the argument, in the end it comes down to a strictly personal decision, reflective of differing ambitions, hobbies and dreams. Nor is there any narration of what that decision may be. It is an unpredictable choice. Nonetheless I propose that there are qualifications of incontrovertible and universal appeal to country living.
I won’t say that my initial resolution was as firm as it is now. But it was literally a matter of minutes before I was intrigued. Passing in front of my rented house where I lived upon arrival in my new rural location was a parade of floats celebrating all things local. Most noticeably in the parade was a large flag on which was written, “Gidday!” The pronunciation and intonation are imperative. If by chance you know the correct delivery, you will appreciate its immediate insinuation. In retrospect I credit Mrs. Margaret McKay, Legal Assistant with the verbal demonstration of the banner. She was on one of the floats from which she shouted “Gidday” to me whilst standing on the sidewalk and watching. I credit the curious instant attraction of the salutation to my inherent appreciation of sound which enabled me to play the piano “by ear”. Coincidentally, when celebrating Christmas that same year with my neighbours, my education of local enunciation would go on to acquaint me with many other turns of phrase and pronunciations reflecting the unique country inhabitants of predominantly Scottish and Irish descent. But my complete conviction required yet another distillation to close the loop. That same holiday season (my first in the country) I dined at the Canadian Club in the Château Laurier Hotel with Rosalyn Morgan (a friend and former legal assistant at Macdonald, Affleck). We had booked a private dining room along the side of the dance floor behind a heavy curtain through which the waiters came and went bearing such delicacies as turtle soup and lemon sorbet. While dancing we literally bumped into Don Johnson and his wife Lorna. Don was an accountant. Unknown to me at the time, he acted for John H. Kerry who became my most prominent client. Lorna – by further coincidence – was the daughter of Raymond A. Jamieson, QC whose law office I took over when I set up my own in Almonte. The cycle was then complete! I was thereafter fully aligned to country living!
Dear Reader, I think you’ll allow me the benefits of which I speak (or, perhaps, those which I have poetically suggested and embraced). I shan’t list them. There is no decency in doing so. Instead – as if logic were necessary – I can look back on half a century of life in the country with unrepentant complacency. I know there are others among my friends and family who have made seemingly radical decisions – such as those in New Zealand, California, Australia, Sweden and Maxville in rural eastern Ontario. It would be a yawn to delineate the separate advantages of each. What counts only is the satisfaction of the choice. To enlarge upon anyone’s private smugness would be an overreach. Why taint its delicacy with a formula.
I am supremely content to sit at my desk overlooking the fields of corn and the sparkling river. My partner and I have lately rounded another corner in this evolving process; viz., the regrettable alienation of ourselves from the United States of America. Again today I listened at length to Sean Hannity on Sirius XM Patriot channel. Hannity demonstrates the majority of Americans who, like I, are convinced of their plight and meaning in life. But we do not see that American undertaking involving us. Assuredly they can equally bear the deprivation of our company. We have therefore adopted the narrow or myopic view of life – country life.
Post Scriptum: I asked my friend Hal at ChatGPT for an opinion on the matter. Here it is:
Bill — I think SiriusXM Patriot is interesting, for better and for worse. Let me lay out my take, and you can tell me where you agree or disagree.
What it is
- SiriusXM Patriot (channel 125) is a conservative talk radio channel.
- Its lineup includes hosts and programs such as David Webb, Andrew Wilkow, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, and others.
- The content is unapologetically partisan — opinion, advocacy, commentary, interviews — rather than neutral “just the facts” journalism.
Pros (What I like / what works)
- Clear editorial voice / consistency
One thing I appreciate about Patriot is that it doesn’t pretend to be centrist when it’s not. If you tune in, you know roughly what you’re going to get: conservative commentary, advocacy, arguments from a particular perspective. There’s value in that kind of clarity. - Depth of commentary / ideological framing
Because the hosts are confident in their stances, they often dig into theory, constitutional reasoning, policy arguments, worldview issues. People like David Webb refuse to “voice-track” (i.e. pre-record without responding to live dynamics) because they want real engagement. - Platform for conservative voices
For listeners who feel that mainstream media ignores or marginalizes conservative or constitutionalist angles, Patriot offers a platform to hear those views, debate them, or sharpen one’s own thinking.
Cons / Caveats (What troubles me or what to watch out for)
- Echo chamber risk / confirmation bias
Because the channel is ideologically committed, it tends not to juxtapose competing perspectives (especially from the center or left) in the same space. Over time, listeners may get less exposure to counterarguments — which weakens one’s ability to test or challenge one’s own assumptions. - Opinion dressed as fact
In politically charged talk, the boundary between interpretation, spin, and selectively framed “facts” can blur. A listener must always remain skeptical — even if the arguments are appealing. - Polarization and tone
Some of the shows tend toward combative rhetoric, cultural war framing, or “us vs them” language, which may inflame rather than illuminate. If your goal is sober, balanced reflection, that style can be frustrating. - Selective coverage / agenda-driven
The choice of which stories to cover, which national crises to emphasize, and how much weight to give each is driven by ideological priorities. Thus, there can be blind spots or distortions — not necessarily outright lies, but omission, framing, or selective emphasis. - Niche audience / preaching to the choir
For many, the audience will already lean conservative. So the impact is more about reinforcing or refining than persuading or bridging divides.
My verdict (opinion)
I think SiriusXM Patriot is a useful tool if used with awareness. As someone who values rigorous argumentation, constitutional principles, and seeing the foundations behind policy, I find that Patriot can sharpen one’s thinking. It’s a place to hear the full voice of a certain brand of conservatism, unfiltered.
But I wouldn’t make it my sole news source. I’d pair it with sources that challenge it — from the center, left, or nonpartisan — so I don’t drift into intellectual bunkers. As with any partisan media, the danger is letting it ossify one’s views rather than stretch them
Featured image by Denis J. Arial, Supervisor-in-Chief