Born in wartime Sicily in 1940, Tony Manera's life took him from poverty and immigration to the highest ranks of Canadian public life. In these deeply personal memoirs, he recounts an extraordinary journey from his early years in Italy, to adolescence in Montreal, to academic and professional success in the United States and Canada, and ultimately to his appointment as President of CBC/Radio. Canada.But this is more than the story of one man's rise. It is also the story of a country tested by division. As a young immigrant in Montreal, Manera witnessed the emergence of Quebec's sovereignty movement at ground level. Over the decades, as he built a career as a waiter, technician, engineer, professor, dean, and college president, he continued to follow the forces reshaping Canada. By the time he joined CBC/Radio-Canada in 1985, he had developed a rare understanding of the country's regional tensions, linguistic solitudes, and political fault lines. That experience would prove crucial. Appointed president of Canada's public broadcaster in 1993, Manera found himself at the centre of one of the most dangerous moments in modern Canadian history: the period leading up to the 1995 Quebec referendum. In these pages, he reveals the pressures, conflicts, and high-stakes decisions behind the scenes-decisions that, in his view, could have influenced the fate of the country itself. He also confronts a question that remains urgent today: how can public broadcasting remain independent when governments seek to influence appointments, budgets, and journalism? Rich in political insight, historical reflection, and personal anecdote, these memoirs offer a rare insider's account of Canada at a turning point. At a time when national unity, regional alienation, and the future of public institutions are once again under debate, Tony Manera's story is both a gripping personal narrative and a timely warning from history. *****Tony Manera is a person of strong principles, especially when it comes to the notion of public broadcasting in Canada. He had those principles when he accepted the position as President of the CBC and trusted that the government offering him the job had the same. Just over a year later, he handed in his resignation when confronted with a much different reality. This is his story, and, in a way, the story of a CBC still trying to find its way with the Canadians it serves. Peter Mansbridge - The Mansbridge Podcast - March 10, 2026
