— Joe Chidley, editor Canadian Business
For two years, my fortnightly column in Canadian Business magazine offered the only regular, national satirical voice on Canada's corporate and financial world — a subject made for satire if there ever was one — skewering the likes of Nortel’s John Roth, CanWest’s Leonard Asper, Air Canada’s John Milton, and lots more.
Each column in the series, which won National Magazine Awards for humour and columns as well as the Rogers Publishing Award of Excellence, was designed to be topical, responding to the news of the day, but in no way beholden to the facts. More than a few times, however, such as when a column on the Aspers came out the same morning CanWest cut costs by laying off 128 workers at the National Post, “Memo” anticipated the news. I have no explanation for that other than pure, dumb luck.
On this page you'll find links to a few of my favorite columns.
The Ontario Government tries again to privatize Hydro One
Why the telecom bubble burst
CanWest imposes cost control at the National Post
CEO David Galloway hands over the Torstar reins to Robert Prichard.
The power of the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan
Sears, Eaton's and boardroom Darwinism.
John Roth, then CEO of Nortel, and his fall from grace
Alberta premier Ralph Klein and his Kleinish conservatism