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Veteran newsman reflects on interviews of a lifetime continued from p.1 Mansbridge points to United States President Barack Obama as the most interesting person he's interviewed. Before Mansbridge spoke to him, CBC had never conducted an interview with a sitting U.S. president. "It's hard to imagine in all of the history at the CBC, there's never been an interview with a U.S. president at the White House, or anywhere else for that matter," said Mansbridge. "Lots of former U.S. presidents, but to actually get an interview with the U.S. president in office is a big deal." After Mansbridge asked Obama repeatedly for an interview, going back to when he was a U.S. senator, the White House finally accepted Mansbridge's request three weeks after the president's inauguration. "It was a great interview. We touched on, in a short period of time, all the big issues at that time -- Afghanistan, the economy, CanadaU.S. relations, energy and oil. I was amazed because he seemed to be on top of his game and well-engaged," said Mansbridge. His experience meeting Obama made him appreciate the pressures of leadership -- not just for presidents or prime ministers, but "true leaders, wherever they are," Mansbridge said. "When I heard various different people being recognized (on Tuesday), many of them leaders in your world of business, many of them leaders in your local world of politics, I appreciate it all and what you're going through, especially those who run for public office," said Mansbridge. As part of the event, the Chamber selected questions for Mansbridge that were solicited beforehand 5 | Thursday, September 18, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.co You tell stories like that as a journalist, you have impact. People watch, they listen and they act. For me, it changed my life and how I saw things. You can't have parents thrust a young child into your arms and say, `Take him. Take him. Give him a chance.' You're suddenly not just a journalist anymore. You're a human being. Peter Mansbridge CBC News no. I have read the book.' We over from Johnston Sept. 9. got into this argument about While speaking with promiwhether or not I had the read nent world and religious leadthe book. It was a disaster," said ers, athletes and actors have Mansbridge. been fun, those "aren't the in"When it was over and they terviews that had the most imturned the lights (and cam- pact on me and that I'm most eras) off, she suddenly smiled, proud of," Mansbridge said. looked at me and said, `Peter, One such story he's particuwould you like me to sign your larly fond of was an assignment book?'" he did for CBC in southeast The annual Chair's Dinner Asia in 1979. He was a correalso recognized the contribu- spondent reporter, then covtions and leadership of outgo- ering the exodus of the "boat ing Chamber Chair Orla John- people" from Vietnam, as they CBC News Chief Correspondent Peter Mansbridge was the keynote speaker ston and welcomed incoming were referred to. at the Oakville Chamber of Commerce 60th anniversary gala Tuesday. Chair Kerry Colborne, founder "These people were perseFor Mansbridge's exclusive | photo by Nathan Howes ­ special to the Beaver of Force 10 Capital Manage- cuted and believed the only interview with the Beaver, see p.20. ment Inc., who officially took chance they had was to pay through email and Twitter using the hashtag #AskPeterMansbridge. CONCRETE One of the inquiries for the newsman was about his most difficult interview, which he said was with former United Kingdom Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. While the CBC journalist had interviewed her My team of experienced lawyers can previously from afar, his first face-to-face interview help you with: with Thatcher in Toronto in · Car accidents 1993 was his most memorable. · Slip and Falls EXPOSED AGGREGATE (Pebble) When he chatted with · DRIVEWAYS · STEPS · Disability Claims the former U.K. politician · FRENCH CURBS · WALKWAYS about her book, the con(Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, CPP) · PATIOS · GARAGE FLOORS versation went to "hell in a · Wrongful Dismissal handbasket," Mansbridge recalled. OFFICES IN OAKVILLE AND TORONTO "I actually read the book, uality At Its Best! but I tried to do this inCall Fernando For a free consultation call: terview where after every FREE ESTIMATES Oakville: 905.842.2022 question I asked, she said, 905-844-5518 1-888-944-5518 `You obviously haven't or www.concretetrimmings.com read the book.' I said, `No, enormous amounts of money to pirates who got them out of Vietnam to anywhere they could start new lives," said Mansbridge. "They went through hell when they left Vietnam on these little boats. People died, men were thrown overboard, women were raped, kids had awful things done to them." He noted Canada took in more than 60,000 boat people that year as a result of what happened and from the stories the journalists did "by bringing the news home." "You tell stories like that as a journalist, you have impact. People watch, they listen and they act. For me, it changed my life and how I saw things. You can't have parents thrust a young child in your arms and say, `Take him. Take him. Give him a chance,'" said Mansbridge. "You're suddenly not just a journalist anymore. You're a human being." INJURED? I Can Help! YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY UNLESS I GET YOU MONEY Toronto: email: 416.351.9222 sspadafora@slspc.ca Sam Spadafora Injury and Employment Law