Ted Byfield
Encyclopedia
Edward Bartlett "Ted" Byfield (born 1929) is a conservative Canadian journalist, publisher and editor. He founded the Alberta Report
and Western Report newsmagazine
s.
Born in Toronto
, Byfield moved with his parents to Washington, D.C.
at the age of 17. He began his journalism career as a copy boy
for the Washington Post.
He returned to Canada in 1948 and worked at the Ottawa Journal
and Timmins Daily Press
. In 1952 he moved west to join the Winnipeg Free Press
. Covering the city hall beat in Winnipeg, he once crawled into an air conditioning duct in order to eavesdrop on a secret city council meeting enabling him to get a scoop on a funding scandal.
In the 1950s, Byfield became interested in the religious writings of C.S. Lewis and G. K. Chesterton
and underwent a religious conversion.
He worked with parishioners at Winnipeg's St. John's Cathedral to found a private Anglican school (Saint John's Cathedral Boys' School
) and, in 1962, left journalism in order to become a history teacher at the new school. In 1968, he moved to Edmonton
to found a second St. John's school west of the city (Saint John's School of Alberta
), at Genesee, Alberta, near Edmonton
.
Byfield decided to return to journalism in 1973 and launched the St. John's Edmonton Report, a local news magazine in 1977 and later the St. John's Calgary Report and then merged the two into Alberta Report in 1979; B.C. Report was launched in 1989 with Western Report (which shared the majority of its content and layout with Alberta Report) beginning publication soon after. In the 1990s, in addition to covering news from a conservative viewpoint, the Report magazines challenged the prevailing Zeitgeist
with regard to crime, homosexuality, abortion, and public education.
His schools were run by lay religious order
called the Company of the Cross
, which paid employees $1.00 per day plus room and board. His magazines were originally run by the same group and the staff paid the same "wage", while living in a communal apartment building.
The magazines, particularly Alberta Report, articulated a growing sentiment of Western Canadian
discontent and alienation. Byfield was one of the inspirations behind the founding of the Reform Party of Canada
, and coined the phrase "The West Wants In." Byfield's son, Link Byfield
succeeded him as publisher but was unable to staunch the periodicals' declining circulation. They were consolidated and ultimately ceased publication in 2003.
Byfield is currently the president and chairman of SEARCH (The Society to Explore and Record Christian History) and general editor of the Christian history book series The Christians: Their First Two Thousand Years.
newsroom, Byfield had a bit part in the film "The Iron Curtain", directed by William Wellman and starring Dana Andrews
as the Soviet defector Igor Gouzenko
.
Alberta Report
Alberta Report was a right-wing weekly newsmagazine based in Edmonton. It was founded and edited by Ted Byfield, now the editor and president of the Society to Explore and Record Christian History , and later run by his son, Link Byfield, and ceased publication in 2003.The magazine began as St....
and Western Report newsmagazine
Newsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
s.
Born in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Byfield moved with his parents to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
at the age of 17. He began his journalism career as a copy boy
Copy boy
A copy boy is a typically young and junior worker on a newspaper.The job involves taking typed stories from one section of a newspaper to another....
for the Washington Post.
He returned to Canada in 1948 and worked at the Ottawa Journal
Ottawa Journal
The Ottawa Journal was a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Ottawa, Ontario from 1885 to 1980.It was founded in 1885 by A. Woodburn as the Ottawa Evening Journal. Its first editor was John Wesley Dafoe who came from the Winnipeg Free Press. In 1886, it was bought by Philip Dansken Ross.The...
and Timmins Daily Press
Timmins Daily Press
The Timmins Daily Press is a newspaper in Timmins, Ontario, which publishes six days a week. It is notable as the first paper bought by press baron Roy Thomson, who would eventually own more than 200 newspapers including The Times...
. In 1952 he moved west to join the Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Free Press
The Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....
. Covering the city hall beat in Winnipeg, he once crawled into an air conditioning duct in order to eavesdrop on a secret city council meeting enabling him to get a scoop on a funding scandal.
In the 1950s, Byfield became interested in the religious writings of C.S. Lewis and G. K. Chesterton
G. K. Chesterton
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, KC*SG was an English writer. His prolific and diverse output included philosophy, ontology, poetry, plays, journalism, public lectures and debates, literary and art criticism, biography, Christian apologetics, and fiction, including fantasy and detective fiction....
and underwent a religious conversion.
He worked with parishioners at Winnipeg's St. John's Cathedral to found a private Anglican school (Saint John's Cathedral Boys' School
Saint John's Cathedral Boys' School
Saint John's Cathedral Boys' School was founded in Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada in the early 1960s by Ted Byfield and Frank Wiens, who believed that boys were not challenged by the education system or by society in general. The two started an Anglican lay order called the Company of the Cross,...
) and, in 1962, left journalism in order to become a history teacher at the new school. In 1968, he moved to Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
to found a second St. John's school west of the city (Saint John's School of Alberta
Saint John's School of Alberta
Saint John's School of Alberta was a small private boys' boarding school in Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada which operated from 1967 to 2008, the last of three such schools founded on conservative Anglican ideas and the notion that children were not challenged by present-day society. It closed in...
), at Genesee, Alberta, near Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
.
Byfield decided to return to journalism in 1973 and launched the St. John's Edmonton Report, a local news magazine in 1977 and later the St. John's Calgary Report and then merged the two into Alberta Report in 1979; B.C. Report was launched in 1989 with Western Report (which shared the majority of its content and layout with Alberta Report) beginning publication soon after. In the 1990s, in addition to covering news from a conservative viewpoint, the Report magazines challenged the prevailing Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist
Zeitgeist is "the spirit of the times" or "the spirit of the age."Zeitgeist is the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambiance, morals, sociocultural direction, and mood associated with an era.The...
with regard to crime, homosexuality, abortion, and public education.
His schools were run by lay religious order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
called the Company of the Cross
Company of the Cross
The Company of the Cross was a lay religious order which was affiliated with the Anglican Church of Canada when founded. It operated under the authority of the Anglican bishops in Winnipeg , the diocese of Edmonton and the diocese of Toronto It was founded in 1962 by Frank Weins and Ted Byfield...
, which paid employees $1.00 per day plus room and board. His magazines were originally run by the same group and the staff paid the same "wage", while living in a communal apartment building.
The magazines, particularly Alberta Report, articulated a growing sentiment of Western Canadian
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
discontent and alienation. Byfield was one of the inspirations behind the founding of the Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
, and coined the phrase "The West Wants In." Byfield's son, Link Byfield
Link Byfield
-Columnist and Writer:Byfield was editor and publisher for the now defunct Alberta Report magazine for 18 years. He is the son of conservative columnist Ted Byfield...
succeeded him as publisher but was unable to staunch the periodicals' declining circulation. They were consolidated and ultimately ceased publication in 2003.
Byfield is currently the president and chairman of SEARCH (The Society to Explore and Record Christian History) and general editor of the Christian history book series The Christians: Their First Two Thousand Years.
Trivia
In 1948, as a reporter in the Ottawa JournalOttawa Journal
The Ottawa Journal was a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Ottawa, Ontario from 1885 to 1980.It was founded in 1885 by A. Woodburn as the Ottawa Evening Journal. Its first editor was John Wesley Dafoe who came from the Winnipeg Free Press. In 1886, it was bought by Philip Dansken Ross.The...
newsroom, Byfield had a bit part in the film "The Iron Curtain", directed by William Wellman and starring Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews
Dana Andrews was an American film actor. He was one of Hollywood's major stars of the 1940s, and continued acting, though generally in less prestigious roles, into the 1980s.-Early life:...
as the Soviet defector Igor Gouzenko
Igor Gouzenko
Igor Sergeyevich Gouzenko was a cipher clerk for the Soviet Embassy to Canada in Ottawa, Ontario. He defected on September 5, 1945, with 109 documents on Soviet espionage activities in the West...
.
Source
- Maclean's Magazine profile January 25, 1999