Ted Barris

Ted Barris (born July 12, 1949, in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian writer, journalist, professor and broadcaster. He writes a weekly column, "The Barris Beat", and is a regular contributor to The Globe and Mail and the National Post. His non-fiction works focus on Canada's military heritage. Barris has authored 18 books.

Throughout his time at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, Barris had a part-time job at CJRT-FM, hosting the weekend all-night show. He also occasionally appeared on CBC Radio as a news reader. During this period, he began to explore documentary subjects, co-writing and co-producing half a dozen programs for CBC Radio's weekend youth program, Action Set.

Concentrating on a career in writing and broadcasting, in the 1970s, Barris wrote freelance music reviews for The Globe and Mail and other industry magazines, including Wingit, Pop and Grapevine. He also wrote for Canadian Composer, RPM Magazine, Rolling Stone (San Francisco), Film News and Country Sky. Barris considered a staff position with Warner Bros. Records but chose to work at the University of Saskatchewan, writing, directing and editing educational TV. A short documentary film he wrote and directed on noise pollution won the White Owl Conservation Award (Montreal) in 1973.

After returning to Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, Barris graduated in 1976 with a degree in the Bachelor of Applied Arts program. While in Saskatchewan, he completed the research that led to his first book, Fire Canoe: Prairie Steamboat Days Revisited, as well as to his decision to concentrate on a freelance career.

For the next two decades, Barris travelled throughout Canada on various assignments, alternately working for CBC Radio and National Public Radio, as well as appearing on television programs as host and broadcaster, while continuing his career in Canadian historical non-fiction. While residing in Alberta, Barris continued writing based on local subjects before beginning a number of books on military subjects, an area of speciality that now is the focus of his work.

Barris is a retired professor of journalism. He taught at Toronto's Centennial College. He resides in Uxbridge, Ontario.

Awards 2015 – Certificate of Honor from Stalag Luft III Prisoners of War Association 2014 – Libris Award (Best Non-Fiction) (shared with Chris Hadfield) 2006 – Bear Hackle Award, by the 78th Fraser Highlanders (Canadian) Regiment 1993 – Canada 125 Medal “For service to Canada and community.” 2022 – Order of Canada (Member)

Selected bibliography Dam Busters: Canadian Airmen and The Secret Raid Against Nazi Germany (2018) Fire Canoe: Prairie Steamboat Days Revisited 2nd Edition (1977) The Great Escape: A Canadian Story (2013) Victory at Vimy: Canada Comes of Age, April 9–12, 1917 (2007) Juno: Canadians at D-Day June 6, 1944 (2004) Deadlock in Korea : Canadians at War, 1950–1953 (1998) Playing Overtime: A Celebration of Oldtimers Hockey (1995) Days of Victory: Canadians Remember, 1939–1945 (1995) Behind the Glory: Canada's Role in the Allied Air War (1992)