history

A Q&A with Chris McCreery, author of The Maple Leaf and the White Cross

Tell us about your book.
The book examines the history of St. John Ambulance and the Order of St. John in Canada. St. John Ambulance began offering first aid training courses in Canada in 1883 and has remained Canada’s primary provider of first aid training. It is one of Canada’s oldest charitable organizations and it has played an important role in the history and development of Canada. The book examines this history and charts the growth and development of not only first aid training in Canada, but also the Order of St. John, which is part of the Canadian honours system.

How did you come up with the title?
The title needed to reflect the history of St. John Ambulance and Canada, so I took the main symbol of Canada (the Maple Leaf) and the main symbol of St. John Ambulance (the white Maltese cross) and put them together. Most of my books have pretty straight forward titles.

Did you have a specific readership in mind when you wrote your book?
I wrote it in an effort to inform members of the general public, and especially the 25,000+ St. John Ambulance volunteers about the fascinating history behind St. John Ambulance and the Order of St. John in Canada.

What was the creative process like for you?
I have never really thought about this. Without question I do have a process, which sometimes seems a bit mechanical (choose a specific topic/area, survey the archival and documentary holdings extant, write out a structure, do up chapter summaries, have it reviewed by a number of leading historians in the field and then start the real research followed by writing and the dreaded editing stage).

What was the hardest part of writing your book?
I find research a great joy and writing is also a pleasure, but I hate editing!

What was your first publication?
The Canadian Honours System (Dundurn 2005)

What inspired you to write your first book?
I found that there was a gap in the writing about Canadian orders, decorations and medals and was keen to fill the gap. I receive a great deal of encouragement from a number of experts in the field and that helped push me forward.

Who did you read as a young adult?
I read most of Jules Verne’s works, and John Buchan, a lot of older fiction and anything by Stephen Leacock.

What is your next project?
My next project is a history of the evolution of the role of the Head of State (Queen/Governor General) in Canada, and the growth of the Office of the Governor General. This year I have two other books coming out, The Beginner’s Guide to Canadian Honours and On Her Majesty’s Service: Royal Honours and Recognition in Canada.

© 2008 Defining Canada.