John Wendell Holmes: Canada's Voice

Twenty-two years after his death, John Holmes remains one of the greatest statespeople this country has ever known.

This past week marked the 22nd anniversary of the passing of one of the most incredible, and underappreciated Canadians in our history. Although news of his death was carried in major newspapers across Canada, the United States, and even Great Britain, John Wendell Holmes, and everything that he stood for, has faded from the memories of all but those who were closest to him.

In a country that is forever obsessed with defining itself and its place in the world, the loss of his story is tragic: for over 40 years, Holmes explained Canada to Canadians and others around the world with a passion and flare that no analyst since has been able to emulate. He had no partisan agenda, and was consulted regularly by leaders of all political stripes.

Born in London, Ontario, after a brief career as a high school teacher and then administrator for the Canadian Institute of International Affairs (CIIA, now the Canadian International Council), Holmes joined the Department of External Affairs in 1943 and quickly became recognized around the world for his thoughtfulness, humility, and dedication.

In 1956, it was Assistant Under-Secretary Holmes with whom Secretary of State for External Affairs Lester Pearson shared his most significant ideas and concerns as they worked together to end the Suez Crisis by creating the first modern United Nations peacekeeping force.

Four years later, Holmes returned to the CIIA, this time as its president. He stayed, in various capacities, for the rest of his life, all the while expanding the depth and breadth of published research on Canadian foreign policy in an unprecedented manner.

In the late 1960s he added to his responsibilities a part-time professorship at the University of Toronto (he later also taught at York University’s Glendon College) and evolved to become a brilliant teacher and mentor to many of today’s most significant scholars and policy practitioners. Toronto Star journalist Chantal Hebert, the Department of National Defence’s Assistant Deputy Minister Jill Sinclair, and one of Canada’s most acclaimed political scientists, Kim Richard Nossal, are just three of hundreds of Holmes students to have had made a critical impact on the shaping of Canadian society today.

In his final years Holmes was as much a profit as an internationally revered analyst, boldly calling on the international community to pay greater attention to issues such as environmental degradation and the spread of pandemic diseases well before such ideas were common within the mainstream foreign policy discourse.

Those who knew him recall his wry sense of humour, the twinkle in his eye, and the genuine interest he took in them as people, regardless of age or pedigree. He was a calming presence, a confidence builder, and an inspiration. Through his public service, his teaching, his writing, and his friendships, he did more than any other man or woman of his generation to influence how Canadians saw themselves on the world stage.

He also played a crucial role in shaping the way that diplomats, scholars, and statespeople abroad understood this country and its citizens. For a generation of students and practitioners of international affairs at home and around the world, he was Canada’s voice.

At a time when we lack the ability to engage our political leadership in Parliament in a thoughtful, non-partisan debate over the purpose and meaning of NATO’s commitment to Afghanistan, international development, or environmental stewardship, it is worth reflecting on the qualities and contributions that made some of our greatest analysts and their contributions so memorable.

John Holmes was, in his own words, a professional internationalist, committed to the process of negotiation and non-violent methods of conflict resolution, but also true to his principles, and understanding of, even if disappointed by, the need for military strength. He recognized the importance of diplomacy, of education, and of engaging the next generation in government and world affairs. He valued moderation, and eschewed policies driven by ideology or impulse. He did not chase the spotlight, yet retained a productive relationship with the national and international media. He was a man of unshakable integrity, a dignified teacher, and a reliable colleague.

A role model for Canadians and others around the world, we can only hope for more men and women like him as we navigate our increasingly perilous modern world.