#3 Hot Butter
A photo gone viral, a walking tour following the escapades of a cow on the loose, and a product endorsement from my grandfather.
One never knows when something posted publicly will hit a nerve. Hopefully it’s an article built upon hours of research and writing, or a project which enlightens, entertains, or both. But sometimes, it’s a spur-of-a-moment photo or quote that goes viral.
Such was the case a week-and-a-half ago when I was shopping at Loblaws. It’s a chain I have a love-hate relationship with. Their prices tend to be higher. They have a habit of executing good ideas in mediocre ways (whenever I shop Wegmans in western New York, I always think of how Loblaws would botch similar ways of presenting food counters and ready-to-eat items). Management constantly shoots itself in the foot, provoking an endless series of groans among customers. But I like many President’s Choice and No Name products, and the Loblaws I usually shop at often has great deals on deli products and discounted organic/better-fed meat.
So when I saw overpriced butter marketed as an “everyday essential,” I couldn’t resist taking a photo and posting it as one of the life’s little absurdities I often tweet out. After posting it, I didn’t think anymore about it.
Until I woke up the next morning.
BlogTO turned the tweet into a story in the finest tradition of lazy journalism, rounding up several other tweets and never contacting the source. Back on Twitter, the photo took on a life of its own. As I write this, there have been over 10,000 views. The responses reflect growing public anger with food inflation and the perception that Canadian grocery giants—particularly Loblaws—are price gouging to inflate profits. This anger taps into the growing gulf between the wealthy and everyone else.
The story didn’t end there. A week after the post went up, the Toronto Star interviewed me. CBC reached out today. Perhaps I should design a bingo card featuring who might reach out next.
Talking to my partner-in-crime about the life this photo has taken on, she could sense I wasn’t basking in any glory related to it.
“In light of all the work you do, do you really just want to be known as ‘that butter guy?’”
No. No I don’t.
In my day-to-day work, I strive to create content that is deeply researched and carefully considered. Final drafts don’t occur until either I’ve exhausted accessible materials or time runs out. Asking me questions on the spot is a weak point, one I need to improve. But even then, if I’m not remotely an expert on a subject I don’t pretend to be. I’d rather plead ignorance then provide a bad hot take or mansplain. Sometimes in the spur of the moment, regardless of what an audience hopes, it’s OK to say “I don’t know.”
Stay tuned to see how long I remain “that butter guy.”
This Week
Speaking of things dairy-related, I am co-leading a walk with Adam Bunch (check out his Toronto History Weekly newsletter) on June 15 based around a story I wrote for Torontoist about a cow who had a wild adventure on the streets of Toronto that day 110 years ago. We’ll start our trek at Victoria Memorial Square at Wellington and Portland Streets, which is near where the cow’s journey began. We’ll trace its route northward, discussing what happened along the way, as well as some local history. The journey will conclude at Jean Sibelius Square in The Annex. The walk begins at 6:30 p.m. and is pay-what-you-can. Adam has wanted to tackle this tale for awhile, so it should be a fun evening.
Recent Work
For TVO, I looked at the birth of Algonquin Provincial Park in 1893, a story about preservation efforts led by the provincial government, conservationists, and industrialists, which makes recent developments surrounding the future of parts of the Greenbelt that much more depressing.
From the new client department, I’ve written the cover story for the current issue of Ornamentum, the magazine of the Canadian Society for Decorative Arts, on space-age park architecture in Toronto. Think the Oculus near the Humber River or picnic pavilions on Centre Island.
In The Works
We may not know what William Lyon Mackenzie would have thought about the current mayoral election, but we can look at how he became the City of Toronto’s first mayor in 1834.
Spoilers: It wasn’t a smooth process.
(There are a few election-related stories coming soon…)
Curio Collection
Financial Post, September 22, 1951.
Here we have a standard business ad from the early 1950s—a client extolling the virtues of the product being sold and how it helped his office function.
The office manager depicted here is my grandfather, whose professional career I know little about. Toronto Electrotype and Stereotype’s building is long gone, and the site is currently occupied by the Richmond-Adelaide Centre. I don’t know if it was the model shown here, but my grandmother held onto an accounting machine after his death that sat in a closet when she moved to Amherstburg.
She kept a clipping of this ad, but no date or publication were listed. Searches of the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star online archives were fruitless, so I wondered if it was printed in the Telegram. Recently I stumbled upon an online project tracing the name Bradburn in Canada, which listed this ad as one of its sources for tracing my grandfather. Mystery solved.
Hire Me
Looking for a writer/researcher/editor for your latest project? I am currently taking on new work. Beyond my historical niche, which often leads in surprising directions, I’m looking to expand my horizons and explore new ways to utilize my skills. I am interested in working on general projects in the corporate, educational, and/or non-profit sectors where clear communication is a must. Privately message me at jamiebradburnwriting[AT]gmail.com if I can assist you.
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That’s it for this edition - see you next time!