Patrice Dutil on Mackenzie King and Conscription

History Matters by Canadian Institute for Historical Education · May 7, 2026 · 39m

In this episode Allan talks with Patrice Dutil, professor of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University, about his edited volume The Enduring Riddle of Mackenzie King and what it reveals about one of Canada’s most puzzling political figures: how did someone with no obvious charm or charisma remain in office so long?

The conversation focuses on the issue of conscription as a way into understanding King’s leadership, especially during the Second World War, the tension King had to manage between English and French Canada, and how carefully he navigated that divide…