The Guest List
Thursday January 27th, 2022 with Joe Reilly
Charlie Angus joins us today to talk about his new book "Cobalt: Cradle of the Demon Metals, Birth of a Mining Superpower

Today we talk to Charlie Angus about his new book "Cobalt: Cradle of the Demon Metals, Birth of a Mining Superpower." You may know Charlie as the lead singer of the Grievous Angels or as the NDP Member of Parliament for Timmins-James Bay, but he's also an author and this is his latest book. It tells the story of the boomtown of Cobalt (where Charlie lives) in the early 1900s when silver mines turned the town into an important Canadian community. In the book and in our conversation, Charlie talks about how the North was treated as a colony of southern Canada, how the people of the Cobalt area were mistreated by the mining companies and investors, and how the town of Cobalt grew into a major hub before it collapsed following World War I. He also paints a vivid picture of a vibrant community that hosted the first game played by the Montreal Canadiens, was seriously bidding to host an important boxing bout with the heavy-weight champion of the world, and had a production about it playing in New York City. Charlie also highlights how Cobalt was a true multicultural community and the significant role Syrians played in the mining town, and he points out how the environmental degradation that befell Cobalt is a stark warning for us today. It's a great book that I really enjoyed reading so pick it up if you feel inspired at a local independent book store like Perfect Books on Elgin Street. http://perfectbooks.ca/wp/ Check out more information on the book at the House of Anansi Press website. https://houseofanansi.com/products/cobalt And you can find more information about Charlie Angus and Grievous Angels here. https://www.charlieangus.ca https://grievousangels2.bandcamp.com Support independent music in any way you can.