Why Canadian history isn't as boring as you think it is: Chris Turner at TEDxYYC

We are the stories we tell each other about who we are, and for too long Canadians have believed their collective story to be a nice but boring one. Why? In large part because the myth of the polite, helpful, law-abiding Canadian became the default Canadian story through images of the North-West Mounted Police in the Klondike gold rush, disseminated through American popular culture. As American storytellers revisit the Klondike saga to film a Wire-style miniseries, it's time for Canadians to reclaim the true, exciting stories of their past.

Chris Turner is one of Canada's leading voices on sustainability, livable cities and the global cleantech boom. His most recent book, The Leap: How to Survive and Thrive in the Sustainable Economy, was published in 2011; the Globe and Mail called it "one of the most arresting arguments for building a green economy yet in print." He is also the author of the bestsellers The Geography of Hope and Planet Simpson, and his feature writing has earned eight National Magazine Awards. He is a frequent contributor to The Walrus, The Globe & Mail, Alberta Views and Canadian Geographic, and a featured blogger at MNN.com.

Turner was the Green Party candidate in the 2012 Calgary Centre byelection and a 2013 Berton House writer-in-residence in Dawson City, Yukon. His new book, The War On Science: Muzzled Scientists and Wilful Blindness in Stephen Harper's Canada, is out in October. He lives in Calgary with his wife and two children.

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