From Ragged Ass Road to Rideau Hall

Veteran journalist Whit Fraser recounts the stories behind the stories in this collection of tales drawn from fifty years of reporting on nation-changing events in Canada’s North.

In this gripping memoir, journalist Whit Fraser takes readers behind the headlines of his long career, which started as a reporter in Frobisher Bay and Yellowknife in the late 1960s. From the crash of the Russian satellite Cosmos 954 in 1978, to the Ocean Ranger oil rig disaster in 1982, and the devastating Exxon Valdez spill in 1989, Fraser recounts pivotal moments that shaped public opinion and policy in Canada.

At the heart of the book is Fraser’s deep engagement with the North and the fight for Indigenous self-determination. He reports on landmark events such as the patriation of the Constitution, the creation of Nunavut, and papal visits to the Arctic. As Viceregal Consort to Governor General Mary Simon, Fraser also offers insider insights into her decades of activism and leadership.

Anchored by vivid reporting and personal reflection, Ragged Ass Road is a powerful journey through the people, politics, and places that have defined Canada’s North—and the shifting landscape of journalism itself.