Accession 83-15 - Garry Fairbairn

Garry Lawrence Fairbairn began his journalism career with Canadian Press in 1969. His first two years were spent covering stories in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto. From 1971 to 1973, Fairbairn was posted in Ottawa and was later moved to Regina where he worked until 1976. His work in Regina received attention and he was given an international assignment spending two years in Washington, D.C. After getting married, he requested a transfer back to western Canada and in 1978 he was assigned to the Canadian Press post in Calgary which he held until 1981.

As his career progressed, people noticed his talents and he frequently garnered accolades from his colleagues. Fairbairn was instrumental in the development of the Saskatchewan Journalist’s Association. Despite his successes as a journalist, by 1981 he was restless and felt the need for a change. He entered into a competition to write a history commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool. His reputation and his proposals paid off and he was awarded the commission. In 1984, From Prairie Roots: The Remarkable Story of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool was published. He later joined The Western Producer, a weekly farm newspaper owned by the Pool, and worked there until 1999. He is currently retired.