The Man in the Arena

The Honourable Roger Simmons, PC, is a public policy consultant in Canada. Born at sea, on the Atlantic Ocean near Lewisporte, Newfoundland and Labrador, he spent his childhood years in the bustling railway town of Bishop’s Falls. His early career as an educator and clergyman took him to coastal towns in his beloved rural Newfoundland. As a politician, provincially and federally, he was the voice of the island’s south coast for twenty-five years.

√ Kicked out of school at fifteen, he clawed his way to the top of the teaching profession

√ The tale of a whistle-blower and the below-the-belt payback scheme that couldn’t shut him up

√ The Hail Mary moves of an incurable optimist and risk-taker

√ Humorous anecdotes of life as an educator, clergyman, politician, and diplomat

√ Insider stories of his feuds with Joey Smallwood, his high-profile kneecapping by the taxman, and his passion for the Salvation Army’s redemptive outreach

√ Cameos of interloping in the foreign service

As a diplomat, Roger Simmons headed Canada’s mission in Seattle, and for six years he was a senior policy advisor with Gowlings, one of Canada’s largest law firms. He also spent a year in Baghdad as an advisor to the Iraqi parliament and served as an election observer in Ukraine.

“[The Man in the Arena is an] engaging and wonderful account documenting the ups and downs of a successful and colourful Newfoundland politician . . . excellent . . . most entertaining.” — John C. Crosbie