Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Peter Calamai fonds
General material designation
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Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Fonds
Reference code
RC0897
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1963-2016 (Creation)
- Creator
- Calamai, Peter
Physical description area
Physical description
4.36 m of textual records and graphic material
14 audio recordings
2 video recordings
38 items
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
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Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Peter Calamai spent almost five decades as a newspaper reporter and editor working for major Canadian newspapers. He obtained a B.Sc. in physics from McMaster University in 1965, and while a student, he was editor-in-chief of the undergraduate student newspaper The Silhouette during which it was named the best student newspaper in Canada. Calamai remains involved in McMaster’s alumni community.
Best known for his award-winning 1987 adult literacy series, Calamai has worked on a number of high-profile stories in Washington, Europe, Africa, and Ottawa; he has worked as national and foreign correspondents for Southam News (1969-1990), editorial pages editor at The Ottawa Citizen (1990-1996), and national science reporter at the Toronto Star (1998-2008). Calamai has also worked as a freelance reporter, photographer, consultant, speech writer, and instructor.
An advocate for science, literacy, and journalistic professionalism, Calamai has been nationally recognized for his involvement in public issues and exceptional news reporting and writing through his Order of Canada (2014) and Diamond Jubilee Medal, among numerous other awards. Remaining dedicated to the promotion of accurate science reporting, he is a founding member of the Canadian Science Writers’ Association and the Science Media Centre of Canada.
Calamai passed away at the age of 75, in January 2019.
Custodial history
Scope and content
This fonds consists largely of material relating to Calamai’s career in journalism. The files contain professional materials, including research, writing, and items, and some personal materials. There are extensive files for Calamai’s major journalism projects, and there are a large number of files that include clippings and teleprint copies of Calamai’s many news articles. The files also include general reportorial material that Calamai has accumulated during his long career as a reporter. Donated books were removed from the rest of the materials and have been catalogued for Research Collections.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
This is the first accrual (2016-003) and was donated in January and June 2016 by Peter Calamai.
Arrangement
The fonds is arranged into the following six series:
Series 1 - Major journalism projects
Subseries 1 - Literacy Survey
Subseries 2 - McCarran Act
Subseries 3 - Thatcher Trial
Series 2 - Writing
Subseries 1 - Clippings
Subseries 2 - Bylined articles
Subseries 3 - Printed materials and other publications
Series 3 - Reportorial materials
Series 4 - Workshops, conferences, and speeches
Series 5 - Personal and professional
Series 6 - Audiovisual
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no access restrictions.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
Accruals
Further accruals are expected.
