Check It Out: The child who told his mom he would become Prime Minister

By Joan Janzen

Here’s a trivia question for you: Q: What was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada’s nickname? A: Dief the Chief.

According to author Bob Plamodon, John Diefenbaker was underrated by historians and deserves to be recognized as one of Canada’s greatest leaders. Many Canadians may not even know who he is, which is why Plamodon published a book in 2025 about Diefenbaker’s life entitled Freedom Fighter.

During Plamodon’s interview on Counter Point, he reported critics said Diefenbaker was a paranoid, antiquated madman, but the public loved him. Diefenbaker once said: “I advise all young men and women who enter public life: they’ll find it satisfying, they’ll be condemned, they’ll be ridiculed. But all those who have been great have had that in their day and generation.”

Plamodon said evidence reveals Diefenbaker was often out of step with Canadian elites, but was rarely disconnected from the people. The 13th Prime Minister once said, “They criticize me sometimes for being too much concerned with the average Canadian citizen. I can’t help that; I’m just one of them, and I have no apologies to offer. My thoughts have been with the underprivileged and the afflicted.”

Born in Ontario, he later moved to Saskatoon, where he attended university and became a well-known criminal defence lawyer fighting for the rights of those wrongfully convicted. His decision to enter politics was not surprising, since at the age of eight years, Diefenbaker told his mother that some day he would become the Prime Minister of Canada.

It seemed an unlikely dream since he didn’t have powerful friends to help him achieve this goal. In fact, he tried many times to get elected but failed, but his determination resulted in him holding the office of Prime Minister in 1957, when the Progressive Conservatives won after the Liberals had been in power for 22 years. Diefenbaker remained Prime Minister until 1963 and had many accomplishments during that period.

He appointed the first female cabinet minister, extended the vote to First Nations people, and appointed the first Indigenous Senator. In 1960, he introduced the Canadian Bill of Rights, the first document of its kind in Canada protecting the rights of individuals against discrimination and abuse. 

Author Bob Plamodon said, “No one else was talking about a Bill of Rights. He thought we needed a law on the books to guide all future lawmaking to make sure that they were not discriminatory and everyone had freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, freedom of thought, which he thought could be suppressed.” How incredibly true those words turned out to be in our current times.

In one of his speeches, Diefenbaker said, “There’s a tremendous satisfaction in being able to say I tried, I did what I could in my day and generation. Don’t move backwards. Don’t do that.”

Once again, his cautionary words are accurate as we witness policies being spewed out for political gain, which need to be eliminated when another party takes office. In contrast, the Bill of Rights endures for generations.

“Whatever remains to me of life, almighty God has been bountiful. I will give to the service of my country. I will continue to fight for those things that I have fought for throughout life,” Diefenbaker said in a public address.

He did just that, continuing to serve as a Member of Parliament from Saskatchewan following his years as Prime Minister. He won his last election in 1973, three months before his passing.

I’m old enough to remember school days spent watching boring films produced by the National Film Board of Canada. In one such film, Diefenbaker said, “From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for the opportunity to serve in my day and in my generation. There is one thing that will bind the hearts of Canadians: that is the love of country.”

Fast forward to 2025, when the Saskatchewan Institute observed: The same politicians who were tearing down statues, cancelling Canada Day celebrations just a few years ago, are suddenly celebrating Canada. We need to respect our history, respect the Constitution as it was intended, and preserve the freedoms that made this country great.

There’s also a need to preserve our history, as is evident by a comment posted after author Bob Plamodon’s interview which said, “I feel bad for having no idea who this man (Diefenbaker) was.”

One of Diefenbaker’s most famous quotes was: “My creed as a Canadian is summed up in these words. I am a Canadian, a free Canadian. Free to speak without fear. Free to worship God in my own way. Free to stand for what I think is right. Free to oppose what I believe is wrong. Free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind. For I am a Canadian.”

It is indeed appropriate that Diefenbaker’s story is being told more than sixty years after he was Prime Minister.