A Lifetime of Public Service and not Slowing Down

By Sabrina Cataldo BA'97, BJ'99, Cert.PR'04, MA'23

After more than 40 years in provincial and federal politics and close to five years as Canada’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, you’d think the Honourable Ralph Goodale PC, BA'71, LLD'26 might be ready to retire and spend his days relaxing in his back yard. While he does enjoy landscaping, he’s already on to his next adventure, serving on the Advisory Committee on Canada–U.S. Economic Relations.

When Ralph Goodale stepped off the plane in London in April 2021, he knew his tenure as Canada’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom would be challenging. The United Kingdom had officially left the European Union the year prior; the global economy was in the midst of weathering the COVID-19 pandemic; and there was a major evacuation of civilians from Afghanistan, creating international migration challenges—to name just three examples. Then, less than a year into his post, Russia invaded Ukraine, triggering a sudden influx of more than a million applications from Ukrainians seeking approval to relocate to Canada. All that paperwork went through Goodale’s Canada House embassy in London. “It’s a very busy post—the second largest Canadian diplomatic mission in the world, and the oldest,” says Goodale. And, even with the political, economic and social turmoil, an incredibly rewarding one. “Your job is to make sure the bonds, linkages and functionality of the relationships between Canada and the UK are working successfully. So far, it’s turned out rather well. The turbulence continues, but the good, solid, working relationship has been an important thing to make sure we always get right. It’s something you never take for granted; you always have to keep working on it.”

As High Commissioner, Goodale served as the ambassador from Canada to the United Kingdom, managing bilateral relationships between the two countries. These include everything from political and diplomatic issues to commercial trade and investment to cultural events and scientific exchanges. There is also a defense, security and intelligence component to the role. Goodale notes that the level of economic exchange between Canada and the UK is huge—almost $600 billion—and growing, now that Canada is further diversifying its trade and investments beyond North America. “But it’s more than dollars and cents. The way we collaborate with one another transcends politics,” he says. “There is a huge amount of understanding, knowledge, trust and respect between our two countries. Our instincts are largely the same, based on the fundamentals—freedom, democracy, human rights and dignity, compassion, fairness, due process, the rule of law—that we have promoted and defended together in the world for a very long time.”

The view from the High Commissioner’s office in Canada House, overlooking Trafalgar Square.
The view from the High Commissioner’s office in Canada House, overlooking Trafalgar Square.

Goodale also sat on the Commonwealth Board of Governors with high commissioners from 55 other Commonwealth countries. “These are an important set of potential allies for Canada, though we’re not always on the same page as all of them,” he explains. For example, the relationship between Canada and India has been tense over the last few years. “It was important during that period of anxiety and disruption for communications to continue to flow. I’m pleased to say that the Indian and Canadian High Commissioners in London had a very good, direct relationship, and we could keep communications flowing despite the legal and diplomatic problems between our nations. Now, the relationship is rejuvenating itself. There’s still a lot of work to do. Part of the process of rebuilding is making sure we can have a productive relationship that is also fully respectful of the rule of law. That’s absolutely fundamental to our relationship with India and every other country.”

Goodale’s second year at his post saw an enormous amount of royal activity: Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in spring 2022; there was a state funeral for her in September; and King Charles III ascended to the throne. While the high commissioner is not directly responsible for royal relations—that falls under the portfolio of the prime minister and governor general—Canada House is situated right around the corner from Buckingham Palace. Goodale says that communications between the diplomatic and royal offices paid off in a very significant way for Canada when the King came to open the most recent session of Parliament. “He did so in midst of all the tension around President Trump’s comments on the fifty-first state and the establishment of tariffs to weaken our economy,” he observes. “The King is a superb diplomat. For him to come personally to open the Canadian Parliament and emphatically celebrate ‘The True North Strong and Free’—that was a very important gesture of support from the King of Canada for the independence and sovereignty of the Canadian state.”

Ralph and Pamela Goodale signing the Book of Condolences for Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
Ralph and Pamela Goodale signing the Book of Condolences for Her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

His term as high commissioner came to a close at the end of 2025, after which Goodale and his wife, Pamela, moved back home to Regina. After five months, he was appointed to yet another prominent position, that of a member of the newly formed cross-partisan Advisory Committee on Canada–U.S. Economic Relations. In that role, he and 23 other prominent Canadians serve as key strategic voices advising the prime minister as Canada navigates U.S. trade talks and tariffs. “We’ve been familiar with a rules-based economic approach between Canada and the U.S. for the past 80 years. Now, all of a sudden, that has changed. The era of greater integration between the Canadian and U.S. economies and the adjudication of disputes according to an agreed set of rules is changing to something else. We don’t know yet what that is going to be, and the ground is shifting all the time,” he says. “But clearly, the geography has not changed, and we have to have a functional relationship with the U.S. As we build that new relationship, we need to make sure that it doesn’t leave us vulnerable, dependent or in a situation where our sovereignty can be questioned.”

Goodale says that working through this challenging time is going to take “patience, courage, nimbleness, flexibility and nerves of steel.” The advisory committee’s objective is to give the government the best possible information on areas of economic opportunity and vulnerability, as well as guidance on improving Canada’s leverage and overall bargaining power. “It’s not an easy assignment for the committee, but it’s even more difficult for the government itself. They actually have to get into those face-to-face negotiations with their American counterparts. The committee is one way Canadians are being asked to provide input into that process. It’s a privilege to be able to serve in that way,” he says.

The advisory committee has met a few times now, and Goodale is impressed by how the members are all on the same page, despite political, geographical and sectoral differences. “Everyone seems to be pulling in the same direction. There’s no scoring of political points—it’s all about defending the country. Everyone seems to be really keen on doing the best job that they can in giving the government the most reliable information and the most creative, workable ideas for how we advance Canada’s position.”

For his contributions to Canada-UK relations, Ralph Goodale has been awarded the “Freedom of the City of London”.
For his contributions to Canada-UK relations, Ralph Goodale has been awarded the “Freedom of the City of London”.

In his more than 40 years of public service, Goodale has learned that there are two things that contribute to success in politics, diplomacy and everyday life: “One: Be ambitious. Set your sights as high as you possibly can. Don’t start out with only a small goal—make it a large one to accomplish as much as possible,” he says. And the second? “Kindness in dealing with people. Whether political friends or adversaries, you can get a lot further and accomplish more of your ambitious agenda if you find ways to work well with people and try to be as kind and respectful as you can of their concerns. In the world of successful politics and diplomacy, you get things done by dreaming big, working hard and treating others with respect.”

About the Author

Sabrina Cataldo is an award-winning Regina writer and communications specialist.

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In a University of Regina journalism classroom, the usual rhythm of lectures has given way to urgency. Students lean over laptops, chasing final details, tightening ledes and checking quotes. Conversations overlap. A deadline looms. For a few hours, the space feels less like a classroom and more like a working newsroom. 

At the front of it all are Darrell Davis and Austin Davis, moving between students, offering edits, answering questions, and nudging stories forward. 

"A day like today, when the room feels like a real newsroom, that's everything," Austin says. 

It's a fitting scene for a course built around doing the work, not just talking about it. Journalism 320, Advanced Digital News Writing, has evolved alongside the industry itself, shifting from its former identity as an advanced print course. 

"What's print?" Darrell says with a laugh. "Nobody says print anymore." 

The class also reflects something less common, a father and son teaching side by side, bringing two distinct perspectives into the same learning space. 

"I love teaching with Austin," Darrell says. "We relate well as father and son, but in the classroom it's even better. It's a shared passion."

Two individuals working at laptops. Darrell Davis is a longtime Regina sportswriter and CFL Hall of Fame journalist who now teaches journalism at the University of Regina, bringing decades of newsroom experience into the classroom. Photo: U of R Photography

For Darrell, that passion was shaped over decades in the newsroom. He began his career as a sportswriter at the Regina Leader-Post in 1983, in an era when stories were filed once, for a single deadline, and the pace, while demanding, was predictable. 

"When I started, you only did the story once," he says. "If something happened Friday, it was in Saturday's paper. That was it." 

Today, the work is constant. 

"Now it's 24 hours a day," he says. "You're feeding the social media monster." 

And yet, he insists, the core of journalism hasn't changed. 

"The best part is still writing the story. That hasn't changed." 

That belief underpins his teaching, along with the values he sees as essential. 

"Honesty," he says. "There's nothing more important. And a close second is empathy." 

Across the room, Austin is reinforcing those same ideas, but from a different vantage point. 

A graduate of the journalism program in 2013, he returned to the U of R to teach in 2021 while building his own career as a reporter. His experience reflects a more recent version of the industry, one shaped by digital platforms, multimedia storytelling and a more fragmented audience. 

"You can't teach coachability. You can't teach hunger and drive," he says. "But these students have that. They want to be here. They want to get better." 

The division in how the two instructors approach the craft is clear, and intentional. 

"He's the better writer," Austin says of his father. "I'm more of a grind-it-out reporter. I work the phones, find the angles, get the voices." 

Together, that balance gives students a more complete understanding of the work, how to tell a story, and how to build one. 

It also reflects the evolution of the profession itself, from a more structured, print-focused model to one that demands flexibility, speed and constant adaptation.

Smiling individual helps student with another student visible in background. Austin Davis works with a student during a Journalism 320 class, focusing on reporting, digital storytelling, and presentation. Photo: U of R Photography

In the middle of it all, the energy in the room continues to build. Students collaborate, challenge each other and push toward the deadline, producing work that both instructors say stands up to what's being done in the field. 

"This is maybe my most inspirational class," Darrell says. "They've got a lot to learn, but they just keep springboarding higher and higher." 

For him, the payoff often comes later, outside the classroom. 

"Every press conference I go to now, I run into four or five former students," he says. "That's what I love. It's like coaching, you see people succeed." 

For Austin, the reward is in moments like this, when the classroom becomes something real, something immediate. 

"There's energy," he says. "They're pushing toward a common goal. Everything is in service to the story." 

It's work both men have chosen to take on alongside already full lives. Darrell, now 68, has returned to the Leader-Post after years away, while continuing to teach and contribute to local sports radio. Austin balances the classroom with a full-time reporting job and a young family. 

Back in the classroom, the noise hasn't let up. Stories are still being filed. Edits are still being made. The newsroom, at least for today, is alive. 

"I kind of ask Austin every year, 'Do you want to do another year?'" Darrell says. "If he wants to do it, I'll keep doing it." 

Given how much this father and son value the experience, and how much students continue to get out of the class, there's every reason to believe this father-son teaching team isn't done just yet.

 

You can support the next generation of journalists by giving to the University of Regina's School of Journalism! Simply visit the Faculty of Arts Giving page, select "other" from the dropdown menu, and direct your gift - in any amount - to the J-school.

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