Readers are in for a rare treat with this memoir of Beaton Tulk, the seventh premier of Newfoundland and Labrador. From teacher to businessman to politician, the gentleman from Bonavista Bay has led a colourful and fascinating life. His story begins in pre-Confederation Ladle Cove, where his parents taught him the value of working hard and taking care of family first.

From there we follow Beaton to his Memorial University days and the teaching job that waited for him back home. After spending a number of years shaping the minds of young Newfoundlanders, he became a supervising principal for the Carmanville school system. In 1979, he was elected to the House of Assembly as the member for Fogo, and thus began his lifelong pursuit, through politics, to bring about change for the better for all in the province—in particular for those living in the outports.

A Man of My Word is a bare-all autobiography full of charm, humour, and personal tragedy. It is co-written by Laurie Blackwood Pike, the bestselling author of Grandpa Pike’s Outhouse Reader.

Born in Ladle Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador, Beaton Tulk resides in Musgravetown with his wife, Dora. He graduated from Memorial University with bachelor of arts, bachelor of education, and master’s of educational administration degrees. He also later obtained a Canadian securities investment diploma. Beaton was a supervising principal for the Carmanville school system from 1974 to 1979. He was first elected to the Newfoundland House of Assembly in 1979 as the Liberal Party member for Fogo and was re-elected in 1982 and 1985. While in provincial politics, he served as deputy minister of Children and Youth Services, and later minister of both Forest Resources and Agrifoods and the Department of Development and Rural Renewal. In 2000, he became the seventh premier of Newfoundland and Labrador when his predecessor, Brian Tobin, left provincial politics to run federally.

Beaton Tulk's profile page

Laurie Blackwood Pike, a.k.a. Grandpa Pike, was born in Stanhope, Newfoundland and Labrador. He is retired from his position as business development manager with a national chain of hardware and building supply stores. In 2017, he received the Estwing Gold Hammer Award—the industry’s recognition for his contributions. In 1986, he bought a rural general store, developed a logo, and branded the business “Grandpa Pike’s.” His unique store was profiled in the hardware industry’s Hardware Merchandisingmagazine. In recent years, Grandpa Pike has used his nickname for charity work. In 2007, he partnered with the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada, Newfoundland & Labrador Chapter, to release a music CD. In 2009, he partnered with them again to produce a gospel Christmas CD. He is married to Kathleen Pike and has one daughter, Laurie Shannon. A Man of My Word is his second book. His first book, Grandpa Pike’s Outhouse Reader, has appeared in Atlantic Books Today’s bestsellers lists.

Laurie Blackwood Pike's profile page