Rivals for Power: Ottawa and the Provinces tells the story of the politicians who continually contend over the division of power (and money) between Ottawa and the provinces. The heroes and villains of this story include many of the leading lights of Canadian history, from John A. Macdonald, Wilfred Laurier, and Maurice Duplessis to Pierre Trudeau, Joe Clark, Bill Davis, Peter Lougheed and Jean Chretien. The unique feature of this book is its focus: no matter what their policies, Canadian politicians over the years have engaged in an ongoing push and pull over power, with both successes and failures. As Whitcomb sees it, the success of the provinces at preventing Ottawa from becoming the overwhelming power in Canadian life has been the key to the country's stability and its cultural cohesion. But the failure of the provinces to achieve an equal measure of power and the growing gap between the have and have-not provinces stands as an ongoing challenge — and threat — to the country's unity.

Ed Whitcomb was raised in Oak Lake, Manitoba. He received a BA from the University of Manitoba in 1964, capturing the University silver medals in History and Economics, the Brandon College Faculty Prize and the Honour Society Award. In 1966, he completed an MA at the University of Manitoba in Canadian and European History. He received a Ph.D. from the University of London, England in 1970, published by Duke University Press under the title Napoleon’s Diplomatic Service. After teaching History at universities in Nova Scotia, Quebec and Manitoba, he joined the Canadian Foreign Service. He retired in 2009 to work full-time on promoting Canadian history and music.

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"This book will help anyone who wants to better understand today's Canada, by explaining how we got here and why."

Winnipeg Free Press

"[Whitcomb] provides a concise account of British duplicity and Canadian acquiescence making Canada a land from sea to sea."

The Hill Times

"Rivals for Power is a meticulously researched book ... [Whitcomb lets the history tell the story, which he describes in completely accessible language."

Policy Magazine