Cory Morgan: Canada Was Blessed to Have Rex Murphy, One of the Last of His Kind

Rex Murphy was a national treasure—a craftsman of the English language who blended equal parts contrarianism, witticism, and Newfoundland homespun common sense, becoming a voice the country grew to cherish. Above all, he was a great Canadian. On Tuesday, I read Murphy’s last column as he masterfully eviscerated Canadian government’s lack of leadership in dealing with the conflict in the Middle East since the massacre of Oct.

7. I didn’t know it would be his last column. It says so much about the character of Rex Murphy that he literally spent his dying days crafting and sharing his thoughts to steer Canada in a better direction.



He did it superbly as usual and better than most of us could hope to write while in the best of health. Rex Murphy was genuinely passionate about his work. That’s what made him different from so many others.

He loved every moment of what he did and he had an authentic sense of curiosity and thirst for knowledge. Along with his intellect and incredible vocabulary, Murphy also came off as a relatable fellow man. His readers and audiences could sense he was one of them, which is rare with a Rhodes Scholar.

You knew Murphy was at a level of brilliance well beyond you, yet it never felt as if he was speaking down to you. His wit could be cutting if you were the target of his ire as he spoke or wrote though. For much of my younger, working life, I worked in the oilfield and usually in remote locations as a surveyor.

Often, CBC radio would be the o.