This 2006 Silver Birch Award nominee tells the "warts and all" story of John A. Macdonald, Canada's first prime minister. Many people called him a "frightful old rascal," a drunk, a liar, and a scheming thief. But these same people also acknowledged him as "the father and founder of Canada." To this day, Sir John A. Macdonald remains the only Canadian prime minister to throw up in the House of Commons, resign for dishonourable behaviour, and personally take up arms against invading Americans-then defend some of them in court. And that is only a tiny sample of the outrageous acts for which Sir John A. Macdonald is famous! Sir John didn't care whether people liked him or thought him a fool; what he cared most about was that his dear Canada was taking shape and growing by leaps and bounds.