John DeMont

DeMont was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia.{{Sfnmp|Cox|1998}} As a journalist, he has written for several publications in Canada such as PNI Atlantic News, Canadian Geographic, and The Walrus. DeMont spent 10 years working at Maclean's as the Atlantic bureau chief, and works as a columnist and senior editor for The Chronicle Herald, a Halifax-based newspaper.{{Sfnmp|Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia|}}

In his 1998 book The Last Best Place, DeMont recounts his travels outside of Nova Scotia and the ways in which the province had changed in his long absence.{{Sfnmp|Cox|1998}}

DeMont's 2009 book Coal Black Heart covers the history of coal mining in Nova Scotia, particularly in Cape Breton.{{Sfnmp|Rowe|2009|Portman|2009}} The book was the winner of the Evelyn Richardson Memorial Non-Fiction Award at the 2010 Atlantic Book Awards.{{Sfnmp|Flinn|2010}}

In 2013, DeMont released A Good Day's Work, a book covering traditional jobs in Canada such as lighthouse keepers and milkmen.{{Sfnmp|Ubelacker|2013}} DeMont's ancestors were variously coal miners and steelworkers, including his grandfather who began working in the coal mines at the age of 11. DeMont described his family history in traditional labour jobs as the inspiration for the book.{{Sfnmp|Medley|2013}}

His 2017 book, The Little Tree By the Sea, is a children's picture book about the Halifax Explosion and the associated tradition of the Boston Christmas Tree. The book was written with his daughter, Belle DeMont.{{Sfnmp|Donaldson|2017}}

DeMont released his memoir, The Long Way Home, in 2017. The book explores DeMont's life as a journalist and his historical connections to Nova Scotia.{{Sfnmp|Patrick|2017}} The book was well-received by critics,{{Sfnmp|Schiefer|2017|Cody-Rice|2018}} being listed among five "must-read books for October" by Maclean's in 2017.{{Sfnmp|Maclean's|2017}} The book was the winner of the Evelyn Richardson Memorial Non-Fiction Award at the 2018 Atlantic Book Awards.{{Sfnmp|Thorne|2018}}

• {{cite book |last1=DeMont |first1=John |author-mask=1 |date=1989 |title=Hong Kong Money: How Chinese Families and Fortunes are Changing Canada |url=https://archive.org/details/hongkongmoneyhow0000demo |url-access=registration |location=Toronto, ON |publisher=Key Porter Books |isbn=978-1-5501-3164-2 |oclc=22863151 |ref=none}}{{Sfnmp|Wordsworth|1989|Smith|1990}}
• {{cite book |last=DeMont |first=John |author-mask=1 |date=1991 |title=Citizens Irving: K.C. Irving and His Legacy |url=https://archive.org/details/citizensirvingkc0000demo |url-access=registration |location=Toronto, ON |publisher=McClelland & Stewart |isbn=978-0-7710-2614-0 |oclc= |ref=none}}{{Sfnmp|Ingram|1991|Hunt|1991|Romahn|1991}}
• {{cite book |last=DeMont |first=John |author-mask=1 |date=1998 |title=The Last Best Place: Lost In The Heart Of Nova Scotia |url=https://archive.org/details/lastbestplacelos0000demo |url-access=registration |location=Toronto, ON |publisher=Doubleday Canada |isbn=978-0-3852-5604-9 |oclc=36838633 |ref=none}}{{Sfnmp|Cox|1998}}
• {{cite book |last=DeMont |first=John |author-mask=1 |date=2009 |title=Coal Black Heart: The Story of Coal and Lives it Ruled |url=https://archive.org/details/coalblackheartst0000demo |url-access=registration |location=Toronto, ON |publisher=Doubleday Canada |isbn=978-0-3856-6504-9 |oclc=275842251 |ref=none}}{{Sfnmp|Rowe|2009|Portman|2009}}
• {{cite book |last=DeMont |first=John |author-mask=1 |date=2013 |title=A Good Day's Work: In Pursuit of a Disappearing Canada |url=https://archive.org/details/gooddaysworkinpu0000demo |url-access=registration |location=Toronto, ON |publisher=Doubleday Canada |isbn=978-0-3856-6506-3 |oclc=843520534 |ref=none}}{{Sfnmp|Beauchemin|2013|Medley|2013|Ubelacker|2013|Montgomery|2013|Bethune|2013|Marchand|2013|Coyle|2013|CBC Radio|2013}}
• {{cite book |last1=DeMont |first1=John |last2=DeMont |first2=Belle |author-mask=1 |date=2017 |title=The Little Tree By the Sea: To Boston With Love |url= |location=Lunenburg, NS |publisher=MacIntyre Purcell Publishing |isbn=978-1-7727-6069-9 |oclc=975051782 |ref=none}}{{Sfnmp|Donaldson|2017}}
• {{cite book |last=DeMont |first=John |author-mask=1 |date=2017 |title=The Long Way Home: A Personal History of Nova Scotia |url= |location=Toronto, ON |publisher=McClelland & Stewart |isbn=978-0-7710-2511-2 |oclc=1011916359 |ref=none}}{{Sfnmp|Patrick|2017|Maclean's|2017|CBC Books|2017|Schiefer|2017|Langille|2018|Cody-Rice|2018}}

• {{cite news |last=DeMont |first=John |author-mask=1 |date=10 November 2022 |title=Discovering my grandfather's war |url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/john-demont-discovering-my-grandfathers-war-100793304 |work=PNI Atlantic News |location= |publisher=Postmedia Network |ref=none}}

• 2010 Evelyn Richardson Memorial Non-Fiction Award for Coal Black Heart{{Sfnmp|Flinn|2010}}
• 2018 Evelyn Richardson Memorial Non-Fiction Award for The Long Way Home{{Sfnmp|Thorne|2018}}

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin|colwidth=30em}}

• {{cite news |last=Wordsworth |first=Araminta |date=23 October 1989 |title=Hong Kong's well-heeled refugees |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/national-post-hong-kongs-well-heeled-re/174363098/ |work=National Post |location=Toronto, ON |publisher= |access-date=12 June 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• {{cite news |last=Smith |first=Dan |date=13 January 1990 |title=The Hong Kong-Canada connection still a mystery |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-the-hong-kong-canada-co/174363188/ |work=The Toronto Star |location=Toronto, ON |publisher= |access-date=12 June 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• {{cite news |last=Hunt |first=Russell |date=12 October 1991 |title=Worthy effort on Irvings |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-worthy-effort-on-irvings/174362391/ |work=The Gazette |location=Montreal, QC |publisher= |access-date=12 June 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• {{cite news |last=Ingram |first=Anne |date=16 October 1991 |title='Citizens Irving' traces life, times of famed family |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-gleaner-citizens-irving-traces-l/174362129/ |work=The Daily Gleaner |location=Fredericton, NB |publisher= |access-date=12 June 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• {{cite news |last=Romahn |first=Jim |date=9 November 1991 |title=Story of Irvings exaggerated, but readable |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/waterloo-region-record-story-of-irvings/174362486/ |work=Waterloo Region Record |location=Kitchener, ON |publisher= |access-date=12 June 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• {{cite news |last=Cox |first=Carol Anne |date=April 1998 |title=The Last Best Place: Lost in the Heart of Nova Scotia (review) |url=https://quillandquire.com/review/the-last-best-place-lost-in-the-heart-of-nova-scotia/ |work=Quill & Quire |location=Toronto, ON |publisher=St. Joseph Media |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite news |last=Rowe |first=Dan |date=March 2009 |title=Coal Black Heart: The Story of Coal and the Lives It Ruled (review) |url=https://quillandquire.com/review/coal-black-heart-the-story-of-coal-and-the-lives-it-ruled/ |work=Quill & Quire |location=Toronto, ON |publisher=St. Joseph Media |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite news |last=Portman |first=Jamie |date=10 May 2009 |title=Nova Scotia's black heart: Journalist John DeMont lifts the lid off cruel coal industry |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-nova-scotias-black-h/174362261/ |work=The Ottawa Citizen |location=Ottawa, ON |publisher= |access-date=12 June 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• {{cite news |last=Flinn |first=Sue Carter |date=15 April 2010 |title=Atlantic Book Award winners |url=https://www.thecoast.ca/arts-music/atlantic-book-award-winners-1608347 |work=The Coast |location=Halifax, NS |publisher= |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite news |last=Coyle |first=Brian |date=28 September 2013 |title=Author John DeMont contemplates vanishing lines of work |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/author-john-demont-contemplates-vanishing-lines-of-work/article_8c6d8741-de36-5679-9e4f-f89aadd0025e.html |url-access=subscription |work=The Toronto Star |location=Toronto, ON |publisher=Torstar |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite news |last=Marchand |first=Philip |date=11 October 2013 |title=Open Book: A Good Day's Work, by John DeMont |url=https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/books/book-reviews/open-book-a-good-days-work-by-john-demont |work=National Post |location=Toronto, ON |publisher= |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite news |last=Beauchemin |first=Raymond |date=12 October 2013 |title=Doing work 'the time-honoured way' isn't dead in Canada ... yet |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-doing-work-the-time-honoure/174362609/ |work=The Gazette |location=Montreal, QC |publisher= |access-date=12 June 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• {{cite news |last=Ubelacker |first=Sheryl |date=19 October 2013 |title=A lament for Canada's vanishing jobs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-leader-post-a-lament-for-canadas-va/174362904/ |work=The Leader-Post |location=Regina, SK |publisher= |access-date=12 June 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• {{cite news |last=Medley |first=Mark |date=21 October 2013 |title=Risky business |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/national-post-risky-business/174362749/ |work=National Post |location=Toronto, ON |publisher= |access-date=12 June 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}}
• {{cite news |last=Montgomery |first=Mark |date=24 October 2013 |title=Canadian author on disappearing professions |url=https://www.rcinet.ca/en/2013/10/24/canadian-author-on-disappearing-professions/ |work=Radio Canada International |location= |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite news |author= |date=2 November 2013 |title=John DeMont: "A Good Day's Work" |url=https://www.cbc.ca/allinaweekend/books/2013/11/02/john-demont-a-good-days-work/ |work=CBC Radio |location= |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |ref={{Sfnref|CBC Radio|2013}} |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite news |last=Bethune |first=Brian |date=15 November 2013 |title=Stories about the milkman, family rancher, drive-in movie owner—but not the lighthouse keeper |url=https://macleans.ca/culture/books/a-good-days-work-in-pursuit-of-a-disappearing-canada/ |work=Maclean's |location=Toronto, ON |publisher=St. Joseph Communications |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite news |author= |date=30 September 2017 |title=Five must-read books for October |url=https://macleans.ca/society/five-must-read-books-for-october/ |work=Maclean's |location=Toronto, ON |publisher=St. Joseph Communications |ref={{Sfnref|Maclean's|2017}} |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite news |author= |date=23 October 2017 |title=The Long Way Home |url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/the-long-way-home-1.4367290 |work=CBC Books |location= |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |ref={{Sfnref|CBC Books|2017}} |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite news |last=Donaldson |first=Emily |date=November 2017 |title=The Little Tree by the Sea: From Halifax to Boston With Love (review) |url=https://quillandquire.com/review/the-little-tree-by-the-sea-from-halifax-to-boston-with-love/ |work=Quill & Quire |location=Toronto, ON |publisher=St. Joseph Media |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite news |last=Schiefer |first=Nancy |date=1 December 2017 |title=Book Review: Nova Scotia book is part history, part memoir |url=https://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/2017/12/01/book-review-nova-scotia-book-is-part-history-part-memoir |work=Stratford Beacon-Herald |location=Stratford, ON |publisher=Postmedia Network |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite news |last=Patrick |first=Ryan B. |date=5 December 2017 |title=John DeMont explores the deep history and heritage of Nova Scotia in his new memoir |url=https://www.cbc.ca/books/john-demont-explores-the-deep-history-and-heritage-of-nova-scotia-in-his-new-memoir-1.4367582 |work=CBC Books |location= |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite news |last=Langille |first=Erin Beth |date=January 2018 |title=The Long Way Home: A Personal History of Nova Scotia (review) |url=https://quillandquire.com/review/the-long-way-home-a-personal-history-of-nova-scotia/ |work=Quill & Quire |location=Toronto, ON |publisher=St. Joseph Media |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite news |last=Cody-Rice |first=Edith |date=27 January 2018 |title=The Long Way Home: A Personal History of Nova Scotia by John DeMont |url=https://millstonenews.com/the-long-way-home-a-personal-history-of-nova-scotia-by-john-demont/ |work=The Millstone |location=Almonte, ON |publisher= |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite news |last=Thorne |first=Tara |date=11 May 2018 |title=Your 2018 Atlantic Book Award winners |url=https://www.thecoast.ca/arts-music/your-2018-atlantic-book-award-winners-14684379 |work=The Coast |location=Halifax, NS |publisher= |access-date=12 June 2025}}
• {{cite web |author= |date= |title=Author spotlight: John DeMont |url=https://writers.ns.ca/author-spotlights/author-spotlight-john-demont/ |website=writers.ns.ca |location= |publisher=Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia |ref={{Sfnref|Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia|}} |access-date=12 June 2025}}

{{refend}}

• {{cite news |author= |date=5 June 2022 |title=The Halifax Herald has gifted writer John DeMont & the CBC has his brother, Phil DeMont |url=https://www.themacdonaldnotebook.ca/2022/06/05/the-halifax-herald-has-gifted-writer-john-demont-the-cbc-has-his-brother-phil-demont/ |url-access=subscription |work=The Macdonald Notebook |location=Halifax, NS |publisher= |access-date=12 June 2025}}

• [https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/674337 John DeMont] at Goodreads
• [https://www.saltwire.com/author/jdemont/ Articles by John DeMont] at PNI Atlantic News
• [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWMvgY1LgJYUopF3pqq2Rl_DHY35mX4yb John DeMont interviews] at SaltWire Network {{endash}} via YouTube

{{Canadian literature}}

{{Portal bar|Biography|Journalism|Literature|Canada|Nova Scotia}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:DeMont, John}}

Category:Living people

Category:Writers from Halifax, Nova Scotia

Category:Journalists from Nova Scotia

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Category:Canadian columnists

Category:Maclean's writers and editors