Media & Resources

Coverage of Churchill's Granddaughter's Ottawa Visit

Winston Churchill's granddaughter, Celia Sandys, visited Ottawa on November 28-29, 2013. See the coverage here:

• Celia Sandys on CBC news.
• Winston Churchill’s granddaughter casts eyes on ‘chicken speech’ portrait in Ottawa from the Ottawa Citizen

Some Chicken! Some Neck! Speech to Canada's Parliament

72 years ago, Churchill addressed the Canadian Parliament and delivered his famous Some Chicken! Some Neck! speech. It was shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and only four days after Churchill’s speech to the American Congress in Washington; in the Ottawa speech, he declared his view of Canada as the “linchpin of the English-speaking world”.

It was a momentous occasion, one that displayed Churchill’s character, commitment, political sensitivity, skill with words, timing, and seriousness punctuated with delightful humour. Indeed, unsure though he was about his ability to “lay another egg” (in the language of the day) so soon after the address to Congress, he succeeded brilliantly.

Read more:

• Ottawa Citizen, by Chris Cobb:
  Winston Churchill 70 years ago: ‘Some Chicken! Some Neck!’
• Read the full transcript of Churchill's speech to Parliament
• Watch a filmed excerpt of the Some Chicken! Some Neck! speech at British Pathé

Yousuf Karsh's Portrait of Churchill

Yousuf Karsh's famous portrait of Churchill is also 72 years old now. Karsh left his studios at the Château Laurier and photographed Churchill in the Speaker's Chambers at the House of Commons.

Karsh maintained that this is the portrait that changed his life as it became one of the mostly widely reproduced portraits in photographic history. Karsh said to Churchill as he entered the Speaker's Chambers at Parliament, “Sir, I hope I will be fortunate enough to make a portrait worthy of this historic occasion."

• Learn more about Karsh and this portrait
• Watch an interview with Karsh about this portrait

Churchill's 1941 Address to U.S. Congress

Seventy-two years ago, Churchill addressed the American Congress.

The first British Prime Minister to address the Congress, Churchill gave a rallying speech full of his characteristic “bubbling humour” and “biting denunciations” to American leaders still shocked by the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the Washington speech, he declared: “We can beat the life out of the savage Nazi.”

• Read the full transcript of Churchill's address to Congress

Coverage of our Inaugural Meeting

On November 30, 2011, the Sir Winston Churchill Society of Ottawa held its inaugural meeting at Earnscliffe (the home of Canada's first Prime Minister and the Residence of British High Commissioners to Canada since 1930).

• Ottawa Citizen, by Chris Cobb:
  New Society to Honour Winston Churchill
• See what Allen Packwood had to say about the event. Mr Packwood is Director, Churchill Archives Centre at Cambridge University.

CBC All in a Day Interview

On November 30, 2011, Alan Neal interviewed Ron Cohen, SWCSO President, for CBC Radio One’s All in a Day. They discussed, among other things, the relevance of Churchill today and the inauguration of the Sir Winston Churchill Society of Ottawa.

Churchill Society Links

• The Churchill Centre (Chicago, IL, and London)
• Churchill Archives Centre (Cambridge)
• Churchill Memorial and Library (Fulton, MO)
• The Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy (Toronto)
• Churchill Society of British Columbia (Vancouver)
• The Sir Winston Churchill Society of Vancouver Island (Victoria)

• International Churchill Society Canada (Toronto)

• Rt. Hon. Sir Winston S. Churchill Society of Edmonton

• Sir Winston Churchill Society of Calgary