Cool Heads at Kingston Pen

Ron Haggart's book Cool Heads at Kingston Pen (published posthumously by his daughter) interested me very much. I had never seen the Telegram's coverage of the Kingston Penitentiary Riot, but Haggart is clearly the journalist mentioned in book Caron's Bingo! and Bell's Birdsong.

He confirmed what Caron didn't--that Barrie Mackenzie was the "friend" who freed my cousin Brian Beaucage from his cell during the riot.

Here is Amazon's description of Haggart's book:
"In April 1971, journalist Ron Haggart helped resolve one of Canada’s most serious prison riots. When maximum-security Kingston Penitentiary fell under the control of 500 rioting prisoners, the inmates summoned his help. As a crusading newspaper columnist and police watchdog with a reputation for fairness, he had won their trust. Haggart and four lawyers went inside Kingston Pen and, along with one remarkable hero inmate, were instrumental in mediating an end to the crisis. His gripping account of the four-day stand off, now available digitally for the first time, earned him a National Newspaper Award."