"People think I spent my life in a sheltered, ivory tower, but for 16 years I was out there thinking, `I'm not sure what I'm living on in three months.' That's what federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff told the Canadian Press in a January 2009 interview. But despite acknowledging that perception problem, the ivory tower is exactly where Mr. Ignatieff is launching his "national conversation about the Canada we can be on our country's 150th birthday."
This week, he's embarked on a cross-Canada campus tour as part of that conversation. But, of the 11 post-secondary institutions he'll be visiting, just one is a college with the others being universities. And all of those institutions are in major metropolitan centres. Of course, this isn't the first time Mr. Ignatieff's handlers have inadvertently reinforced his reputation as an upper-crust, urban academic via their choice of event venues.
For example, during his first bid for Grit leadership, many of Mr. Ignatieff's British Columbia campaign events took place at the bastion of elite society such as the Royal Vancouver Yatch Club, the Terminal City Club, The Union Club of British Columbia and The Vancouver Club.
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