Arthur’s Bill Perrie knows a thing or two about pubs

FERGUS – Looking for a good pub this summer? You might consult Arthur resident Bill Perrie, the self-described “Pub Guy” who has written a suite of books on pubs. 

On the back cover of his book The Pub Lover’s Guide to Ontario, Perrie makes an almost sociological case for the prevalence of pubs in Canada, arguing the prevalence of British-style pubs is an extension of Canada’s British culture as a country founded by United Empire loyalists fleeing the American Revolution.

Originally from Dundee, Scotland, Perrie first visited Canada in the early 1980s and loved it. Perrie subsequently emigrated to Canada and initially lived in Newmarket, where he worked as a DJ.

Doing the rounds of English and Scottish-style pubs in and around Toronto with a “British Invasion” theme in the late 1980s, Perrie had to keep track of who liked what where. Sometime in the early 1980s. 

Perrie had encountered an automotive guidebook that gave him the idea to do an equivalent guidebook for pubs.

The idea remained inchoate until a friendship with a publisher led Perrie to get an advance to write The Pub Lover’s Guide to Ontario in the late 1990s.  The book was published by Warwick Publishing in 2002.

Almost immediately thereafter Perrie published his second book, Canada’s Best Pubs in 2005. 

Each chapter explored a different province and descriptions of notable pubs in Canadian cities. 

Perrie said the book came out of a period when he hosted a CBC program highlighting different pubs in Canadian cities.

“People make pubs,” Perrie said declaratively when asked what makes a good pub. From making conversation with bartenders to talking to someone seated next to you, pubs foster a sense of conviviality, he added.

Some commentators have gone so far as to call pubs “third spaces” – places outside the home or workplace where people gather to socialize and build community. 

One need only think of the television sitcom Cheers for an example, where a cast of memorable characters find friendship and belonging at the local watering hole.

Asked about differences between the pubs he encountered in his youth in Scotland and Canada’s pubs, Perrie said, “Back in the day, you’d hear more English and Scottish accents in the pubs in Ontario.”

In an accent that still occasionally betrays his Dundee roots, he added,  “Over time, Canada has developed its own pub culture.”

Large sporting events like the ongoing World Cup of course bolster business for pubs. 

While Canada no longer has a horse in the race following its loss to Morocco on July 4, heading into this weekend the third-place match on July 18 and moreover the final match on July 19 are likely to increase the number of people patronizing local pubs. 

This will certainly be the case if England proceeds to the finals, as it has become a surrogate team for many Canadians due to its historical links to Canada, not to mention the large number of expatriate football fans in the area.

Those interested in Perrie’s work can check out his most recent venture, The Pub Magazine, on Facebook,  which includes information about his most recent books, Niagara: A Wine Lover’s Guide, a collaborative effort with son Andrew, and The Black Horse Diaries, a novel set in a fictional pub called the Black Horse Pub not to be mistaken with the Peterborough pub of the same name.