Public historian Tim Cook told compelling stories about Canada’s soldiers

Tim Cook, the Canadian War Museum’s chief historian, liked to walk when he talked. At work, his co-workers and visitors often found themselves discussing business during a wander through the museum’s exhibits.

His colleague Michael Petrou, historian of veterans’ experience at the museum, says, “The advice he gave me … was to walk through the exhibitions. We almost never had a sit-down meeting. We might walk along the Ottawa River on a nice day, but we often walked through the galleries. He would also do that on his own. … He wanted to see how the public was engaging.”