Celebrated Sault Ste. Marie writer Morley Torgov, now 98 and living in Toronto, was recently awarded the city's Medal of Merit for his contributions to the community. Despite his advanced age, Torgov's sense of humor remains intact, and he quickly took the opportunity to poke fun at himself upon receiving the award.
In a phone interview with SooToday, the author of 'A Good Place to Come From' humorously attributed his award to his longevity, stating, 'I assume that I'm getting my award because of the simple miracle of longevity. I've lived long enough to get it.' This humble and humorous attitude is consistent with his reaction when he received the Order of Canada in 2015, where he initially thought it was a joke.
Torgov's journey into writing began in his youth in Sault Ste. Marie, where he dreamed of becoming a journalist while his father wanted him to pursue medicine. However, Torgov's lack of athletic abilities led him to writing as a means of compensation. He started his career at The Sault Star as a teenager in the early 1940s, earning $17 a week. Despite not getting rich, he found joy in the work and considered those days some of the happiest of his life.
Over time, Torgov found a middle ground between his father's dreams and his own, becoming a successful career lawyer who published numerous award-winning books, including two that earned him the prestigious Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Despite facing personal losses during his childhood, Torgov found joy in making people laugh.
At 98, Torgov reflects on his career and wonders if his father's advice may have been prescient, given his near-death experience with West Nile Virus. Despite his love for writing and law, he acknowledges the impact of his father's guidance, even if it was not his initial career path.
