TORONTO — From the Gold Rush to the Great Depression and the trenches of Vimy, Pierre Berton had a unique gift for making Canada's past come alive, history buffs across the country said Wednesday as they remembered the prolific author, journalist and broadcaster who died this week at age 84.

"He was such a talent, such a gift the way he was able to spin the tale, tell the story,'' Manitoba Education Minister Peter Bjornson said in Winnipeg.

"That's what history is all about.''

Bjornson, who was a history teacher for 13 years before entering politics, said he frequently used excerpts from Berton's books in the classroom.

Berton published 50 books, including numerous historical accounts, while also finding time to work as a newspaper columnist, magazine editor and broadcaster.

His work was also adapted for television, such as The National Dream miniseries and a program based on Berton's tale about the Dionne quintuplets.

Aron Slipacoff, editor of Kayak, Canada's History Magazine for Kids, said people wouldn't know about stories like the building of Canada's railway -- a favourite Berton topic -- without the writings of the bow-tie wearing author.

"It was just really dry (before he wrote about it). He gave people a way to care about it,'' said Slipacoff.

With his prodigious output and widespread appeal, Berton was frequently criticized by more academic historians who quibbled that he sometimes played fast and loose with the facts.

"He filled that gap that professional historians had allowed to develop,'' said Tom Axworthy of Historica, a non-partisan registered charity that promotes history education.

"Many of them had jealousies about a mere journalist (writing history).''

But such critiques miss the point, said Axworthy.

"Pierre Berton always got the broad outlines right, there may have been some question about the small details. But he wasn't a small details guy. And neither are most Canadians,'' he said.

Knowing the broad story is more important than what happened on "Tuesday, April 22,'' said Axworthy.

Axworthy said Berton joked about such criticisms, and often had a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

For his part, Slipacoff will never forget hearing Berton rail against the way history is taught in schools. When asked how he would rewrite textbooks, the author grumbled: "no dates.''

"I thought, well that's sort of interesting, no dates in a history book,'' remembered Slipacoff.

"I have to stop myself and remember what Pierre said that day. It's like, find a different way to tell the story, to provide that context and to hook kids, to hook anyone really.''

The Toronto Star, where Berton wrote a column for four years, said he may best be remembered as the writer who made Canadian history fun.

"Berton turned a nation on to the fact that our history was worthy of study and was in many ways as exciting, and often more so, as that of the United States,'' said a Star editorial Wednesday.

"Pierre Berton was missed when he left the Star. Now he will be missed by an entire nation.''