Jim Blanchard is a prolific local historian, whose books have brought the early history of Winnipeg to life for countless readers. In Thinking Big, he draws our eye to the citys business development, from the HBC and the Indigenous free traders of the fur trade, to the much less well-known story of North Star Oil. His case studies show that thinking big was not only about private capital and intrepid settler entrepreneurs, but relied critically on public investment and oversight. Esyllt W. Jones, Professor of History, University of Manitoba".