Got to re-reading the interview with Dr. Johnson and decided to delve into who he was. I originally thought that perhaps Bolt Court on Fleet street might be a Fort Rouge reference, as there is a Fleet Street in Fort Rouge. A search of the Manitoba Historical Society turned up empty; no Bolt Court on Fleet St. existed, now nor in the 1930's. A Bolt Court on (the famous) Fleet Street in London did exist- and it had been home to Samuel Johnson, the well-known English essayist, moral philosopher and literary critic. He is perhaps best known today for his statement that "patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel".
Although Johnson wrote many serious books as well as a comprehensive dictionary of the English language, his most popular book, tells the story of a young prince (Rasselas) and his sister who are transported to a place where there are no problems and every desire is immediately satisfied. Rasselas and his sister escape this paradise so that they may return to return to the normal world, where problems and unhappiness are common.
Although I admittedly know little about Marshall McLuhan, what I have heard and read leads me to conclude that the underpinning of his ideas was that society was (is)  wasting its potential on trivial matters and instant gratification. It seems fitting that McLuhan would seek (allegorically ) the counsel of Dr. Johnson for his views on "The Century of Progress". They both possess the view that instant gratification is ultimately unsatisfying.