History and Policy

The Sound of Deafening Silence: A Case for Electro-Motive Workers in London, Ontario

February 14, 2012

By Ryan Kelly What we have witnessed over the past month in London, Ontario is largely unprecedented and very troubling. After announcing record profits, Caterpillar locked out employees on New Year’s Day. The reason an agreement with this corporation could not be reached is simple; workers were unwilling to accept a decrease in wages of [...]

Share
Read the full article →

The Race Is On in Canada and the United States: A Tale of Two Political Cultures

February 6, 2012

While watching the NDP and Republican leadership races unfold in Canada and the United States, I’ve been struck by the very different political cultures of these two countries. This can be partly attributed to the divergent political philosophies of the right-wing Republican Party and the centre-left NDP. But the roots of these political cultures also [...]

Share
Read the full article →

War Resisters Conference Report Back Looking Back, Moving Forward: War Resisters in North America

January 24, 2012

By: Luke Stewart The conference Looking Back, Moving Forward: War Resisters in North America took place at Steelworkers Hall in Toronto, Ontario, on Friday September 23 and Saturday September 24, 2011. The gathering addressed the plight of American war resisters who fled to Canada from 2004 to the present by providing a historical context for [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Consuming Environmental History: Rethinking Wild Game Meat

January 12, 2012

by Mike Commito On December 21st 2011, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters tweeted a link to a National Post article, “Wild Game Meat not Welcome at Ontario Food Banks,” which reported that a Lanark, Ontario food bank had decided to reject donations of wild game meat. The post piqued my interest for several [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Learning from History: What is Popular is not Always Right

January 3, 2012

An evaluation of the recent government decision to ban face veils during the swearing of the oath of citizenship.

Share
Read the full article →

Bill C-309, Preventing Persons from Concealing Their Identity during Riots and Unlawful Assemblies Act

December 12, 2011

My Conservative MP sent the following question to his constituents this week: “Debate has now begun on [Conservative] MP Blake Richards’ Private Members’ Bill C-309.  The Bill proposes creating a new criminal offence for those that wear ‘a mask or other disguise to conceal their identity without lawful excuse’ during a riot or unlawful assembly. [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Public History: Skills and Opportunities

December 8, 2011

By Jo McCutcheon Thinking about my work as a public historian and some of the recent and on-going discussions about training in history generally and doctoral training specifically have made me think about the skills and opportunities I try to provide to both students and professional consulting researchers.[1]  Mixing academic teaching with entrepreneurialism has given [...]

Share
Read the full article →

From Black Tuesday to Black Friday to Everyday

December 7, 2011

Discussing money is generally afforded the same privacy as the balance of one’s bank account. Inviting an open conversation about the subject in public, from basic finance to complex economics, is thought to be rude and even poorer politics. It is perhaps the most polarizing field of contemporary journalism because it has absolutely no means [...]

Share
Read the full article →

What can the past teach us about First Nations’ education?

December 2, 2011

As an historian of the eighteenth century studying Aboriginal engagement with European forms of higher education, modern-day statistics on First Nations education are startling.

Share
Read the full article →

New Review of Perceptions of Cuba: Canadian and American Policies in Comparative Perspective

November 16, 2011

Perceptions of Cuba: Canadian and American Policies in Comparative Perspective By Lana Wylie Reviewed by Mary Stanik, a communications consultant and opinion writer who has been published in a number of major Canadian and American newspapers. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These are interesting times for anyone in Canada or the United States who takes [...]

Share
Read the full article →