Local History

Active History in an Age of Austerity

November 17, 2011

Budget cuts at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels of government across the country have targeted cultural and heritage institutions, threatening the integrity of the capacity of Canada to maintain an adequate understanding of its collective past. Just as Margaret Atwood helped mobilize opposition to proposed cuts to Toronto libraries, the challenge for active historians who oppose such measures is to make their opposition public.

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Active History on the Grand: the War of 1812 and the Six Nations

November 7, 2011

In Canada the debate over the commemoration of the War of 1812 largely ignores the role that the First Nations played as allies of Britain. For the Six Nations of the Grand River the war was a pivotal moment in their history, but the aftermath marked the end of their independence and sovereignty.

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New Podcast: Richard Harris on the Making of a Toronto Suburb

October 25, 2011

Historical Geographer Richard Harris recently presented a talk entitled “The Making of Dufferin-St. Clair: 1900-1929” at a local library located in this Toronto neighbourhood. Following his talk, a room full of community members shared their personal memories of the area’s social and physical development. Harris’s talk comes from research for his book, Unplanned Suburbs: Toronto’s [...]

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Following the Freedom Trail through Boston

October 24, 2011

Around 1776, certain important people in the English colonies made a discovery that would prove enormously useful for the next two hundred years. They found that by creating a nation, a symbol, a legal unity called the United States, they could take over land, profits, and political power from favorites of the British Empire. In [...]

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Announcement: History on the Grand – People and Place

October 8, 2011

Join us for a day of history and heritage in beautiful downtown Cambridge on Saturday 22 October 2011 for the local history symposium History on the Grand: People and Place.

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A Past for the Future: the Portuguese Canadian History Project’s Virtual Exhibits Exploring the Portuguese-Canadian Experience

October 3, 2011

By Raphael Costa PhD Candidate, History, York University Coordinator, Portuguese Canadian History Project Like many initiatives, the Portuguese Canadian History Project (PCHP) started with a conversation over coffee. Brews in hand, historians of the Portuguese-Canadian experience, Susana Miranda and Gilberto Fernandes, hashed out the basis of the PCHP. It was 2008, with Susana knee-deep in [...]

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New Podcast: Ruth Frager on Toronto’s Spadina Sweatshops, 1900-1939

September 20, 2011

Last week, historian Ruth Frager presented a talk entitled “Spadina Sweatshops: Jews and Gender in Toronto’s Labour Movement 1900 to 1939.” The lecture examined the dynamics of the Jewish labour movement in Toronto and focused on a strike at the clothing factory of the T. Eaton Company in 1912. Frager’s talk is available here for [...]

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Active History on the Grand: History and Bricks

September 19, 2011

Two years ago Brant County proposed to sell eight community buildings to save costs. These buildings served as schools, daycares, museums, and community centres for the rural residents of Brant County. This article examines the fight to save one building, Langford School.

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History Matters Fall 2011 Lecture Series, Toronto Public Library

August 24, 2011

Toronto Public Library is pleased to announce the 2011 History Matters series. This year these lectures focus on two themes—labour and environmental history in the Toronto area and beyond. Part of TPL’s Thought Exchange programming, these lively talks will give the public an opportunity to connect with working historians and discover some of the many [...]

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Stepping into the Past: Everyday Places that Awaken the Historical Imagination

August 15, 2011

As summer days begin to wane, we explore some of the everyday places that challenge us to think more deeply about the past. Got a place to add? Send us a message and we will add it to this post!

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