Fall 2014 History Matters lecture series: Canada’s First World War

thought exchangeActiveHistory.ca, Heritage Toronto and the Toronto Public Library are pleased to announce the Fall 2014 History Matters lecture series.

This season’s series focuses on the theme of “Canada’s First World War.” The talks pay specific attention to local responses and how we remember the conflict.

The series is also part of “Canada’s First World War: A Centennial Series on ActiveHistory.ca,” a multi-year series of regular posts about the history and centennial of the First World War.

“Hometown Horizons: Local Responses to Canada’s Great War”
Robert Rutherdale
Historian Robert Rutherdale (Algoma University) draws from his 2004 book to look at how people and communities experienced World War I at home, from farmers in Alberta and shopkeepers in Ontario, to civic workers in Quebec. Rutherdale looks at many of the big debates in social and cultural history, including demonization of enemy aliens, gendered fields of wartime philanthropy and state authority and citizenship.
Thursday October 30th, 2014
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
North York Central Library Concourse

“Remembering For Peace: Canada’s Great War Centenary”
Jamie Swift
Canada’s famous war memorial at Vimy Ridge features the statue “Breaking of the Sword.” How has this dramatic message of peace been eclipsed by a glorious, birth-of-a-nation war story? How can we commemorate the tragedy of World War I by emphasizing peace? With Jamie Swift, journalist and co-author of Warrior Nation: Rebranding Canada in an Age of Anxiety.
Wednesday November 5th, 2014
6:30pm – 7:30pm
Bloor/Gladstone Branch

“The Toronto Anti-Greek Riot of 1918: War, Intolerance and Identity”
Chris Grafos
The August 1918 anti-Greek riot, led by returning war veterans, was one of the largest instances of violence in Toronto’s history. This presentation by Chris Grafos (York University) charts the lasting legacy and broader consequences of intolerance towards Canada’s immigrants.
Wednesday November 19th, 2014
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Danforth/Coxwell Branch

“1914-2014, Toronto Remembers the Great War”
Jonathan Vance
Author of Death So Noble: Memory, Meaning, and the First World War, Professor Jonathan Vance (University of Western Ontario), considers the challenges of remembering this catastrophic event, and how those challenges have changed as the centenary approaches. When we are encouraged to remember the First World War, what exactly are we being encouraged to remember?
Thursday November 27th, 2014
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Runnymede Branch Program Room

The History Matters lecture series, part of the TPL’s Thought Exchange programming, has been connecting the work of historians with the the public since the 2010. Recordings of previous History Matters lectures can be found on the Activehistory.ca YouTube channel.

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