The Spring 2015 History Matters lecture series takes an entertaining and slightly idiosyncratic look at sports history to mark the Pan Am games in Toronto. The series—now in its fifth year–is a partnership between ActiveHistory.ca and the Toronto Public Library.
Gladiators in Ancient Rome: Sport in the Service of Imperial Power
Jonathan Edmondson
Did you know that gladiator spectacle started as a form of funeral entertainment sponsored by aristocratic Roman families? Jonathan Edmondson (York University) talks about the role of this bloody cultural phenomenon in the social and political context of the Roman Empire.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Runnymede TPL Branch
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
60 mins
Toronto: The Cradle of Women’s Sports
Bruce Kidd
It took until after WWI before women’s sports got off the ground in Canada. Bruce Kidd (University of Toronto Scarborough), former Olympic athlete, explores how a small group of Toronto women created local and provincial organizations and the Women’s Amateur Sport Federation of Canada, and won Canadian women the right to enter international competition.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Lillian H. Smith TPL Branch
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
90 mins
Five Things You Don’t Know About Terry Fox
Jenny Ellison
You know he is a national hero but what did he add to the national conversation? Jenny Ellison (Trent University) explores how Canadians were inspired by Terry Fox in ways you might not expect.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Danforth/Coxwell TPL Branch
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
90 mins
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