This is the second post in a three-part series about socialism at McGill in the 1930s. Raffaella Cerenzia As the 1930s unfolded, the soaring unemployment and general miseries of the Great Depression breathed new life into the Canadian left. Socialism began to take root in federal politics, a process exemplified by the founding of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in… Read more »
This is the first post in a three-part series about socialism at McGill in the 1930s. Raffaella Cerenzia Tick tock, tick tock. “Time to wake up!” In January 1933, deep in the midst of the Great Depression, a new student publication announced its arrival on McGill University’s campus. The paper was the production of McGill’s Labour Club, to which all… Read more »
Jody Mason In her incisive discussion of Elon Musk’s recent gutting of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Jill Campbell-Miller correctly assesses the move as motivated by MAGA-movement isolationism. She further notes that Musk’s actions are complicated by the fact that, for many decades, the aid paradigm has also been subject to substantive critique from those who, unlike… Read more »
Andrew R.S. Marchese As Canadians continue to reflect on the centennial of the 1923 Chinese Immigration Act (Exclusion Act), growing attention is being paid to the everyday, untold stories of those who resisted its harsh impact. Likewise, there has been a hunger for historical figures that highlight complexities and intersectional identities in both a community and national-historical context. Among the… Read more »
The case of the Queen’s Dress illustrates the strength of some Canadians’ fascination with royal clothing and the messages it can send. To Elizabeth Delafield, the dress was an inspiring souvenir of a magical moment. To federal officials, including archivist Gustave Lanctôt, it recalled an important episode in Canada’s constitutional evolution, the first time a reigning monarch had presided in Parliament. For the ROM’s C.T. Currelly, it commemorated Canada’s war contributions, but mainly contributed to an ambitious collections and exhibition project on historical clothing. The fight over the frock also revealed the divisions and jealousies among Canada’s emerging heritage institutions, whose mandates were, as yet, broadly defined and sometimes overlapping. Sleeveless though it was, the Queen’s Dress inspired custodians of the nation’s memory to put their elbows up – if only to assert or defend their own institutional turf.
The Indigenous and Northern Housing plan within Canada’s current National Housing Strategy is a good start, but it does not go nearly far enough to meet the long-standing housing needs of First Nations communities. With the new Liberal platform prioritizing the rapid development of affordable and sustainable homes, Prime Minister Mark Carney has a chance to begin remedying some of the historical and ongoing injustices that First Nations peoples encounter regarding housing on reserves. This can be accomplished by integrating the AFN’s proposal into the National Housing Strategy, providing a streamlined process for First Nations to benefit, and working directly with First Nations to meet the specific needs of each community, steering clear of the paternalistic dynamics that have largely fueled the housing crisis experienced by First Nations communities throughout Canada.
Our findings are not unique to YWCA Canada. We know that similar work in Residential Schools and Indian Hospitals was carried out by service organizations and philanthropic societies across Canada. We believe our report joins the important work of many others who seek to move the history and ongoing impact of Residentials Schools and Indian Hospitals beyond the narrow scope allowed by the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.
Overall, we believe that Canadians can, and should, scrutinize Robert Carney’s past views on schooling for Indigenous Peoples, press Mark Carney to clarify his commitment to truth and reconciliation, and challenge the twisting of truth by residential school denialists. Doing all of these things can demonstrate truth and reconciliation leadership and help build a more honourable future. Unlike the denialists, then, our task is to guide public understanding with nuanced, historical work that promotes empathy, understanding, healing, and justice.
By Jacob Richard “Show patriotism by supporting the Hudson’s Bay Company,” declares a recent letter to the editor in the Vancouver Sun. Lamenting the news that the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) is on the verge of financial collapse, the letter writer argues that there is “nothing more tragic to becoming the 51st state than to see the Hudson’s Bay close… Read more »
By educating the public about heritage designation, incorporating heritage into urban planning, and connecting with our wider communities, we can cultivate a brighter future for Ontario’s heritage industry.
