https://activehistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Kelly-Erby-and-Heather-Moore.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadBy Sean Graham “Remember when you first went out to eat with your parents? Remember, it was such a treat to go and they serve you this different food that you never saw before, and they put it in front of you, and it was such a delicious and exciting adventure?” Despite the negativity… Read more »
By Mireille Mayrand-Fiset The evening of June 26th, 2012. A group is standing solemnly at the corner of William and Murray Streets, in what remains of Griffintown, one of Montreal’s most notorious working class neighborhoods. Some are chatting and laughing, others, more serious, are eagerly pointing their cameras, seemingly waiting for something to happen on this warm summer night. This… Read more »
This post originally appeared March 29 2013 on the TCE Blog by the Canadian Encyclopedia By James Marsh I really had the best job in the country, as editor of Canada’s national encyclopedia. It was kismet for a boy whose irritated mother sarcastically called him “know it all!” As a kid in West End Toronto, I was obsessed with the… Read more »
by Ashok Charles and Randall White This coming Friday, April 12, 2013 will mark the 175th anniversary of the hanging of Samuel Lount and Peter Matthews in what is now downtown Toronto, for their roles in the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837. The rebellion was a reaction to the unresponsiveness of the colonial oligarchy of the day to demands for… Read more »
By Nathan Ng I recently launched Historical Maps of Toronto, featuring simple and free access to a selection of notable maps of my fair city. If you’ve ever wondered what ‘Muddy York’ looked like 200 years ago, and then wanted to trace the city’s development over the following century, this collection ought to pique your interest. Jim Clifford from ActiveHistory.ca… Read more »
How might historical themes be translated into musical composition? A group of musicians will engage with this question tonight as part of “What is Toronto?” This concert will explore the iconic events, places, and unique qualities that define perceptions of Canada’s largest city, both past and present. The event is organized by Spectrum, a group of Canadian composers who create… Read more »
By Jill Campbell-Miller On March 21st, the Canadian government released the 2013 federal budget and in a paragraph did away with the 45-year-old Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The budget announced that CIDA would be amalgamated with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) to become the newly-renamed Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development. The budget justified… Read more »
https://activehistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Srigley-Edit.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadBy Sean Graham During the CHA Annual Meeting last year in Waterloo, I went to the book launch for Finding a Way to the Heart: Feminist Writings on Aboriginal and Women’s History in Canada, during which Sylvia Van Kirk addressed the crowd. The one thing that really stuck me was how passionately she spoke… Read more »
By Kaitlin Wainwright Recently, I was lamenting the challenges historians face in the form of changing names of various government organizations in Canada: The Canada Food Board, the Health League of Canada, and Board of Broadcast Governors are now the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Canadian Public Health Association, and the CRTC respectively. Researching the past often means paying attention… Read more »
By David Webster “More lies from Amnesty International!” screamed a headline in a Kenyan newspaper, back in the 1990s. When assailed for their human rights records, the unimaginative response of many governments has been to attack the messenger. If Amnesty International criticizes a repressive regime, the regime tends to shout back that Amnesty is being unfair, dishonest, and even imperialist…. Read more »
