By Jim Clifford It is very strange to celebrate the start of a war. Nonetheless, this is exactly what we have done here in Canada over the past year. The War of 1812 spanned from June of 1812 through to February of 1815, but this did not stop our government from starting their celebrations of the “Fight for Canada” during… Read more »
The development of service clubs in Canada and the current decline of membership in these once vibrant community organizations.
By Steven Maynard This is the first in a series of posts originally presented as part of a roundtable entitled “What’s the Use of History? Citizenship and History in Canada’s Past and Present,” held in Toronto on October 16th 2012. The event was organized by the People’s Citizenship Guide Project. In Canada, “we let our gay people swim.” So quipped… Read more »
By Britt Luby At all levels of classroom instruction, history teachers are faced with the challenge of meeting the needs of tactile learners in an environment that favours auditory learners. Large classes – York University’s Keele Campus averages 57 students per class – mean that lectures remain the most effective means of relaying information. This year, I was assigned to… Read more »
https://activehistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Anti-Americanism-Take-Two.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadBy Sean Graham Has there been a week in recent memory that has been this scary? Start off with an earthquake in the Pacific, then the ‘Frankenstorm’, and top it off with Halloween. Given the fear associated with these events we wanted to do a podcast that really addressed some of this country’s greatest… Read more »
This is the first in a series of posts for the upcoming temporary exhibit about Chinese restaurants in Alberta opening at the Royal Alberta Museum in April 2013. Over the final months of planning and mounting the exhibit this series will give a glimpse into what goes into creating a museum exhibit as well as share some of the stories… Read more »
The graveyard embodies the essence of a community. Who lived here? When? Who had wealth? Who had power? The cemetery knows it all.
By Angela Rooke Responding to an audience member question about assault rifles falling into the hands of criminals, Governor Mitt Romney pivoted and connected crime to families: “gosh, to tell our kids that before they have babies, they ought to think about getting married to someone — that’s a great idea because if there’s a two-parent family, the prospect of… Read more »
By Joseph Tohill Less than two weeks to go in the US presidential election campaign, and the candidates are (surprisingly) running neck and neck. The sense of disappointment in incumbent President Barack Obama is palpable, especially after his sleepy first debate performance turned what should have been a runaway race into a real contest. Of course, the current disappointment is… Read more »
By Kevin Colton We’re a visual species, we humans. History is often learned best when its words are accompanied with charts and maps, diagrams and photos. I love looking at these pictures to get different perspectives about the events they document. I’m a software developer rather than an historian, but I think the simulation software I’ve developed can provide another… Read more »