Category Archives: Does History Matter?

Whose Past? A Public Forum on Harper’s Review of Canadian History

Legacy Gallery, June 3rd, 8 pm.  Broad and Yates St., Victoria, B.C. “Whose Past?   A Public Forum on Harper’s Review of Canadian History”  will be a spirited discussion about the Harper Conservatives’ recent moves to review Canadian history through a Parliamentary committee.   The forum will include perspectives from a secondary school educator, an indigenous scholar, a range of generations as… Read more »

New Paper: Veronica Strong-Boag and Tiffany Johnstone: Taking History to the People: Women Suffrage and Beyond

ActiveHistory.ca is pleased to announce the publication of Veronica Strong-Boag and Tiffany Johnstone’s “Taking History to the People: Women Suffrage and Beyond” History as both “facts” and “meaning” has regularly generated debate and disagreement among citizens, policymakers, and scholars. The nature and prospects of democracy and justice supply a special source of contention. Today’s ubiquitous “history wars,” sometimes termed “culture… Read more »

Podcast: After the Cuts: The Future of History in Canada

On April 19, the Canadian Historical Association organized a panel as part of the Annual Meeting of the National Council on Public History in Ottawa entitled “After the Cuts: The Future of History in Canada.” The panel was designed to analyze the changes to historical work in Canada stemming from recent federal budget cuts, revised mandates, and institutional reorganizations. Chaired… Read more »

Backward as Forward: Reflections on Canada’s “Modern” Political Scene

By Christine McLaughlin While it is too soon for the historian to comment on the long-term effects of recent changes on the Canadian political landscape, the larger rightward shift is perhaps best evidenced by the federal New Democratic Party’s decision to “modernize” its constitution at its recent convention by “toning down” references to socialism. Pointing to “pragmatic” economic policies that… Read more »

“The Portuguese in Toronto” Photo Exhibit: An Organizer’s Reflection

From May 13-19, Toronto’s City Hall will feature “The Portuguese in Toronto,” a free photo exhibit. What follows are some reflections on how historians can engage with the public by one of the exhibit’s organizers. Raphael Costa On May 13, 2013, the Portuguese Canadian History Project’s (PCHP) photographic exhibit celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of mass Portuguese migration to Canada will… Read more »

The Public Historian in the History Wars: A Report from #NCPH2013

By Pete Anderson I had the good fortune to facilitate a lively discussion on the role of public historians in the history wars at a ‘dine around’ session during the recent annual conference of the National Council on Public History, held in Ottawa from April 17-20. We had representatives from both Canada and the United States of various ages and… Read more »

The New History Wars?: Avoiding the Fights of the Past

The new history wars are not battles over the meaning of Canadian history. They are battles over public financing of historical research and historical preservation.

Echoes of Westray: Canada’s National Day of Mourning and the West Fertilizer Company Explosion

By Lachlan MacKinnon This Sunday, cities across Canada will hold ceremonies in honour of the National Day of Mourning. This day is intended for Canadians to remember and reflect upon workers who have been killed on the job. Members of the Canadian Labour Congress started the Day of Mourning in the 1980s, and the federal government adopted it in 1991…. Read more »

Podcast and Reflection – Black Power with a Northern Touch: Black Radicalism in Toronto, 1950s-1970s

By  Funké Aladejebi On March 27th Funké Aladejebi, a PhD candidate at York University, told the compelling story of how black organizations in Toronto used education to combat racism by making connections to “Africa” and adapting the language of Black Power to a Canadian experience. Her talk was part of the 2013 History Matters series. You can click here to… Read more »

James Marsh Retires from The Canadian Encyclopedia

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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 »