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 »
By Colin Coates and Daniel Ross “The rise and fall of America’s largest socialist utopian experiment” -Program blurb from the 2013 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival This post, inspired by the documentary film American Commune (2013) by Rena Mundo Croshere and Nadine Mundo, takes two different looks at the history of a 1970s countercultural commune located in the southern… Read more »
By Tina Adcock I groaned when I saw the headline. “Google Street View braves Canadian Arctic to chart little-known territory,” it read. “Iqaluit mapping expedition sees Google staff hike along remote city’s snow-covered trails and risk wrath of polar bears.” Even the writers and editors at the Guardian aren’t immune to the occasional bout of polar fever. But I can’t… Read more »
ActiveHistory.ca is pleased to announce two exciting initiatives at Heritage Toronto, a charitable arms-length agency of the City of Toronto that promotes the city’s rich architectural, cultural, archaeological and natural heritage. Heritage Toronto Awards – Call for Nominations The Heritage Toronto Awards celebrate outstanding contributions in the promotion and conservation of Toronto’s history and heritage landmarks by professionals and volunteers…. Read more »
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 »
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 Mike Commito Baseball season has just begun and NHL hockey is entering its final push before the playoffs begin at the end of the month. However, in recent months the attention has remained on the NFL’s Washington Redskins. Not because of their valiant post-season effort that ended with a horrific knee injury to their talented and budding young quarterback,… 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 Khayla Buhler and Phil Gold Next year we begin to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I. At the same time we can also celebrate the centennial anniversary of services provided by the Toronto Public Library to Canada’s military veterans. In 1914, the Toronto Public Library’s (TPL) Board of Trustees established a system of services… Read more »
By Daniel Ross A few dozen locals braved the cold on February 16th to march in the streets of Toronto’s iconic Kensington Market. They were protesting plans to open a big-box supermarket in the neighbourhood. Developer Tribute Communities plans to break ground soon on a condo development on College Street—just east of the market’s northern entrance—that will include a 20,000-square… Read more »
