Tag Archives: Canadian history

The Evolution of Game Law Impacting First Nations Hunters in Northwestern Ontario

Painting of two people dragging a moose through the snow.

Jennifer Bate Indigenous peoples have used their deep-rooted understanding of the land and wildlife to feed their families and communities for generations. However, by the end of the 19th century, First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario found their traditional way of life threatened by encroaching settlement and new government-imposed hunting legislation. Although early game laws contained clauses exempting First Nations… Read more »

Is the Canadian Red Ensign an extremist symbol?

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The front page of a newsletter with the Red Ensign flag pictured. The publication's title is "The Canadian Intelligence Service." The masthead says this is volume 14, number 5, published in Flesherton, Ontario in June 1964. The words "The Canadian Red Ensign" are printed above the picture of the flag.

Forrest Pass Fifty-eight years ago today, the Canadian Red Ensign ceased to be the national flag. Yet in 2022, the Ensign unexpectedly became a subject of public discussion again.  Its occasional appearance during protests against public health measures, especially the “Freedom Convoy” occupation of downtown Ottawa in February, led some observers to point out the Ensign’s recent use as an… Read more »

History Slam 220: Canada’s Abortion History

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https://activehistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/History-Slam-220.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadBy Sean Graham Last Friday, the United States Supreme Court made its much anticipated decision in the Dobbs v. Jackson’s Women’s Health Organization case. In the majority opinion, the court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which ruled that the privacy clause in the U.S. Constitution protected a woman’s right to an abortion…. Read more »

Stories from coast to coast to coast: An interview with Adam Bunch

A man in a suit jacket, jeans, and hat facing away from the camera. He is looking out over a grassy landscape.

Sara Wilmshurst Author, documentarian, and educator Adam Bunch met with one of our editors to talk about his work bringing Canadian history to the masses. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. SW: One of the things that is notable about your Canadian history documentary series, Canadiana, is how much of the country you visit to make it… Read more »

History Slam 197: History Podcaster Roundtable

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https://activehistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/History-Slam-197a.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadBy Sean Graham When we started the History Slam back in 2012, podcasting was still pretty new. The major platforms were hosting shows, but the analytics weren’t very good, many people had difficulty accessing episodes, and a lot of academics – including every faculty member I talked to before starting the show – didn’t… Read more »

History Slam 194: Mining Country

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https://activehistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/History-Slam-194.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadBy Sean Graham In April 1936, three workers at the Moose River Mine in Nova Scotia became trapped over 40 metres below the ground when the mine’s roof collapsed. On the sixth day following the collapse, rescuers were able to drill a borehole that allowed them to send food and water to the men…. Read more »

In Racial Solidarity: Historicizing Anti-Asian Racism, Violence, and White Supremacy in Canada

This post by Melanie Ng[1] is part of the “(In)Security in the Time of COVID-19” series. Read the rest of the series here. Vancouver: On a cold February night in 1887, an anti-Chinese lynch mob  of white men razed a Chinese work camp. Lanterns in hand and singing the U.S. Union army marching song “John Brown’s Body,” the mob set Chinese… Read more »

History Slam 179: Civilians at the Sharp End

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https://activehistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/History-Slam-179.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadBy Sean Graham Every May, the City of Ottawa hosts the annual Tulip Festival to celebrate the relationships built between Canada and the Netherlands during the Second World War. Following the war, the Dutch Royal Family gifted tulips to Canada as a symbol of friendship, in part to commemorates the birth of Princess Margriet… Read more »

History Slam Episode 177: Imagining a New We

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https://activehistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/History-Slam-177.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadBy Sean Graham Being in Ottawa, there are unique opportunities for engaging with Canada’s past. One of my favourite is to head to Parliament Hill to explore how the federal government has decided to commemorate Canada’s history. The monuments that surround the parliament buildings offer a pretty clear sign of what those in the… Read more »

History Slam Episode 175: The Burden of Gravity

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https://activehistory.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/History-Slam-175.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadBy Sean Graham In the 9 years we’ve being doing the History Slam, I’ve constantly been amazed by the variety of ways in which public historians tell the stories of the past. There are so many unique and powerful storytelling techniques that make great use of historical research. One such example is the new… Read more »