Davina Choy is the Community and Digital Media Coordinator at The Canadian Encyclopedia. Her interests include arts, culture, and the ever-changing digital landscape.
This 1818 topographical map of York shows that the land north of Queen Street was mostly forest and farmland (J.R. Robertson’s Landmarks of Toronto).
Maps! These visual, information-rich records show us where we are and where we’ve been. What would we do without them? Nathan Ng, a self-described “non-professional historian” certainly understands their importance. His past efforts have made the Goad’s Atlas, a detailed Victorian-era fire insurance map of Toronto, available to the internet masses at Goad’s Atlas – Online!. His most recent project, Historical Maps of Toronto, continues the work of bringing Toronto’s cartographic history to the web, with digitized maps from the 1858 Boulton Atlas of Toronto, the Alpheus Todd map of 1834 and many, many more. We picked Nathan’s brain about his love for maps, the Historical Maps of Toronto project, and his thoughts on the internet’s role in history education. (more…)
Double Take, a new exhibition from the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, challenges preconceived notions about 59 Canadians, capturing them in unexpected poses and situations, some real and others imagined. There’s a portrait of the usually suave Leonard Cohen looking like a streetwise Al Pacino and another of Adrienne Clarkson looking luscious, wrapped in an exotic scarf. The painting, Out for Fun (Dione Quintuplets), by Andrew Loomis imagines a scene that likely never took place: the Dionne quintuplets singing and cooking wieners around a campfire, the picture of a happy, carefree childhood that’s worlds away from their actual exploited childhood. The various identities of Sir John A. Macdonald give insight into the many sides of Canada’s first prime minister: Macdonald is presented as a cartoon, a political saviour, and also an object of affection, his picture tucked away in a locket.
A new Molson Canadian advertisement has taken the internet by storm, reaching 1 million views on YouTube before even premiering on television. The ad has generated a flurry of opinions. Is it patriotic? Should we celebrate it? Is it pandering or cynical? Who are we as Canadians? What’s clear is that it’s not a sequel to Molson’s much-loved Joe Canadian ad – or is it? [Huffington Post]
Double Take, a new exhibition from the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, challenges our preconceived notions about famous Canadians. There’s a portrait of the usually suave Leonard Cohen looking like a streetwise Al Pacino and another of Adrienne Clarkson striking a gorgeous model pose. 59 Canadians are featured. [Ottawa Citizen]
17 years ago, the world’s last de Havilland Mosquito crashed at an air show, killing the two men onboard and the one-of-a-kind Mosquito. Aircraft lovers feared it was the end of the wooden wonder, but a recent multimillion-dollar restoration of an old Mosquito, found on an Alberta farm, has taken flight and will see a homecoming to an air show in Hamilton this spring. The Mosquito buzzes once more! [Canada]
It’s Canada Water Week! The average Canadian consumes nearly 6,400 litres of water everyday, and almost 90% of it is embedded in the food we eat, the clothes we wear and the products we use. Learn about the events in your community and discover some handy facts that will wow your dinner guests with this fact sheet. And check out this incredible UK website on water consumption [Canada Water Week]
From 1934 to 1979, a street photographer named Foncie Pulicewould set up his camera on Vancouver’s sidewalks and snap photos of people walking by. His work, encompassing thousands of photos, is a visual history of Vancouver, and his story will be told in a new documentary. Those who were lucky enough to be photographed by Pulice are encouraged to submit their photos to a website called Foncie’s Corner, created by B.C.’s Knowledge Network. [The Province]
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, when US-led troops entered the city of Baghdad with the goal of toppling Saddam Hussein’s regime and destroying the country’s weapons of mass destruction. The invasion was relatively brief: Baghdad fell weeks later, and on May 1 then-U.S. president George W. Bush declared that the mission was accomplished. The weapons of mass destruction were not found, but the goal of the invasion shifted to stabilizing Iraq and solidifying it as a Western ally. The invasion and occupation claimed the lives of 4,487 U.S. combat troops, 179 UK servicemen and women, between 97,461 and 106,348 Iraqi civilians and displaced an estimated 1.6 million Iraqis. The invasion cost the U.S. between from $802 billion to $3 trillion (figures from the BBC).
Five-year-old piano prodigy Ryan Wang from B.C. will play Carnegie Hall this year along with a stint with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. [CBC]
What is Canada’s largest seafood export? No, not beavers… it’s lobsters! The crustacean accounted for $1billion of the country’s overall seafood exports last year. [Globe & Mail]
Eight rare historic photographs of Louis Riel were discovered amongst civil war memorabilia at a recent Australian auction. Taken during the 1860s and 1870s, they give a rare window into life in the Red River settlement. The photographs are now part of the special collections at the University of Manitoba. [CBC]
Astronaut and avid tweeter Chris Hadfield made history this week when he became the first Canadian commander of the International Space Station. The brief ceremony included a broadcast of ‘O Canada’! [CTV]
The Pacific Northwest has long been thought to be untainted by slavery. But a fascinating new book, Free Boy: A True Story of Slave and Master on Puget Sound, tells the story of escaped slave 12-year-old Charles Mitchell, who was smuggled to pre-Confederation Victoria from Olympia, Puget Sound – a rare and moving example of the Underground Railroad at work on the Pacific frontier [Canada]
Canada’s folk hero Stompin’ Tom Connors has died at age 77. His songs of Canadian life, from Sudbury nickel miners to P.E.I. potato farmers and the joys of a good snowmobile, paint a picture of his great love for Canada. In his last letter to fans, Stompin’ Tom credits Canada’s beauty and inspiration as the source “driving me to keep marching on and devoted to sing about its people and places that make Canada the greatest country in the world.” Rest in Peace, Tom. [StompinTom]
“Love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world” - Jack Layton
Less than two years after NDP leader Jack Layton’s death, a biopic that tells the story of his political and romantic life will premiere on the CBC. Jack recounts the love affair between Layton and Olivia Chow, his wife, as well as Layton’s career in Toronto municipal politics, his ascent to the national stage, the NDP’s successful federal election campaign and his fight with cancer that led to his untimely death just a few weeks later. Jack stars Rick Roberts as Layton and Sook-Yin Lee as Olivia Chow. Jack will premier on CBC on Sunday, March 10.
Get ready for a space jam! For the first time ever, music has been made from space. Astronaut Chris Hadfield and Barenaked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson sang live together – Hadfield from the International Space Station and Robertson and a youth choir from Toronto. Their song, I.S.S. (‘Is Somebody Singing)’, written by Hadfield and Robertson, premiered on Friday morning. Watch it above. It’s pretty catchy! [CBC]
The first national anthology of poetry by African Canadians will be released in celebration of Black History Month this February. Published by Frontenac House, The Great Black North: Contemporary African Canadian Poetry features the works of over 90 poets across Canada.
The poets are a diverse bunch in terms of form, history and geography. From big cities to small towns, the west coast to the Maritimes and beyond Canada’s borders to countries of origin like Somalia, Nigeria, Jamaica and Kenya, these poets bring a diverse voice and a unique history that weaves together the struggles and victories that have formed the African-Canadian experience.
Google gives a tribute to the passing penny on February 4, the day penny production production ends.
On February 4, the Royal Canadian Mint will stop distributing Canadian pennies, ending 155 years of penny production in Canada. The rising cost of producing pennies relative to its value was the main reason for its phaseout. With the penny gone, the country is estimated to save $11 million annually. This week’s Canada Soup bids farewell with a roundup of news and opinion on the diminutive, soon-to-be-extinct one-cent piece.
On February 2, the groundhog becomes a weather oracle. (Corel Professional Photos).
February 2 is Groundhog Day, a celebration where those driven mad by the long winter pin their hopes for an early spring on the Marmota monax, known as the groundhog, woodchuck and, in certain circles, a whistle-pig. On February 2, the humble rodent is imbued with the powers of meteorological prognostication, divining an early spring or a prolonged winter.
According to legend, the groundhog emerges from its burrow at noon on February 2 to look for its shadow. If the day is sunny, the groundhog will see its shadow, become alarmed, and return to its burrow to sleep, thus prolonging winter for six more weeks. But if the day is cloudy and the groundhog does not see its shadow, it will leave its burrow, ushering in an early spring.
Iceberg Near Pond Inlet (photo by Mike Boedel/courtesy Govt of NWT).
Winter. The most Canadian of seasons. Like sunshine in Florida and fog in London, winter defines Canada. From November to February, it blankets the country in snow, ice, wind, rain, grey skies and blistering cold, turning the landscape into a winter wonderland or an icy hell. To help with your winter hibernation, we’ve rounded up a handful of Canadian winter songs that reflect the mood of the season: reflective, melancholy and restless, but also joyful and bursting with frenetic energy. So, settle into a warm corner and listen to the many faces of winter, as interpreted by some of the country’s most beloved musicians. Happy hibernating!
The upcoming documentary, A Desert Between Us and Them: Raiders, Traitors and Refugees in the War of 1812, tells the story of the American raids on an undefended Upper Canadian peninsula (now Southwestern Ontario) during the War of 1812. Rather than give a straight military account, A Desert Between Us and Them focuses on the civilians caught in the war – people who were faced with food shortages, constant pressure to change allegiance, thousands of refugees, and the eventual abandonment of Southwestern Ontario by the British army. War was not remote. It came up to their doorsteps, into their homes and changed their lives forever.
The Quebec film Rebelle (War Witch)has been nominated for an Oscar in the best foreign-language film category! Directed by Montreal’s Kim Nguyen, it tells the moving and heartbreaking story of child soldiers in Africa. [Montreal Gazette]
The Grammy Awards will honour legendary Toronto pianist Glenn Gould with a lifetime achievement award this February! With four Grammys to his name, the famously eccentric Gould was one of the 20th century’s most celebrated classical pianists. [Globe & Mail]
January is Train Your Dog Month in the United States, but it’s an idea that Canadian dog lovers will be happy to adopt. According to a 2009 survey from the Canadian Veterinary Journal, a total of 56% of Canadian households have at least one dog or cat, with an estimated 6 million dogs in Canada. In 2011, Canadians spent $6.23 billion on the pets according to Statistics Canada. It’s clear that Canadians love their dogs, so in the spirit of Train Your Dog Month, we present a roundup of Canadian dogs, from the hardy sled dog to the indigenous Tahltan Bear Dog to the favoured terriers of a former Prime Minister. These canines are part of Canadian history and, in some cases, have been recognized by Canada Post with a commemorative stamp!
Janvier est le mois d’entraînement pour les chiens aux États-Unis, soit le Train Your Dog Month, mais cette idée réjouira sans doute aussi tous les Canadiens qui adorent les chiens. Selon un sondage paru en 2009, tiré du Canadian Veterinary Journal, 56% des ménages canadiens ont au moins un chat ou un chien, ce qui équivaut à une population canine de 6 millions de chiens. En 2011, un montant de 6, 23 millions de dollars a été dépensé pour leurs animaux de compagnie selon Statistiques Canada. Les Canadiens aiment leurs chiens et dans cet esprit, nous vous présentons un éventail de races de chiens typiquement canadiennes, en commençant par les si courageux chiens de traineaux, jusqu’aux chiens ours des Tahltans, et même les terriers, chiens favoris de l’un des anciens premiers ministres du Canada. Ces chiens font partie du patrimoine canadien et dans certains cas, ont été reconnus par Postes Canada avec un timbre commémoratif à leur effigie.
