Come and Help with the Victory Harvest, You are Needed in the Fields (1939-1945), Library and Archives Canada, e010756935 CC BY 2.0
The latest in blog posts, news, and podcasts from the world of Canadian history.
Missed last week’s roundup? Check it out here.
- Borealia is back this week with an absolutely wonderful blog post by Leah Grandy. As she argues, the use of cursive is declining at an astonishing rate, which means that the art of deciphering historical documents is being lost. To combat this, she introduced a 2-part pilot session called “Introduction to Palaeography” in the Winter term. In this blog post, she talks about the goals and organization of the course, and reflects on her experiences. It’s a definite must-read!
- You can also see a how-to essay on palaeography over on the Atlantic Loyalist Connections
- Some new voices joined social media this week:
- Adele Perry came up with this great timeline of North American history!
- Library and Archives Canada has a new Flickr Album! This time, they are featuring photographs of tennis.
- So Unwritten Histories had a pretty big week.
- I premiered our Facebook page (like and share!)
- There were two new blog posts this week!
- First up, What to Call Your Professor, complete with flow chart (and it went viral!)
- And second, I posted my monthly list of upcoming publications in Canadian history.
- The latest issue of Folklore is out, and once again, Jessica DeWitt shares her editorial comments! This time she talks about historical markers, what they mean and what they remember.
- Alex Souchen, writing for the Laurier Centre For Military Strategic and Disarmament Studies, writes about his experiences as a historian attending a workshop on underwater munitions.
- Library and Archives Canada has also released its latest podcast episode, which is called “Sifting Through LAC’s Cookbook Collection.” I listened to the podcast, and found it fascinating! Some of my published research has looked at Jewish cookbooks, and I’m planning to feature some of that work in a couple of weeks. So stay tuned!
- NiCHE has premiered a new series (with the best title ever), called “Dam Nation: Hydroelectric Developments in Canada,” this week!
- Daniel Macfarlane wrote the introduction.
- Tina Loo wrote the first article in the series, “To C or not to C”: Damn Development in Northern British Columbia,” all about the recent protests against the building of the controversial Site C dam.
- Also on NiCHE this week, Jessica DeWitt has her monthly roundup of all things related to environmental history. Of particulate note for readers of this roundup is the Globe and Mail article on the Rideau Canal.
- Lots of digitization news this week!
- The Regina Public Library has sent its collection of city directories from 1908 to 1965 to the University of Alberta for digitization. The directories will be fully searchable, though the digitization process will not be complete before 2018.
- Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) has digitized 19 newspapers and magazines, some dating back to the 18th century, to add to its collection! The Genealogy à la carte blog has a great rundown of these publications.
- The Archives of Ontario has digitized their Ontario road map collection from 1923 to 2011! Check them out here.
- A new monument is being unveiled this week for Charles Henry Byce, the most highly decorated Indigenous Canadian soldier from WW2. Byce received both the British Military Medal for leadership and bravery and the Distinguished Conduct Medal for extreme bravery, something only a handful of Canadians have ever done.
- Jennifer Evans and Catherine Gidney have both been elected to the Royal Society’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Congratulations!
- Krista McCracken has a wonderful blog post where she discusses her reading of Interpreting LGBT History at Museums and Historic Sites.
- This week marked the 257th anniversary of the Battle on the Plains of Abraham. Julian Peters talks about the battle and posts an excerpt from his graphic-novel-in-progress examining the lead up to the battle.
- Active History has announced that it will be contributing select posts to Canada’s Great War Album, a online tribute by Canada’s History to the centennial. In a blog post on the announcement, Active History editors talk about how this happened and what the collaboration will involve.
- Although it’s not strictly Canadian, check out this interview with Susanne Klausen about her recent book, Abortion Under Apartheid: Nationalism, Sexuality, and Women’s Reproductive Rights in South Africa, which won the Canadian Committee on Women’s History award for best book in Women and Gender history last year!
- High school teacher Nathan Tidridge discusses how non-Indigenous teachers can address the TRC calls to action in their classrooms, as well as how he deals with difficult content.
- This week on the Historical Climatology blog, Bathsheba Demuth talks about new research on impact of climate change on the Ancient Thule, and whether or not it was a factor in their eastward arctic migration.
- In the latest episode of the Ben Franklin’s World Podcast, Liz Covart talks to Mark Hanna about pirates in the British Atlantic World. Is anything about pirates ever not cool?
- Histoire Engagée also has a new series this week, looking at the historical legacy and interpretation of the Quiet Revolution.
- Kisha Supernant has a new blog post about her teaching practice this week. As she notes, teaching is increasingly devalued in academia, resulting in more courses being taught by contract workers (who are mostly female), and research being seen as the most important aspect of being an academic. All I can say is yes, yes, yes.
- Once again, Maddie Knickerbocker live-tweeted an article while reading it. This time, she read “Understanding Great Teaching” by Ken Bain and James Zimmerman.” Check out her thoughts here!
- Collectors’ Weekly featured a beautiful embroidered tapestry from the 1970s, featuring depictions of Inuit life in Manitoba. I just wish there was a little more information about the tapestry itself.
- The City of Vancouver Archives Blog have now made available significant parts of its records from the City’s Planning Department, dating back to 1952.
- Active History also has a new series this week, a 4-part look at the historical context behind the film The Revenant.
- The editors first recommend that you read Stacy Nation-Knapper’s review of the film.
- The first post comes from Ted Binnema, who interrogates the film’s claim that the movie was “inspired by true events” and whether it presents an accurate portrayal of the fur trade.
- The second post is by Claire Kaufman, and explores the life of Hugh Glass, the historic protagonist of the film, and how interpretations of his life reflect contemporary issues.
- Post number 3 comes to us from Michel Bouchard, and argues that history is the real “revenant” here, as historical events are resurrected and revised on a continuing basis.
- The final post, by Benjamin Bryce and Anna Casas Aguilar, argues that religion is the central theme of the film, largely due to the director’s influence.
- LAC’s Discover blog has three additional posts this week.
- The Torontoist’s Now and Then column, which looks at historical plaques, profiles the Runnymede Theatre.
- The Canadian Centre for the Great War also looks at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette this week, reflecting on its legacy in WW1 history.
- There is a new issue of the Canadian Bulletin of Medical History out this week!
- Remember how I talked about the latest JCHA not being online? Well, it’s now available! Also available is volume 2, which features two panel discussions (including one on Clearing the Plains) and additional thematic articles.
- The winner of this year’s Canada’s Distinguished Dissertation Award has been announced! The prize was won by Douglas Hunter, from York, with his dissertation exploring how Indigenous peoples in North American have been portrayed and erased in history.
- There is a new entry on the Canadian Encyclopedia website. This new entry looks at Everett Klippert and the decriminalization of homosexuality!
- Stéphane Lévesque writes about how we can and should Indigenize the way in which history is taught.
- The Canadian Museum of History will be posting a series looking at recent archaeological excavations in Fort Severn, Ontario. Read the first post here.
- In Brock’s Student Spotlight feature, history student Jake Bradman talks about his work as a historical interpreter at Fort George National Historic Site in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
- Canadian History in the News
- This past Sunday, the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto started a new course where 15 Indigenous youths will learn how to make mukluks. The course is an opportunity for Indigenous artists to teach students traditional crafts.
- The Saskatoon Muzzle Loaders Club is trying to preserve and record sounds from 19th century Canada. Mostly shooting sounds, but I guess that’s to be expected….
- UBC is building a new centre to honour residential school survivors.
- Survivors of an Ile-a-la-Crosse residential school participate in its demolishing.
- This year, as part of the new school curriculum being implemented by the BC government, First Nations history will become central to the educational system. From Kindergarten to Grade 9, First Nations content will be integrated into all aspects of the school. Grades 10 and 11 will also be subject to the same changes next year. While this is obviously a first step, it’s a very important one!
- Remember how, a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that a 19th century burial ground had been found in Montreal? Well CBC has a new article this week explaining how they found the cemetery and what it tells us about the Scottish community of Montreal.
- Environmental historian Liza Piper is investigating PCB-contaminated breast milk that was given to mothers in Northern Canada (especially the North West Territories) from the 1930s to the 1980s. This occurred even though scientists knew full well that PCB was dangerous for human health.
- In more “WTF were they thinking” news, check out the cultural appropriation going on with the makers of Ungava Gin. I can’t even.
- Matthew Hayday was interviewed on The Agenda about the history and politics of French immersion outside of Quebec.
- Susan Blight, of First Nations House (University of Toronto), and Ogimaa Mikana have worked together with the city of Toronto to create new street signs, introducing Anishinaabemowin to the environment. So cool!
- A time capsule dating to 1880 was discovered this week while restoring a historic mill in Almonte, Ontario! I also highly recommend listening to this podcast, by Stuff You Missed in History Class, on the history of time capsules.
- Archaeologists working around Bathurst Lake and Moose Brook have found artefacts that could be more than 6,000 years old! It’s just too bad that this was discovered during the development of a new snowmobile hub and trail development. The local Indigenous community, the Maliseet, have been trying to stop this development from going forward since the proposed site is considered sacred land.
- A Canadian WW2 soldier, Pte. Kenneth Donald Duncanson, whose remains went undiscovered for more than 70 years, was recently buried outside of Bruges.
- The New Brunswick Museum has a new exhibit exploring Acadian funeral and mourning rituals. The exhibit was originally developed by the Musée Acadien. Maybe if I wish hard enough, they’ll digitize the exhibit…
- Up to a third of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Canada are threatened by oil, gas, and mining developments. Lovely.
- A cemetery dating to the 1800s on the traditional lands of the Winisk First Nation is falling into the local river. Bones are being carried away by water and wildlife. The James Bay community was abandoned after residents were evacuated for flooding 30 years ago.
- The 2016 Massey Lectures will feature a talk by Jennifer Welsh, a professor of international relations in Florence and Oxford. A Métis woman born in Regina, Welsh will speak on “The Return of History,” refuting Francis Fukuyama’s famous claim that history is dead. As she argues, we need to change our understanding and response to the mass flight of peoples.
- Thawing permafrost in Dawson City has resulted in the discovery of a treasure trove of silent films underneath a hockey rink. Could that be any more Canadian?
- British Columbians are asked to suggest places that are of historic significance to South Asian Canadians.
- Elaine Gannon was central to efforts to establish a new monument for victims of the Irish Famine in a western Quebec cemetery, despite resistance from the local parish priest.
- Juliana L’Heureux writes about French Canadian immigration to the US through first person narratives.
- The Historicist looks at celebrations when bars in the Junction closed in 1904.
- And course, this week saw the rediscovery of the HMS Terror. I’ll be having a special blog post all about the rediscovery, including a classroom exercise, coming up in a couple of weeks. In the mean time, here are some recommended links:
- Media coverage of the announcement
- Author of Finding Franklin, Russell Potter talks about the discovery
- Five Interesting Facts about the HMS Terror (from Canadian Geographic)
- Tina Adcock wrote a fantastic Twitter essay on the rediscovery of the Terror, where she talks about the colonization of the North, the obsession so many have with the lost ships and white explorers, the role of the Inuit in the rediscovery of the ship, the relationship between Western and Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing, intersections of the past and present, and the environmental aspects of the find. (storified by Michelle Nijhuis)
- Ryan McMahon wrote a Twitter essay on Indigenous knowledge and knowing, land, language, and colonialism with a particular emphasis on the Terror.
- Kisha Supernant wrote a Twitter essay on the Terror, and the relationship between archaeology and colonization.
- Sammy Kogvik, credited with leading explorers to the Terror, talks about why he decided not to tell anyone when he found the ship 6 years ago. He didn’t think anyone would believe him.
That’s is for this week! Is it just me or does it seem like everyone’s started a series this week? Is there a blog post you particularly enjoyed this past week? Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments! And don’t forget to check back on Tuesday for a new blog post that answers the one question students most frequently ask me.
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